Avalanche Buried By the Predators 5-2

Just 4 minutes into the game, Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon scored a fluke goal. His shot was going wide of the Predators net but caromed off the skate of Roman Josi and past Predators netminder Pekka Rinne to give the Avs a 1-0 lead.

What could have been a momentum building goal for the Avalanche was answered just 16 seconds later as Calle Jarnkrok stole the puck at the Predators blue line and torched Semyon Varlamov top shelf to tie the game.

From that point on, it was all Predators as they out shot the Avalanche 41-20 and scored four more goals before surrendering a late power play goal en route to a 5-2 win over their Central Division rival.

Craig Smith, Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, and Eric Nystrom all tallied for the Predators.

John Mitchell scored a power play goal with 1:19 left in the game for the Avs final goal.

Pekka Rinne didn't have a lot of work, but did make several big time saves to keep the Avalanche from getting back in the game.

By Contrast, Semyon Varlamov faced a barrage of rubber from the Predators before being pulled in the third period for Reto Berra.

The Predators shut down the high octane offense of the Avalanche, limiting them to 8 shots through the first 40  minutes. The Predators gave up 12 shots in the third, but by then, the game was out of reach for the Avalanche.

Some observations:

• Big ups to Captain Shea Weber. He dropped the gloves with Gabriel Landeskog after Landeskog launched himself at Roman Josi and hit him high. Weber picked up 17 minutes in penalties (2 for instigation; 5 for fighting; and a mandatory 10 minute misconduct for instigation). But Weber sent a message to the Avalanche that those types of questionable hits wouldn't be tolerated. The Avs got the message, as no further hits of those type occurred. This is the type of leadership that Weber has brought all season, and it was good to see him step up for a teammate.
• Filip Forsberg notched his 21st goal of the season just 54 seconds into the third period. Forsberg used his quick release from the slot to beat Varlamov under the crossbar and chase him from the game. Forsberg has 51 points (21G-30A) in 60 games and leads all rookies with a +20.
• The Avalanche entered the game having won 4 of their previous 5 games and had scored 19 goals in those 5 contests. The Predators did an excellent job of disrupting the Avs entries into the zone and choked them off in the neutral zone. They rarely allowed the Avs to get into the offensive zone cleanly and were aggressive in the defensive zone. Their defensive play was reflected in the shots the Avs got on net. They had 3 in the first period; 5 in the second; and 12 in the third.
• Craig Smith continues his strong play. He scored on a rocket from the face off circle that beat Varlamov to the far post. Smith has 7 points (5G-2A) in his last 7 games. Smith has been aggressive in all zones and is playing with lots of jump.
• Eric Nystrom scored from the defensive zone on a Predators PK. Coach Patrick Roy had pulled Reto Berra for the extra attacker to give the Avs a 6 on 4 advantage. That proved to be a bad decision as Nystrom battled on the boards and got control of the puck. He fired it down the ice and the puck landed flat and slid into the net. This was Nystrom's 7th goal of the season and undoubtedly his most unusual.
• I really like the line of Mike Santorelli and Colin Wilson centered by Jarnkrok. They have excellent speed, control the puck, and created some good scoring chances. This line looks like it can be a potent one for the Predators, and it will be interesting to see how they gel.
• The Predators continue to be dominant on home ice. They are a League best 26-3-1 at the Bridge.
• This is the 8th time this season that the Predators have registered 40 or more shots.
• The Predators are 26-6-2 when they out shoot their opponent, the best in the NHL.
• Pekka Rinne won his 35th game of the season, best in the NHL. (Can you say Vezina?)
• Calle Jarnkrok's goal was his first in 19 games. jarnkrok has been playing well but has not been able to find the net. Great to see him respond like he did tonight after being scratched in the Predators previous game against Buffalo.
• Last season, the Predators goal differential (goals for/goals against) was a -19. Through tonight's game, the Predators goal differential is +43. The Predators are scoring 2.92 goals per game, 8th best in the NHL. They are allowing 2.27 goals per game, 2nd best in the NHL. The turnaround in the play of this team is remarkable.
• The Predators now have 89 points. The Ducks have 83; the Blues have 80. In the Eastern Conference, the Canadiens have 83 and the Islanders have 82.

This was a dominant win against a divisional rival that is hungry, talented, and fighting for a playoff spot.

The kind of effort that has to happen every night in this sprint to the end of the season.

My three stars:

1. Craig Smith

2. Roman Josi

3. Calle Jarnkrok

The Streak Ends as the Blue Shirts Blank the Predators

The Nashville Predators took their turn on the big stage with their only national television appearance as they battled the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden. After playing yesterday, the Predators went with Anders Lindback in net while the Rangers went with their usual starter Henrik Lundqvist.

Notable for the Predators was the absence of Ryan Suter, who played only 7:14 of the first period in the previous game and was called out due to an upper body injury

The Predators opened with some good jump and controlled the play early. The Predators recorded the first 4 shots on goal were cycling the puck well. The Rangers, by contrast, iced the puck three times in the first five minutes.

The Rangers reversed that momentum at 6:15 of the first period as Dan Girardi took a shot that was going to miss the net but hit Jack Hillen in the leg and ricocheted into the net to give them a 1-0 lead. A fluky goal, but good teams create chances- fluky or not.

The critical aspect of this goal was that Hillen and his defense partner, Ryan Ellis, were caught on the ice for 2:10 and were completely gassed, making it difficult for them to maintain defensive positioning.

The Predators created some chances and got shots on Lundqvist, but did not get many second chances as the Rangers defense did a great job of clearing the front of the net. When the Predators did get some good looks, they were unable to get a puck past Lundqvist.

The first period ended with the Rangers leading 1-0 and the Predators holding an 11-10 shot advantage.

The second period saw both teams get some good chances, and Lundqvist making some good saves to keep the Predators off the board. The Predators created some solid scoring opportunities, but just could not get a tally.

By contrast, the Rangers added a second score at 10:42 of the second period as John Mitchell took a shot that seemed to surprise Lindback and went through the five hole to make it 2-0.

That was the only goal of the period, and the Predators were out shot by the Rangers 11-8.

Though the Predators had some chances, they had yet to get a puck past Lundqvist, and in the third period, it was going to be critical that the Predators not only continue to get shots on goal, but to have players battling for rebounds. Second chances and dirty goals had to be the order of the day for the Predators.

The third period saw the Predators once again frustrated by the play of Lundqvist and the Rangers defense. They got shots on goal, but could not get second chances and opportunities for rebounds and second chances.

The Predators took a penalty as Marty Erat hooked Ryan Callahan on a breakaway chance and the net empty for the extra attacker at 19:09 of the third. The penalty resulted in an automatic goal for the Rangers, and that would ice the contest.

The Rangers out shot the Predators 28-27 for the contest.

The word that sums up this game is frustration. The Predators offense created chances, but could not finish and get a puck past Lundqvist. There is absolutely no doubt that Lundqvist is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, but the frustrating part of this game is the failure to get second chances on the pucks that were laying around the crease. Finishing chances was essential for the Predators to have a chance in this contest, and they did not.

Let's face it: the Predators were not going to win out for the remainder of the season. And they did some good things in this game. They just did not have what it took offensively to bury some chances and get back in the game.

So what does this team do now?

Simple.

You get back to the basics and start another streak Thursday night in Columbus.

My three stars:

1. Henrik Lundqvist

2. Dan Girardi

3. John Mitchell