Predators Squander Two goal Lead in Loss to the Ducks

The Nashville Predators had an opportunity to do something only a handful of teams have done this season: defeat the Anaheim Ducks.

The Predators started that mission well, scoring 2 goals on 6 shots in the first period.

A brutal second period doomed the Predators as they gave up 4 goals en route to a 4-3 loss at Bridgestone Arena.

The Predators opened the scoring at 1:52 of the first period as Gabriel Bourque controlled the puck behind the Ducks net. He found Paul Gaustad, who split three Ducks players and beat Frederik Andersen glove side to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

Craig Smith made it 2-0 at 2:22 of the first as he took a pass from Matt Cullen and whipped a shot past Andersen glove side.

The Ducks were sluggish in the first period, but their forecheck was working and was effective in bottling the Predators up for most of the first period. The Predators had to know that the Ducks would come out with more fire and push in the second period.

Did they ever.

The Ducks outshot the Predators 17-8 and controlled the play in the second period with their strong forecheck and offensive play.

The Ducks took just 55 seconds to get on the board in the second period as Ryan Getzlaf fired a shot into a narrow space over the glove of Predators netminder Marek Mazanec.

The ducks tied the game on Getzlaf's second goal at 4:36 of the period as he beat Mazanec badly to the glove side. Mazanec was unscreened but could not stop the shot.

The Predators took a 3-2 lead at 5:31 of the second as Craig Smith fired a shot toward the net from below the face off circle. The puck bounced off Rich Clune and past Andersen.

As the Predators have disappointingly done all season, they quickly gave up the tying goal as Getzlaf made a great pass to spring Corey Perry. Perry fired a shot toward Mazanec with no traffic in front but the shot beat him five hole.

The Ducks took a 4-3 lead on the power play as Patrick Maroon took the puck at the top of the crease and backhanded a pass to Teemu Selanne. Selanne buried the shot into the wide open net for the game winner at 18:52 of the second period.

The Predators had some good opportunities on the power play in the third period but could not get a puck past Andersen. The Predators out shot the Ducks 12-4 in the third period but could not finish their chances.

What had been a promising start to a pivotal contest saw the Predators squander an opportunity to get a much needed win.

Some observations:

• With his goal, Paul Gaustad tallied his 200th point.

• For the life of me, some of the line combinations, especially late in the game, made no sense. Why on earth was Rich Clune getting top line minutes in critical situations late in the game when you had more offensive minded players on the bench?

• Craig Smith continues to play well. his goal off a nice pass from Matt Cullen showed some sweet hands and the shot was placed perfectly.

• Note to David Poile: see what offensively skilled players can do. It is not enough to have guys on the roseter that are gritty, or "Predator hard" (whatever that is). You have to have guys that can finish and can put pucks into the net.

• The second Getzlaf goal and the goal given up to Perry were brutal. Both came on unscreened shots that abused Mazanec. Those were shots that Mazanec has to stop.

• The Predators were without Patric Hornqvist, who is day to day with an injury.

• Colin Wilson is struggling badly. He is ineffective in the offensive zone and tonight registered one shot on goal. he was a -3 and played only 12:03 with one shot on goal.

• Roman Josi showed his skill at carrying the puck. Josi is one of the few Predators that is reliable in getting the puck through the neutral zone and carrying the puck through traffic. He logged 25:35 TOI tonight.

• The Ducks forecheck caused problems for the Predators all night. That effort is one the Predators attempt to emulate every game. The difference between the two teams is that the Ducks can transition from gritty forechecking to dynamic offense. That is something to which the Predators can only aspire.

This is a disappointing loss in that the Predators folded in the face of the relentless pressure and talent of the Ducks.

It is two points that the team cannot afford to give away.

My three stars:

1. Ryan Getzlaf

2. Craig Smith

3. Matt Cullen

Predators Down the Ducks 4-2, Take the Series 4-2

If the Nashville Predators were going to defeat the Anaheim Ducks, they were going to have to get scoring from their bottom 6 forwards, stay out of the box, and play very strong defense in front of Pekka Rinne in their game 6 match up at Bridgestone Arena.

Mission accomplished.

The Predators defeated the Ducks 4-2 to capture their first round series by a similar margin of 4-2 and in the process the Predators captured their first ever Stanley Cup playoff series.

The understatement of the year would be to say that this was a huge step for this franchise.

More times than I care to recount, the denizens of Smashville have watched their heroes skate off the ice after a game 6 clinching victory for the opposition. The disappointment and frustration were palpable.

Not tonight.

Everyone knew that the Ducks were going to come out with a sense of desperation as they were attempting to stave off elimination. It was going to be imperative that the Predators match their intensity and control the play, especially early on in the contest.

The Predators did a great job of thwarting the pressure of the Ducks in the first period as they limited the Ducks to just 4 shots. However, one of those shot was an amazing goal by Teemu Selanne as he found the tiniest of openings between Rinne and the post to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead at 10:22 of the first period.

I want to say that Selanne is just flat out unbelievable. His play was outstanding throughout the series and he did not engage in the cheap shots and extra-curricular activity that so many of the Ducks chose to do. His play almost single handedly carried the Ducks to victory in the series as he tallied 6 goals.

The Selanne goal was an "uh-oh" moment for the Predators. No team in this series had won two consecutive games, and his goal put the Smashville faithful in a state of high anxiety.

That tension was relieved at 19:32 f the first period as Nick Spaling tied the game as he buried the puck off a rebound of a Jordin Tootoo shot past Ray Emery. All along, the Predators knew they were going to have to get scoring from their bottom six forwards to have a chance in this series, and time and again, they came up big time.

Thank you, Mr. Spaling.

The Predators would take a 2-1 lead at 3:29 of the second period as Steve Sullivan absolutely undressed Emery with a nice forehand to backhand move. Sullivan was playing on the fourth line with Blake Geoffrion and J.P. Dumont, but that did not mean this line wasn't a threat. Sullivan used his speed to create the opportnity and his wiles to fake out Emery. A veteran move and a big time goal for the Predators.

The Ducks weren't going to go away quietly, however. Jason Blake tallied a power play marker at 18:23 of the second to tie the game heading into the third period.


Once again, the potent Ducks power play had torched the Predators. In this series, it was apparent that the Ducks could not beat the Predators 5 on 5, and it was going to be incumbent on the Predators to stay out of the box to have a chance to close out this series. A transgression by J.P. Dumont for tripping had allowed the Ducks to get back in the contest, and it set up a tense third period.

A period where heart and character would shine through. A period where the team with the biggest heart and strongest character would emerge victorious.

That team would be the Predators.

The Predators appeared to have taken a 3-2 lead as Patric Hornqvist tipped the puck past Emery early in the third period. However, the goal was waved off as it was deemed that Hornqvist had played the puck with a high stick.

Deflating? Yes. Defeating? No.


Nick Spaling would strike again at 4:23 of the third period off an assist from Pekka Rinne and Jordin Tootoo. Tootoo took a pass from Rinne and put the puck on net. Spaling was right where he should have been, crashing the net. Spaling gathered in the rebound from Rinne and potted his second marker of the game to give the Predators a 3-2 lead.


Once again, the play was created by the hustle and the shot of Tootoo. He was very solid in this series and played the best hockey that he has played since donning a Predators sweater. One could argue that he was the difference maker in this series.

The Predators did a good job in the bulk of the period keeping the Ducks to the outside and not allowing prime scoring chances. Rinne made several good saves to hold the Ducks off the board, and the offense continued to press the Ducks.

As the period wore on, one could see the frustration, desperation, and fatigue hit the Ducks. You knew that the overtime loss in Anaheim on Friday had to weigh mentally on the Ducks, and it showed in their play.

With the 7th Man in full throat, exhorting their team on to victory, the Predators caught a break as Saku Koivu was called for interference at 19:22. With the net empty for an extra attacker, David Legwand buried an empty netter at 19:50 to give the Predators a 4-2 victory.

The demons for this franchise had been exorcised! The 8000 pound gorilla of never winning a first round series was gone! The Predators were now advancing to the second round and this franchise had made a huge- HUGE- step forward.

The Predators survived the cheap shots that the Ducks threw at them all throughout the series. The dirty play of the Ducks was uncalled for and off the chart. Yet this team persevered and fought through the adversity of losing one of their top scorers to a blatant head shot. They were able to win this series without a "star" but with a team concept that would not be daunted and refused to yield in the face of the talent and thuggery of the Ducks.

Congratulations to head Coach Barry Trotz. Trotzy has nursed this franchise through its infancy and growth pains to this point. This team is a reflection of his steady hand and determination.

The Predators await their second round opponent, which will be determined by the outcome of the Chicago/Vancouver series, which is going to a 7th game. Now is the time to heal and get ready for another war.

Savor the win, boys. Congratulations! You deserve the kudos and the adulation of Smashville.

This is the first step. A big step. A monumental achievement for this franchise.

You can't rest on your laurels, however.

There are new steps to take.

My three stars:

1. Nick Spaling

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Teemu Selanne

Predators Take a 3-2 Series Lead with an Amazing 4-3 OT Victory Over the Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks scored what will arguably be the prettiest goal of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Nashville Predators, however, scored the gritty goals, the heart goals to defeat the Anaheim Ducks in overtime 4-3. With this win, the Predators have now taken a 3-2 series lead for the first time in the history of the franchise, and have a chance to close out the Ducks on Sunday in Bridegestone Arena.

This was not an easy game for the Predators. Randy Carlyle in game 4 sent career goon Jarkko Ruutu to take out one of the Predators leading scorers in the regular season and in the playoffs in Marty Erat. Erat missed game 5 and will probably miss the rest of the first round because of a hit to his head for which Ruutu received a one game suspension. This play embodies all that is wrong with hockey and the lack of class in the Ducks organization. An Oil can- a goon with little value to a team takes out a star for their opponent. Congratulations, Randy Carlyle. You are a classless piece of work.

In spite of that adversity, the Predators were determined to make a game of it at the Honda Center. The Predators have never won a first round game five in the history of this franchise. Would this trend change?

Would history be made?

The game opened well for the Predators as Jordin Tootoo made a spectacular assist to Kevin Klein, who was driving the net from his defensive position. Tootoo got leverage on the Ducks defender and got the angle to slip a pass to Klein. Klein was breaking in all alone, and made not mistake in burying the shot to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 8:32 of the first period. Klein abused Ray Emery, who does not have the speed to come across the crease,

There was no more scoring in the first period, but not for lack of effort. Both Emery in net for the Ducks and Pekka Rinne for the Predators had to make some great saves to keep the other team off the board.

The Dirty Ducks would tie the game at 13:39 of the second period as Jason Blake would power home a a power play goal. Jonathan Blum played the puck at the front of the net instead of the man and it allowed Blake to get several jabs a the puck after the initial save by Rinne. Blake finally manged to poke the puck under Rinne to tie the game at 1.

There was no further scoring in the period, but this only set the stage for an exciting and dramatic third period.

The Dirty Ducks opened the scoring just 40 seconds into the third period as David Legwand was guilty of a lazy pass and then was abused by Stompy McStomperson Bobby Ryan. Stompin Bobby stole the lazy lateral pass and avoided the back check from Legwand and beat Rinne high glove side to give the classless Capons a 2-1 lead.

Joel Ward tied the game at 11:20 with a nice snap shot that beat Emery. Ward got open in the slot and fired the puck to the back of the net to tie the game on a shot that Emery could not have stopped if he wanted to. Heart was beginning to show itself.

Heart was going to have some work to do, however, as Jason Blake would tally his second goal from the slot as the Teemu Selanne found Blake in the slot and he beat Rinne again to his glove side at 14:16.

Clock running down and a one goal deficit on hostile ice. Doesn't look good for the good guys, does it?

This was a matter of heart, however, and the Predators have that in abundance.

Tick, tick, tick.... the clock melting away and a band of thugs looking as if they would take a 3-2 series lead.

That would change with just 35 seconds remaining in the contest as a warrior would step to the fore. Shea Weber would get a shot through traffic and tie the game at 3. The final seconds would melt off the clock and the Predators would play their third overtime in the last 5 first round series.

Would they get their first win?

That question was answered just 1:57 into the bonus period as Jerred Smithson would notch his first playoff goal. Smithson would beat Emery off a nice assist from Jordin Tootoo, his second of the game, and all of a sudden the Predators had entered uncharted territory with their third win in a first round series.

How fitting that a solid citizen, a blue collar plugger who kills penalties and is solid in the defensive zone would score the game winner? Class has won out over flash and thuggery in this contest.

I have contended that for the Predators to advance into the second round and beyond, they would need scoring from the third and fourth lines. Tonight, they got that.

Tonight, class won out.

One more, boys. One more win for class over the goons from Anaheim.

Sunday in Nashville.

Hell awaits the classless thugs from Anaheim.

My three stars:

1. Jerred Smithson

2. Jordin Tootoo

3. Jason Blake

Predators Outlast the Ducks 4-3, Take 2-1 Series Lead

The Anaheim Ducks ventured into Bridgestone Arena and found out that the fans in Nashville aren't granola eating, patchouli wearing, tie dyed types as the raucous sellout crowd willed the Predators to victory over the Ducks by a 4-3 margin. Frankly, the game was much closer than it should have been as the Predators dominated the Ducks in all phases of the game.

With the win, the Predators now have a 2-1 lead in the series.

It is apparent that the Ducks need the power play to generate their offense. Five on five, the Ducks have been quashed by the Predators. Should the Predators decide to stop taking stupid penalties- I'm talking to you Shane O'Brien- this series could be over quickly.

Ray Emery got the start for the Ducks, and he was outstanding early on, making some big saves to keep the Predators off the board. Pekka Rinne, on the other hand, had plenty of time to listen to his I-Pod and relax as the the Predators only allowed 10 shots through two periods. Although Rinne didn't get a tremendous amount of work- the Ducks only mustered 16 shots total for the game- he was still challenged and was called upon to make some big saves for the Predators.

The Predators fired 37 shots on Emery.

The Ducks were without Stompy McStomperson Stompin' Bobby Ryan, who is serving a two game suspension for an egregious stomp with his skate on the foot of Jonathan Blum in game two.

The Predators opened the game with good pressure in the offensive zone and a stifling defense that throttled the Ducks. As good as the pressure was by the Predators, they could not get a puck past Ray Emery, who was solid and made some good saves to thwart the Predators.

That would change in a 38 second span of the first period.Marty Erat would lift a puck over the shoulder of Emery at the 15:00 mark while the Predators were on the power play. Erat tallied with just 8 seconds left on the man advantage as he took a pass from Cody Franson and was able to beat Emery with the high shot.

On the next shift, Jordin Tootoo would drive hard to the net and bang a shot off the post. Tootoo followed his shot and backhanded the puck into the net to give the Predators a 2-0 advantage.

The Predators would continue their domination of the Ducks in the second period, creating some good scoring chances but unable to pot the nest goal. While the Predators looked in control of the game, one knew that the Ducks would assert themselves at some point in the contest.

That would occur with just under two minutes left in the second period. The Predators took an ill-advised penalty for elbowing- I'm looking at you Shane O'Brien- and the Ducks made them pay. Teemu Selanne was the beneficiary of a nice cross ice pass from Corey Perry to beat Rinne to make the score 2-1 at 18:10.

Selanne would strike again just 30 seconds later as he tallied an even strength goal off an assist from Perry. This was just the Ducks 4th even strength goal in the series, and we were knotted at 2-2 going into the third period.

The third period would see the Predators take a 3-2 lead on a goal by David Legwand, his first of the playoffs.Legwand's tally came at 5:25 of the third period off an assist from Ryan Suter.

Anaheim tied the game at 6:48 of the third as Saku Koivu launched a shot from the point. The puck hit a falling Matt Blelesky and caromed off the skate of Cody Franson and past Rinne to tie the game at 3. At best, this was a fluke goal, but a goal nevertheless.

The Predators would take a 4-3 lead as Mike Fisher nailed the game winner off a beautiful pass from Sergei Kostitsyn at 10:21 of the third. Kostitsyn had the puck outside the faceoff circle and spied Fisher driving the net. He rifled a nifty backhand pass to Fisher who beat Emery for the game winner.

The final 10:21 of the contest saw the Predators defense choke the life out the Ducks, as they mustered only three shots on goal in the remainder of the contest. Saku Koivu was called for a hooking penalty at 17:10, effectively limiting the chances of the Ducks to get Emery off the ice for the extra attacker.

As this series unfolds, the Predators have shown that they can absolutely dominate the Ducks five on five. The key for the Predators is to stay out of the box, as the Ducks are dangerous and have made the Predators pay for their crimes.

I'm talking to you, Shane O'Brien.

It was good to see the third and fourth lines have such a strong game. Jordin Tootoo has been very strong in this series, and it was good to see him rewarded with a goal tonight. The Predators are going to have to continue to have strong play out of these lines in this series.

The acquisition of Mike Fisher looks better and better. Fisher now has 3 goals in this series, has been solid on defense, and tonight continued to frustrate Ryan Getzlaf. Getzlaf got so frustrated, he dropped the gloves with Fisher, who got in some very good shots before the linesmen stepped in to separate them.

The Predators are going to have to play another strong game in the fourth game. I expect another push back from the Ducks. If the Predators play their game, it won't matter. They are better than the Ducks.

This win feels good. You got to get two more in this series, boys.

Continue to take care of business. Continue to play the strong game that you are playing. Continue to frustrate the Ducks and this series is yours.

Oh yeah, stay out of the box.

The Ducks can't score otherwise.

My three stars:

1. Mike Fisher

2. Teemu Selanne

3. Jordin Tootoo

Predators Hand the Ducks a 5-3 Victory

The Nashville Predators handed the second game of their Stanley Cup Series to the Anaheim Ducks by a margin of 5-3 to even their series at one. The Predators gave up a 5 on 3 power play as well as a power play goal and a goal one second after a power play had expired .

Nashville would open with their stalwart, Pekka Rinne, in net, while the Ducks would counter with a new netminder, Ray Emery.

The Predators opened the game in the worst possible way as Marty Erat was called for a ticky tack slashing call and that was subsequently followed up by a stupid slash by Shane O'Brien. Corey Perry tallied on the 5 on 3 advantage at  5:24. Jonathan Blum failed to clear a puck on a bad bounce and Teemu Selanne capitalized with the Predators still a man down to quickly make it  2-0 Ducks. Rinne had no chance on either of the Ducks goals, and for a while it appeared as if the Ducks were only going to be able to get a puck past him on the power play.

The Predators scored to make it 2-1 on a shot from Shea Weber, but the goal was waived off on a very close goaltender interference call against David Legwand.

As the period ended, the Predators were going to skate off the ice knowing they had not played a solid period of hockey. Now the test for the Predators was to going to be their ability to regroup and keep the game from getting out of hand.

The Predators brought the deficit to 1 with a goal on the power play from Shea Weber. The Predators did a good job o f getting the puck on net with traffic and that effort was enough to get the puck past Emery.

With the Predators threatening to seize momentum, the Ducks quickly swung Mo back their way when Bobby Ryan got behind the defense and beat Rinne with a follow up shot after a pad save at 7:12 of the second to make it 3-1.

The Ducks extended the lead to 4-1 as Ryan Getzlaf scored an even strength goal at 15:54. Game over, right?

The third period would prove that the Predators were not out of the game. Patric Hornqvist scored while doing the tough work in front of the net at 1:30 of the period. Hornqvist gathered in a rebound of of a Shea Weber shot and potted the goal to make it 4-2 Ducks.

Early in the period, Marty Erat was butt ended by Sheldon Brookbank and lost four teeth. Was there a call on the play? C'mon, this is the Ducks. This is their modus operendi. There was no call. Kudos to Erat for not missing a shift.

Joel Ward brought the Predators to within 1 at 4-3 with a shot from the slot that beat Emery at 10:17 of the third.

The Predators battled and generated some good scoring chances, but could not get another puck past Emery. Bobby Ryan sealed the win with an empty net goal.

As for the aforementioned Mr. Ryan. he was the perpetrator of a stomp on the top of the foot of Jonathan Blum in a scrum along the boards. The stomp was clearly caught on camera, and late word is that the NHL is going to review the play for supplemental discipline.

The Predators handed this game to the Ducks. Keep this factoid in mind: the Ducks have scored 6 goals; only 2 have been at even strength.

I don't think the Ducks can beat the Predators 5 on 5. So what does this mean? Simply put, the Predators have to stay out of the box. Stop taking stupid penalties and go back to simple Predator hockey: shoot the puck, crash the net, and make life miserable for Emery, Ellis, or whomever the Ducks drag out of the stands to play net.

I hope the boys learned from this tonight. Learn that you can't take stupid penalties; learn that you are going to have to amp up your intensity; and learn that you are better than the Ducks at even strength.

The Predators were not going to sweep the Ducks. They can beat them.

If you don't hand them the game.

My three stars:

1. Bobby Ryan

2. Shea Weber

3. Patric Hornqvist

Predators Down the Ducks 5-4

The Nashville Predators scored three first period goals and needed every one of them as they held off the Anaheim Ducks 5-4 for their fifth straight win. With the win, the Predators now have 90 points and currently sit in fifth place in the Western Conference. The victory snapped Anaheim's four game win streak, and more importantly stretched their lead over the Ducks to three points and two points over Chicago and Los Angeles, who is playing at this time.

The Predators opened the game with a very strong effort against Anaheim netminder Jonas Hiller, who was making his first appearance after missing 16 games due to suffering from vertigo. The lack of playing time would show for Hiller, as he allowed three goals on just seven shots.

Sergei Kostitsyn open the scoring for the Predators at 2:04 of the first period as Patric Hornqvist took a shot from the right side of the net that leaked between the post and Hiller and was laying in the blue paint. Kostitsyn drove the net and tapped the puck home into a wide open net for a 1-0 Predators lead.

The Predators would extend the lead to 2-0 at 11:18 of the first when Jonathan Blum fired a shot wide of the net and Nick Spaling jumped on the rebound off the end boards and shoved the puck under th pad of Hiller for his 8th goal of the season. This was a smart play by Blum to put the puck in a scoring position and a great hustle play by Spaling to get to the puck and jam it under Hiller's pad.

Just 19 seconds later, the Predators would stretch the lead to 3-0 as Patric Hornqvist would launch a shot toward the net that Sergei Kostitsyn would re-direct past Hiller. 7 shots and three goals and the rusty Hiller would enjoy the rest of the night from the bench as former Predator Dan Ellis would come in to replace the shell shocked starter.

Anaheim would cut the deficit to 3-1 at 16:11 of the first as Corey Perry was left alone at the side of the net. Bobby Ryan found him with a quick pass and he jammed it into the open net past a defenseless Pekka Rinne. The defensive coverage broke down and Rinne had no chance with Perry stationed alone at the side of the net.

The Predators dominated the second period, limiting the Ducks to just five shots on goal and controlling the play in the neutral zone and in the defensive zone. The Predators generated some great offensive chances and were frustrated by Ellis, who made some great saves to keep the Predators off the board.

Rinne was not often challenged, but made a key glove save on a breakaway by Andreas Lilja to keep the Ducks scoreless. Rinne has owned the Ducks this season, and it appeared that the Ducks knew they could not solve the Finnish wall.

The Predators ran their advantage to 4-1 as Jordin Tootoo tallied his fifth goal of the season. Shane O'Brien fed the puck to Tootoo in traffic in the low slot, and he managed to get the shot off and it hit Ellis on the inside of his left leg and found the back of the net. Tootoo played a strong game and was rewarded for his efforts with the marker at 18:20 of the second.

In the third period, the Predators would make the score 5-1 with a short handed goal by David Legwand. With Shane O'Brien in the box for delay of game, Legwand broke into the offensive zone with Joel Ward. Ward drove to the net and was screened Dan Ellis. Legwand ripped a shot that hit the far side post and then into the net as Ward was checked into Ellis by Saku Koivu but Ward was called for goaltender interference after the score. A bizarre call to say the least.

The Ducks would score just 10 seconds later on the 5 on 3 power play as Teemu Selanne tallied his 24th goal of the season.

Selanne would notch his second 5 on 3 goal at 15:14 of the third to cut the lead to 5-3 Predators. The puck was tipped off the stick of Ryan Suter past Rinne, who had no chance on the re-directed puck. Frankly, Anaheim was not going to score unless it was the Predators allowing them to score with their mistakes.

And the Predators would make a lot of mistakes in the third period.

Corey Perry would strike again at 19:34 of the third period to make it 5-4. On this weird score, Ryan Suter would try to kick the fluttering shot of Perry out of harms way, but instead would kick the puck over the shoulder of Rinne and into the net.

The Predators would hold off Anaheim for the final 26 seconds to secure an all important win and gather the two precious points, but dang, that third period was stressful.

The truth is that the Predators dominated the Ducks, and if they had not made in essence two scores for the Ducks, the game would have been a rout. Perhaps more importantly, the Predators have to realize they cannot let teams climb back into games with them. The Predators were guilty of opening the door for the Ducks with penalties and with scores on their own goalie.

Fortunately for the Predators, their offensive explosion was enough to vanquish the Ducks. Play this haphazardly against the teams that remain on the schedule and the outcome will not be as favorable.

It goes without saying this was a big win for the Predators, not only from the standings but from a mental aspect as well. This was a challenge for this team, one that could very well determine a playoff spot. The Ducks were coming off an improbable win against Dallas the night before and had momentum. The Predators jumped on the Ducks early and kept the pressure up throughout the game. Erase the last 10 minutes of the contest and this was a textbook game.

You can't, however, erase those last 10 minutes. What the team can do is learn from the mistakes that were made and correct them. The remaining games on the schedule are going to be a war, and it will be imperative for this team to correct these types of mistakes and bring their best effort.

The bottom line: the Predators won the game and picked up the points. Build on this momentum and take care of business when Dallas comes to town.

My three stars:

1. Sergei Kostitsyn

2. Corey Perry

3. Teemu Selanne

Honorable mention:

Patric Hornqvist

Dishonorable mention:

Ryan Suter (scoring two goals for the Ducks)