Predators Defeat the Stars 3-2 In Big D

The road trip continues for the Predators with a stop in Dallas to take on the division rival Stars. In their only other meeting this season the Predators captured a 4-1 win in Nashville.




Pekka Rinne was back in net for the Predators, while the Stars had Kari Lehtonen manning the crease.




After a scoreless first period, the Predators opened the second period scoring with two- count 'em, TWO- power play goals.




Craig Smith notched the first goal with a blast from the slot that beat Lehtonen glove side at 4!0 of the second period.




Filip Forsberg sniped a shot from the right face off circle high stick side to make it 2-0 at 13:57 of the second.




Immediately after the Predators misfired on a 2 on 1 rush, Stars defenseman carried the puck down the ice and through the Predators defense to beat Rinne low glove side to make it 2-1 at 16:26 of the second.




Rinne had to make some exceptional saves throughout the second period to keep the Stars from tying the game, including a point blank save late in the period off a turnover.


The Stars opened the third period putting pressure on the Predators and their effort paid off as Patrick Eaves tied the game off a goal mouth scramble where the Stars outmanned the Predators at the front of the net. Eaves shoveled the puck past Rinne at 7:23 of the third.


Matt Cullen responded for the Predators with a shot through traffic over the shoulder of Lehtonen at 13:47. This was Cullen's first goal of the year in his fifth game.


The Stars pulled Lehtonen for the extra attacker with 1:30 to go in the game, and although the Stars were swarming in the zone, Rinne and the skaters in front of him shut the door on the Stars to capture a 3-2 win.














Some observations:

• When the Predators are skating and playing with energy, they are a very good team. Not elite, but very good. When they are flatfooted or don't have jump, they can be downright ugly. Some stretches of the latter tonight.

• Calle Jarnkrok drew back into the line up tonight. he had been a healthy scratch the last 4 games.

• Colin Wilson just looks more engaged and energized. I have been critical of Wilson for getting bouts of Legwanditis (floating and not doing much), but he is skating hard and creating in the offensive zone. I like this and hope he continues to play this way.

• Craig Smith absolutely ripped a shot from the slot on the power play. Smith has a great shot, and it's good to see him potting some goals.

• Wow- Forsberg just picked the stick side corner for a power play goal. That was a goal scorer's goal. Excited to see how his game is developing, and he looks like he can turn into the legitimate scoring threat the Predators have so desperately needed.

• The chemistry that Cullen and Craig Smith have is very good. those two really work well on that line.

• Cullen had a seeing eye shot through traffic for the game winner. It seems to me that the Predators are doing a much better job of picking corners and not just shooting the puck into the belly of the opposing goaltender.

• A significant win as it came against a division rival. These divisional games are in reality 4 point games since we can put more distance against a competitor that is trying to gain ground on us.

• Strong game by Mattias Ekholm, who picked up two assists and had 4 shots on goal. Matty Ek is playing with more confidence and is developing into a solid blueliner.

• The Predators are 3-2 on through 5 games of this six game road trip.

• Rinne picked up his 8th win of the year, stopping 33 of 35 shots.

A big bounce back win by this team after their last outing, More importantly, they took the Stars best push and fought back to find a way to win.


These are the kinds of games this team will face in their division all season.


So far, they have shown they can compete and win these games.


My three stars:


1. Pekka Rinne


2. Mattias Ekholm


3. Matt Cullen

Wilson, Fisher Lead Predators to Win Over the Wings

The Nashville Predators have discovered the key to almost guaranteeing a win.

Score first.

They did just that, scoring on their first shot of the game to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 6-4 in a wild contest at Bridgestone Arena. When scoring first, the Predators are 15-1-2.

The Predators swept the season series with their former division rivals.

Colin Wilson scored on a shot from the high slot that beat Wings netminder Jimmy Howard to the glove side at 1:54 of the first period.

The Wings answered at 3:00 of the period as Justin Abdelkader walked out from behind of the net and lifted a backhand over the shoulder of Predators goaltender Marek Mazanec.

Craig Smith gave the Predators a 2-1 lead at 9:50 of the first period as he carried the puck into the zone on a 3 on 2 break. Smith fired a wicked wrist shot that beat Howard short side.

Nick Spaling tallied at 4:24 of the second period to make it 3-1 for the Predators. He wired a shot from the face off circle over the glove of Howard off a rush.

Going into the third period, everyone in the building knew that the Wings would make a run. They started that run just 35 seconds into the period as Pavel Datsyuk blistered a one timer past Mazanec to make the score 3-2.

Mike Fisher answered that goal at 5:50 of the third as Wilson carried the puck around the back of the net and found Fisher alone at the side of the net. Fisher buried the puck into the open net to make it 4-2.

Kyle Quincey scored at 11:30 of the third to make it 4-3, and was this the start of the Wings run to get back in the game?

No.

Colin Wilson scored just 37 seconds later to make it 5-3 and seize momentum back from the Wings.

The Wings were not done, though. With the wings on a power play, Patrick Eaves gathered in a rebound on the off side of the defense and fired the puck into the open net to make it 5-4 at 14:52.

With Howard off for an extra attacker and the Predators on a power play, Roman Josi buried an empty net goal to make it 6-4 at 19:41 and secure the win for the Predators.

Some observations:

• Punch and counter punch. The Predators struck first and built a lead and made the wings play catch up all night. More importantly, the Predators did not let the Wings seize the momentum and control of the game. They answered every challenge and push back from the Wings. This is an aspect of the Predators game that had been lacking during some of their losing skids, and it was good to see the response by the Predators.

• Kinda nice to see a score on the first shot of the game. By the Predators.

• Mike Fisher has been playing some of his best hockey since joining the Predators. He is playing with good jump and confidence and has been going hard to the net. His offensive production is certainly welcome- he has 6 points in his last two games- but his effort and his grit are leading the team. He continues to play a controlled physical game, and tonight refused to take the crap that Abdelkader was trying dish out, responding by dropping the gloves. Fisher is showing that he is a leader by his level of play, and now it appears that the team is following his example.

• Jimmy Howard was making his first start in three weeks since spraining his knee. The Predators did what they needed to do by putting pressure on Howard by bringing traffic to the net and firing 29 shots on goal.

• Colin Wilson played a solid game and was strong on the puck. He had 6 shots that resulted in two goals and was a +2 on the night. Hopefully this gets his game going consistently.

• Seth Jones picked up 2 assists and was a +3 in 16:36 of ice time. Jones is starting to play more minutes and is getting his game going after a bit of a lull.

• Mattias Ekholm has been quietly efficient. he had 15 minutes of ice time and also was a +3.

This was a solid win by the Predators. Esthetically, it wasn't pretty, but from a heart and character standpoint, it was beautiful.

Now the Predators need to play this way consistently.

My three stars:

1. Colin Wilson

2. Mike Fisher

3. Seth Jones

Predators Wilt Against the Wings

The Nashville Predators have been relegated to the role of spoiler as the season winds down, and they were in Detroit not only attempting to win their second game in a row but put a dent in the Red Wings playoff chances.

While the Red Wings were playing with a sense of urgency, the Predators could play loose and continue to audition some of their young players.

One of those would be Joonas Rask, who was called up from Milwaukee and was appearing in his first NHL game.

The Predators went with Chris Mason in net, while workhorse Jimmy Howard was in goal for the Wings.

The Predators welcomed back Mike Fisher, who has been out with an injury, and he made his presence felt early as he tallied the first goal of the game off a nice feed from Rich Clune.

The Wings answered with Valtteri Filppula getting free in the low slot and beating Mason with a quick wrist shot.

The Predators took a 2-1 lead on the power play as Shea Weber shoveled the puck to the front of the net. Mike Fisher was in front battling and Craig Smith took a shot that Howard stopped. Smith got his rebound and roofed the puck past Howard.

The first period ended with the Predators leading 2-1 but having to kill off 57 seconds of a  Detroit power play to start the second period.

The Wings tied the game just 1:01 into the second period as the power play had just expired. Johan Franzen gathered in a rebound and roofed a shot from a sharp angle.

Patrick Eaves got lost by the Predators defense and whipped a one timer past mason from the face off circle to give the Wings a 3-2 lead. Eaves was all alone as the defense broke down and lost track of the forward in a dangerous scoring position.

The Predators kept playing with fire by taking penalties, and the it burnt them as late in the period the Predators were once again down a man and Pavel Datsyuk skated the puck into the zone and blistered a shot past a screened Chris Mason to make it 4-2.

The Predators gave up 3 goals in the second period through some miscues and sloppy play. If they were going to have a chance to get back into the game, they were going to have to elevate their play.

Through two periods, the Wings had out shot the Predators 25-15.

The injury bug continued to bedevil the Predators, as they lost Matt Halischuk in the second period and for the rest of the game with an upper body injury.

The Predators attempted to get back into the game with some good pressure in the Wings zone but could not get a puck past Howard.

Justin Abdelkader extended the Wings lead to 5-2 late in the period as he buried a rebound past Mason, and any hope the Predators had of climbing back into this game were squelched with that goal.

The game ended with that score as the Predators wilted down the stretch in face of the pressure from a desperate Wings team playing with greater urgency.

Some observations:

Messy Mistakes

The Predators made a game of it early with solid play and good pressure in the Wings zone, but as the game wore on, their mistakes cost them dearly. Too many penalties and some blown coverage in the defensive zone allowed the Wings to get back in the game. Part of this is the presence of the new guys in the line up, and losing Halishcuk in the second period further jumbled the forward lines which didn't help the effort. The Wings were hungry and focused, and they capitalized on the mistakes the Predators made.

Welcome Back Mike

Mike Fisher returned to the line up and made his presence felt with the first goal of the game and was battling all night. It was good to see Fisher back and his effort and leadership on the ice will be a benefit to the young players.

Smith Shows Up

Craig Smith had a goal and an assist, his first points in...forever. Smith played with good jump and went to the hard area in front of the net for his goal. Smith has had a brutal season, but he has not stopped hustling and working. He has the potential to be a very good winger, but this season has been forgettable. hopefully, this is just a very bad sophomore slump and that these points will give him some confidence and get him untracked.

Gotta Have More

David Legwand has 21:18 of ice time; Sergei Kostitsyn had 19:08, the most among the forwards. They combined for 2 shots on goal. The Predators have to get more from these veteran forwards if they are going to be in any game. Tonight, they were invisible, and their offensive drought contributed to the Predators lack of production.

Final Thoughts

The result was about as expected as a team that is fighting to get into the playoffs matched up against a patchwork lineup. The effort by the Predators was spotty and the mistakes were costly. The Predators have one more chance to try to salve some wounds from this awful season.

Hope you bring it, boys.

My three stars;

1. Jimmy Howard

2. Pavel Datsyuk

3. Craig Smith

Red Wings Eke Out a 2-1 Win Over the Predators

The Nashville Predators looked to end the Detroit Red Wings 21 game home winning streak at the Joe in a contest between two Central Division foes fighting for division and conference supremacy. The Wings home winning streak was nothing short of amazing, and the Predators faced a daunting task trying to derail the home juggernaut that was Detroit.

Pekka Rinne got the start in net for the Predators, while Joey MacDonald, doing an admirable job filling in for the injured Jimmy Howard, manned the pipes for the Wings.

The Predators were playing without Patric Hornqvist, who was placed on injured reserve today with an upper body injury suffered in the game with the Boston Bruins. The Wings were missing Patric Eaves and Dan Cleary.

The Predators and the Wings both generated some good scoring chances, and both goaltenders were equal to the task that the opposing offenses presented. That changed at 12:44 of the first as the Predators defense left Johan Franzen alone in the low slot and the feed from Todd Bertuzzi was on his tape, allowing him to bury a quick wrist shot behind Rinne for a 1-0 Detroit lead.

The first period ended with the score 1-0 and the Wings recording 14 shots on goal to 9 for Nashville.

One mistake, and the Predators found the puck in the back of their net.

While not a bad period for the Predators, their offensive effort was going to have to improve with more shots and quality shots.

The second period, long a bane for the Predators, saw them out work, out hit, and out hustle the Wings. The Predators forecheck was working, bottling the Wings up in their zone and creating chances. The Predators best scoring chance came on a set up from Sergei Kostitsyn that sent Marty Erat in alone on MacDonald. Unfortunately for the Predators, MacDonald stopped the glorious scoring chance, as he had done so far during the game.

The Predators finally broke through at 14:58 of the second as Jordin Tootoo stole the puck from Jakob Kindl and fed Nick Spaling in front of the MacDonald. Spaling cashed in on the chance, tying the game at 1.

For the Predators, this had to be a big relief. Lots of chances and unable to beat MacDonald, the pressure was mounting.

The period ended tied at 1; Nashville had 8 shots on goal in the second, while Detroit had 7.

This presaged a third period that would be a battle.

And a battle it was. Both teams went up and down the ice, created chances, but could not finish.

That would change with just 5 seconds to go as Pavel Datsyuk broke in on a breakaway and beat Rinne over his shoulder to take a 2-1 lead, which would be the final score.

Let's face it, the Wings are the best team in the NHL, and the Predators competed and gave them all they wanted for the duration of the game. The Wings were just a little bit better tonight, but a little bit means a big difference in the outcome of a game like this.

I thought the effort by the Predators was solid. They forechecked well, were solid on defense, and except for two plays, could have won this game.

Yet those two plays were the difference, and those are the plays that elite teams make.

If I were to criticize any aspect of the Predators game, it was that they did not finish their chances. They had 4 breakaway attempts, none of which they could bury. They had some good scoring chances at even strength and could not finish. This is something that has to improve for this team.

This was at least one point the Predators gave away. That is painful.

The thing the Predators have to do now is learn from that pain and channel it. Use it to start another winning streak.

And don't let another team eke out a win.

My three stars:

1. Pavel Datsyuk

2. Nick Spaling

3. Johan Franzen

Detroit Dominates and Embarrasses the Predators 5-2

When you play the Detroit Red Wings, you have to bring your "A" game. Tonight, it would be generous to say that the best the Nashville Predators brought to the ice was an "F".

Numerous penalties, a depleted lineup due to injury, and a less than stellar effort doomed the Predators in this road contest at the Joe.

Pavel Datsyuk got the Wings on the board at 12:11 of the first period on a scrambled play in the Nashville zone. Pekka Rinne made two saves, but the defense lost sight of Pavel Datsyuk, who was left alone inside the faceoff circle. Henrik Zetterberg drew the defense to him and found Datsyuk, who had a wide open net in which to shoot the puck.

Detroit added to the lead at 18:24 of the first as Brad Stuart poked a puck past Rinne in a goal mouth scrum. Nashville did not do a good job of clearing the net all night, and it burnt them time and again.

It looked as if the Predators were going to start to make it a contest, as Joel Ward buried a shot from the low slot past a screened Chris Osgood, who got the start for an injured Jimmy Howard. Ward's marker came at 7:49 of the second period, a period in which the Predators put good pressure on the Wings.

The Wings would still the momentum back from the Predators as Pavel Datsyuk would strike again at 18:49 of the second. Datsyuk abused Nick Spaling with a great move out of the corner and walked in on Rinne. Alexander Sulzer was late coming over with defensive help and Rinne was beaten five hole by the shifty Datsyuk.

The wheels started coming off for the Predators in the third period. The Predators gave Detroit their fifth power play of the night as J.P. Dumont was called for tripping and Tomas Holmstrom made the Predators pay for their transgressions.

The Wings would score 1:08 later as Patrick Eaves beat Rinne with a shot that just seemed to completely surprise him. Rinne was under siege most of the night, but this was decidedly a soft goal.

Kevin Klein would bring the Predators to within 3 as he rifled a shot past Osgood at 9:39 of the period. This goal was made possible because Joel Ward was doing a great job of screening in front of Osgood and took away his vision on the shot.

The Wings spent the remainder of the game choking the life out of the Predators, and although they generated a few quality scoring chances, they were unable to solve Osgood.

The Predators sustained their second loss in a row, and frankly the effort in both was not up to what the Predators can normally bring to the ice. I will acknowledge that this team is playing with a a juggled lineup due to injury. Every team, however, deals with injuries. This team has to overcome them and bring a better effort.

For the second game in a row, Martin Erat, Steve Sullivan, Colin Wilson, and David Legwand all registered just one shot apiece on net. These are guys that are expected to carry the scoring load and in the last few games, they have not produced. It is time for these players to step up their games.

In particular, Marty Erat has been virtually invisible on the ice.He has too much talent not to generate chances and get on the score sheet. Taking one shot a game is not going to cut it.

It is a long season, and every team goes through a drought. This is one that  the Predators are enduring. The question is, how long will it last?

Each player in that locker room has to look at their effort and ask what am I doing to break out of this slump?

It's time to get back on track and stop being dominated and embarrassed.

My three stars of the game:

1. Pavel Datsyuk

2. Tomas Holmstrom

3. Chris Osgood