Predators Send Cal O'Reilly to Phoenix

The Nashville Predators sent Center Cal O'Reilly to the Phoenix Coyotes for a 4th round draft pick in the 2012 draft. Here is the press release from the Predators:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has acquired a fourth-round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft in exchange for forward Cal O’Reilly. The trade is pending O’Reilly passing a physical.

            The Predators now have nine draft picks for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft to be held June 22-23, 2012 at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. – their own picks in the first, second and fourth through seventh rounds in addition Toronto’s third-round pick and the New York Rangers’ sixth-round selection, and now, Phoenix’s fourth-round selection.

O'Reilly had been out of the line up recently because of a pulled groin. 

One has to wonder about this trade. O'Reilly had provided depth at the center position and had played some quality minutes for the Predators. In 74 games for the Predators, O'Reilly had 11 goals and 24 assists. It leads me to speculate that O'Reilly was considered expendable with the depth at center and perhaps GM David Poile is amassing some draft picks to use as possible trade fodder.

It is no secret that the Predators need scoring, and now Poile has nine draft picks for the draft. Poile has to be keenly aware of the need for more scoring on this team, and he could package some draft picks with a player to pick up some offensive punch. Regardless, this gives him a few more cards in his hand to play as the trade deadline approaches.

Devils Defeat the Predators in a Shootout 3-2

The Nashville Predators fell to the New Jersey Devils in a shoot out 3-2 at the Bridgestone Arena. In this contest, there were aspects that were good, bad, and ugly.

THE GOOD

Unlike their previous effort, the Predators opened the contest with good jump and were able to solve the Devils trap game. The Devils cycle the puck well, and the Predators weathered the early pressure exerted by the visitors. The breakouts were crisper, and the Predators were able to cycle the puck in the offensive zone and create pressure of their own.

This effort resulted in a 2-0 lead after the end of the first period. The Predators first tally came at 12:22 of the period on the power play as Colin Wilson continued his solid play, re-directing a pass from Sergei Kostitsyn past Devils netminder Johan Hedberg. Wilson has played with fire in his belly and has been consistently good in all aspects of his game.

The Predators notched their second goal 1:21 seconds later, at 13:53 as Jerred Smithson was the beneficiary of a great cross ice pass from Jordin Tootoo. With Nick Spaling in front occupying Hedberg, Smithson was able to fire the puck into an open net for a 2-0 Predator lead.

Pekka Rinne was solid in net, making some great stops early to keep the Devils off the board. His play in net continues to keep the Predators in contests, and he is moving well and exhibiting the great glove hand that he has shown throughout his career.

THE BAD

Once again, the Predators gave up double digit shot totals in every period, and a total 38 in three periods and another 3 in overtime. This is entirely too much, and gives the other team numerous opportunities to score. The reliance on Rinne is a tribute to his skill, but the Predators have to tighten up their defense.

There were stretches where the Predators seemed totally unable to get out of their defensive zone, much less exert any offensive pressure. At times, it was a victory for the Predators to get the puck out of the defensive zone. The lapses are problematic because it puts an inordinate amount of pressure on the defense and Rinne.

THE UGLY

Sergei Kostitsyn took a slashing penalty at 19:50 of the second period. On the ensuing power play to start the third, Pekka Rinne was run into by Patrick Elias. Shea Weber responded by taking a shot a Elias and was called for cross checking. On the power play, Ilya Kovalchuk blasted a shot by Rinne to cut the deficit to one. Apparently, it was permissible for the Devils to run Rinne with no call or consequence. That was a big momentum swing for the Devils, as they controlled play for much of the third period.

David Clarkson, he who had served a five minute boarding major earlier in the game, tied the game at 7:57 of the third. The Devils had dominated play and had been swarming the Predators in their own zone, and the effort by the Devils was rewarded with the tying goal.

The Predators did muster a few offensive chances late, but were unable to bury their chances. Once again, a lead had been squandered late.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The overtime was scoreless, forcing a shootout. Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise scored on beautiful moves against Rinne, while Cal O'Reilly and Matt Halischuk were stopped by Hedberg.

This is a painful learning experience for this young squad. The game is 60 minutes and this team cannot take rest on a lead, but must continue offensive pressure throughout the contest.

The ability of Rinne is without question, but when teams pour an abundance of shots on the net every night, it is not a formula for consistently winning games. The defensive effort has to get better.

There are flashes of great play. Those flashes are often surrounded by lapses that cost this team. Those lapses have to be eliminated for this team to be successful.

Brian McGratten showed why he is on the roster, as he toyed with the Devils heavyweight Cam Janssen while pummeling him in a lengthy bout. McGratten even took his free hand and used it to exhort the crowd while holding Janssen at bay. The fact is, however, that McGratten, didn't see the ice in the third period, effectively putting the Predators down a forward.

The Predators continue as a work in progress. This young team is going to experience some growing pains. We are seeing them now.

If this team is going to make a strong push to the playoffs, they are going to have to grow up quickly.

My three stars:

1. Johan Hedberg

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Ilya Kovalchuk

Youth Is Served: Predators Best the BJ's 3-2

The first game of the NHL season always brings questions about a team, questions that are answered on the ice. For the Predators, this is a season of questions. Will the young forwards gel and be able to score. How will the young blue liners perform? Will this team have chemistry?

So many questions.

The Nashville Predators faced the Columbus Blue Jackets in Nationwide Arena to try to answer some of those questions.

Pekka Rinne, bouncing back from a touch of the flu, got the start for the Predators, while Steve Mason was in net for the BJ's. Both Rinne and Mason were looking at a lot of new faces in front of them,and for the Predators, a lot of those faces were awfully young. This was going to a baptism of fire for the new Predators.

After a scoreless first period that saw both teams generate some scoring chances, the Predators finally tallied on a power play opportunity (yes, you read that correctly!) as David Legwand fed the puck to Sergei Kostitsyn who walked in alone on Steve Mason. Mason was forced to focus solely on SK74, who at the last moment slipped a nice backhand pass to a pinching Ryan Suter, who buried the puck into the open net at 5:10 of the second period..

The BJ's would answer at 14:19 of the period as a Shot by Jeff Carter was not handled cleanly by Rinne and Vinny Prospal cleaned up the loose puck as he was crashing the net. As you can imagine, the tally set the Columbus crowd off into a frenzy.

It was going to be important for the Predators to turn the momentum back in their favor and take the crowd out of it. Someone would need to step up and answer for the Predators.

That answer would come just 1:37 later, and it would come from an unlikely but welcome source. Craig Smith notched his first NHL goal at 15:56 as Mason could not handle a shot from Shea Weber. Mason was sprawled in a snow angel thinking the puck was under him. The puck, however, was lying to the side of Mason, and Smith was flying around the net and able to knock in a backhand to give the Predators a 2-1 lead. That would be all the scoring for the remainder of the period.

A 2-1 lead is tenuous, and it was going to be important for the Predators to continue to apply pressure and attempt to extend the lead. The Predators would do just that as Matt Halischuk would for a Columbus turnover in their own zone. Cal O'Reilly flipped the puck to Halischuk who was driving the net. Halischuk lifted a backhand past Mason to make it 3-1 Predators just 39 seconds into the third period.

The Jackets made it a 1 goal game again at 10:19 of the third period as the Predators failed to get the puck through the neutral zone and the Jackets made them pay as Rick Nash scored on a wrap around against Rinne. Throughout this contest, the Predators looked spotty with their neutral zone play, which has normally been a strength of this team.

The Predators killed off a Craig Smith penalty when the BJ's had momentum. Rinne made a huge save on Rick Nash. Craig Smith rang one off the pipe. The action in the late stages of the third period was going end to end.

The Predators stepped up the pressure and peppered Mason with shots. The Jackets did the same to Rinne, and both goalies were up to the task.

With the Predators nursing the one goal lead, the Jackets pulled Mason in the final minute. It was a wild scramble in the Predators goal crease in the final 10 seconds, but the Predators were able to hold off the BJ's offensive push and escape with a 3-2 win.

This was an important win for this team. It introduced a lot of young guys to the pace and the venom that comes in a regular season game against a division rival. Tonight, the young guys, and a few of the older ones, saw that it is the little things like winning face offs and puck battles that can turn the tide of a contest.

I was thoroughly impressed with the play of Craig Smith. The kid is fearless, not afraid to shoot the puck, and has a nose for the net.

In my mind, the jury is still out on the defensive pairing of Jack Hillen and Teemu Laakso. At times, they looked tentative and lacking confidence.

The Predators are the youngest team in the NHL. With youth, there is excitement but there is also mistakes. As Predator fans, we are going to have to live with these facts for a while this season.

We as fans will not lack for edge of our seat excitement.

My three stars:

1. Matt Halischuk

2. Craig Smith

3. Pekka Rinne

Pondering the Predators Signings and Possibilities

The Nashville Predators have resolved their issues with their restricted free agents, signing Sergei Kostitsyn, Nick Spaling, Matt Halischuk, Chris Mueller, and Cal O'Reilly. Kostitsyn signed a one year contract for $2.5 million; Spaling signed for 2 years for $2.1 million; Halischuk signed a 2 year deal for $1.45 million; Mueller signed a one year, two way contract for $550,000; and O'Reilly signed a 1 year deal for $1.05 million.

These signings are good ones for the Predators, solidifying the core of the team. Kostitsyn's signing is particularly important for the Predators, as he led the team in goals with 23 and tied for the lead in points with 50.

While the Predators have resolved the issue of signing their players, there is still a hearing with arbitrator George Nicholau as to the propriety of the process. In talking to the Predators front office, the view is that the Predators organization did not maliciously attempt to circumvent the process of signing the RFA's. They did, however, violate the protocol by failing to fax the offer sheets to the players and the agents. As such, there could be a fine to the organization or a warning issued. That will be decided in the grievance hearing. The probability of the contracts being voided by the arbitrator is considered to be non-existent.

Along with these RFA's, the Predators have also signed in the free agency period Zach Stortini, Kyle Wilson, Niclas Bergfors, and Brodie Dupont. Of these, Bergfors will be the biggest impact player for the team. Last season, he posted 36 points in 72 games, and the 24 year old winger has good offensive upside. Bergfors will have to improve his overall game and become more solid in the defensive zone to gain consistent playing time. Look for the coaching staff to improve Bergfors overall game and for him to be a solid contributor.

The remaining signings are depth signings, with these players more than likely starting the season in Milwaukee. Stortini has a chance to stick with the Predators at the start of the season as a fourth line wing depending on his play in camp and the development of younger players or if the Predators sign additional forwards.

The focus for the Predators now shifts to signing stud defenseman Shea Weber. Weber is an RFA, and the Predators wisely filed for arbitration to keep other teams from being able to make an offer for his services. I believe that the Predators and Weber never get to arbitration. By freeing up cap space with some of their off season moves, the Predators now have the capacity to sign Weber to a longer term contract. There is some thought that Weber will sign a very short term deal and will test the market within a few years.

I don't believe that happens.

Weber is happy here in Nashville, and his role as Captain solidifies his position with the team. As long as the Predators continue to position the team to be a serious playoff contender, I think he will be satisfied playing in this market. Don't forget the fact that his playing partner, Ryan Suter, helps to elevate Weber's game, and going to another team takes that dimension away.

My view: Weber signs a deal in the five year range for $6-7 million per year.

So where does this leave the Predators for the upcoming season?

There will be the possibility for the team to still make some good offensive additions. Several teams are up against the cap and will have to get under before the season starts. Additionally, there will be some players that walk away from arbitration awards and will become available. Arb hearings will begin in late July and continue into August, and I expect to see some players become available after this process is underway. Because of the cleared cap space, the Predators will be in a position to make an offer for a player that fits their needs.

This also does not mean that the Predators are out of the trade market. The obvious bargaining chip for the team is the young D corp, but a trade there certainly has to have long term benefits. Several teams are still in the market for a depth defenseman, and this situation favors the Predators.

In looking at the players have under contract, there is one other factor to consider: this is a young roster that has a lot of experience. Don't underestimate the effect of playing a full season in the NHL at a young age, as many of of forwards have done. The jump in experience usually translates into performance on the ice in the next season. For instance, Nick Spaling will turn 24 at the start of the upcoming season; Sergei Kostitsyn turned 24 near the end of last season; Colin Wilson will turn 22 early in this season; Niclas Bergfors turned 24 at the end of last season; and Patrick Hornqvist will turn 25 on January 1. These young players will mature not only physically, but on and off the ice as well. This maturity will hopefully translate into improved play in the upcoming season.

It's easy to get frustrated at the start of the free agency period and not see some big name signed to the roster. The truth is that the start of free agency is when the "stupid" money gets spent, money that many teams come to regret. And many times, these players added at that time do not generate the results that was expected at their signing. The fact in today's NHL is that teams that can draft well and develop their talent most often are successful in the long term.

Welcome to the "Predator Way".

That is not to say that the Preds want make some off season adds. I think they will.

When they do, you can be assured that it will be a player that can contribute at the right price. And the team will not pay "stupid" money to do this.

Big Brother Predators Bop Little Brother Blue Jackets 4-1

If you have ever had a little brother, you know how annoying they can be. They get in your stuff, they are a constant source of irritation, and occasionally, they can get the better of their big brother. Once big brother has had enough, they usually bop them rather forcefully and they are once again put in their place.

Tonight at the Bridgestone Arena, the little brother Blue Jackets were irritating for a period, taking a 1-0 lead over the Predators going into intermission. The BJ's scored on the first shot of the game, as R.J. Umberger tipped in a shot from the point by Marc Methot. The Predators defense was caught flat footed and left Umberger alone in front of the net, and he was able to re-direct the shot past Nashville's Pekka Rinne just 37 seconds into the contest.

After the first intermission, big brother woke up and started to exert their will over the BJ's. I would suspect that Head Parent  Coach Barry Trotz had a few choice words for his charges when he took them to their room. Whatever was said, it worked, as the Predators started to dominate the contest.

Shea Weber tied the game with a blast from the point with Nick Spaling and Jerred Smithson screening in front of Jackets goaltender Steve Mason. Mason never saw the shot until it hit the back of the net at 2:59 of the second.

The Predators continued to put pressure on the BJ's in the offensive zone, and their effort was rewarded at 6:09 of the second as Nick Spaling was able to find a puck at the side of the crease and knock home a rebound of a Weber shot from the point. Mason was able to make the initial save, but could not control the rebound. Taking a page from Patric Hornqvist's book, Spaling fought into the hard area at the net and was able to slap home the rebound past an out of position Mason.

Hornqvist was not going to let Spaling have all the fun at the net, as he lifted a puck over the shoulder of Mason while being knocked to the ice. Hornqvist's goal came on the power play at 16:50 of the second with Fedor Tytutin in the box for holding. This goal showed the strength of Hornqvist, as he was being hit and knocked to the ice. He still had the strength and ability to lift the puck and find the back of the net.

With a 3-1 lead going into the third period, everyone knew that the pesky little brother Jackets would come out pressing, and it was going to be important for the Predators to answer. They thwarted several BJ scoring chances with some strong goaltending from Rinne and solid defense in front of him. The Predators rarely gave up a secondary scoring chance and did a good job of slowing the BJ rush through the neutral zone.

The Predators iced the win as Colin Wilson ripped a shot from just inside the face off circle. The shot beat Mason, and it  hit the crossbar and appeared to go in. The officials did not rule it a goal, but Sergei Kostitsyn was crashing the net and tapped the puck into an open crease while it was lying on the ice in the blue paint at 5:53 of the period.

The Predators spent the remainder of the game throttling the BJ's offensive effort and notched their second win in three contests against little brother Columbus.

For the contest, Rinne stopped 19 of 20 shots.

This victory kept Columbus winless in Nashville since April of 2006.

This win was not without a price, however. The Predators lost Cal O'Reilly mid-way of the third period with a broken fibula. Once again, the injury bug has bitten the Predators hard.

After a first period that found the Predators on their heels for the most, they came out and played solid, Predator hockey for the next two periods. They shot the puck and challenged Mason, and when he has to move side to side and track pucks through traffic, he is average. Tonight, the Predators offense made him look average.

More importantly, the Predators aggressive forecheck and solid defense in the neutral zone and in the defensive zone limited the Jackets offense. The Jackets top line of Rick Nash ( 1 SOG), Derick Brassard (1 SOG), and Antoine Vermette (3 SOG), were limited to 5 shots on goal and were held in check all night by the Predators. This is the key to any Predators win, moreso against the Jackets.

The Predators will now embark on a west coast swing, and it is going to be essential that they bring this kind of effort every night. This is a team that is built for the grind of the regular season, built for the wars that are the Western Conference contests.

Skate like this, shoot the puck and crash the net, and play solid defense, and you will continue to play the role of big brother.

My three stars:

1. Shea Weber

2. Nick Spaling

3. Pekka Rinne

Predators Offense MIA in 2-1 Loss to Sens

Okay, who is wearing the Predators sweaters and what have you done with the real team?

After going on a tear in the early part of December, the Predators have absolutely stunk up the joint in their last three games, this time falling to at best an average Ottawa Senators hockey team by a score of 2-1.

The game wasn't as close as the score indicated.

The Predators made the Senators look much better than they really are and made Brian Elliott, the Ottawa netminder look fantastic.

Merry Christmas. Enjoy your gifts.

In the first three minutes of the contest, the Predators were outshot 9-1. It didn't get much better as the game went on.

Sure, the Predators narrowed the shot total, trailing for the game 30-26, but the reality is that the Predators rarely challenged Elliott for the bulk of the contest. We certainly did a great job of making him look like a quality goaltender.

The Predator offense struggled all night, at times unable to get in the zone. When they did get in the zone, there was very little puck support and the puck was turned over frequently, often going the other way. The offensive zone presence of the Predators was abysmal. This continues the disturbing trend that has reared its ugly head in the three game losing streak that the Predators have endured.

The Predators welcomed back Pekka Rinne in net, and did nothing to help him throughout the night. I can fault Rinne for neither goal that was given up tonight, as the defense in front of Rinne once again broke down, as they often have in this three game slide.

Merry Christmas, Pekka.

The Sens first goal came when Cal O'Reilly threw a pass to Kevin Klein in the defensive zone that put Klein in an impossible position to handle the puck. Peter Regin slammed Klein into the boards with a clean check, got control of the puck, and flipped a back pass to Alexei Kovalev who was alone in the low slot. Kovalev beat Rinne high glove side as Francis Buillon and O'Reilly both were late to rotate back in coverage.

Ottawa made it 2-0 on the power play as Nick Foligno was left alone at the side of the net and buried the rebound off Rinne's pads for an easy goal.

The Predators cut the deficit to 2-1 as Marcel Goc tipped home a shot from Cody Franson, but that was the only offensive thrust that the Predators could muster.

The ineptness of the Predators offense was not helped when both Marty Erat and Steve Sullivan were lost to injury. Erat went hard into the boards and appeared to injure his back midway of the second period. Sullivan left in the third period with a lower body injury.

The Predators have now been outscored in their last three games by a margin of 12-3. The offense, once so effective in their early December streak, has seen the wheels come off. Their is no flow and no consistency from the forwards. The forecheck, once devastatingly effective, has disappeared. The Predators are now having trouble just entering the offensive zone.

The offense has to get their mojo back for this team to be successful. Right now, their is no semblance of that happening.

Two days off to enjoy the Christmas holiday may be what this team needs. Time to regroup and get their focus back.

If you believe in Santa, it's time to ask him to bring the Predators some offense.

We certainly need it.

My three stars:

1. Alexei Kovalev

2. Brian Elliott

3. Marcel Goc

Predators Clip the Wings 3-2

The Nashville Predators have shown that they have had an inability to close out teams teams in tight contests. Tonight, the Predators found themselves in another such contest against Detroit at the Joe. Leading 2-1 going into the third period, the conventional wisdom was that the Predators would not hang tough and get a much needed win.

The conventional wisdom was wrong, as the Predators played solid, tough hockey and defeated the Red Wings 3-2.

The difference in this game was simply that the Predators did not back off when they held the lead. They played tough defense and their forecheck was aggressive in all three periods, creating havoc in the the Detroit zone and doing a great job of forcing the Wings to play defense and not set up clean breakouts.

This is the formula for the Predators to secure a victory, and tonight, they mastered that formula with an good effort in all three zones.

Oh yeah, the Predators got a stellar effort in net tonight from Anders Lindback. Lindy is going to carry the load while Pekka Rinne is out with a knee injury, and against the best team in the NHL, he demonstrated that he is more than equal to the task.

The Wings outshot the Predators 37-24 for the game. They outshot the Predators in every period, including a 16-4 advantage in the third period. This is typical of a Detroit team as they put pressure on the net. Lindback was poised in net and moved well all night. He did not give up many second chance rebounds and did a good job of tracking the puck. During the course of the game, he was called upon to make some quality saves, and he came up big when he had to do so.

The Predators opened the scoring at 19:27 of the first period as Colin Wilson took a beautiful centering pass from Cal O'Reilly, who drove the net and drew the defense and Wings netminder Jimmy Howard to him. O'Reilly slid a nice pass to Wilson, who was parked alone at the top of the crease and had an open net yawning before him. Wilson's sixth goal of the season made it 1-0 for the Predators.

Nashville extended the lead to 2-0 just 49 seconds into the second period. Sergei Kostitsyn sent a low, hard shot toward the net. Howard got a pad on it but gave up a rebound that Marty Erat was able tip tip back toward the net. The puck hit Marcel Goc and a Detroit defender and caromed into the net to give the Predators a two goal advantage.

The Predators had a glorious chance to extend the lead as Tomas Holmstrom was called for a double minor for high sticking Marty Erat. Instead, the Predators managed to give up a short handed goal to Pavel Datsyuk two minutes into the power play. Detroit managed to kill off the rest of the power play as the Predators were unable to generate any quality scoring chances.

Momentum to the Wings. And a huge "uh-oh" for the Predator nation.

In the third period, the Predators faced a hard charging Detroit squad. You knew that the Wings would be coming and coming hard. Lindback made some great saves to keep the Wings off the board. The Predators did not go back on their heels, however. The defense did a good job- for the most- in keeping the Wings to the perimeter and not allowing many chances from in close. The Predators foreheck forced the Wings to use up valuable time in their zone and slowed them in the neutral zone.

Unfortunately, the Predators offensive effort was virtually invisible in the third period. Again, there was that nagging sensation that the Wings would somehow manage to tie the game due to their offensive prowess.

That feeling would change at 14:37 of the third period, as J.P. Dumont skated the puck through the neutral zone with speed and rifled a shot from the faceoff circle that would beat Howard high glove side.

That goal gave the Predators some breathing room and amped up the sense of desperation for the Red Wings. Their effort would be rewarded at 18:27 of the third with the Detroit net empty and the extra attacker on the ice. Johan Franzen launched a shot from the point which found its way through traffic and past Lindback to cut the margin to 3-2.

With time running down and the Wings net once again empty, Detroit was in the Nashville zone and applying great pressure. Nick Spaling attacked the puck at the point and was able to clear a hand pass all the way down the ice to melt the final seconds on the clock and the Predators had secured just their 10th win in their history in the Joe.

In this win, they Predators did the things that they haven't done in previous games that they have given away: a continued strong forecheck; refusing to sit back on their heels in their zone; and sound defensive coverage. Kudos to Marty Erat, Joel Ward, and Nick Spaling who were superb on the penalty kill and on the forecheck in the Wings zone.

The win is tempered somewhat by the fact that David Legwand, who was playing for the first time in 9 games due to an injury, left the game in the second period and did not return. It is assumed that he aggravated the same lower body injury that had previously sidelined him.

The Predators have shown an annoying propensity to blow leads and not play with mental toughness. Tonight, that was not the case.

You have seen what it takes to beat the best.

It's time to bring that effort to the ice every night, boys.

My three stars:

1. Anders Lindback

2. J.P. Dumont

3. Marty Erat

Predators Waste a 2 Goal Lead, Fall to Thrashers in OT 3-2

The Nashville Predators went to the overtime session for the tenth time this season in their contest with the Atlanta Thrashers, falling 3-2. This is a disappointing loss for the Predators as they failed once again to hold a lead going into the third period.

Nashville opened the scoring at 8:39 of the first period as Colin Wilson took a nice drop pass from Sergei Kostitsyn and buried a quick wrister past Atlanta netminder Ondrej Pavalec.

Colin Wilson would whistle a hard wrist shot at the net at 11:39 of the period. Steve Sullivan was parked at the net and tipped it past Pavelec to make it 2-0 Predators.

The Predators controlled play for much of the first period as they were skating hard and forechecking aggressively. They managed to keep the Thrashers back on their heels for much of the period and the play in that period was dictated by the effort of the Predators.

The momentum in the game would start to swing in the second period. Atlanta came out more aggressively and started to out skate the Predators. Ominously, the Predators could not win faceoffs and allowed the Thrashers to control the puck off of draws in both zones. This would come back to haunt the Predators in the course of the game.

Atlanta cleanly won a draw in the Nashville zone and slid the puck back to the point. Tobias Enstrom unleashed a rocket at the net that was tipped by Jim Slater and past Nashville goalie Anders Lindback at 14:25 of the period. Lindback was helpless on the redirect of the puck, and the Thrashers had new energy.

Nashville generated a quality chance while on the penalty kill as Joel Ward was alone in front of the net with Pavelec out of position. Amazingly, Pavelec got his stick on the shot to deny Ward.

The Thrashers came out energized in the third period and generated several quality chances. Lindback had to make some big saves to keep the Birds off the board. This game had the appearance of heading to overtime as the Predators were back on their heels for much of the period.

The premonition about the game being tied and heading to overtime came to fruition at 6:49 of the third period. Shea Weber was in the box for boarding, and Andrew Ladd was able to gather in a rebound of a Dustin Byfuglian shot and put it past a sprawling Lindback. The Predators had killed off 37 straight penalties to that point, including three in this game against the number one power play unit in the NHL in the form of the Thrashers. Unfortunately for the Predators, they played with fire one time too many as the Atlanta power play finally connected.

The Predators has a glorious scoring chance on a give and go with Steve Sullivan and Cal O'Reilly, but Pavelec denied the scoring chance by O'Reilly. This was the last good scoring chance for the Predators in the period.

In overtime, Kevin Klein lost his stick at the blue line and could not clear the puck. Ben Eager controlled the puck and slid a pass to Zach Bogosian, who drilled a shot past Lindback glove side to end the contest at 2:11 of the overtime session.

Once again, the Predators disturbingly failed to show any killer instinct, letting a team up off the mat and blowing a two goal lead to lose the game. The inability of this team to close out an opponent demonstrates a lack of mental toughness, and this is disappointing. The Predators cannot keep giving away leads- and games- and remain in the playoff hunt.

After outshooting the Thrasher 12-7 in the first period, the Predators were outshot 14-7 in the second; 14-9 in the third; and 2-1 in overtime. This is unacceptable. The effort, the aggressiveness of the first period slowly disappeared as the game went on. The Predators were guilty many times of sitting back on their heels, and this style of play came back to bite them.

It's time to stop squandering leads. It's time to stop sitting back and letting the opponent dictate play.

It's time to go balls to the wall for 60 minutes boys.

My three stars:

1. Ondrej Pavelec

2. Zach Bogosian

3. Colin Wilson

Predators Hammer Hurricanes 5-2

Two weeks ago, the Nashville Predators played the Carolina Hurricanes at the RBC Center in a contest that was an absolute grind. Tonight, the Predators met the Hurricanes in the Bridgestone Arena, and this contest was a decidedly different affair. The Predators blew away the Hurricanes 5-2 in a wide opening tilt.

This was the first contest for the Predators without starting netminder Pekka Rinne, who is out 2-4 weeks after having his left knee scoped on Friday. Anders Lindback got the start in net for the Predators.

Patric Hornqvist opened the scoring for the Predators at 2:33 of the first period as he gathered in a rebound of a Cody Franson shot and fired it past Carolina goaltender Cam Ward.

Joe Corvo answered for the Hurricanes just 18 seconds later as he drove into the offensive zone and fired a shot from the right face off circle that hit Lindback's shoulder and bounced into the net. It was a goal that was soft and one that had the Predator nation saying "uh-oh".

The Predators would regain the lead at 10:08 of the first period as Shea Weber went low and took a beautiful pass from Marty Erat. Weber buried the shot for his fourth goal and second in consecutive games.

Nashville continued to buzz the net and fire shots at Ward, who gave up many juicy rebounds. The offense effort tonight was very solid and challenged Ward and the Carolina defense all night.

That effort would pay off in a Marcel Goc score that came at 15:01 of the first period. Marty Erat shot a puck at Ward, who gave up a rebound that slid into the slot. Goc and Kevin Klein converged on the puck and Goc whistled a wrister past Ward for his first goal in seven games to extend the lead to 3-1 for the Predators.

Nashville exerted good offensive pressure throughout the first period and outshot the Canes 17-10. The Predators were strong on the puck and fired numerous shots at Ward, who was prone to give up rebounds all night. The Predators were also strong in the neutral zone and rarely allowed Carolina to enter the offensive zone with speed.

Carolina came out with good jump to open the second period and at times had the Predators back on their heels. When they did, Lindback came up with some key saves to keep the Canes off the boards.

Carolina finally solved Lindback at 9:43 of the second as Jiri Tlusty gathered in a rebound in the low slot and beat Lindback high to the stick side. All of a sudden, we had a game again.

Nashville would stretch the lead to 2 again as the line of Sergei Kostitsyn, Marty Erat, and Cal O'Reilly, who was still on the ice on a long shift, clicked for a goal at 8:44 of the third. Kostitsyn made a beautiful drop pass to Erat, who whipped a pass to O'Reilly alone in the low slot. O'Reilly buried the shot over the stick side shoulder of Ward to make the score 4-2 in favor of the Predators.

Steve Sullivan would cap the scoring with an empty net goal at 17:44 of the third, and the Predators would dominate the Hurricanes for their third straight win and their second over the Canes this season.

The Predators played a complete game to notch this victory. Lindback was solid in the start, stopping 28 of 30 shots. The Predators dominated the neutral zone, rarely allowing Carolina to enter the zone with speed. The defense did a great job of limiting secondary scoring chances. And the offense shot the puck and crashed the crease, generating scoring chances, and more importantly, finishing on those chances.

The line of Goc, Kostitsyn, and Erat have emerged as a true scoring line for the Predators. They are creative and do a great job of generating scoring opportunities. Sergei Kostitsyn was around the net all night, and played The emergence of this line gives the Predators another quality scoring line that takes the pressure off the top scoring line of O'Reilly, Sullivan, and Wilson. For the Preds to have continued success, they have to have another legitimate scoring line, and this second line has stepped into role of a scoring line in a big way.

The Predators will be without Rinne for a while. Lindback is more than capable of shouldering the load. Tonight, he settled down after an early soft goal and demonstrated that he is capable of carrying that load. This bodes well for the fortunes of the Predators.

For the Predators to have continued success, they have to do what they did tonight: strong on the PK (Carolina was 0-4 with the man advantage); solid goal tending; and perhaps most importantly, an opportunistic offense. The Predators shot the puck and took advantage of rebounds. They outshot Carolina 39-30 for the game. This is their formula for success, and if they play this way every game, they will come out on top in most contests.

This game should give the Predators some confidence as they continue on in their schedule. They now know that they can be successful playing Predator hockey. They know that they will be in the hunt for a playoff spot with this kind of effort.

Play like this, and you will hammer some more teams.

My three stars:

1. Marty Erat

2. Anders Lindback

3. Marcel Goc

Predators Beat Blue Jackets 4-3 in a Shootout

The Nashville Predators journeyed to the Nationwide Arena once again for a divisional tilt with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Unlike their first foray into enemy territory, the Predators effort in this contest was decidedly better than the first meeting with the Jackets. The Predators took the game to a shootout, defeating the Blue Jackets 4-3 behind Pekka Rinne's outstanding goaltending.

The Predators decided that they were going to crash the net and challenge Jackets netminder Steve Mason, something that they did not do in the first meeting. The Predators shot the puck and crashed the net and generally created havoc in front of Mason, making him scramble to make saves and making his life difficult.

Nashville scored first at 17:02 of the first period when Colin Wilson was the beneficiary of a beautiful saucer pass from Cal O'Reilly from behind the net. Wilson was crashing the crease and lifted a shot over the shoulder of Mason to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

Anoine Vermette tied the game at 7:11 when the Predators lost defensive zone coverage and allowed Vermette to break in alone on the backside of the coverage. Marty Erat and Shea Weber lost the coverage, and Rinne was rightfully livid with his defense after the score.

Nashville would regain the lead at 16:29 of the second period as Marty Erat found Sergei Kostitsyn braking to the net. He got the pass to SK74 in traffic, and he was able to control the puck and lift it over Mason's shoulder.

Nashville would give up the equalizer at 2:01 of the third period as Kris Russell would get his first goal of the season. That goal would energize the Blue Jackets as their forecheck picked up and created turnovers and put the Predators back on their heels.

The Jackets pressure would pay off as Rick Nash walked in on net and put a shot in on Rinne, who made a great toe save. The puck was caromed off the skate of Colin Wilson, who missed the clear at the side of the net. Antoine Vermette, following the play, tapped the puck into the open net to give the Jackets their first lead of the night.

It was disappointing to once again see the Predators fail to hold a lead in the third period. Having played the previous night, there was concern about how much gas Nashville would have in the tank. More importantly, would this team have the mental toughness to mount a comeback against a tough divisional opponent?

That question was answered at 11:38 of the period as the Predators were crowding the crease and Kevin Klein unleashed a rocket that went low along the ice. Mason never saw the shot until it went into the back of the net. Tie game, question resoundingly answered.

The game remained scoreless for the rest of the third period and the overtime session, but it was not for lack of effort as both Rinne and Mason made some big saves.

Once again, the Predators were going to a shootout, their sixth of the season.

Columbus elected to have Nashville shoot first, and Mason got a piece of Cal O'Reilly's shot. Rinne answered by stopping Jakub Voracek.

Nashville's second shooter, Steve Sullivan absolutely undressed Mason, faking to his backhand and causing Mason to slide completely out of the net. Sully drew the puck back and slid it into the net with a gentle forehand shove.

Rinne stoned Rick Nash and Mason stopped Marty Erat.

With the game on the line, Rinne faced his nemesis tonight, Antoine Vermette. Rinne ate up his shot, and the Predators had the all important second point.

After a four game losing streak, the Predators have now won two in a row.

The tenor of this game was decidedly different than the first contest. Nashville skated better and the forwards were not going to be denied the dirty areas in front of the crease. Two of their three goals came from shots in the hard area, with players paying the price to establish position and challenge Mason.

Kudos to Pekka Rinne. This win was squarely on his shoulders, as he made some outstanding saves. Rinne is a beast in net and is playing with confidence. His game is on, and it gives the Predators an opportunity for victory every night. The three goals that were allowed were goals for which I do not fault Rinne.

The win feels good, but there are still holes in the Predators game that have to be plugged. There are still lapses in the defensive coverage that one would not expect with the D that Nashville puts on the ice. There are still times that the offense disappears.

The win is positive. The mistakes have to be corrected. Take the positives and build on them. You played a very good team tonight and you did what it took to win the game.

Play Predator hockey, and you will see the wins add up.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Antoine Vermette

3. Steve Sullivan

Predators Blank Coyotes 3-0

Sometimes you play a game and do everything but win on the scoreboard. Sometimes, you play a less than stellar game but skate away with the victory. The Nashville Predators have experienced both extremes recently, but tonight, they skated away with a 3-0 win over the Phoenix Coyotes, playing an game that could generously be described as ugly..

Part of the ugliness was due to lines that had been juggled, and it was apparent early on that the chemistry between the forwards needed time to coalesce. The revamped lines did provide some jump at times, but there were numerous occasions where passes were missed and the lines just flat out looked disjointed.

The victory by the Predators snapped a four game losing streak, and handed the Coyotes their first back to back losses this season. Phoenix has just won twice in their last eleven trips to Nashville.

Pekka Rinne got the start for the Predators, and he out dueled Ilya Bryzgalov for his 17th career shutout. Rinne was sharp and made some key saves to keep the Coyotes off the board. For the game, Rinne made 33 saves.

The Predators opened the scoring at 3:26 of the first period while on the power play. Shea Weber came in from the blue line and was left alone low and to the left of Bryzgalov. He attempted a cross crease pass that was blocked back to him and he beat Bryzgalov low to the short side post.

The Predators would notch their second goal at 12:48 of the second period while on a 5 on 3 power play. Steve Sullivan sent a crossing pass to a wide open Cal O'Reilly, who had an open net in which to deposit the puck.

The 2-0 lead of the Predators did not seem safe in the third period as the Coyotes pressed the attack and generated some quality scoring chances. Rinne was sharp in net and the defense stepped up to limit second chances for the Yotes.

The Coyotes generated some of their best chances in the third period while a man down. The Nashville power play, potent in the first two periods, shut down and had trouble entering the offensive zone. This allowed Phoenix to gain control of the puck in the neutral zone and get some very good scoring chances. Fortunately for the Predators, Rinne came up with some big stops to hold the Coyotes off the board.

With Bryzgalov pulled for the extra attacker, Jordin Tootoo would add an empty netter to complete the scoring at 19:35 of the third period.

It's no secret the Predators offense has struggled. Tonight, they generated some scoring chances 5 on 5, but could not finish. This has been, and continues to be a problem for the Predators that must be solved for this team to be successful.

Tonight's game highlights the importance of special teams. The Predators dormant power play awoke to tally two goals on seven attempts. The penalty kill continues to improve and play well. Tonight, this unit killed all three man advantage chances that the Coyotes had. The PK has now killed 31 consecutive penalties. The play of the special teams has been and will continue to be critical to the Predators winning games.

This team has been pressing, and there is no secret about that. It has been reflected in their play of late. This is the type of game that will give the team some confidence and hopefully cause them to relax and just play hockey.

This is part of the learning experience for this team. They are learning that losing is not a pleasant experience. They are learning that doing the little things can mean the difference in winning and losing; little things like winning battles on the wall and killing penalties. They are learning to relax and just play hockey.

This team has gone through a rough month in November, yet they find themselves just 2 points out of a playoff spot. The struggle that this team has gone through can make them tougher. They can take heart in the fact that even with the struggles they have endured, they are still in the hunt in the tough Western Conference race.

Time to take the lessons that have been learned and build on them.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Steve Sullivan

3. Cal O'Reilly

Rangers Squeak by the Predators 2-1 in s Shootout

The Nashville Predators played another shootout game, this time with the New York Rangers, their fifth of the season. They lost the shootout 1-0 to drop a 2-1 decision and fall to a record of 9-8-5. With the point, the Predators now stand at 23 points on the season.

The Predators opened the scoring at 5:10 of the first period as Colin Wilson beat Henrik Lundqvist high glove side to stake the Predators to a 1-0 lead. That lead would stand until 13:04 of the third period when Ryan Callahan would take a shot that hit the stick of J.P. Dumont and changed direction and skidded by Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne to tie the game.

Neither team would solve the others netminder for the remainder of the third period and the overtime session.

In the shootout, Eric Christensen would tally the only score. Cal O'Reilly, Marcel Goc, and Martin Erat could not beat Lundqvist, and the Rangers skated away with the victory.

There have been times this season where the Predators have not competed with their opponent. That was not the case tonight, as the Predators challenged Lundqvist on numerous occasions and matched the physicality of the Rangers. The Predators answered the bell tonight and were physical and played solid defense, elements of their game that had been missing in previous contests.

There are times where a team hits a rough stretch and just does not get the bounces and breaks they need to win a game. Right now, the Predators are going through that type of stretch. The way you come out of a period like this is to compete- compete hard- and show character and battle. Tonight, the Predators did those things.

I normally don't comment about officiating. I think the calls have a way of evening themselves out, but tonight Don Van Massenhoven and Dean Morten called an absolutely atrocious game. Cody Franson was sent to the the hospital for evaluation after being hit in the throat with a high stick and there was no call. Pekka Rinne was called for delay of game for playing a puck outside the trapezoid when it was clear that he was inside the box. The officiating did not decide this game, but it was awful. Kudos to the Predators for overcoming an horribly officiated game.

The Predators are not getting any breaks right now. They are not making their breaks. This is a time for the leaders of the team to step up and keep the boys positive and battling every night. This is how you get out of the funk that the team finds itself. This is how you reverse your fortunes.

There is no respite for any team that goes through these stretches. There is, however, another game, another opportunity to reverse the fortunes that have beset this team. Compete hard and the puck will start to bounce your way. Compete hard and fortune will smile on this team.

Time to keep your head up and bring it on Tuesday night.

My three stars:

1. Henrik Lundqvist

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Eric Christensen

Le Bleu Blanked by the Predators 3-0

How do you get rid of the stench of a horrid loss to Toronto two nights ago? More importantly, will the Predators regroup after an effort that could be generously characterized as weak?

The Predators emphatically answered those questions with a solid 3-0 shutout of the Montreal Canadiens in the Bell Centre.

Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne got the start and stopped 30 shots for his second shutout of the season. Rinne looked very strong in net and made several quality stops to keep Montreal off the board. Rinne kept the Habs off the board early in the contest when they were swarming the net. His play seemed to deflate the Canadiens as the game went on, and the team responded well to his play. When he is on his game, the team in front of him seems to settle down and play with confidence. That was the case tonight.

The Predators lost the service of David Legwand at 14:18 of the first period when he was checked by Roman Hamrlik and went awkwardly into the boards. The team is calling it a lower body injury, the extent of which is unknown.

After a scoreless first period, the Predators drew first blood at 1:19 of the first when Francis Buillon cruised low with the puck, and just before going behind the net, slid a pass to Marcel Goc. Goc, camped out at the top of the blue paint, got the pass on his stick and quickly whipped a backhander past Cary Price.

The second period started to devolve into the Toronto nightmare as the Predators took three straight penalties, one of which gave Montreal a 5 on 3 for 28 seconds. This time, the PK was solid and choked off most chances. When the Habs threatened, Rinne was there to clean up any chances. Fortunately for the Predators, they did not tempt fate any further and did not incur any penalties after the 11 minute mark of the second.

Cal O'Reilly continued his stellar play with his fourth goal of the season. He took a cross ice pass from Steve Sullivan and was able to tap the puck past Price from the side of the net at the 8:55 mark of the second.

As the game wore on, the aggressive forecheck of the Predators took the Canadiens out of their offensive rhythm and began to force more turnovers. Tonight, the Predators looked like the Predators, playing solid hockey in all zones.

Marcel Goc struck once again as he carried the puck out of the Nashville zone and came through the neutral zone with speed. When he got to the Montreal blue line, he fired a wrist shot through the legs of a Habs defenseman that beat Price at 11:17 of the third. Price never seemed to see the puck until the last second, but it was too late as Goc found the twine.

The Predators were able to control play for the remainder of the game and skated away with a much needed win. A much needed win for the points, and a much needed win to restore the confidence of this team.

The coaching staff conducted a lengthy team meeting after the Toronto debacle. Although it is not known what was discussed, I'm certain that one topic was focus and mental toughness, characteristics that were absent in the Toronto game. Tonight, this team played with intensity, toughness, and focus.

These are the traits this team must consistently bring to the ice to be successful.

The Predators will have to continue to be resilient, to exhibit these traits. They continue on the road against another tough Eastern Conference foe in the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night. They will have to play Predator hockey.

This team has shown the ability to beat any team when they play their game. Tough, aggressive opportunistic hockey.

Predator hockey.

My three stars of the night:

1. Marcel Goc

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Cal O'Reilly

Predators Win Second in a Row with a 4-3 SO Win over Chicago

When a team endures a losing streak, one of two things can happen. They can hang their heads and limp along; or the losses can be extremely clarifying, causing a team to focus on what it takes to win games and get back to those fundamentals.

For the Nashville Predators, the latter has occurred, as they won their second straight game, beating the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in a shootout at the Bridgestone Arena.

For Nashville, this was their second consecutive shootout victory.

It is obvious that the Blackhawks are an explosive team, and for the Predators to have an opportunity to win this game, they had to be sound defensively and limit the chances of the Hawks dangerous offensive players. For most of the night, the Predators did an excellent job of controlling the big guns of the Hawks, holding Kane, Toews, Hossa, and Sharp off the board.

The Predators did a great job of controlling play in the neutral zone and not allowing Chicago many opportunities to enter the offensive zone with speed. When the Hawks gain the zone, the Predators blocked numerous shots and clogged the lanes, limiting secondary chances.

That is not to say that the Hawks didn't challenge Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne. Rinne made some big saves to keep Chicago off the board. Rinne was solid in net during the regulation and overtime period, and was brilliant in the shootout.

Chicago is not without offensive prowess, and shutting down the big guns doesn't mean that they cannot score. Jack Skille proved that tonight with two goals, the first coming at 19:07 of the first period. Skille took a nice pass from Brian Campbell and beat Rinne stick side with a shot that went just inside the post to stake the Blackhawks to a 1-0 lead.

Nashville would answer at 2:37 of the first period on a nice tic tac toe passing play.Shane O'Brien took a nice pass from Marcel Goc and beat Chicago netminder Marty Turco with a quick wrister that went top shelf. Turco could not get across his net fast enough to stop the shot from O'Brien, and his goal sent the Nashville crowd into a frenzy.

That energy would amp up as Shea Weber unleashed a shot on the power play that went through Turco to give the Predators a lead at 5:37 of the second. Turco was in good position, but couldn't handle the velocity of the cannon shot that Weber sent to the net.

Chicago would tie the game at 2 at 6:51 of the period as Viktor Stalberg would beat Rinne high stick side.

The Hawks would once again regain the lead as Skille scored his second of the night at 9:10 as he fired a wrist shot from just inside the faceoff circle that would beat Rinne high glove side.

The Predators looked to have tied the game as Patric Hornqvist scored early in the third, but the goal was waved off as it was ruled that Hornqvist had kicked the puck into the net in a goal mouth scramble.

The tie would come for the Predators at 10:23 of the third period as Cody Franson sent a wrist shot from the point low along the ice. The puck went in cleanly, and Turco had his eyes taken away by Hornqvist who was screening in front of the net. The puck found the far post and the Predators had evened the score.

Neither team could solve the others netminder for the remainder of the period, and once again the Predators were heading to overtime.

With Patrick Kane in the box for tripping, the Predators had several good scoring chances, but Turco bailed out the Hawks.The power play showed good movement and generated scoring opportunities, a positive sign for this unit that has struggled at times this season.

In the shootout, Pekka Rinne stopped Jonathan Toews. Cal O'Reilly buried the first attempt for the Predators as he roofed a shot to the top corner over Turco's glove. Rinne stopped Patrick Kane. Turco stopped a weak attempt by Steve Sullivan. Rinne then stoned Patrick Sharp, and the Predators skated off with their second win in a row and their second in two meetings with the Blackhawks.

The Predators welcomed Marty Erat and Ryan Suter back to the lineup tonight after both had missed games due to injury. Their presence was positive for the team and they logged quality minutes. Erat picked up an assist tonight. The team needs them back in the lineup consistently.

Did you notice the regulation scoring for the Predators? All three goals were from defensemen. Opportunistic scoring, a hallmark of Predator hockey, was evident tonight.

The Predators did a good job of pressuring Turco tonight. They were aggressive and effective on the forecheck. They limited second chances. They got solid goaltending.

They played Predator hockey. Winning hockey.

Losing several games in a row leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It also teaches painful lessons. Lessons that if taken to heart can turn around a team and their fortunes.

My three stars of the night:

1. Cal O'Reilly

2. Jack Skille

3. Cody Franson

Predators End Losing Streak With a 3-2 SO Win Over the Blues

The Nashville Predators showed much better spunk and fight in a 3-2 shootout win over the St. Louis Blues to end a horrid five game losing streak. With the win, the Predators run their record to 2-1 against the Blues in their season series.

This game was more like the style of hockey that wins games for the Predators. They went strong to the net all night, had an aggressive forecheck, and got great goaltending from Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne.

The Predators played much more fundamentally sound defensive hockey than they did in their five game skid. After being outshot 9-4 in the first period, the Predators limited the Blues to just 11 shots over the final two periods. St. Louis outshot the Predators 3-0 in the overtime period as the Predators spent the last 1:19 killing off a tripping penalty by Alexander Sulzer.

The Blues opened the scoring at 18:22 of the first period as the Predators failed to clear a puck in their zone as the Blues were swarming the Nashville net.David Backes ran over Steve Sullivan as he was trying to control the puck and the puck squirted through the slot. The puck came back to Backes and he buried the shot to give the Blues the advantage.

The Predators would even the game at 1 when Cal O'Reilly tapped home a shot from Francis Buillon. O'Reilly was camped at the top of the crease, and when Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak could not control the rebound, O'Reilly cashed in for the tying score at 13:44 of the second period.

The Blues took the lead once again at 5:44 of the third as Kevin Klein took a bad angle on a stretch pass to Matt D'Agostini. This allowed D'Agostini to get in alone on a breakaway against Rinne, and he buried the shot low glove side.

The Predators answered at 13:08 of the third period when David Legwand fired a puck into the Blues zone and off the end board. The rebound came out to the side of the net and J.P. Dumont was driving hard to the net. He got his stick on the puck and lifted a quick backhand over a surprised Halak for the equalizer.

Pekka Rinne made some quality saves in the remainder of the period to preserve the tie. He stopped Vladomir Sobotka from in close and made a nice save on Patrick Bergland with traffic in front. As the game went on, Rinne looked more solid and comfortable in net, and that is a great sign for the Predators. They need the old Rinne back, one who is tracking and playing the puck well.

In the overtime period, David Legwand and Jerred Smithson won some key face offs in the predators zone that allowed the Preds to clear the puck on the penalty kill. These are the little aspects of the game that the Predators had not done very well during their five game losing streak. It's great to see them doing the little things well again as the little details often lead to big results.

In the shootout, the Blues opted to go first, and Matt D'Agostini beat Rinne blocker side to give the Blues a 1-0 lead. Cal O'Reilly smoothly beat Halak high stick side to tie it at 1.

Brad Boyes and Steve Sullivan were both stoned by the goaltenders, as were Andy McDonald and David Legwand.

Going to round 4, Rinne stopped Patrick Bergland. Marcel Goc was the fourth shooter for the Predators, and he mad a nice move to open Halak up and beat him with a shot that went between his skate and the post.

Game over. Losing streak done.

It feels good for the Predators to get the 800 pound gorilla of a five game losing streak off their backs. In this victory, they went back to basics and they did them well. The forecheck ramped up in the second period and kept the Blues out of their offensive flow for most of the rest of the game. The defense was much more sound than it had been in the five losses. When the Blues got scoring chances, Rinne was solid.

A special stick tap to Marcel Goc. He played a tremendous game, generating chances and was strong on the puck all game. He even made a save in the first period when the puck slid through Rinne and was laying on the goal line. Goc swept the puck to the corner to save the goal and keep the scoreless.

Now that the losing streak is over, the predators have to build on this win. They have to stay focused on what brought them victory tonight- sound defense, solid goaltending, aggressive forecheck, and opportunistic offense. This is Predator hockey. This is what the team has to do to win games.

The losing streak is over. It's time to start a new streak. One that puts wins on the board by playing Predator hockey.

My three stars of the game:

1. Marcel Goc

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Cal O'Reilly

Predators Heart Ripped Out by the Ducks 5-4

Let's just be honest.

The Nashville Predators are not a good hockey team.

Good hockey teams find ways to hold leads. Good hockey teams find ways to win games. Good hockey teams don't keep facing deficits throughout games from which they have to recover. Good hockey teams fight to the very end of the game for precious points.

That is not the Nashville Predators.

Mercifully, the Predators do not play again for another three days. Frankly, the way they are playing right now, this is the only thing that will prevent another loss.

The Predators continue the annoying, disturbing- pick your favorite adjective, trend of giving up an early goal. Not once, but twice, at 52 seconds of the first period and 49 seconds of the third, the puck found its way into the back of the net against the Preds. Poor starts to the period put the Predators into the hole right off the bat. The hill is steep enough for this team and its anemic offense. Spotting the opponent early and quick goals is not a formula for success.

Unlike the contest the night before against the Kings, the Predators forwards looked energized and ready to play. The play of the Sullivan, O'Reilly, Hornqvist line was stellar tonight as the netted three of the four goals that the Predators tallied. Unfortunately, no other line could muster much in the way of quality chances against the Ducks Jonas Hiller. This was evident by another lopsided shot tally as the Ducks outshot the Predators 37-24.

While the offense has struggled in this skid, the defense has been inexplicably weak. Coverage was lost on the Ducks forwards on numerous occasions and it resulted in scores by Saiku Koivu and Jason Blake. The defense of the Predators was considered one of the cornerstones of this team, but has not played to the level that this team has to have to win games.The only Predator D-men that were a plus on the night were Cody Franson and Alexander Sulzer, who were both a +2.

Cody Franson has a great night offensively, scoring a goal and setting up Cal O'Reilly with a beautiful assist.

Anders Lindback got the start for the Preds tonight in net, and I cannot fault Lindback for any of the Ducks goals. On most, he was hung out to dry by the defense in front of him.

The heart was ripped out the Predators on a broken play. Bobby Ryan corralled a bouncing puck and slid a pass underneath a diving Shea Weber. Paul Mara gathered in the puck and slapped it into a wide open net with 1.7 seconds left on the clock as Marcel Goc was late getting back in coverage and Lindback had played Ryan coming to his left.This play typified the futility of this road trip for the Predators.

So where do the Predators go from here?

This is a team that has the ability to win, but the margin is razor thin. If everyone- from the first line of forwards and the top D pairing- to the fourth line players are not laying it on the line every night, this team will not win. Against L.A., this team quit. Against the Ducks, they battled.

That is a good sign.

The problem is that they battled not only the Ducks, but their mistakes. Blown coverages and poor puck control. Lack of offensive pressure from secondary lines. When you play any team in the NHL, these kinds of mistakes make a win improbable.

You certainly don't win the Cup in October or November. But you can certainly lose it. Dig a deep enough hole early on and you will not climb out.

The Predators are digging a deep early season hole in the ultra competitive Central Division and Western Conference. You hate to say that games are becoming "must win" this early in the season, but they are becoming just that for the Predators. The gap between the top of the Central and the Predators is growing game by game.

Three days off. Three days to re-tool the effort and re-focus the players.Practice should be interesting this next few days. It will be time to get the defense back in the groove. It will be time to get the offense back on track.

It will be time to find some heart.

My three stars of the night:

1. Saku Koivu

2. Lubomir Visnovsky

3. Cody Franson

Blues Hand the Predators First Regulation Loss 3-0

Eventually, the Predators were going to lose a game in regulation. The way the Predators lost to was particularly galling to the team and Predators fans as they dropped a 3-0 to the St. Louis Blues.

The troublesome aspect of this loss was the fact that as a group, the forwards for the Predators played their worst game of the young season, failing to generate consistent offensive flow and getting outworked most of the night.

The Predators were outshot in every period and mustered only 24 shot on goal for the contest.

Most of the night, they failed to support the puck in the offensive zone. Give credit to the Blues for their defensive effort, which took the Predators out of their offensive flow throughout the night. Nevertheless, the effort of the forwards was not up to the standards that the team has expected and has to have to win games.

The Predators had some chances, but failed to capitalize on their opportunities. Patric Hornqvist was stoned on a breakaway with a great glove save by Blues netminder Jaroslav Halak. When the Predators had scoring opportunities, they typically shot the puck right into the crest of Halak's jersey. Unlike the Predators first victory against the Blues, they failed to generate much traffic in front of the net and didn't make Halak work very hard to make his saves.

Pekka Rinne got the start for the Predators and made some good saves to keep the game scoreless at the end of the first period.

That would change at 12:56 of the second period. The Predators had just gone into a 30 second power play when Frankie Buillon and Shea Weber both lost track of Alexander Steen in the low slot. He took a nice pass from David Perron from behind the net and roofed a shot over the defenseless Rinne.

With the lack of offense by the Predators, one had a sinking feeling that Steen's goal would be enough for the Blues to skate away with the win. As it was, that goal was enough, even though the Blues would add two more tallies.

Patrick Bergland buried a rebound of a Rinne pad save as he was left alone to Rinne's right side at 12:48 of the second period.

Jordin Tootoo received a five minute major and a game misconduct at 13:11 of the third as he was called for charging into Carlo Colaiacovo. Frankly, it did not look as if it was a charge, but Tootoo will never get the benefit of the doubt on those types of calls.

Matt D'Agostini scored at 15:11 of the third period during the power play. Pekka Rinne was obviously frustrated on the play as D'Agostini was left all alone at the front of the net for an easy goal.

Give props to the Blues for taking the Predators out of their offensive flow, but at the same time, the Predators forwards looked out of sync and frankly didn't work as hard as they have in previous games. For the game, Steve Sullivan, J.P. Dumont, David Legwand, Cal O'Reilly and Martin Erat all had just one shot on goal. Colin Wilson had no shots.

Frankly, that is unacceptable.

The Predators have failed to protect home ice, losing three games in overtime and this game in regulation out of six they have played in the Bridgestone Arena. The Predators have to hold serve at home and play with a greater sense of urgency on their home ice. Perhaps the extended road trip on which they are about to embark will be good for this team.

Production has to come from those players that are expected to produce. Tonight, Dumont, Erat, Legwand, Wilson, O'Reilly, and Sullivan were passengers.For the Predators to have success, they have to be producers.

It should be obvious to the team that an effort like the one put forth tonight is unacceptable. This team knows what it takes to win. Tonight, they did none of those things.

The road and some tough opponents await.

It's time to start bringing the effort that wins games.

My three stars of the game:

1. Jaroslav Halak

2. David Perron

3. Patrick Bergland

Predators Shut Out Stars 1-0

American Airlines Arena has been anything but friendly to the Nashville Predators, with the Dallas Stars dominating on home ice with a record of 17-4-1. In those 22 contests, the Stars have outscored the Predators 66-29 on their home ice.

Doesn't really sound like a formula for success for a depleted Predators lineup against the Stars, does it?

This is a Predators team that has character, heart, and grit, however, and tonight those characteristics were prominently displayed as they knocked off the Stars by a score of 1-0.

Oh yeah, the Predators had one other thing to lean on tonight. Netminder Pekka Rinne, who was at the top of his game in blanking the Stars. Rinne stopped all 30 shots that he faced tonight to pick up his first shutout of the season.

The Predators got on the board just 42 seconds into the contest. The line of Cal O'Reilly, Patric Hornqvist, and Steve Sullivan did a great job of controlling the puck and cycling deep in the Dallas zone. A shot at the net caromed off the skate of Hornqvist out to Shea Weber on the blueline. Weber unleashed a blast that Leighton stopped with his pad, but the rebound kicked out to an open O'Reilly. He shot the puck off the rebound and Dallas goalie Kari Lehtonen initially made a pad stop. The puck slid behind Lehtonen, who was desperately reaching for the puck lying on the goal line. O'Reilly followed his shot and was able to poke it past Lehtonen for the only score of the game.

Rinne was outstanding in this game, stopping several quality scoring chances by the Stars. He had to be especially sharp in the second period as the Stars peppered the Nashville net. In that period, the Stars outshot the Predators 13-5. For the game, the Stars outshot the Predators by a 30-24 margin.

Injuries continue to plague the Predators. J.P. Dumont left the game with a lower body injury after playing only ten minutes of the contest. The extent of Dumont's injury is unknown.

Predators defenseman Kevin Klein was battling an illness, but still logged 17:07 of ice time. The Predators recalled defenseman Teemu Laakso from Milwaukee and went with seven defensemen in the contest. Laakso played 2:43. Sergei Kostitsyn was a healthy scratch.

Nashville fans were caught in the was of the dispute between Fox Sports and Direct TV. Fox refused to lift the blackout on the game, so there was no Nashville feed or feed from Dallas on Center Ice. The game had an old time feel to it for Nashville fans as we huddled around the radio to keep up with the contest.

Thanks, Fox Sports.

With this win, the Predators remain the only team in the NHL to be undefeated in regulation. The Predators are 4-0-3.

The Predators are on the road Sunday night at Tampa.

As children, we are told the only way to deal with your fears is to face them directly. The Predators faced their demons in Dallas and met the challenge.

New challenges await.

Time to face them.

My three stars of the game:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Cal O'Reilly

3. Kari Lehtonen

Predators Survive the Blues 4-3

In their first back to back game of the season, the Nashville Predators came out flying in the first period, building a 3-1 lead against the St. Louis Blues, then held on for a 4-3 victory at the Bridgestone Arena. With this win, the Predators have won five consecutive contests against the Blues.

Marcel Goc opened the scoring for the Predators just 56 seconds into the contest. Goc was cruising into the low slot alone when he took a nice feed from Colin Wilson and beat Jaroslav Halak low to the stick side for his second goal of the season.

The Predators kept up the attack in the first period, and Steve Sullivan potted the first of two goals on the night at 11:16 of the first on a 5 on 3 power play. With Brad Boyes in the box for holding along with Eric Brewer for delay of game, Ryan Suter found Sullivan with a nice cross ice pass. Sullivan roofed a puck over an out of position Halak to give the Predators a 2-0 lead.

St. Louis cut the lead to 2-1 at 13:37 of the priod when Matt D'Agostini tallied to get the Blues on the board.

Just 15 seconds later, Sullivan notched his second goal with a one timer off a feed from Cal O'Reilly. Momentum back to the Predators with a 3-1 lead.

Sullivan nearly completed the hat trick with a breakaway, but was stopped by Halak with a nice pad save with just 2 seconds remaining in the period.

Going in to the first intermission, the Predators had to feel good about their play after taking it to the Blues.

Maybe they felt too good.

It took the Predators nearly 8 minutes into the second to register their first shot on goal. St. Louis tilted the ice to the Predators end of the rink and pressed the attack. The Predators had trouble even clearing the puck and gaining the offensive zone.

Rookie goaltender Anders Lindback was called upon to make some big stops to keep the Blues at bay. The Blues finally solved Lindback in the second as T. J. Oshie scored unassisted on the power play to cut the lead to 3-2. Oshie was left alone just inside the face off circle and he beat Lindback to the stick side.

The Predators finally got their legs moving and began to exert some pressure in the offensive zone. With the Predators on the power play, Cal O'Reilly fired a shot that was stopped by Halak. Patric Hornqvist was in his "office", parked at the top of the crease, and gathered in the rebound and slid it under the pads of Halak to give the Predators the two goal lead once again, 4-2.

The Blues cut the lead to one once more as Patrik Berglund tallied on the power play with Jordin Tootoo off on a weak roughing call.

The Blues pressed the attack, and when Joel Ward called for tripping at 18:57, the Blues had a golden opportunity to tie the game. The Predators PK came up big in the last 1:03 to seal the win and hand the
Blues their first loss of the season.

This was a good test for the Predators early in the season. Playing their first back to back contests, the Predators were without starting netminder Pekka Rinne and forwards Marty Erat and Matthew Lombardi. Erat continues to suffer from back spasms and will miss Saturday's contest with the Capitals. Lombardi was injured in the game with Chicago when he was run into the boards by the penalty box and sustained an upper body injury.

With the injuries to Erat and Lombardi, Sergei Kostitsyn saw his first action of the season, logging 13:17 of ice time and one shot on goal.

Positively, the Predators power play has shown marked improvement. This is critical for the team this season.

Younger players have stepped into critical roles and have performed well. This team shows great chemistry and hustle. The young guys are going to have to continue to step it up for this season to be successful.

Anders Lindback has shown that he is a dependable goalie, and the team can win with him in net.

There are some negatives. As we saw in the Chicago game, the Predators have an annoying habit of coming out flat in the second period. The Blues had the ice tilted for the first ten minutes of the second period. No doubt the Blues are a good team, and will be a force in the Central Division this season. It is imperative that Predators avoid the second period let down that has plagued this team over the past few seasons.

This game had the feel of the Predators just trying to survive. They did survive and pulled off a win. This however, is not a formula for long term success.

After outshooting the Blues 11-2 in the first period, the Predators were outshot 11-9 in the second and 12-2 in the third.

Surviving indeed.

Hopefully, the team learned from this game. There will be more like them- tough wars that demand your best.

The Predators will have to bring their best in order to survive

My three stars of the night:

1. Steve Sullivan

2. Cal O'Reilly

3. Patric Hornqvist

Predators Beat Their Mirror Image, Down Coyotes 4-3

For the Nashville Predators, playing the Phoenix Coyotes is like looking in the mirror. The Coyotes and Predators are both hard working teams that can roll four lines, play sound defense, and have solid goaltending. Tonight, the mirror images decided that regulation play and overtime was not enough, and once again went to a shootout to determine the winner. Fortunately for the Predators, they prevailed 2-1 in the shootout to pick up a 4-3 win and two vital points.

After coming off a listless loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, it was important for the Predators to get off to a good start. Lee Stempniak thwarted that good start as he netted a goal at 5:54 of the first with a forehand that fooled Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne. The shot seemed to flutter and drop and found its way under the arm of Rinne, and once again, Nashville found itself starting in a hole.

That deficit would be erased by Patric Hornqvist at 13:09 of the first. Marcel Goc lead a rush into the Phoenix zone and got the puck to Hornqvist, who was driving the net. He was able to sneak a backhander low to the stick side of Phoenix goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov for his 29th goal of the season. Hornqvist continues to shine in this, his first full season of play.

Tied at one at the beginning of the second period, the Predators came out strong and put pressure on the Coyotes. J.P. Dumont, working the puck low in the zone, drew the attention of four Coyote defenders. He was able to get the puck to Marcel Goc, who found Steve Sullivan, alone just inside the faceoff circle and he roofed a puck over the shoulder of Bryzgalov for his 15th goal of the year and a 2-1 Predators lead.

The Predators continued to put pressure on the Coyotes, controlling the puck and keeping Phoenix in their end for much of the period. The pressure paid off as Dan Hamhuis unleashed a shot from the point that beat Bryzgalov over his shoulder at 9:28 of the second. The Predators kept the Coyotes boxed in their zone for much of the period and exited the second with the 3-1 lead.

The Coyotes are a talented team, and it was inevitable that they would keep pushing and make it a game. They cut the lead to 3-2 at 13:28 of the third as Wojtek Wolski scored through traffic.At 3-2 and six minutes remaining in the game, Predator fans knew that this game was not over.

Sure enough, the Coyotes tied the game at 16:03 of the third as Keith Yandle jumped into the rush and put a puck past a screened Rinne. All of a sudden, a game, and two precious points, that seemed in hand now hung in the balance.

Scoreless for the remainder of the third period, the game went to overtime. The Predators generated more offense and created some chances, outshooting the Coyotes 4-3, but couldn't solve Bryzgalov. And once again, these two mirror images were going to a shootout. The last time they faced each other, it was a ten round affair, eventually won by the Coyotes.

Lee Stempniak was the first shooter for the Coyotes, and he slipped the puck through Rinne's five hole for a 1-0 lead.

Young Cal O'Reilly popped the water bottle on the net on his shootout attempt, as he beat Bryzgalov top shelf. Cool, calm, and collected, O'Reilly is money in the shootout.

Rinne stopped Adrian Aucoin, who remarkably had never missed a shootout attempt in all five chances this season, and Marty Erat missed over the crossbar. Tied at one, Rinne now faced Radim Vrbata.  Vrbata drove wide and Rinne forced him to shoot high. The shot pinged off the crossbar to keep the score tied at one.

David Legwand was the third shooter for the Predators, and he beat Bryzgalov five hole for the game winner.Two points- two important points- for the Predators as they skated off the ice with the win.

The response of the Predators after the lackluster effort in the previous game was encouraging. This is a team that the Predators could possibly meet in a first round matchup in the playoffs, and tonight they acquitted themselves well. Good intensity and resiliency allowed them to skate away with the win.

There are concerns. Two power plays and no shots for the Predators. Failure to lock down a lead in the the third period. These have to be addressed and corrected.

The positives are that the Predators persisted. Giving up the lead would have caused a lesser team to fold. You did not. You played some solid hockey against a very good team. You showed that you can compete with one of the best in the Western Conference.

These are confidence builders. These are building blocks to a successful run to the post season.

Tonight, you looked into the mirror and saw a very good team. Tonight, you saw that you can compete and win against one of the best.

Remember what this looks like. You will be seeing teams like this again.