Predators Fall to the Panthers In A Shoot Out

The Nashville Predators continued with their three game road trip, making a stop in Sunrise to do battle with the Panthers. The Predators were looking to continue to amass points as they scramble to get back into the playoff race.

For the Predators, a good start and a full 60 minute game were critical.

The good start came courtesy of Craig Smith. Smith pounced on a loose puck at the top of the crease after a Nick Spaling shot and got the puck through traffic and between the pads of Panthers netminder Tim Thomas at 6:32 of the first period.

This was Smith's 12th goal of the season.

The Panthers tied the game at 11:03 of the first as Alexander Barkov took a shot that Predators goaltender Marek Mazanec got under his pads but did not have secured. Brad Boyes drove in and tapped the puck out from under Mazanec's pads and into the net to knot the game at 1.

The Panthers took a 2-1 lead as Mattias Ekholm attempted to carry the puck behind the Predators net. The puck bounced off Ekholm and then Marcel Goc right to Tomas Kopecky in front of the net. Kopecky had an easy tap in over the shoulder of Mazanec at 17:56.

The period ended with the Panthers holding the lead and shots even at 10.

The second period saw the Predators get shots but few quality scoring chances. That changed late in the period as Patric Hornqvist worked to keep the puck in the zone by battling on the boards. he got the puck to Colin Wilson who drove the net and slipped a drop pass through his legs to Mike Fisher. Fisher used the defense as a screen and buried a shot to the far side post at 16:32.

The Predators, as they have been prone to do too many times this season, allowed the Panthers to score quickly after their goal. Just 57 seconds later, Sean Bergenheim fanned on a shot at the side of the net. Alexander Barkov tapped the loose puck back to Bergenheim and he didn't miss on his second shot, beating Mazanec stick side for a 3-2 Panthers lead at 17:29. On the scoring play, the defensive coverage broke down and allowed the Panthers forwards too much room to maneuver uncontested in front of the net.

The second period ended with the Predators trailing 3-2, They had 12 shots on goal to 7 for the Panthers.

The Predators needed a strong push in the third period to get back in this game. That didn't happen as former Predator Marcel Goc victimized his old team with a goal just 1:34 into the period to make it 4-2 for the Panthers. Seth Jones turned the puck over to Jonathan Huberdeau  behind the net and he found Goc alone in front for the score.

Defensive lapses had cost the Predators critical goals in this game, and the offense appeared unable to solve Thomas for a score. Not a combination for winning this game.

The Predators cut the deficit to one as roman Josi carried the puck deep and around the net. he found Seth Jones pinching down from the point and he hit Jones with the pass. Jones one timed the puck past Thomas at 14:52.

With Mazanec off for the extra attacker, Shea Weber took a shot that caromed off the bodies in front. Paul Gaustad gathered in the puck and slammed home the tying goal with 47 seconds left.

Improbably, the Predators, who had played a sloppy game defensively, had battled back to earn a point.

Neither team could score in the OT. The Predators had the best chances, launching 4 shots on goal while the Panthers had 1.

The shoot out went to 6 rounds. David Legwand scored for the Predators, while Craig Smith, Matt Hendricks, Colin Wilson, Patric Hornqvist, and Gabriel Bourque were stopped by Thomas.

Mazanec stopped Barkov,  Boyes, Nick Bjugstad, and Dimitri Kulikov. Jonathan Huberdeau scored in the second round and Tomas Kopecky won it in the 6th round.

Some observations:

• This is a game the Predators have to win if they are going to get back into the playoff hunt. The defensive lapses that cost the Predators this game was a bit of bad luck and momentary lapses of focus.

• The compete level in the third in the offensive zone was good. It is encouraging to seeing the team battle back and at least get the tie.

• I can't fault Mazanec on the goals that he gave up. The defense broke down in front of him and hung him out to dry.

• I like the compete level and the offensive presence of Craig Smith. He is showing the offensive skills that make him the most dangerous player for the Predators.

• Viktor Stalberg was relegated to the 4th line. Frankly, this makes no sense to me. He had shown good jump offensively and has been responsible in all zones. In my opinion, this is a waste of his talent and what he can bring to the team. He had 13:02 TOI tonight.

This was a squandered opportunity by the Predators for the two points. Kudos for fighting back to get at least one.

At this point of the season, the Predators cannot afford to give away points.

My three stars:

1. Tomas Kopecky

2. Mike Fisher

3. Shea Weber

Predators Win Their Second Straight, Defeat the Panthers 4-3

It certainly wasn't pretty.

But in the end, the Nashville Predators scratched out a 4-3 victory over a scrappy Florida Panthers squad at Bridgestone Arena. With the win, the Predators record is now 3-3.

The game opened with the Panthers controlling the puck and holding a territorial advantage over the Predators. Pekka Rinne had to be sharp to keep the Panthers off the board early.

The Predators got their legs going and started to swing momentum midway of the period. With the puck in the offensive zone, Mike Fisher slid a pass to Shea Weber, who had worked himself open on the blue line near the middle of the ice. Weber absolutely blew a rocket past Jacob Markstrom to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 9:23 of the first period.

The Panthers tied the game a t 1 at 1:16 of the second period as Jonathan Huberdeau took a pass from Scott Gomez in the high slot and cruised in on net untouched and beat Rinne over the shoulder. The Predators defense did not touch Huberdeau as he skated into prime scoring territory and he made them pay for the lapse.

The Predators regained the lead at 12:48 as Craig Smith found Mike Fisher alone in the right face off circle. Fisher skated in on Markstrom and made a nice forehand to backhand move and lifted the puck over Markstrom's pad and inside the far post to give the Predators a 2-1 lead.

The Panthers answered right back on a bizarre play. The puck was popped into the air at the top of the crease and Victor Bartley tried to bat it out of harm's way with his hand. Instead, it bounced off the helmet of a Predators defender and caromed out to the right side of the net. Former Predator Marcel Goc gathered in the puck and put a shot under the cross bar to tie the game at 2 at 13:30.

The Predators once again took the lead at 1:22 of the third period. Craig Smith fought through traffic and banged home a rebound of a Gabriel Bourque shot. This was Smith's first goal of the season.

The Predators tallied on the power play at 5:13 as Patric Hornqvist walked out from the goal line and beat Markstrom with a shot to the far post.

The Panthers made it interesting as Matt Gilroy took a shot and it hit David Legwand's stick and redirected past Rinne at 11:37 to cut the Predators lead to 4-3.

The Predators were able to hold off the Panthers for the remainder of the third period to notch the win. The Predators have won 3 of their last 4 games and are 3-1 on home ice.

Some observations:

• The Predators were 1 for 2 on the power play. This is encouraging as the Predators need to improve their scoring with the man advantage. While they were 50%, the first power play the Predators had in the first period was a disjointed mess. The team has to get more consistent when they have the man advantage. At times, they struggle entering the zone and often the puck carrier gets outnumbered, eliminating offensive zone chances. While showing signs of improvement, the power play is still a work in progress.

• Viktor Stalberg played only 10:07 in the game, and if I am not mistaken, did not play in the third period. He is coming back from an injury, but the Predators need him to get his game going and become a factor.

• Craig Smith had his best game of the season. He had a goal and an assist and his speed created problems for the Panthers. Smith arguably has the best offensive skill set on the team and he appears to be playing with confidence. This bodes well for the team.

• Congratulations to David Legwand for playing his 900th NHL game, all as a Predator. I think he used the word "obviously" at least once for each game he has played in his post game interview.

• Mattias Ekholm and Kevin Klein continue to log big minutes and play very well in the second pairing. Klein had 24:11 of ice time and Ekholm had 21:15.

• Fisher and Hornqvist are the only Predators with more than 1 goal. They both have 2.

This was a tough game for the Predators and one that could have easily gone the wrong way. The Panthers forechecked well and challenged throughout the game. This team responded to the challenge and refused to fold under the pressure. Florida held a 17-15 shot advantage through 2 periods, but the Predators stepped up the pressure in the third, out shooting the Panthers 15-8 and scoring 2 goals.

That is the sign of a team that is beginning to grow in confidence and develop some chemistry.

Those positive trends need to continue.

My three stars:

1. Craig Smith

2. Patric Hornqvist

3. Shea Weber

Panthers Become a Pelt on the Predators Wall

The Nashville Predators experienced a family reunion of sorts as they faced several old teammates now with the Florida Panthers in a contest at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise. Across the way, the Predators would see former line mates Marcel Goc, Mike Santorelli, and recently traded Jerred Smithson, as well as Scottie Upshall, who is on injured reserve.

Family or not, the Predators were attempting to put a Panther's pelt on their wall.

Pekka Rinne was in net for the Predators while the Panthers went with Scott Clemmensen.

For the Predators, this was an opportunity to pick up two points against an Eastern Conference opponent and close the gap with St. Louis and Detroit, who sit just above them in the standings. This was going to be no easy task, as the Panthers were desperate for points as well, clinging to a tenuous two point lead over Winnipeg in the Southeast Division.

The Predators faced a strong pus from the Panthers early in the game. Through the first 10 minutes, the Panthers had out shot the Predators 9-2. Rinne made several big saves to keep the Panthers off the board.

The Predators broke through at 11:35 of the first as Andrei Kostitsyn got the puck and some open space and with fired a puck  from the face off circle to the far side post that beat Clemmensen to give the Predators a 1-0 lead on only their third shot of the game.

Shortly after the score, Shea Weber got smoked in the corner by Sean Bergenheim and appeared to be injured. he skated to the bench and his spot was taken by Jack Hillen. After missing a shift, Weber returned for the Predators to the great relief of Predator fans everywhere.

The first period ended with the Predators holding a 1-0 lead but being out shot 15-6. Hopefully the Predators shook off the rust of having a few days off and would come out with more offensive push in the second period.

The Predators opened the second period with much better jump. Martin Erat fought for and got control of the puck behind the Panthers net and found Mike Fisher streaking down the slot. The pass from Erat landed right on the tape of Fisher and his one time chip beat Clemmensen to give the Predators a 2-0 lead just 28 seconds into the period.

The Panthers cut the lead to 2-1 on a nice give and go between Marcel Goc and Wojtek Wolski at 7:29 of the second. Wolski took a pass and had a wide open net into which to shoot the puck as Rinne had to respect Goc who was breaking in on the left side.

The period ended with the Predators holding a 2-1 lead, and the shot on goal was certainly more respectable, favoring the Panthers by a 9-8 margin. The Predators did a better job of moving their feet and controlling the puck in their offensive zone.

The key to the third period was going to be more of the same for the Predators.

The Predators got a bit loose with their defensive coverage and gave up a 2 on 1 and a partial breakaway, but Rinne made some great saves to keep the Panthers from getting the equalizer.

The Predators extended their lead to 3-1 at 7:02 of the period as Andrei Kostitsyn sent David Legwand in on a breakaway. Legwand made a nice fake and got Clemmensen to open the five hole, and Legwand deftly slid the puck through for his 15th goal of the year.

The Predators had some good scoring chances on a breakaway by Craig Fisher and a 2 on 1 with Sergei Kostitsyn and Mike Fisher, but Clemmensen was able to make some good saves to keep the score 3-1.

The Panthers pulled Clemmensen with 1:53 to go in the game for the extra attacker. The Predators did a good job of keeping the Panthers bottled up in their zone and didn't allow them to gain easy entry into the offensive zone. Rinne made a huge save on Stephen Weiss to keep the score 3-1 with 38 seconds remaining in the contest.

The Predators ran out the remainder of the clock and skated away with a 3-1 victory and more importantly, two more precious points.

The Predators survived the first period and played a solid 40 minutes. They caught a few breaks as the Panthers misfired on some good scoring chances, and Rinne was once again stellar in net, making 39 saves. for the game, the Panthers out shot the Predators 40-23, which is a disturbing margin.

Rinne won his 36th game, best in the NHL.

It was good to see solid contributions from the newcomers, as Paul Gaustad was solid in the face off circle, and he and Hal Gill had an assist on Andrei Kostitsyn's goal.

This was a solid win for the Predators. They will jump back into Western Conference play next week with three home games against opponents from inside their conference. Sitting solidly in fifth place with 83 points, the Predators look to make a move up the standings with these critical games.

And put another pelt on their wall.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Mike Fisher

3. Andrei Kostitsyn

Predators Sign Bergfors and Some Perspective.

The Nashville Predators announced today that they have signed forward Niclas Bergfors to a one year contract. This announcement comes on the heels of the Predators trading Cody Franson and Matthew Lombardi to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Here is the press release from the Predators:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed forward Niclas Bergfors to a one-year contract worth $575,000.

Bergfors, 24 (3/7/87), split the 2010-11 season between Atlanta and Florida, posting 36 points (12g-24a) in 72 games. During his first full NHL campaign with New Jersey and Atlanta in 2009-10, the Södertälje, Sweden native posted 21 goals and 44 points in 81 games, landing him a spot on the NHL’s All-Rookie Team. In 162 career NHL games since 2008, Bergfors has 81 points (34g-47a).

Drafted 23rd overall (first round) by the Devils in the 2005 Entry Draft, Bergfors was the youngest player in the American Hockey League in 2005-06 with the Albany River Rats after a decorated junior career in his homeland. The 5-10, 194-pound winger was the 2005 Swedish Junior Player of the Year, following the likes of Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Henrik Lunqvist, Peter Forsberg and Mats Sundin. He has also represented the Tre Kroner in five international tournaments, earning a bronze medal and being named to the tournament all-star team at the 2005 Under-18 World Championships.

 The Bergfors signing is similar to the signing last season of Sergei Kostitsyn: a young forward that has offensive upside, but needs some coaching to make him a solid, two way player. Bergfors has the capability of adding some offense to the Predators, and should be more productive than the recently departed J.P. Dumont. Bergfors is, I believe, going to look to prove that he can be that type of player, and Barry Trotz and his staff should mold him into a solid contributor.

The Predators have freed up significant salary space, and this should allow the team to have plenty of room to sign Shea Weber as well as pursue more scoring help up front. In a conversation with one of the coaches after development camp, I was told this is exactly what the team is attempting to do.

There has been some concern about the departure of Franson, Lombardi, Dumont, Marcel Goc, Steve Sullivan, and Joel Ward. Here is some perspective: last season, when the Predators started their run to the playoffs, Goc, Lombardi, and Sullivan were out of the line up. Dumont was most often a healthy scratch. Only Ward was playing significant minutes, and his offensive production in the regular season was down 33% from the prior season (15 goals in 2010; 10 goals in 2011). Franson is a young player that has some upside and was solid on the power play, but the fact remains that he averaged just over 15 minutes a game and was on the third D pairing. 

Yes, the Predators have lost some players, but it is important to keep in mind that the Predators were winning
WITHOUT these players. Could some of them have been contributors in this upcoming season? There is no doubt. Yet this team has proven that they can win without these players. 

And they will again this season.

Look for the Predators to continue to be active, with a priority of signing Weber but also with an eye toward adding offense.

That is a good perspective to keep in mind if you are a Predator fan.

Predators Part Ways, Stand Pat in Free Agent Frenzy

The first day of the NHL free agency period has been described as a "frenzy". In looking at some of the deals that were consummated today, a more apt description might be "foolishness".

In the foolishness, uh, frenzy, of the first day of free agency, the Nashville Predators did......wait for it.....

nothing.

And that is not a bad thing.

The Predators did lose some unrestricted free agents, players that had been an integral part of last season's team. Marcel Goc, Joel Ward, and Steve Sullivan were all signed by other teams on this first day of free agency.

Watching players go out the door and seeing no splashy signings occur is frustrating to the fans, but why don't we pause for a moment and assess what has happened today and how the Predators can still be successful in free agency.

There are several considerations to keep in mind:

There is a general feeling that many of these contracts signed today were divorced from the reality of the player's performance. Specifically, many general managers overpaid for players such as Ville Leino, Joel Ward, and Thomas Fleischmann, to name a few. This is not a criticism of those specific players, but these contracts are representative of GM's that had money to spend and are banking on players to continue to improve their performance and have rewarded a solid season or playoff campaign.

If you ask me to explain how experienced GM's get caught up in the frenzy of overpaying for a player, well, I am at a loss to do so. Perhaps some GM's feel the pressure to do something (Imma lookin at you, Scott Howson) to keep their job. They certainly were filling a roster need. When you overpay as many of the GM's did today, there is, however, a disconnect between performance and payment. And this can be a conceit of a GM and his team- believing that his coach or his system can squeeze even more out of a player than his former coach. Yes, we all know of players that have benefited from a change of scenery, but a change of scenery at an inflated salary makes no sense.

There is also the particular case of the Florida Panthers, who were so far below the salary floor that they had to spend an enormous amount  of cash to get to the floor. The Panthers skewed the market by virtue of having to pay for players to get closer to the floor. They were willing to take on contracts (Brian Campbell) and pay above market rates for players (Thomas Fleischmann), and their actions no doubt had an influence on the market for contracts on this first day.

Predators GM David Poile is chided and often criticized for "doing nothing" during free agency, especially early on in the process. I don't believe for a moment that Poile doesn't work the phones and attempted to get a deal done, but Poile is going to do a deal at the right price. Part of that is the self imposed budget of the team, but credit has to be given to Poile for being savvy enough to be a good judge of talent and what that talent is reasonably worth. His peers operate with different salary constraints and different team needs, which can (and did this free agent period- see: Florida) skew offers to the FA's.

Another consideration is organizational depth. As Predator fans, we are grateful for and we have cheered the development of our young players. This past season, we relied heavily on those players to step into key roles in the regular season and the playoffs. The advent of free agency doesn't mean that our young talent has disappeared or has had a setback in their development. One of the strengths of the Predator organization is the depth and improving talent in our system. Many teams have significant holes in their system or feel they need that one special player to get them to the Cup, and they attempt to plug those holes through free agency. That is part and parcel of the frenzy that is free agency, and perhaps indicative of a weakness in a team's farm system. All of us agree that the Predators could use more consistent scoring, but is it better to develop that scoring or attempt to buy it?

This brings us to where the Predators are right now. This team, if nothing else, is consistent in embracing their philosophy of the "Predator Way". That philosophy has been to draft well and develop players, and when the time is right, give them an opportunity to shine. As mentioned, we saw some younger players thrust into key roles this past season, and they performed admirably. It is obvious that they have to improve, that their game has to make a jump to the next level for this team to continue to be successful.

This also means that the Predators have to have existing players on whom they depend perform to expectations. It is imperative that the guys that are the core of this team have to produce; that is why they have the contracts they do. This is another obvious point, but it is one that the Predator nation needs to keep in mind. It is easy to be enamored with another team's forward and fall in love with their production. What we have to keep in mind is that we have players that have the ability to perform at the level of any of the free agents that were signed today to unreal contracts. This puts the onus to produce on the core of the Predators roster.

Were the Predators going to deviate from that philosophy today? Only if the right player to fill a need was available at the right price. Were those players available- at the right price?

No.

That doesn't mean that the Predators will not still be active. However, it will be on their terms; a player that can fill a need and at the right price.

Here is a bit of coach speak: you dance with who brung ya.

And the Predators are going to be dancing with with their core players and developing young talent.

Predators Vanquish Vancouver 3-1

The Nashville Predators overcame injuries, piss poor officiating, and the potent Vancouver offense to defeat the number one team in the Western Conference by a score of 3-1. With the win, the Predators have evened their season series against the Canucks at 1 and now stand at 70 points in the Western Conference with a 31-19-8 record.

The contest was a hard fought affair, with both teams trying to exert their will in the first period. Both Pekka Rinne for Nashville and Roberto Luongo for Vancouver were called upon to make some key stops early to keep the game scoreless. The first period saw both teams generate some chances offensively and make some solid defensive stands.

Nashville was called upon to kill out the remaining 3:28 of the first period with a man down. Patric Hornqvist was called for a (legitimate) slashing call at 16:32. Just as the Predators killed off that penalty, Ryan Suter was called for a weak and phantom interference call. Suter was close to a Canuck forward, who tripped on his own while driving to the net. However, a penalty was called by Rob Martell, who was out of position on the play. This was a weak call, the first of many on the night against the Predators.

The Predators killed off this penalty, but would have to kill off a goaltender interference penalty against Steve Sullivan, who whiffed past Luongo but nevertheless was called at 8:32 of the second. Once again, the Predators PK unit was stellar, killing off another phantom penalty and energizing the crowd in the process. The fans responded with a  television timeout standing ovation, unique to any crowd in the National Hockey League.The effect of the crowd involvement was evident, as the Predators were energized and the Canucks were definitely noticing the response of the fans.

That energy was converted into a Predator goal at 14:13 of the second period as Marty Erat got the puck in the slot and fired a shot on Luongo. Bobby Lou made the initial save but gave up the rebound at the top of the blue paint. Erat continued to fight to the net and got his stick on the puck and lifted it over the shoulder of Luongo for the first goal of the game and Erat's 10th of the season.

The Canucks would answer the Predators tally at 18:15 of the second on the power play as the Predators were called for too many on the ice. This was only the second power play goal given up by the Predators in the last 27 man advantage situations.

With the Canucks tying the game, it was going to be important for the Predators to answer and stave off the momentum of the Canucks.

Answer they did.

Nick Spaling would tally just 11 seconds after the Canucks score as he took a centering pass from Patric Hornqvist and lifted a backhander over the shoulder of Luongo. Momentum, which had been with the Canucks, had now swung back to the Predators on the sweet play by Spaling. In traffic, Spals had the presence of mind to control the puck and make a nice shot for the go ahead score.

Momentum would stay with the Predators as they kept the pressure on the Canucks. The Predators controlled the puck and Alexander Sulzer launched a shot from the blue line that Mike Fisher tipped past Luongo for his first goal as a Predator and his 15th of the season to give the Predators a 3-1 lead.

After the goal, Luongo was slumped on his knees and looking skyward in frustration. Frankly, there was never a sweeter sight in this game.

Going into the third period, one knew that the Canucks would come out and try to get their potent offense going. How would the Predators respond?

That response by the Predators was by playing one of the better periods of hockey that they have played all season. The Predators kept pressure on Luongo and the Canucks defenders, and more importantly, the Predators owned the neutral zone. They refused to let the Canucks gain the zone with speed and did a great job of limiting space and chances in the offensive zone. Rinne got clean looks at the puck and was solid in the net, thwarting any chances the Canucks could generate.

Although the Predators did not find the net in the third, their offensive chances were very good, and Luongo made some great saves to keep the Predators off the board. That offensive effort was strong and it was heartening to see that the Predators did not sit back on their heels as they have been prone to do. More importantly, the offensive pressure kept the Canucks from establishing their offensive flow. This was key to the win tonight.

The victory was not without a price. Mike Fisher took a puck to the face and played only 3:18 of the first period as he had to go to the locker room and get stitched. He returned and played a very solid game. Marcel Goc was lost in the second period as he went awkwardly into the boards and came up holding his arm. After the game, he was seen in the locker room with his arm in a sling. Hopefully, he has not re-injured the shoulder he separated earlier this season. Steve Sullivan took a puck to the face as a pass was deflected off a stick during action in the second period. Sullivan was taken to Vanderbilt Hospital for further evaluation after the game. It was reported that the puck did not strike him in the eye, but the injury did not look good.

Just a word about the officiating. It sucked. Rob Martell and Paul Devorsky were awful. Call me a homer- that's fine. However, it was apparent that Vancouver could crash into our netminder, could hold, and could trip and there was going to be no calls against them. There were several weak calls against the Predators, including Suter's interference call and Sullivan's goal tender interference call.

It speaks volumes that the Predators could overcome poor officiating and the high flying Canucks. Unlike the San Jose game, the Predators brought the effort and the intensity for a full 60 minutes tonight. Their play showed no signs of breaking, even in the face of adversity.

This is part of the maturing process. This is learning how to win the tough games. This type of contest steels a team for the playoffs.

Truth be known, with the Western Conference race as tight as it is, this is playoff time right now.

There will be more tough contests, games that will test the mettle of this team.

Play with the effort and the intensity that you brought to the ice tonight, and you will vanquish more opponents.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Marty Erat

3. Nick Spaling

Predators Whip the Wings 3-0

A four game losing streak and the Central Division leading Detroit Red Wings coming to town did not bode well for the Nashville Predators and their attempt to end the streak. The Predators, however, had Pekka Rinne in net, and the big netminder stopped all 35 shots he faced in the 3-0 win to end the losing streak and bring the Predators back into fourth place in the Western Conference and within five points of the division leading Wings.

This was Rinne's third shutout of the season, and it could not have come at a more opportune time for the Predators.

The Predators were facing Joey MacDonald in net, and he would yield the first goal of the game at 3:18 of the first period with the Predators on the power play. Shea Weber pinched in to the faceoff circle and blistered a slapshot over the shoulder of MacDonald off an assist from Ryan Suter. This was the 10th goal of the year for the Captain.

Detroit, like Nashville, has contended with a spate of injuries. This is Detroit, however, and they are a good and dangerous team, wounded or not. It would be important for the Predators to play good defense and get solid goaltending to have a chance to win this game.

The Predators did not get good goaltending. They got great goaltending from Rinne, as he made some excellent saves as well as getting some help from the posts. Darren Helm had a shorthanded breakaway opportunity that Rinne challenged at the top of the blue paint. The shot caromed off the crossbar and the Wings were thwarted in their attempt to tie the game.

In the first period, the Predators limited the Wings to just 6 shots on goal, while firing 11 on MacDonald. With a 1-0 lead going into the second, it was going to be important for the Predators to continue to limit chances from Detroit and cash in on their scoring opportunities.

Limiting the Wings chances took a severe hit just 44 seconds into the second period as Sergei Kostitsyn was called- legitimately- for tripping. However, a second penalty was called on the play as Patric Hornqvist was tagged with a phantom holding call. Two minutes of 5 on three hockey for the Wings and things did not look good for the Predators.

In what could be considered the turning point of the game, the Predators PK was stellar, holding Detroit off the board. Kudos to the PK unit, as their play was excellent all night. This kill stood out as it energized the team, the crowd, and seemed to take some steam out of the Wings. Joel Ward stood out for his aggressive forecheck and his effort all night.

Once again, the Predators found themselves with another kill as Shane O'Brien was in the box for cross checking. However, the tables were turned on the Wings as Ryan Suter found Sergei Kostitsyn streaking through the neutral zone. Suter hit Kostitsyn with a breakout pass and sent him into the offensive zone. Kostitsyn fought off Jakub Kindl and sent a one handed shot that hit the stick of MacDonald and ramped up into the net. 2-0 Predators at 14:03 of the second period.

The Predators killed off two additional man advantages for Detroit in the third, but this is Detroit, and Predator fans knew they would be coming hard.Detroit outshot the Predators 17-6 in the third, and this was in part because the Predators sat back and played defense rather than attack as they had in the first two periods.

Just a word here, boys. Prevent defenses don't work in football, and rarely do they work in hockey.

Of course, prevent defenses in football don't have Pekka Rinne. The Predators rely on the solid play of Rinne to keep other teams off the board, and tonight he didn't disappoint. He did a great job of tracking the puck and not giving up rebounds around the net.

The Predators would put the game away at 17:39 of the third as Kostitsyn tallied his second goal of the night and his 14th of the season. Marcel Goc took a shot that MacDonald kicked out to the side of the net. Kostitsyn corralled the rebound and fired a shot off the back of MacDonald that bounced back into the net.

Game over.

After the game, head Coach Barry Trotz called Rinne "The Eraser" because he erases a lot of mistakes when he is in net. Tonight, Rinne was the epitome of the Eraser, cleaning up mistakes and not giving up rebounds. Rinne always give the Predators a chance in every game they play, and tonight was no exception. As the game wore on, it appeared as if Detroit knew they couldn't solve Rinne.

This team doesn't have marquee talent, but this team can win every night when they play their system and play hard. Tonight, the defense did a great job of limiting quality chances and keeping Detroit to the outside. They cleared lanes and allowed Rinne to see the puck. And they were efficient on offense.

This is a winning formula for the Predators. The  losing streak saw some inconsistency in these facets of their game.

The race is on for positioning in the ultra tight Western Conference. Play like you did tonight, and this team will notch wins and points, and the positioning will take care of itself.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Sergei Kostitsyn

3. Ryan Suter

Predators Fall 3-2 in a Phrustrating Loss to Philly

The Nashville Predators battled the Philadelphia Flyers, the Eastern Conference points leader skate to skate before falling 3-2 at the Wells Fargo Center on a late goal by Ville Leino. This is the fourth straight loss for the Predators.

The Flyers opened with Sergei Bobrovsky in net while the Predators started Anders Lindback. Once again, the netminder for the Predators had to be sharp early as the Flyers generated some good chances and the Predator offensive effort was characteristically slow starting.

The Flyers drew first blood as Jeff Carter ripped a wrist shot over the glove hand of Lindback from just inside the face off circle at 10:18 of the first period.

The Predators did not record their second shot on net until the 11:10 mark of the first period. It was going to be important for the Predators to answer the Flyer marker and take away some of their energy.

That answer came at 11:17 of the first period as Cody Franson stick handled the puck through the Flyer defense and put a shot on net that Bobrovsky kicked out with his pad. Marcel Goc was driving the net on the off wing and buried the rebound to tie the game at 1. The play was made by the deft stickhandling of Franson, who was impressive on the rush.

That tally reversed the momentum and energized he Predators,and this team awoke and started playing some very good hockey. The forecheck boxed in the Flyers for the remainder of the first period and totally stymied their offensive flow in the second.

The ability of the Predators to slow the Flyers in the neutral zone created scoring opportunities off turnovers for the Predators throughout the second period. The forechecking effort was excellent and frustrated the Flyers, who responded by taking the body and trying to amp up the physical level of play. Daniel Carcillo spent much of the game running around hitting people, including a dangerous boarding hit on Marcel Goc. Kevin Klein stepped up to drop the gloves against Carcillo and got a few good shots in while keeping Carcillo tied up. Props to Kleiner for stepping up to defend his teammate against Philly's resident cheap shot artist.

The Predators appeared to score late in the second period as Shane O'Brien fired a shot that found the back of the net, but the goal was waved off by referee Dennis LaRue, who said that Patric Hornqvist interfered with Bobrovsky with incidental contact. No penalty was called on the play, but the tally was disallowed.

Nashville outshot the Flyers 13-8 in the second period, and outworked them throughout, but had nothing to show for the effort. At the end of two periods, the scored remained tied at 1.

Ville Leino would break that tie at 6:55 of the third period on the power play as he would knock home a rebound of a Jeff Carter shot.

The Predators would once again answer as their power play would finally click. Joel Ward fought for position just outside the blue paint and was able to gather in a rebound of a Marty Erat shot and slide the puck past Bobrovsky at 10:18 of the third period.

Leino would victimize the Predators once again with a spinning backhand move at 16:46 that was highlight reel material. Leino got the puck in the low slot and avoided a sliding Marty Erat. He spun around and lifted a backhand over the shoulder of Lindback to give the Flyers a 3-2 lead.

The Predators could not get a puck past Bobrovsky over the remaining 3:14, and once again a solid effort went for naught.

The losing streak stands at 4, and this streak has been particularly frustrating because several of the losses came in games where the Predators played well and had an opportunity to win. This team has to get over that hump and start putting games away. The occasional defensive lapse, the consistently slow starts, the goals given up in the third period have bitten the Predators in the ass, and winning teams don't get bitten. Right now, this team has to play a full 60 minutes and perhaps most importantly, believe they can win these games.

The road to the playoffs is going to be difficult. It will take the maximum effort in every game, because every team the Predators will face is gunning for one of the 8 playoff spots.

It's time to put together a winning effort.

It's time to end these phrustrating losses.

My three stars:

1. Ville Leino

2. Jeff Carter

3. Marcel Goc

Predators Bury the Avalanche 5-1

The Nashville Predators continued their six game road trip with a contest against the Colorado Avalanche, a team that plays wide open and with speed. The Avs are chasing the Predators in the standings by two points, and this contest shaped up on paper to be a significant test for the visitors.

On paper.

The game is played on the ice, and it is there that the Predators dominated.

The Avalanche defense often pinches in the offensive zone- a high risk, high reward style of play. That type of play created an odd man rush for the Predators early in the contest as the line of Marcel Goc, Martin Erat, and Sergei Kostitsyn broke out on a 3 on 2 rush. Goc slid a pass to Erat, who fired a cross ice pass to Kostitsyn. SK74 picked a corner with his wrist shot and pinged the puck off the post to beat Colorado netminder Craig Anderson to give the Predators an early 1-0 lead just 3:15 into the contest.

The Avs responded with good pressure, and Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne made some excellent saves to keep the advantage for the Predators. Rinne was solid in net, good at tracking the puck and moving well. His consistently outstanding play bodes well for the fortunes of the Predators.

The Predators stretched the lead to 2-0 at 16:37 of the first period as Cody Franson took a cue from the Avalanche defensemen and pinched in to the offensive zone. The puck came to him in the faceoff circle and he fired a wrister that beat Anderson through traffic high glove side and top corner.

The Predators have struggled in times past with slow starts. Not tonight. They were opportunistic and skated well, and the scoreboard reflected their effort.

One knew that the Avalanche would respond, and they did in the second period, controlling the puck for lengthy stretches in the offensive zone. The Avs appeared to have scored on a Ryan Stoa put back attempt as his shot went between Rinne and the post. The on-ice officials ruled no goal and play continued until the Predators iced the puck.

At the stoppage, the play was reviewed. For a very long time. Television reviews seemed to show that the puck crossed the goal line, but the war room in Toronto ruled that the puck did not completely cross the goal line and was therefore no goal.








What appeared to be a 2-1 contest was still 2-0 Predators, and the momentum shifted from the Avalanche to the Predators, as they were able to turn back the pressure the Avs brought and start to generate offense of their own.

While neither team scored in the second period, the stage was set for an explosive third period.

There was an explosion. From the Predators, as they tallied three times to ice a big win.

Matt Halischuk got his first goal as a Predator at 2:05 of the third period as his line created some good scoring chances in the offensive zone. Halischuk grabbed a loose puck and swooped behind the net and beat Anderson to the post with a wrap around on a great hustle play by the youngster.

David Legwand and Colin Wilson would again catch the Colorado D pinching and make them pay. Legwand and Wilson broke in on Anderson, with Wilson driving the net and drawing the defense to him. Legwand snapped off a shot across his body from just inside the faceoff circle that beat Anderson on the far side post. This was Legwand's 6th goal of the season, and it is great to see him contributing offensively.

The Predators offensive outburst in the period was capped off by an absolutely sick goal by Colin Wilson. Wilson took the puck with speed into the offensive zone, dangled around a defender, and lifted a quick backhand over the shoulder of Anderson. Highlight reel goal by Wilson, whose game is getting stronger as the season unfolds.

Matt Duchene would break the shutout as he was alone in front of Rinne and would firs a forehand that Rinne stopped with his pad. Duchene had time to gather in the rebound and lift the follow up shot over Rinne's pads for the lone Colorado goal.

From start to finish, this was a solid game by the Predators. There were times during the game where the Avs controlled play in the Predators offensive zone. Rinne cleaned up mistakes with some big saves, and the Predators did a great job of counter punching the Avs offensive effort and made them pay for their high risk style of play.

The Predators are now 26-16-6 and in sole possession of fourth place in the Western Conference with 58 points. Tonight's contest was a "four point" game for the Predators. Lose, and Colorado ties you with 56 points. With the win, the Predators are 4 points ahead of the Avs.

There are more tough games ahead. The importance of this road swing cannot be overstated given the jumble of teams that are vying for playoff positioning.

The effort that has been shown in the last two games has got to continue.

If it does, you will bury some more teams.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Cody Franson

3. Matt Halishcuk

Predators Whip the Wild 5-1

Watching the Minnesota Wild play hockey is akin to watching mildew grow in your bathroom: ugly and difficult to get out. Tonight at the Bridgestone Arena, the Nashville Predators faced the Minnesota Mildew Wild, and for two periods, it appeared as if the Wild would be the fungus that would frustrate the home team with their grind it out, trapping style of play. The third period, however, was all Predators, as they whipped the Wild 5-1 for their 6th straight victory.

It was obvious that the Wild were going to trap all night and attempt to force turnovers by the Predators. That strategy worked for much of the first period as the Wild kept the Predators bottled up in their own end of the ice. Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne was called upon early to make some big saves to hold the Wild off the board.

Playing against a team like the Wild takes patience and persistence. Keep chipping the puck out of the zone and work it into the offensive zone and generate chances s the formula for success against the trap that the Wild employ.

That formula would pay dividends for the Predators at 7:03 of the first period as Marek Svatos entered the zone with speed. He slipped a nice pass to David Legwand, who was driving the net with speed. Legwand got his stick on the puck and re-directed the pass between the pads of Wild goaltender Jose Theodore for a 1-0 Predators lead. This was Legwand's second goal in as many games and his 4th goal of the year.

That lead would last for nine minutes, when the Wild tied it on an even strength goal by Mikko Koivu as a Predator Pk had just ended. Koivu drove to the net and split two defenders and lifted a backhand that beat Rinne at 16:05.

The Wild outshot the Predators 9-6 in the first period, but controlled the puck for lengthy stretches at a time, as their trap thwarted the Predators offensive effort. At the end of one, it had the feel of a game that could be decided by one mistake by either team.

That mistake would occur at 1:02 of the second period, as Joel Ward gathered in a rebound of a Kevin Klein shot and backhanded the puck under the glove of a sprawling Theodore to give the Predators a 2-1 advantage. On the play, Ward was patient with the puck, settling it down and getting off a good shot that beat the Wild netminder.

The remainder of the second period was a back and forth affair with both teams generating some chances and both goalies being equal to the task. Minnesota continued to trap and slow the Predators through the neutral zone, at times totally frustrating the offensive efforts of the Predators.

In the defensive zone, the Predators did a good job of keeping the Wild to the outside and on the boards, rarely giving the Mildew Wild quality scoring chances.

Minnesota outshot the Predators 12-10 in the second period.

Going into the third period, the game was in the balance, and it would go to the team that could exert their will.

That team would be the Predators.

The Predators would extend their lead to 3-1 at 4:18 of the third as Nick Spaling would launch a shot toward the net with traffic in front. The puck sailed cleaning through the mass of bodies in front of Theodore, who never saw the puck, and found the back of the net for his third goal of the year.

It would be Spals out again as he crashed the net on a Shea Weber shot. Spaling would jam at the puck several times, and would wedge home the shot with Theodore out of position and s Wild defender trying to hug the post. His persistence paid off with his second goal of the game at 10:39 of the third.

This goal was enough to cause Wild coach Todd Richards to pull Theodore and insert backup Anton Khudobin. Khudobin was welcomed to the contest with a Marcel Goc goal off a horrible Wild turnover that left Goc alone in the low slot. He buried a nice wrister over the shoulder of Khudobin for a 5-1 Predator lead and his 8th goal of the year.

The Predators began their winning streak with a win in Minnesota on December 31. That win was big for the Predators because it snapped a 5 game losing streak.

The win tonight was big for the Predators because they were just 3 points in front of Wild coming into this contest. This win extends their lead over the Wild to 5 points and keeps the Predators in fourth place in the West with 52 points, one ahead of Phoenix at 51.

The win tonight was characterized by players who don't score often coming through for the Predators. The line of Spaling, Ward, and Smithson was the best line on the ice tonight for the Predators. They played with jump, created chances, and more importantly, finished those chances.

The PK continued its stellar play, killing off all three Wild man advantage chances.

For this team to win, they have to have solid contributions from all lines. Tonight, they got those contributions. Successful teams have several lines that can play good two way hockey. If the third and fourth lines can contribute like tonight, this team will be dangerous in the second half of the season.

My three stars:

1. Nick Spaling

2. Joel Ward

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 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

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 Stink Up the Joint in a 5-4 Loss to Toronto

There are losses and then there are losses. Tonight, the Nashville Predators stunk up a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs with their worst period of hockey in the history of the franchise, giving up four- count 'em FOUR- power play goals to blow a game in a 5-4 loss.

The Predators jumped all over the Maple Leafs in the first period, going up 3-0 on goals by J.P. Dumont, Jordin Tootoo, and Marty Erat. The Predators dominated the majority of the period, forcing turnovers and making the Leafs pay. Dumont's goal came from great puck movement as he had an open net to shoot the puck into. Tootoo got on board with a great hustle goal by driving to the net. Marty Erat was the beneficiary of a turnover that he buried. Toronto netminder J. S. Giguere was under siege for most of the period and the Predators looked as if they were going to dominate the night.

The Predators continued their annoying habit of giving up a goal late in a period as Luke Schenn cut the lead to 3-1 with a goal at 19:30 of the first.

The Predators would take the first of SIX penalties in the second period as Francis Buillon was in the box for holding. The Predators PK would make Toronto pay as Marcel Goc poked the puck away at the blue line and beat Giguere on the break away to make it 4-1 Predators.

It was at this point that the Predators would completely fall apart and begin a parade to the penalty box with a  slew of penalties, the result of undisciplined play.

Toronto would score on four of the next five power plays, and what should have been a commanding lead for the Predators disintegrated into a 5-4 deficit. Without a doubt, this was a disgusting and disappointing display of hockey by a team that usually plays with much better discipline.

Giguere was injured in the third period, and Jonas Gustavsson would come into the game to finish it out for the Leafs. The Predators generated several chances, but could not solve The Monster. When the final horn sounded, the Predators limped off the ice with an utterly embarrassing loss on the books.

These are the types of games that this team cannot afford to give away. The Maple Leafs are a sorry team, having lost nine games in a row. The Predators made them look like a playoff team with their play tonight. These are the kinds of losses that are haunting.

This game points to the lack of mental toughness of the Predators. I can't argue with any of the penalty calls. We were undisciplined. The penalty kill, always a prime indicator of the toughness of any team, looked inept and lost. Any time you have a team down 3-0 and 4-1, you should put your skate on their throat and not let them up. The Predators were, unfortunately, soft, letting the Leafs claw back into this game.

This is unacceptable and embarrassing.

An 82 game season is a physical grind. It is also a mental grind. It requires a team to be mentally strong and tough. I have my doubts about the Predators mental toughness.

It is time for this team to get tough mentally. The mental aspect is as important as the physical aspect of the game. Mental toughness often decides the outcome of a contest.

Coach Trotz talks about the resiliency of this team. That is a good characteristic to have, and this resiliency is now going to be tested. Coming back from a loss like this is difficult. It will be interesting to see how mentally tough this team will be, to see if they can put their game back together.

Here is a thought: play tough for sixty minutes and put teams away. Don't let them back into the game. Don't get embarrassed like you did tonight against a lesser opponent.

Then you won't have to test that resiliency so much.

My three stars of the night:

1. Kris Versteeg

2. Clarke McArthur

3. Marcel Goc

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 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 Best Blackhawks 3-2

So you want to play the defending Stanley Cup champs in your first road game of the year. And you want to do it with two rookie goaltenders.

Certainly doesn't sound like a formula for success, does it?

Even without starting netminder Pekka Rinne, who stayed back in Nashville nursing an injury, the Predators prevailed over the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 behind rookie Anders Lindback first start in net.

Joel Ward got the game winner with 26.7 seconds left in the contest with the Predators on the power play. Ward took a nice feed from J.P. Dumont and had an open net in which to shoot the puck. Ward made no mistake in burying the shot and subsequently the Blackhawks.

Imagine how Lindback must have felt.

"Kid, you're getting your first start. Oh yeah. It's against the Blackhawks. On the road."

Chicago fired 10 shots on Lindback in the first period, scoring on their second shot 4:48 in as Patrick Kane lasered a shot over the glove side shoulder of Lindback while the Hawks were on the power play.

Steve Sullivan tied the game at 6:37 of the period, beating Corey Crawford off assists from Cal O'Reilly and Ryan Suter.

Jonathan Toews gave Chicago the lead once again at 16:58 of the first with a goal off a nice assist from Marian Hossa.

The second period was scoreless, but certainly not for lack of effort by both teams. Chicago shelled Lindback early in the period and outshot the Predators 8-1 the first six minutes into the period. Lindback was steady and got good help from his defense clearing the front of the net.

Nashville turned the tables and tilted the ice in the second half of the period, outshooting the Hawks 6-1. For the period, the Hawks outshot the Predators 11-7.

Lindback and the Predators held the Hawks off the board in the third period. Corey Crawford was also strong in net, making some good stops on the Predators. The Predators offensive intensity in the third period was excellent as they controlled play and kept the puck in the Hawks end for much of the period. They put ten shots on Crawford in the third.

The Predators would tie the game at 2 when Colin Wilson took a feed from Marcel Goc and fired a shot that was tipped by a Chicago defenseman and deflected over the shoulder of Crawford.

As good as the offensive effort was in the third period, the defensive effort was even better. The Predators limited the explosive Hawks offense to just four shots in the period. The Hawks had very few scoring chances and were stymied by the Predators defense in the offensive zone. They were unable to get a transition game going as the Predators controlled the neutral zone in the period and refused to let the Hawks establish an offensive flow.

For the game, the Predators outshot the Hawks 27-25.

The game turned on a delay of game penalty on Nick Boynton as he shot the puck over the glass at 17:47 of the period.

With the Predators on the power play, David Legwand slid the puck to J.P. Dumont at the side of the net. Dumont drew the defense to him and found a wide open Joel Ward who had an empty net to pot the game winner.

The Predators displayed perseverance and character in this win tonight. It would have been easy to say that they would not be in this game without their starting goaltender.

They did not.

This team did not back down. They took the best shot the Hawks had and were still fighting, still in the game.

And at the end, they were the best team.


My three stars of the game:

1. Anders Lindback

2. Joel Ward

3. Steve Sullivan

Predators Pound Ducks; Rinne Injured

The Nashville Predators pounded the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 in their season opener. The thrill of that victory was tempered by an injury to starting goaltender Pekka Rinne early in the third period.

Rinne was injured when Troy Bodie of the Ducks and Francis Buillon collided with Rinne as Bodie drove the net. Several players piled in on Rinne as the Predators sought to protect their goaltender. Rinne looked shaken but stayed in the net. After freezing the puck on a shot on net, Rinne took himself out of the game. As he left the ice, he was flexing his right knee. Anders Lindback came in and finished the last 17:22 of the game, stopping all 7 shots that he faced.

After a scoreless first period that saw the Predators tally a 16-9 shot advantage, the Predators got on the board at 4:10 of the second as Marcel Goc gathered in a bouncing puck and fired a shot over the shoulder of Ducks netminder Jonas Hiller.

Anaheim tied the game 1:15 later in the second as Saku Koivu was left alone in the slot and wristed a puck over the shoulder of Rinne.

Steve Sullivan scored on the power play as Sheldon Brookbank was in the box for interference. The Predators had good puck movement and Sullivan was alone on the left wing. He fired a shot at Hiller who was screened by Patric Hornqvist. Hiller never saw the shot as Sullivan put it over the shoulder of Hiller to give the Preds a 2-1 advantage.

The Predators stretched the lead to 3-1 as Patric Hornqvist batted a floating puck out of the air. Shea Weber sent a soft shot toward the net and Hornqvist was able to bat the puck past Hiller to give the Predators a 3-1 lead.

The Predators finished the scoring at 12:39 of the third period as David Legwand shot a puck at Hiller, who sprawled to make the save. The rebound came back to Legwand, who roofed the puck into the back of the net over the prone Hiller.

Rinne was called day to day by Head Coach Barry Trotz in his post game remarks. The Predators have a couple of days off, so it will give the team time to evaluate the seriousness of Rinne's injury.

While the injury to Rinne puts a damper on the Predators win, there are a number of positives that are to be taken away from this game.

The Predators have four lines that can put the puck in the net. This will obviously serve the Predators well during the season. having the ability to roll four lines that are a scoring threat is important to the success of this franchise. The offensive prowess of the Predators came in spite of the fact that the line of Lombardi, Erat, and Wilson- considered one of the top lines for the Predators- was held off the score sheet. It will be important for the Predators to get this line active and on the scoresheet.

The Predators defense did a great job of limiting chances by the Ducks. Nashville out shot the Ducks 47-39, being out shot only in the second period by a 19-12 margin. In the third period, the Predators held the Ducks to only 7 shot on goal. Most times, Rinne and Lindback had a clear look at the puck, with the defense clearing space in front of their netminders throughout the contest.

It's always good to get the first game under your belt, especially when you dominate on home ice like the Predators did tonight. They have to build on this win, and hopefully will not be without their starting netminder in their next contest.

The Predators exhibited the tenacity and toughness that this season will require. They have to continue to play as they did tonight to have continued success.

Do that, and they will continue to confound the pundits that count them out.

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.