Predators Suffer Second Embarrassing Loss

The Nashville Predators visited the New Jersey Devils looking to get the sour taste out of their mouth from their flop in Winnipeg in their previous game.

The Predators were going to have to wait a bit longer for that to occur.

The Devils opened the scoring just 90 seconds into the game as Jaromir Jagr circled through the Predators defense and fired a wrist shot that Predators netminder Carter Hutton got a piece of but it glanced off his glove and into the net  for a 1-0 Devils lead.

The Devils stifling defense made it difficult for the Predators to get through the neutral zone and establish quality offensive zone time. The Predators managed 6 shots on Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur, but he did not have to make any difficult saves.

The Devils had 7 shots in the period.

The Devils made it 2-0 at 2:54 as the Devils swarmed the Predators net. Cam Janssen beat Craig Smith to the front of the net to bang home a rebound of a Ryan Carter shot. The Predators defense broke down and allowed Janssen a free run to the front of the net.

The Devils made it 3-0 on the power play with Seth Jones in the box. Just 5 seconds into the power play, former Predator Marek Zidlicky hammered a shot from the blue line that eluded Hutton.

The Devils were having their way with the Predators, and from all appearances, the Predators could do nothing to stop the push from the home team. Much like the previous game in Winnipeg, the Predators were getting out worked in all areas of the ice and losing most of the puck battles.

The Predators weak effort was reflected in the shots on goal in the second period. The Predators managed just 4 shots, while the Devils recorded 12.

The Devils made it 4-0 at 12:57 of the third period off a 3 on 2 rush. Jaromir Jagr fed a beautiful pass to Travis Zajac and he blasted a one timer past Hutton.

The way the Predators were playing, this game was long ago out of reach.

Mattias Tedenby made it 5-0 picked up a loose puck in the Predators offensive zone and walked in alone and roofed a puck over the shoulder of Hutton, who was left alone with the on rushing Devils forward.

Insult to injury.

Surprisingly, the Predators didn't allow any further scores.

Some observations:

• As good as the Predators had looked at in the early going of this road trip, they have looked absolutely awful over the past two games. They have been outworked in all phases and showed zero compete level. The offense has disappeared and that is a function of will. The Predators have to score from the hard areas, and the past two games- outside of Patric Hornqvist- they have not shown a willingness to go to those areas.

• The Predators power play was putrid. They went 0-6 tonight and there was no movement or creativity. There were poor entries (I'm looking at you, David Legwand) that made it too easy for the Devils to control and clear the puck. The Predators had ample opportunities to get back into the game with the man advantage and squandered those chances.

• Hutton gave up a soft goal on the first goal of the game, but was hung out to dry on most of the Devils goals. He made some point blank stops to keep the score from being worse than it was.

• The defensive breakdowns are troubling, mostly because they are happening consistently. The defense is going to have to get focused and tougher to help Hutton. The consistency of these defensive lapses is costing the team and has to be corrected quickly.

• The most disappointing aspect of these past two games is the lack of compete by this team. When they got down, they rolled over. There was no push back, no snarl, no fight. That has to change quickly.

What started well for this team is quickly coming unraveled. These last two games have exposed the weaknesses and the softness of this team. It has to turn around quickly.

My three stars:

1. Jaromir Jagr

2. Marek Zidlicky

3. Cam Janssen

Predators Bedevil New Jersey 3-1

The Nashville Predators made a rare trip to the Rock to take on the New Jersey Devils in a contest that presented itself as a trap game. A game against an Eastern Conference foe that the Predators rarely see; a game against a team that has been struggling; a game that is sandwiched in between important Western Conference contests. This is the type of game that has bedeviled the Predators in the past.

Not tonight.

The Predators notched two power play goals to capture a 3-1 victory over the Devils. Marty Erat tallied two goals and Steve Sullivan opened the scoring for the Predators, who have now won five straight games.

The first period was a generally listless first period for both teams. New Jersey generated several good chances against Nashville goaltender Anders Lindback. Rod Pelley rang a shot off the post, and the Devils cycled the puck and created some scoring chances. Fortunately for the Predators, Lindback was equal to the task.

Lindback has gone 6-0-1 in relief of injured starter Pekka Rinne.

With time running down in the first period, Shea Weber sent a shot screaming toward the net that was tipped by Steve Sullivan and trickled over the goal line past Martin Brodeur. Brodeur got a piece of the tip, but could not squeeze the puck under his arm, and the Predators were on the board at 19:43 of the period.

Nashville would extend the lead to 2-0 at 4:56 of the second while on the power play. Ryan Suter got the puck to Marty Erat who had camped just inside the right face off circle. He uncorked a quick one timer that cleanly beat Brodeur high to the glove side.

The Devils kept pressing in the second period, and at times dictated play in the Nashville zone. Patrik Elias found the pipe from the slot, and when the Devils weren't hitting the iron, Lindback was making some big saves to keep the off the board.

The Predators made it 3-0 at 4:55 of the third period with another power play goal as Marty Erat re-directed a Ryan Suter shot past Brodeur. On this play Sergei Kostitsyn picked up an assist to record a point in his eighth straight game, tying a club record.

Rookie Mattias Tedenby  scored on the power play for the Devils at 7:06 of the third. Tedenby walked in from the face off circle and beat Lindback high glove with a wicked wrist shot.

From that point on, the Predators played shut down hockey. That isn't to say that the Devils didn't generate chances. They did. There was a stretch of 1:30 in the last four minutes where the Devils kept the Predators trapped in their own zone and unable to clear the puck. The Predators were saved by an interference penalty on Jamie Langenbrunner as he slapped Lindback's goal stick away from him after he dropped it on the ice.

After the penalty, they Devils were unable to generate another scoring chance and the Predators skated away with another win.

A big win from the standpoint that the team showed mental toughness, something that had been lacking in their game earlier this season. A big win because it was a solid road game for the Predators that featured opportunistic scoring and solid defense.

A big win because it was two points that the Predators did not give away.

With this win, the Predators ran their record to 17-8-6, good for 40 points.

After some early season struggles, this team has played consistent hockey. They have played Predator hockey- not always flashy or pretty, but very effective.

It is winning hockey.

The kind of hockey that will get this team back to the playoffs.

My three stars:

1. Marty Erat

2. Ryan Suter

3. Sergei Kostitsyn