Predators Vanquish Vancouver, Lose Rinne to Injury

The Nashville Predators demolished the Vancouver Canucks 5-1 at Bridgestone Arena.

That was not the story of the game, though. Smashville and all its fans held their collective breath as All-Star goaltender Pekka Riine was injured early in the third period.

Rinne was driven into the end boards after he came out to block a shot and was caught in the tangle of Anton Volchenkov and Chris Higgins at 2:55 of the third period.

Rinne did not look to be seriously injured and stretched a bit on the ice before leaving the game for Carter Hutton. Hutton stopped all 10 shots he faced.


The Predators used a strong first period and an overwhelming third period to capture the win.

Craig Smith opened the scoring with the Predators on the power play. he took a pass from Colin Wilson in the low slot and beat Canucks netminder Eddie Lack top shelf to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

Colin Wilson made it 2-0 with a snipe over the shoulder of lack on an absolutely well placed shot.

Vancouver owned the second period as the pushed the Predators back in their zone and were able to cut the lead to 2-1 at 2:47 of the second period as Alex Edler whipped a shot past Rinne. On the play, Rinne was under assault and made 4 saves on the Canucks attack before Edler got the puck past him.

After Rinne left the game, the Predators found another gear and swarmed the Canucks.

Filip Forsberg tallied his 15th goal of the season when his wrist shot hit Lack and trickled over the goal line.

Mike Fisher scored a sweet goal as James Neal fired a pass of the boards toward the net. Fisher was streaking down the slot and got his stick on the pass and shovled the puck past Lack.

Wilson recorded his second goal of the game on the power play at 17:39.

Some observations:

• A big stick tap to Carter Hutton. He entered the game with the Predators clinging to a 2-1 lead and was tested early. He made some good saves and stopped all 10 shots he faced in the remainder of the period. Hutton looked confident in net and moved well, and hopefully this will be a big confidence builder for him.
• James Neal returned to the line up after missing five games. He had a strong game playing on the second line and picked up 2 assists tonight.
• Mike Ribeiro was outstanding tonight. He has such good vision on the ice and distributes the puck well. he picked up 3 assists in 19:11 of ice time.
• Colin Wilson continues to play at an elite elite level. He had an assist and a goal tonight, and his goal was a thing of beauty. he placed a shot from the face off circle over the shoulder of Lack and inside the far post. Wilson is strong on the puck and has done a great job of driving puck possession for the team. He has taken the next step in his game by utilizing his ability to make plays in the offensive zone and his shot is excellent. Wilson has a 4 game point streak and has been integral to the Predators success this season. Consider this: Wilson had 5 points in his first 15 games this season. He has 25 points in his last 25 games. Don't underestimate the contribution of Wilson to this team's success and strong play of late.
• Speaking of contributing to the success of the team, Mike Fisher has 14 points (8G-6A) in his last 15 games. having Fisher back in the line up has given the team a solid second line center that is strong in all zones and has contributed consistently to the offensive effort.
• Rinne was the goalie of record, leaving the game with a 2-1 lead. His win tonight gives him a league leading 29 wins.
• The Predators power play was 2-6 on the night. Craig Smith scored both power play goals. The man advantage unit showed much better movement without the puck and worked to open areas for good shots. This effort has to continue.
• How about the home ice advantage? The Predators are 17-2-1 at Bridgestone Arena. 

A solid win by the Predators, one that saw them turn it on in the third period. When the game was in the balance, the Predators turned up the intensity and their level of play to capture the win.

Now we wait and see about the health of Pekka Rinne.

The collective fingers of Smashville are crossed.

My three stars:

1. Colin Wilson

2. Craig Smith

3. Mike Fisher

Forsberg's Two Goals Lead the Predators Past the Canucks 3-1

The Nashville Predators continued their six game road trip with a stop at Rogers Arena to take on the Vancouver Canucks.


So far, the Predators are 1-1 on the trip and were looking to re-establish their momentum after dropping their last game at Calgary.


Pekka Rinne was in net for the Predators, while the Canucks had Eddie Lack between the pipes.


Once again, the Predators special teams proved they are not so special. With Shea Weber in the box, Alex Edler fired a shot off the cross bar that hit Rinne in the back and bounced into the net at 11:10 of the first period.


Hey, maybe the Predators special teams are kinda special after all. With the Canucks serving a too many men on the ice penalty, Fillip Forsberg flipped a puck that was going wide of the net but it hit the skate of Dan Hamhuis and ricocheted past Lack to tie the game at 1 at 1:38 of the second period.


Although the remainder of the second period was scoreless, the Predators brought the attack to the Canucks. They out shot the Canucks 11-3 and kept the play in the Canucks zone for most of the period.


The roles of the teams reversed as the third period opened, with the Canucks attacking the Predators and forcing them back on their heels. They opened the period out shooting the Predators 7-2 through the first 6:30.


The Predators swung momentum back their way when James Neal made a strong drive to the net and put a shot on Lack. Lack couldn't control the rebound and Forsberg, who was in the slot, flipped the puck over the shoulder of Lack to make it 2-1 at 6:57 of the third. The goal was made possible by Neal using his strength and speed to get around Edler and make a strong move to the net.


Colin Wilson gave the Predators some breathing room as he sniped a shot short side over the shoulder of Lack to make it 3-1 at 18:17 of the third. The play was set up by a strong cycle in the corner from Forsberg.


That was it for the scoring as the Predators got back to playing a solid road game and skated away with the victory.


Some observations:

• Both teams were missing players due to suspensions handed out by the NHL. The Predators would be without Anton Volchenkov for four games, while the Canucks would not have the services of Alex Burrows for three games. This game was the first of the suspension period for each player.

• Victor Bartley saw his first action of the season on the blue line for the Predators, filling in for Volchenkov. Bartley was paired with Seth Jones on the second D pairing.

• Lord have mercy, Rinne had to make some great saves in the first period to keep the Canucks from blowing this game wide open.

• Today was Matt Cullen's 38th birthday.

• Filip Forsberg has incredible hockey sense. He can go to the tough areas and avoid most of the serious contact and is masterful at handling the puck. His first goal was lucky, but his second was a strong play. he drove the slot, picked up the rebound in close, and was able to elevate the puck over the shoulder of Lack. A veteran play that he- more importantly- finished.

• Gabriel Bourque has been held off the score sheet for most of the season. But after being a healthy scratch for several games, he has been inserted back into the lineup and is playing with a lot of jump. He brings speed and energy to his line, and hopefully he finds his scoring touch that he had his rookie season.

• Colin Wilson has quietly been playing some solid hockey. Head Coach Peter Laviolette moved him up and down the lineup tonight and it paid dividends. Wilson's goal was a thing of beauty, finding a very narrow space for the score.

• The Predators out shot the Canucks 33-27, recording 11 shots in each period. It is refreshing to see this team continuing to consistently push the play irrespective of the score of the game. Hopefully gone are the days where the Predators would go into the third period with a one goal lead and do nothing but sit back and play defense and hope Rinne could shut the door. I would imagine Rinne likes this style of play much better.

The encouraging characteristic of this team is the consistency of play. In most games so far this season, the Predators have consistently put the puck on net and have been aggressive in the offensive zone. This is a winning formula.


A nice rebound by the team after the loss to Calgary.


Now to keep the momentum going.


My three stars:


1. Filip Forsburg


2. James Neal


3. Pekka Rinne

Same Song, Different Verse; Predators Shut Out Again

The Nashville Predators continued their four game road trip with a stop in Vancouver to face off against the Canucks in a battle of two teams that were struggling to find their game.

The Predators were coming off a listless performance the night before against Edmonton and were looking to get their game back to the hard edged basics that is integral to their success.

A scoreless first period saw both teams get some quality scoring chances but both Carter Hutton for the Predators and Eddie Lack for the Canucks make some good stops. More importantly for the Predators, though, was that they showed some good jump and effort, characteristics that had been lacking in their previous outing.

The second period was a mirror image of the first period with both teams skating hard but unable to find the net. The Canucks had the better of the scoring chances, but like the Predators, could not finish their chances.

The Canucks finally broke the scoreless tie at 6:06 of the third period as the Predators failed to clear the puck out of the zone. The Canucks were able to move the puck to an open Nicklas  Jensen who beat Hutton top shelf with a hard slap shot.

The Canucks struck on the power play at 7:19 as Alex Edler blew a shot from the blue line past Hutton. The Predators needed to respond after the Canucks first goal and this was obviously not the response the Predators needed. Hutton was not screened and was just flat out beaten by the shot.

This Predators team has monumental difficulty overcoming a one goal deficit, and a Canucks 2 goal lead in the late stages of the third period was insurmountable.

Once again, the Predators hustled and competed as best they could, but as so often has happened this season, the lack of offensive talent meant they were not going to score and get back into this game, falling by a 2-0 margin.


Some observations:

• The Predators lost the services of Paul Gaustad in the first period after a hard fall to the ice with Alex Edler then falling on top of him. According to head Coach Barry Trotz at the first intermission, the injury did not appear to be too serious.

• Really liked the jump of the team. Their compete level was much better in tonight's game. Gabriel Bourque in particular stood out for his effort and hard skating.

• Viktor Stalberg was back in the line up after being scratched in last night's game.

• The Predators power play, which had been near the top of the League in effectiveness, has become impotent. The Predators power play is now 5 for 35 in their last 10 games. Tonight, the Predators had 4 power plays and did not get a shot on 2 of them in 4 opportunities.

• The Predators were shut out for the 9th time this season, the most in the NHL. Sigh...

• Paging Colin Wilson. Mr. Colin Wilson. Sure would be nice to see you break that 30 game goalless drought.

With the season now reduced to playing out the string, it is time to see some serious changes. First would be to see some of the young talent up from Milwaukee to see what they can do.

They certainly could do no worse than what is happening now.

My three stars:

1. Eddie Lack

2. Henrik Sedin

3. Alex Edler

Predators Vanquish Vancouver 3-1

The Nashville Predators continue through the Murderer's Row segment of their schedule by facing the Vancouver Canucks at Bridgestone Arena, facing a Canucks team that had won four straight games and had not lost in regulation in their last 13 games.

Daunting?

No doubt.

Impossible?

No way.

The Predators faced a tall task in attempting to shut down the potent Canucks offense, and they would be relying on the solid play of netminder Pekka Rinne to backstop the effort. New Predator Hal Gill would be called on to play some solid minutes against the Canucks second line led by Ryan Kessler.

Both were outstanding.

Roberto Luongo was in net for the Canucks, and he came up with some big save against the Predators to keep the score respectable.

The first period was scoreless, but both teams created some good chances. The Canucks cycle game worked very well in the first period, and the first five minutes of the contest was spent in the Predators zone. The Predators weathered the attack and got their feet moving and started skating with the Canucks, generating some chances but, like the Canucks, were unable to capitalize on their opportunities.

The first period ended with the Canucks out shooting the Predators 12-11.

The fireworks started in the second period, and it was the Predators that capitalized first. With Henrik Sedin in the box for tripping, the Predators went to work on the power play. Ryan Suter found Mike Fisher alone at the side of the net and whipped a pass to him. Fisher took took whacks at the puck and got it to trickle over the goal line to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 5:42 of the second period.

The Predators gave the Canucks an opportunity to get right back into the game, as Colin Wilson was in the box for hooking. The Predators PK once again was solid, killing the penalty.

Once again, the Predators PK unit was called upon to kill another penalty, as Francis Buillon was called for tripping at 12:29. The unit did more than kill the penalty as Mike Fisher got control of the puck at the Predators blue line. Fisher froze Sami Salo with a great move and started a 2 on 1 break with Sergei Kostitsyn. With Alex Edler back on defense, Fisher drove the net and sent a backhand saucer pass to a streaking Sergei Kostitsyn. Kostitsyn showed great eye hand coordination as he got the puck on his stick and one time a shot past a falling and flailing Luongo to make it 2-0 Predators at 13:16 of the second.

The Canucks would cut the lead to 2-1 at 16:52 of the second as Roman Josi had the puck along the boards but fell. He managed to slipped the puck to David Legwand, who also fell and turned the puck over to Dale Weise. Weise was able to walk in alone and roofed a backhand over Rinne's blocker for the score.

Late in the period, Canucks pest Alex Burrows boarded Shea Weber near the Predators bench. There was no call, and Weber responded by throwing Burrows to the ice. Burrows apparently failed to realize who he was facing, as he decided to drop the gloves with Weber. Weber quickly slammed Burrows to the ice without a punch being thrown. Frankly, Burrows is lucky that Weber didn't throw a punch.

If you are going to poke the bear, you had better have a pair.

Vancouver out shot the Predators 13-8 in the second, and went to the locker room trailing by one. Although the Predators had the lead, it was going to be a war in the third period, and it was critical that the Predators not sit back as they had done in the Dallas game in the third period. They would not survive the Canucks if they did so.

The third period was a back and forth affair, with both teams creating some very good chances. The majority of those went to the Predators, and Luongo made some good saves to keep the Predators off the board and the Canucks within one goal.

That would change at 17:09 as David Legwand would fire a wrist shot of a puck that was on edge and the shot cleanly beat Luongo over his shoulder to give the Predators a 3-1 lead.

With Luongo pulled for the extra attacker, the Predators held off the final push of the Canucks for a big 3-1 win. The win pushed the Predators to 76 points, within 8 of Western Conference leading Detroit and within 3 points of idle St. Louis.

Pekka Rinne was again solid in net. Perhaps his biggest save came in the second period as he dove across the net and deflected a shot from Aaron Rome with his blocker to keep the game 2-0 at that time. With the win, Rinne now leads the League with 33 victories.

The addition of Hal Gill showed how important the big defenseman will be to the Predators effort in the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs. Gill was matched up against Ryan Kessler's line and he continually frustrated  Kessler with his physical presence. Kessler was held to 3 shots on goal, no points, and was a -1.

The Predators finished their season series with the Canucks 2-1-1.

This was a solid win by the Predators as they skated well and showed they can compete with one of the best teams in the West. Not only compete, but vanquish them.

The road ahead gets no easier for the Predators. Tough divisional opponent St. Louis is up next.

Play this kind of game, and you will vanquish them as well.

My three stars:

1. Mike Fisher

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Sergei Kostitsyn

Vancouver Slips Past the Predators in a Shootout 4-3

Two plays.

Two plays victimized the Predators in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks at the Bridgestone Arena. Two defensive breakdowns led to two quick first period goals by the Canucks en route to a 3-1 first period lead. The Predators fought back to force the shootout, but fell in the sixth round to the Canucks as the visitors won the shootout 2-1.

Pekka Rinne got the start in net for the Predators, and he gave up the first goal of the game with Vancouver on a power play. Ryan Kessler beat Rinne with a snap shot from just inside the face off circle at 11:42 of the first period. To this point in the game, the Predators had out shot the Canucks 9-3.

The Predators answered at 13:47 of the first as Colin Wilson took a pass from David Legwand and fired a wrist shot a Roberto Luongo. Bobby Lou let the puck slip between his arm and his body for the tying goal.

With the home crowd in full throat and momentum with the Predators, it appeared as if they had an opportunity to get control of the game.

That is when the first of two bad plays by the Predators occurred.

The Predators were caught in a bad line change and the Canucks capitalized. Byron Bitz scored off a feed from Henrik Sedin as he walked in on Rinne and beat him with a quick wrist shot. The Predators defensive coverage was not in position, and the Canucks made them pay for the mistake at 18:21.

Just 23 seconds later, Daniel Sedin split the defense of Kevin Klein and Roman Josi and buried a shot from the low slot to give the Canucks a 3-1 lead.

Two bad plays, two goals, and another hole for the Predators.

This is the Predators, however, a team that fears no deficit.

The Predators had mounted good pressure against Luongo and the Canucks defense in the first period, and they continued to pressure the Canucks in the second. Time to chip away and get back in the game.

That is exactly what they did just 4:14 into the second period. Kevin Klein took a shot from the blue line, and it hit the skate of Sergei Kostitsyn, who was cutting across the slot. The puck re-directed off the skate of Kostitsyn and past Luongo. After a brief review, the goal was called good by the replay officials and the Predators trailed 3-2.

The Predators would tie the game at 3 at 5:16 of the second as Shea Weber took a shot from the blue line that hit Mike Fisher and squirted between the pads of Luongo. As Luongo moved, the puck was deflected off his leg and trickled over the goal line.

The ability of the Predators to battle back from another deficit, especially against a great team like the Canucks was heartening. It just felt as if the Predators momentum would carry them to a goal that would give them the lead.

It was not to be as both goalies took over the game. Both Rinne and Luongo made some big saves in the remainder of the second period as well as the third period to keep the game knotted at 3. There were times where the Predators controlled the puck in the Vancouver zone and created some good chances, but could not solve Luongo.

The same held true for the Canucks, as they used their excellent cycling ability to control the puck and create some chances. Rinne was up to the task, and the game went to overtime.

In the overtime period, the Predators controlled the puck and had 3 shots on goal, while the Canucks managed 2. Neither team found the net. For the game, the Predators out shot the Canucks 40-31.

In the shootout, Rinne stopped Mason Raymond and Ryan Kessler before Alexander Burrows scored off a nice backhand move. Luongo stopped Sergei Kostitsyn and Martin Erat missed the net. With the game on the line, David Legwand beat Luongo with a backhand to extend the shootout.

Rinne stoned Daniel Sedin and Cody Hodgson before Alex Edler beat him five hole. Luongo stopped Ryan Ellis and Mike Fisher.

With the game on the line, Colin Wilson beat Luongo with a backhand but the puck just went outside the far post, and the Canucks escaped with a 4-3 win.

Vancouver is one of the elite teams in the NHL, and for the Predators to battle back and force the shootout speaks volumes about their effort and their compete level. Two bad plays bit the Predators, and against an opponent the caliber of the Canucks, that can- and did- cost the game.

I especially was impressed with the play of Sergei Kostitsyn. He battled hard all night, hustled, and his effort on a back check prevented a very good scoring chance for the Canucks.

Although the Predators failed to put away the Canucks, there are positives to take away from this game. The ability to battle back against a quality opponent like the Canucks speaks volumes about the heart and character of this team. This team believes in themselves and in their ability to win every game. That is evident by the way they refused to wilt in the face of the Canucks pressure and their early lead.

Limit the mistakes, the bad plays, and the Predators will not have an opponent slip past them.

My three stars:

1. Byron Bitz

2. Sergei Kostitsyn

3. Roberto Luongo

Canucks Down the Predators 4-2; Take Control of the Series 3-1

The Nashville Predators put up a valiant effort before falling to the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 at the Bridgestone Arena. The Canucks now lead the series 3-1 and can close out the Predators in Vancouver on Saturday night.

The Predators opened with good jump and pressured the Canucks early in the contest. They were unable to get any pucks past Vancouver netminder Roberto Luongo, while his counterpart, Pekka Rinne, was perfect in net for the Predators.

That would change at 15:04 of the first period as Christian Ehrhoff would launch a shot from the blue line. Rinne was clipped by Alex Burrows and the shot found the back of the net. There was no call on the play as it was deemed by referee Kelly Sutherland that the contact was incidental and that Rinne was outside the blue paint.

Definitely a questionable call, but the goal was allowed to stand.

Joel Ward would tie the game on the power play at 19:18 of the first period. Wardo was camped at the top of the blue paint and gathered in the rebound of a Cody Franson shot and put the puck through Luongo five hole.

The Canucks would take the lead at 9:43 of the second period as Alex Edler would pot his second goal of the playoffs with a wrist shot that beat Rinne.

The Predators answered at 3:27 of the third period as Cody Franson's bullet from the blue line eluded Luongo, and for a moment the officials. Everyone searched for the puck, and lo and behold it was in the back of the net. The tying score sent the partisan home crowd into a frenzy and gave the Predator faithful hope that they could tie the series.

That momentum would ebb away at 7:28 of the third with Ryan Suter in the box for holding, Ryan Kessler would tally a power play goal by splitting the defense and beating Rinne with a wrist shot to give the Canucks a 3-2 lead.

The Predators put good pressure on Luongo, but could not get a puck past him. With Rinne pulled for the extra attacker, Henrik Sedin scored an empty netter for the final margin of victory at 4-2.

The Predators lost Jerred Smithson after the first period after he took a Ryan Kessler elbow to the face. No call was made on the play, and the Predators were down a player that was a key part of their shutdown line. Smithson has already been called out for the game in Vancouver.

It's no secret that the Canucks are a good team. Heck, they are a great team. However, they are beatable if the Predators play their game.

Unfortunately for the Predators, their backs are now against the wall and they have one more opportunity to play their game. By the way, it will be in Vancouver in front of a raucous group of Canucklehead fans.

No small task, eh?

If the Predators focus on playing one game at a time, no, if they focus on playing one shift at a time, and battle the way they have done all season, then they have an opportunity to return the series to Nashville.

It is a steep hill, no doubt. But the Predators have climbed a steep hill all season.

The task is enormous, but the Predators cannot be daunted. They have to play balls to wall for one game. That is the priority. The Canucks are a worthy opponent.

So are we.

So here is your charge, boys.

Win one.

Bring it back to Nashville. Bring it back by playing all out. Win puck battles. Play smart. Play all out.

Play like there is no tomorrow.

Because there isn't.