Predators Pound the Stars 4-1

Relentless.

That is probably the best way to describe the Predators and their style of play. That relentless effort paid off in a 4-1 victory over division rival Dallas in front of a sell out crowd at the Bridgestone Arena.

The Predators are not flashy. But they just keep coming for 60 minutes, and that effort paid off in another win.

Once again, the Predators fell behind 1-0 off a goal from Antoine Roussel, a deflection that got past Pekka Rinne at 7:14 of the first period.

The Predators responded late in the second period as Shea Weber wristed a shot from the blue line that eluded Stars netminder Anders Lindback to tie the game at 19:19 of the second the second period.

As in the first game, the third period belonged to the Predators as they tallied three goals. Paul Gaustad broke  the tie at 8:33 of the third with his first goal of the season off an assist from Taylor Beck. Eric Nystrom stretched the lead to 3-1 on a backhand shot at 9:54 . Roman Josi ended the scoring with an empty net goal at 19:57.

Some observations:

• Paul Gaustad has been playing lights out. He had a goal, an assist, and fought Vernon Fiddler for a Gordie Howe hat trick tonight. In two games, Gaustad has a goal, 3 assists, was a +3, and has arguably been the Predators best center.

• Shea Weber recorded his second goal in as many games, had an assist, and was a +4 on the night. Weber delivered a huge hit and was a force all game. I especially like how Weber has joined the rush on occasion and is more active in the offensive zone. Weber has shown leadership and an offensive flair early in this season.

• Once again, the Predators out shot their opponent by a wide margin. The Predators out shot the Stars 33-18.

• Rinne was excellent tonight, stopping 17 of 18 Dallas shots. He moved well and did a good job of tracking the puck. He got a lot of help from the Predators defense that limited the scoring chances for the Stars.

• The fans got on Jason Spezza all night. Spezza turned down a trade to the Predators in the off season, opting for the Stars. Spezza was limited to one shot on the night and was a non-factor.

• I really like the play of Anton Volchenkov. He delivers big and timely hits, is positionally sound, and is responsible in the defensive zone. Volchenkov may prove to be the best off season signing by the Predators.

• I am not sold on the line combo of Mike Ribeiro, James Neal, and Gabriel Bourque. This line was a -3 on the night and combined for 7 shot, 4 by Neal. I think that Neal needs a more dynamic center, and although it is only two games from which to draw a conclusion, I am not sure that Ribeiro is the answer.

• Roman Josi lead the Predators with 23:37 TOI. Shea Weber lead the team with 5 blocked shots.

The Predators are certainly not flashy, but they have shown they can move the puck, gain the zone, and get quality scoring chances. This effort, if consistently applied through the season, will be a formula for success.

It's a long season, but the start has been good.

Now it's time to build on it.

My three stars:

1. Paul Gaustad

2. Shea Weber

3. Eric Nystrom

Predators Sloppy Play Leads to Loss to the Lightning

The Nashville Predators took to the road to face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning looking to get back in the win column. The Predators needed a solid start to gain momentum and take the home crowd out of the game. The Lightning had lost only 3 times on home ice and the Predators could not afford to fall behind early.

The Lightning thwarted that goal just 2:25 into the game as Alex Killorn carried the puck into the offensive zone and eluded Nick Spaling, who had fallen on the play. The defense did not pick up Killorn and he used Seth Jones to screen Carter Hutton and beat him with a quick wrist shot to make it 1-0.

The Lightning more jump and speed than the Predators and controlled play though most of the first period. The Predators finally got their legs going and began to challenge the Lightning but could not find the back of the net.

The Lightning extended their lead to 2-0 at 19:06 of the first period on the power play. Marty St. Louis was alone in the high slot and unleashed a rocket that deflected off the stick of Mike Fisher and over the shoulder of Hutton.

This was not the start the Predators needed as they spent most of the period chasing the Lightning. Hutton was forced to make some big saves to keep the Lightning off the board, including a point blank shot from St. Louis who was alone in front of the net after a turnover in the defensive zone.

Shots were 11-8 for the Lightning.

The Predators got on the board at 6:36 of the second period just as a Predators power play had just ended. Matt Cullen took a shot from the face off circle that was kicked out into traffic by the skate of Lightning defenseman Radko Gudas. Craig Smith gathered in the rebound and fired the puck past Lindback to the glove side for his 7th goal of the year.

The Lightning answered the Predators score at 8:27 of the second as Valtteri Filppula found Teddy Purcell with a cross ice pass. Purcell's shot beat Hutton five hole to give the Lightning a 3-1 lead. The goal was set up by the speed of the Lightning into the Predators zone. If the Predators could not find a way to slow down the rush of the Lightning, this would be a long night.

The Predators tallied again on the power play as Matt Cullen found Craig Smith in the low slot with a backhand pass from behind the net. Smith popped a quick wrist shot past Lindback to make it 3-2 at 13:02.

The Predators allowed the Lightning to regain a 2 goal lead just 49 seconds later as Richard Panik deflected a Eric Brewer shot under the arm of Hutton to make it 4-2.

Hutton had given up 4 goals on 14 shots and that would be it for his night as Marek Mazanec came to tend goal.

The second period would end with the Lightning leading 4-2 and the Predators unable to keep the Bolts off the board when they drew close.

The Predators had a better offensive effort in the second period and out shot the Lightning 13-7.

Needing an energetic third period to get back into the game, the Predators came out flat. The Lightning once again used their speed to control the play and keep the puck from the Predators. Through the first 13 minutes of the period, the Lightning out shot the Predators 12-3 as the Preds offensive effort was non-existent.

The Predators pulled Mazanec with 2:43 remaining in the game for the extra attacker but struggled to get shots on net as the Lightning defenders swarmed the Predators in the offensive zone. The Predators could not capitalize with the man advantage and dropped their second game in a row by a 4-2 margin.

Some observations:

• The Predators scratched Colin Wilson tonight. No word if he is injured or ill.

• The Lightning welcomed back towering defenseman Victor Hedman, who had missed 6 games due to injury, and he played a strong game. He made several outlet passes that set up scoring chances for the Lightning.

• The Predators took most of the first period to get their game going. By then, they were down two goals. The second period was a strong period by the Predators, but there was no response in the third period. The Predators looked a step slow during these lapses and the Lightning used their speed to exploit the Predators, setting up some good scoring chances. This team is not good enough to take time off during a game and have a chance to win.

• Hutton did not look sharp on the goals allowed. he got pieces of most of the shots, but the Lightning were able to beat him five hole and under the arm on 3 of the 4 goals he allowed.

• Craig Smith had a strong game. he has great hands and the ability to handle the puck in traffic. His goals tonight were evidence of that skill set. He has great chemistry with Matt Cullen, and I hope that we don't see Smith as a healthy scratch any time soon. This team desperately needs offense, and he needs to be in the line up.

• Mazanec looked good in relief, stopping 19 shots.

This was a sloppy effort by the Predators. Especially disappointing was the inability to keep the Lightning off the board when the Predators cut the lead to one goal. This is a matter of discipline and focus.

And it has to improve.

My three stars:

1. Alex Killorn

2. Craig Smith

3. Anders Lindback

Predators Lock Up 4th Seed in the West, Bury the Avalanche 6-1

The Nashville Predators traveled to the Pepsi Center to take on the Colorado Avalanche in the last- and thankfully- anticlimactic- game of the regular season. Thanks to Detroit's shootout loss earlier in the day, the Predators entered the game knowing they had locked up the 4th seed in the Western Conference and home ice for the first round of the playoffs.

With that in mind, Head Coach Barry Trotz decided to rest some of his starters, giving the night off to Pekka Rinne, Mike Fisher, Marty Erat, Hal Gill, and Francis Bouillon.

Anders Lindback got the start in net, and the Avalanche went with J.S. Giguere.

Regardless of the fact they had clinched the 4th seed, the Predators still wanted to play a solid game and they knew the Avalanche, who had missed the playoffs, would want to give their home crowd something to cheer about in their last game of the season.

The Predators opened the scoring at 3:39 of the first period as Gabriel Bourque worked hard in the Avs zone on the boards and was able to control the puck in spite of the defensive pressure. He spun and found David Legwand in the slot, and Legwand's wrist shot beat Giguere to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

The Avs tied the game at 8:09 of the first period as they swarmed the Predators net on a 3 on 2 rush. Lindback made 2 stops but Matt Duchene buried the third attempt, lifting the puck over a sprawled Lindback and under the crossbar.

The Predators had a glorious scoring chance with a 2 on 1 rush by Craig Smith and Matt Halischuk, but Smith's pass to Halsichuk was tipped away at the last second. Halsichuk did not give up on the play, and retrieved the puck in the corner and got it to Smith, who ripped a slap shot off Giguere and into the net for his 14th goal of the season. The score came at 12:10, and it is good to see the Honey Badger contributing when he is getting ice time.

The Predators stretched their lead to 3-1 when Kevin Klein took a shot from the blue line that deflected off the stick of Patric Hornqvist and past Giguere with just 1.2 seconds remaining on the clock in the first period.This was Hornqvist's 27th goal of the season.

Solid start?

Check.

The Avs out shot the Predators 14-12 in the first period, and Lindback had some big saves to thwart some good scoring chances by Colorado.

The second period saw the Avs take it to the Predators. They dominated play and fired numerous shots on the Predators net. Lindback had to make some big saves to keep the Avs from tallying a score that would have put them back in the game. The Avs dominance was such that they out shot the Predators 16-3 through the first 16 minutes of the second.

The Predators opportunistically struck at 16:09 of the second as Craig Smith found Roman Josi pinching in from his defensive position and fed a great pass to him at the side of the net. Josi made no mistake, finding the back of the net on just the Predators 4th shot of the period.

With 14 seconds to go in the period, Craig Smith saved a goal by hooking Matt Duchene, who was looking at a wide  open net off a rebound given up by Lindback.

The second period ended with the Predators being out shot 17-9, and they would be on the penalty kill to begin the third. For the Predators, it was important to come out and play a solid 20 minutes of hockey and put this game in the books.

The Predators killed off the penalty to open the third period, and as the power play ended, Lindback kicked out a long rebound that sent Brandon Yip on a breakaway. Yip was stopped by Giguere, but the Predators kept control of the puck. Patric Hornqvist battled for the puck and got it back to Yip, who banked the puck off Giguere and into the net off the wrap around to make it 5-1 Predators at 1:57 of the third period.

How sweet this goal must have been for the Yipper.

Shortly thereafter, Lindback collided with both Jack Hillen and Ryan Ellis as well as Cody McLeod of the Avs and was injured on the play. Pekka Rinne had to come into the game as Lindback was taken back to the dressing room.

Matt Halischuk stole the puck and broke in on a 2 on 1 and rather that pass (!) picked the short side over the shoulder and buried the shot to give the Predators a 6-1 lead at 6:20 of the third period. For Halischuk, this was his 15th goal of the season.

 The remainder of the period was spent playing some wide open shinny as both teams went up and down the ice, but neither could find the back of the net, and the 6-1 score was a final.

The Predators were out shot by a wide margin, 45-29, but the count that mattered was the goals scored.

For the Predators, this was a good tune up for the playoffs. More importantly, the young guys that were inserted into the line up played with jump and determination, a good sign that they have a lot of fight in them for those coveted- and limited- roster spots with the playoffs upcoming.

The Predators finish the regular season with a 48-26-8 record, good for 104 points and cleanly in 4th place in the West. Pekka Rinne had more wins than any other goaltender in the NHL.

Those accolades are great.

Now the real season starts.

My three stars:

1. Craig Smith

2. Anders Lindback

3. Roman Josi

Predators Outlast the Wild in a SO

The Nashville Predators faced the Minnesota Wild at the Bridgestone Arena in a game that had great significance for the Predators. With a win, they could move into 4th place, one point ahead of Detroit and 2 points ahead of Chicago.

The Predators accomplished their mission by defeating the Wild in a shootout for a 2-1 win.

It wasn't pretty, but fortunately, they do not give style points for a win.

Anders Lindback got the start for the Predators, giving Pekka Rinne a night off. Niklas Backstrom got the start for the Wild.

The first period was scoreless, with Minnesota holding a 12-10 shot advantage. Both teams struggled at times trying to establish some offensive flow. The effort by both teams was not helped by a bouncing puck on ice that was less than ideal.

Troubling for the Predators was the three penalties that they took in the first period. The Predators PK was stellar, and Lindback made some good saves. For the Predators, this spate of penalties does not bode well, and they are going to have to play with more discipline.

In the second period, the Predators got on the board first as Gabriel Bourque tallied his 7th goal of the season off a nice pass from Nick Spaling at 12:31. The line of Spaling, Bourque, and Patric Hornqvist was the best line for the Predators tonight, playing with lots of jump and creating some chances. Bourque continues his strong play, with 7 points (4G-3A) in his last 9 games.

The Wild tied the game at 17:53 of the second as Nate Prosser fired a puck toward the net. Dany Heatley got his stick on the shot and re-directed the puck past Lindback.

The third period was scoreless, but the Predators resumed their march to the penalty box, taking three penalties in the period. The last came from Andrei Kostitsyn at 19:48. Heading into OT, the Wild would have a 4 on 3 advantage.

The Predators PK once again came up with a big kill in OT to preserve the tie. Neither team could find the net, with the Wild mustering only 2 shots on net. The Predators were even more anemic in the OT, with only 1 shot.

In the shootout, Lindback stopped Erik Christensen and Backstrom stopped Marty Erat in the first round.

In the second round, Lindback stoned Mikko Koivu, while Alexander Radulov beat Backstrom with a forehand.

With the game on the line, Lindback stopped Devin Setoguchi, and the Predators had captured the precious second point.

For Lindback, this was his first shootout of his career, and he came up big in a pressure situation.

This win was obviously important, and it was good to get the victory and the points. For the Predators, there is still fine tuning that is needed in their game. This team appears to need to get their lines in sync and rolling as they head to the playoffs.

The top line of Mike Fisher, Sergei Kostitsyn, and Marty Erat were held to 3 shots on goal and never threatened Backstrom. The second line of Radulov, Andrei Kostitsyn, and David Legwand were not much better, mustering 4 shots on goal. Legwand  had 3 and Radulov 1. For the Predators, these top two lines need to get rolling heading into the playoffs.

Yes, the Wild play a trap that can smother their opponents offensive efforts, but these players are the ones that the Predators count on to generate chances. In the next two games, these lines have to develop a nose for the net and create some chances. Tonight, they were not doing that.

Kudos to the Predators PK. The undisciplined play of the Predators could have hurt against a dangerous team like the Wild. The PK unit managed to kill off all 6 penalties, but paramount for the Predators is to limit the march to the box that they have done in their last 2 games.

I have to also single out Lindback for his play tonight. He did and excellent job of being positionally sound and controlling rebounds. He was solid in net tonight, and it is a plus for the Predators having his play elevate in these critical games.

With the win, the Predators go to 100 points. They control their destiny with 2 regular season games remaining. Win and potentially secure home ice.

The task starts Thursday against the Stars.

My three stars:

1. Anders Lindback

2. Gabriel Bourque

3. Dany Heatley

Ducks Downed by the Predators 3-1

The Nashville Predators finished their west coast road swing with a visit to the Duck Pond, otherwise known as the Honda Center, to face another dangerous team in the Anaheim Ducks. The Predators lead the season series 3-0 and Anaheim would like for nothing better than to exact a measure of revenge against the Predators.

Anders Lindback got the start in net for the Predators, while the Ducks went with Jonas Hiller. For the Predators, it was going to be important to get off to a good start, give Lindback some help, and play a full 60 minutes of hockey.

With Bobby Ryan in the box for high sticking, the Predators looked to get their power play clicking. Instead, it was the Ducks that struck shorthanded as Ryan Getzlaf fed the puck to Devonte Smith-Pelly on a 2 on 1 and the Smith Pelly buried the puck to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead at 7:32 of the first period.

Once again, a slow start was the bane of the Predators as the did not get their first shot on goal until 10:45 had elapsed in the first period. Unacceptable and frustrating, the Predators are a team that recently has looked like they are just not ready to play when the puck drops.

The Predators finally got their legs going and started to generate some good scoring chances. Unfortunately, they could not get a puck past Hiller, but their response in the second half of the first period was heartening.

For the first period, the Ducks out shot the Predators 9-8 and led 1-0 due to the gaffe on the power play.

Just 33 seconds into the second period, Marty Erat drove the net and was shoved into Hiller and had no chance to avoid the contact. Erat was nevertheless called for goaltender interference, a very weak call. Fortunately for the Predators, they were able to kill the penalty.

Once again, the Ducks, aided by the power play opened the second period as they did the first period, with more jump and desire than the Predators. They had a decided territorial advantage and had the first 6 shots of the period to none for the Predators.

Anders Lindback made several huge saves, one on Jason Blake and one on Kyle Palmieri to keep the Preds at a one goal deficit in the second. Once again, Lindback was waiting for his teammates to give him some goal support.

The second period was scoreless thanks to the effort by Lindback. The Ducks out shot the Predators 13-8 in the second period. Once again, the second period was 20 minutes of frustration for the Predator faithful as the Predators lost puck battles and did not seem to have any desire to compete with the Ducks.

The Predators finally showed some jump and compete just 1:19 into the period as David Legwand found Patric Hornqvist streaking alone down the slot. Hornqvist gathered the puck in and roofed the shot over the shoulder of Hiller to tie the game at 1.

Now we would see if that goal and that effort energized the Predators.

At 10:27, the Predators answered that question, as Marty Erat hustled to take off an icing call and flipped the puck to Ryan Suter. Suter's shot could not be controlled by Hiller, and with the puck in the blue paint, Mike Fisher hacked at the puck and slid it under Hiller to give the Predators a 2-1 lead.

Just prior to that score, Lindback came up with a huge save on a partial breakaway to preserve the tie.

Now the Predators were playing with some jump and were starting to look like... well, the Predators. They were starting to win puck battles and control the puck in the zone and were firing shots on the Ducks net. This is how they have to play if they are going to win games, and it was the way they were playing now.

The Predators defense broke down and left Kyle Palmieri all alone in front of the net, and Lindback came up with a critical stop at the 5:50 mark of the third. Lindback had been spectacular tonight, making some amazing saves to keep the Predators in the game.

The Ducks pulled Hiller with 1:40 remaining in the game for the extra attacker, and the Ducks were swarming. The Ducks short circuited that effort as Bobby Ryan was called for hooking with 45 seconds left in the period.

David Legwand executed his patented scoring play- the empty net goal- with 16 seconds remaining to give the Predators a 3-1 lead and seal the win. The half empty Honda Center looked as if a bomb threat had been called in as it quickly started to empty out.

In the third period, the Predators out shot the Ducks 11-9, and for the game were out shot by the Ducks 31-27.

The Predators victory over the Ducks was not a thing of beauty, yet it was a most beautiful win. Completely outplayed for long stretches of the game, the Predators dug down and gutted out a much needed win. With this victory, the Predators swept the Ducks in the season series.

This two points ties them with Detroit at 92 points and moves them into fourth place in the Western Conference by virtue of one more ROW than the Wings.

The Predators manage to capture 5 of the possible 8 points on the west coast trip. Those 5 points are precious to the Predators as they are fighting for home ice advantage in the playoffs.

More importantly, this game has to be a confidence builder for the Predators. They reached down and got a win in a game where their compete level was not the best and where they struggled at times. The third period in particular showed this squad that they are difficult to defeat when they play Predator hockey.

There are 10 games left in the season and 20 vital points on the line. They are yours for the taking, boys.

If you play Predator hockey.

My three stars:

1. Anders Lindback

2. Mike Fisher

3. Patric Hornqvist

Predators Blow the Game to the Hurricanes 4-3

The Nashville Predators, playing the second of back to back games, traveled to Raleigh to face the Carolina Hurricanes. The Predators welcomed their newest member of the team Andrei Kostitsyn to the active roster and paired him on a line with David Legwand and Patric Hornqvist. The Predators other acquisition at the trade deadline, Paul Gaustad, was scratched with an upper body injury.

Anders Lindback got the start in net for the Predators, while Cam Ward was between the pipes for the Hurricanes.

Lindback was looking for goal support from the team in front of him, as the Predators had been outscored 19-9 in his previous starts this season. The Predators obliged Mr. Lindback at 2:42 of the first period as the line of Matt Halischuk, Gabriel Bourque, and Craig Smith went to work in the Hurricanes zone. Halischuk battled and got control of the puck behind the Canes net and flipped the puck out front. Bourque took several whacks at the puck and Ward could not control the rebound. The puck squirted out to Smith, who gathered it in and roofed it over the fallen Ward to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

The Canes began to press the attack, but Lindback made some good stops to hold the Canes off the board. The Predators were out shot in the first period 13-8, and the period ended with the Predators on the PK with David Legwand in the box for high sticking and a 1 minute carry over of the Canes power play at the start of the second period.

The Predators had nearly killed off the Legwand penalty to open the second period when they were called for too many men on the ice, giving the Canes a 6 second 5 on 3 power play. The Predators killed off the brief two man advantage, but now had to kill off another penalty. The Predators were flirting with trouble with these penalties, bur fortunately were able to kill them off.

The Canes tied the game at 1 at 5:17 of the second as the Predators failed to clear the zone and Jamie McBain launched a shot from the blue line that beat Lindback. The puck deflected off Hal Gill and although Lindback got a piece of the shot, but it ricocheted off his arm and into the back of the net for the equalizer.

The Predators offense was non-existent in the second period, going over 10 minutes without a shot on goal. The Canes had totally dominated the Predators with shots on goal and zone possession.  That changed at 12:31 of the period when Colin Wilson and Jordin Tootoo aggressively pursued the puck on the forecheck and forced a Carolina turnover. Wilson took a shot that hit Ward on the shoulder and caromed over, landing just outside the goal line. The puck had enough momentum to trickle over the goal line to give the Predators a 2-1 lead.

That lead was short lived as the Predators once again took another penalty. With Andrei Kostitsyn in the box for hooking, the Canes quickly scored on the power play as Jeff Skinner's shot bounced off Lindback and Eric Staal was able to gather the rebound and slam it into the open net to tie the game at 2 at 13:04 of the second. It took the Canes just 12 seconds on the power play to tie the game.

Once again, the Predators took another penalty as Shea Weber was in the box for hooking. and once again, the Canes made the Predators pay. With a scramble in front of Lindback, the puck was jammed past Lindback by Tim Brent to give the Canes a 3-2 lead at 17:24 of the second. The Predators had taken five penalties to none for the Canes, and their undisciplined play had cost them two goals.

The Predators played a horrific second period, mustering only 5 shots in the period to 13 for the Hurricanes. Their undisciplined play had cost them two different leads, and they were heading into the third trailing by one. It remained to be seen whether the Predators would come out and play their brand of hockey in the third period or if they would continue their lackluster play.

The Predators fell behind 4-2 as Bryan Allen came out of the box where he had been serving the Canes first penalty of the night and Eric Staal sent him in on a breakaway and he beat Lindback five hole at 1:28 of the third.

Gabriel Bourque answered the Canes score as he took a from behind the net from Jordin Tootoo and banged the puck past an out of position Ward from the low slot at 2:18 of the third.

The Predators play was markedly better in the third period, as they got shots on net and played with more energy, but could not solve Ward or the Canes strong forecheck and neutral zone defense. The final horn sounded and the Predators saw a game and two points they pissed away.

It is easy to say that this was an Eastern Conference opponent and it didn't matter that much if they lost the game. Bull hockey. This was two precious points the Predators threw away by their lackadaisical play in the second period. Trying to keep pace with their Western Conference opponents means that every point is dear, and to waste a game like this team did tonight is unacceptable and frustrating.

This team does not play again until Saturday, and I hope this loss burns for a few days.

The time to get back to playing Predator hockey starts Saturday.

My three stars:

1. Eric Staal

2. Gabriel Bourque

3. Jeff Skinner

Flyers Flummox the Predators 4-1

The Nashville Predators hoped to have a February campaign that was as good as their January effort, where the team went 11-2. They faced a tall order in the form of the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Predators gave Pekka Rinne a rare night off and started Anders Lindback in net, while the Flyers went with their starter, Ilya Bryzgalov.

The Predators were attempting to sweep their two game series with the Flyers after capturing a 4-2 decision in Nashville just 19 days ago.

The first period was a track meet with both teams moving the puck up and down the ice and creating some chances.. Nashville had the better of the first period in shots with a 12-6 advantage, but it was the Flyers that found the back of the net first. Wayne Simmonds took the puck off the boards and worked to the high slot against Ryan Suter. Simmonds spun quickly around Suter and let a backhand shot go that beat a screened Lindback for the only score of the period at 15:41.

In the second period, the Predators had to kill off 1:34 of a Flyers two man advantage as Gabriel Bourque was in the box serving a too many men on the ice bench minor and Ryan Suter was called for delay of game for clearing the puck over the glass. The Predators PK unit came up big and managed to kill the penalty.

Just as Suter's penalty was about to expire, a melee broke out in front of Lindback, and after the resulting penalties were meted out, the Predators had a power play. As was the trend in this game, the Flyers managed to kill off the penalty. Through two periods, the Predators power play was 0-4 as the Flyers penalty killers did a very good job of thwarting the Predators effort.

Shortly after the Predators power play had expired, Matt Read stole the puck from Kevin Klein at the Flyers blue line and drove in on Lindback. His snap shot from the face off circle beat Lindback cleanly to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead at 14:32 of the second period.

The first 40 minutes of this contest saw the Predators power play become ineffective, and more troubling was the fact that the Predators only managed 4 shots on goal in the second period. Obviously, the offensive effort by the Predators was going to have to improve significantly if they were going to get back in this game.

The third period saw the Predators skating hard and controlling the puck and creating scoring chances. This was the way they were going to have to play to get back in this game.

Their efforts were rewarded at 8:36 of the third period as Craig Smith found a pinching Ryan Suter just inside the face off circle and Suter's quick wrist shot beat Bryzgalov to make the score 2-1 and give the Predators new life in this game. Matt Halischuk started the play by keeping control of the puck down low, and once again, the Predators were getting production from the young guys on the roster.

The Predators continued to move their feet and put pressure on the Flyers. They were generating some good scoring chances, but needed to bury a shot.

The Predators short circuited their momentum when Jerred Smithson was called for interference. The Flyers tallied a power play goal as Wayne Simmonds gathered in a rebound of a Claude Giroux shot at the top of the crease and hammered home the puck to give the Flyers a 3-1 lead at 15:19 of the third period.

With Lindback pulled for the extra attacker, Claude Giroux potted an empty net goal at 1:55 to give the Flyers a 4-1 lead and the game.

While the Predators failed to win this game, I did like their compete level in the third period. They skated hard and created some quality scoring chances, but could not bury the game tying goal. Shots were 11-11 in the third period, but the Predators forecheck created some good opportunities. Finishing their chances was the missing element for the Predators.

So for the Predators, it is time to get back on the horse and start another winning streak. That begins Saturday at home against St. Louis.

My three stars:

1. Wayne Simmonds

2. Ilya Bryzgalov

3. Craig Smith

The Streak Ends as the Blue Shirts Blank the Predators

The Nashville Predators took their turn on the big stage with their only national television appearance as they battled the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden. After playing yesterday, the Predators went with Anders Lindback in net while the Rangers went with their usual starter Henrik Lundqvist.

Notable for the Predators was the absence of Ryan Suter, who played only 7:14 of the first period in the previous game and was called out due to an upper body injury

The Predators opened with some good jump and controlled the play early. The Predators recorded the first 4 shots on goal were cycling the puck well. The Rangers, by contrast, iced the puck three times in the first five minutes.

The Rangers reversed that momentum at 6:15 of the first period as Dan Girardi took a shot that was going to miss the net but hit Jack Hillen in the leg and ricocheted into the net to give them a 1-0 lead. A fluky goal, but good teams create chances- fluky or not.

The critical aspect of this goal was that Hillen and his defense partner, Ryan Ellis, were caught on the ice for 2:10 and were completely gassed, making it difficult for them to maintain defensive positioning.

The Predators created some chances and got shots on Lundqvist, but did not get many second chances as the Rangers defense did a great job of clearing the front of the net. When the Predators did get some good looks, they were unable to get a puck past Lundqvist.

The first period ended with the Rangers leading 1-0 and the Predators holding an 11-10 shot advantage.

The second period saw both teams get some good chances, and Lundqvist making some good saves to keep the Predators off the board. The Predators created some solid scoring opportunities, but just could not get a tally.

By contrast, the Rangers added a second score at 10:42 of the second period as John Mitchell took a shot that seemed to surprise Lindback and went through the five hole to make it 2-0.

That was the only goal of the period, and the Predators were out shot by the Rangers 11-8.

Though the Predators had some chances, they had yet to get a puck past Lundqvist, and in the third period, it was going to be critical that the Predators not only continue to get shots on goal, but to have players battling for rebounds. Second chances and dirty goals had to be the order of the day for the Predators.

The third period saw the Predators once again frustrated by the play of Lundqvist and the Rangers defense. They got shots on goal, but could not get second chances and opportunities for rebounds and second chances.

The Predators took a penalty as Marty Erat hooked Ryan Callahan on a breakaway chance and the net empty for the extra attacker at 19:09 of the third. The penalty resulted in an automatic goal for the Rangers, and that would ice the contest.

The Rangers out shot the Predators 28-27 for the contest.

The word that sums up this game is frustration. The Predators offense created chances, but could not finish and get a puck past Lundqvist. There is absolutely no doubt that Lundqvist is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, but the frustrating part of this game is the failure to get second chances on the pucks that were laying around the crease. Finishing chances was essential for the Predators to have a chance in this contest, and they did not.

Let's face it: the Predators were not going to win out for the remainder of the season. And they did some good things in this game. They just did not have what it took offensively to bury some chances and get back in the game.

So what does this team do now?

Simple.

You get back to the basics and start another streak Thursday night in Columbus.

My three stars:

1. Henrik Lundqvist

2. Dan Girardi

3. John Mitchell

Predators Early Deficit Leads to Defeat at Dallas

The Nashville Predators, fresh off their amazing come from behind victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, ventured to the American Airlines Center to take on the Dallas Stars in their second game in two nights.

Once again, Pekka Rinne got the start for the Nashville Predators, while the surprisingly feel good story in the form of Richard Bachman started in net for the Stars.

It was going to be critical for the Predators to put their victory from the night before behind them and come out hard against the Stars. They opened the game skating hard and creating some chances, but were unable to find the net.

By contrast, the Stars capitalized on their chances. Vernon Fiddler, a former Predator, got the Stars on the board early as he gathered in a puck alone at the side of the net and beat Rinne with a shot over his shoulder to give the Stars a 1-0 lead at 9:25 of the first period.

Just 1:16 later, Loui Eriksson tallied from the right side of Rinne on a quick wrister from the right side that went under his arm to make it 2-0 at 10:41.

Steve Ott added a third goal for the Stars at 12:30 as he tipped a shot from the point by Trevor Daly and re-directed it past Rinne. Three goals on seven shots for the Stars, and Rinne's night was done. Anders Lindback came on in relief of Rinne at this point.

Although the Predators were skating well, their offense was not finishing and their defense had broken down on two of the three Stars goals. Once again, the troubling tendency to dig an early hole was plaguing the Predators.

The period ended with the Predators on the power play, but not showing much movement and creating opportunities for quality scoring chances. Oh yeah, they were still trailing 3-0.

The Predators out shot the Stars 17-8 in the period, but the Stars efficiency in the offensive zone was the difference in this contest so far. It was going to be up to the Predators to elevate their game and get back into the contest.

The Predators finally got on the board at 8:56 of the second period as Jerred Smithson was strong on the puck and got through a check from Fiddler on the boards and drove into the zone. He shot the puck at the Dallas net and Bachman gave up a rebound that was met by a crush of bodies from the Predators and the Stars. The puck was lost in the maze of legs and bodies and slowly trickled over the goal line. Blake Geoffrion and Matt Halischuk took whacks at the puck, and the goal was credited to Halischuk.

For the Predators, this goal was big, because up until that point their offense had been one shot and the puck was going back out of the zone. Finally, the Predators got forwards to the front of the net, and they were able to tally through their persistent in the dirty areas.

The Predators had a glorious chance to cut into the Stars lead at 8:54 of the second. Adam Burish was in the box for a knee on knee hit, and  on the ensuing power play Nicklas Grossman took a holding penalty to give the Predators a 5 on three power play.

Ryan Suter took the puck into the high slot and fed the puck to Marty Erat, who blistered a one timer past Bachman to make it 3-2 at  11:45 of the second period.

Mike Ribeiro scored a beautiful goal at 5:59 of the second period from a sharp angle. Ribeiro saw Lindback slide across the crease and waited until he dropped into the butterfly and lasered a shot into the short side top corner to make it 4-2. The goal was a goal scorer's goal and placed into the only area of the net that Lindback could not cover.

The second period ended with Jerred Smithson in the box for hooking and 1:04 of power play time left for the Stars to start the third period. Down by 2 goals, the Predators were going to have to bring their best game in the final 20 minutes to have a chance in this contest.

The second period saw the Predators continue to skate hard and get pucks on the net. They out shot the Stars 14-13 and 31-21 through the first 40 minutes. The outcome of this game would hinge on the Predators continuing to shoot the puck and get to the net for second chance scoring opportunities.

The potent Predators power play (yes, you read that correctly) struck again at 4:30 of the third period to make it 4-3. With Alex Goligoski in the box for delay of game, Colin Wilson sped drove down the right side of the slot a slipped a nice pass to David Legwand, who hammered the puck home to cut the Predators deficit to one goal.

Momentum to the Predators and a chance to seize control.

Not so fast.

Just 30 seconds later, Jamie Benn beat Mike Fisher in the low slot and took a great feed from behind the net by Loui Erikkson to bang home a back breaking goal for the Stars and put them up by 2 goals again.

The Stars used the Benn goal to propel themselves to a decided territorial advantage for the majority of the third period. The Predators spent much of the third chasing the Stars in their own zone and were not able to muster much in the way of an offensive thrust.

Michael Ryder iced the game for the Stars at 17:53 with an empty net goal to make it 6-3, which was the final score of the game.

I cannot fault the effort of the Predators. They skated hard and fired the puck at the net. They out shot the Stars 37-29 and showed good compete.

I can fault the annoying tendency of this team to continue to fall into an early hole and having to spend lots of time and energy trying to dig themselves out of it. Tonight, the Predators found out that the Dallas Stars are not the Columbus Blue Jackets, and falling into a deep deficit against a quality opponent almost always spells defeat.

The Predators now have the Christmas break off with Detroit coming to town Monday. It is going to be imperative that this team tighten up its defense and not hang their goalies out to dry. They are going to have to understand that an early game deficit is not a winning formula.

A better defensive showing from the second and third D pairing, a more consistent effort for the entire game, and avoiding the early game hole are critical for the team's success going forward.

I hope Santa is listening.

My three stars:

1. Loui Eriksson

2. Richard Bachman

3. Marty Erat

Capital Punishment: Caps Punch Out the Predators 4-1

There are times the Nashville Predators looks like Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks.

No, not an offensive force.

Instead, like Sedin getting punched by Brad Marchand in the Stanley Cup finals, they often look like a team that is getting punched in the face and not responding.

In their game against the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center, the Predators watched the Capitals out skate and out hit them consistently throughout the first period en route to a 2-0 lead. The Capitals did pretty much what they wanted and the Predators did not respond.

Anders Lindback started in net for the Predators, while the Capitals went with Michael Neuvirth. Lindback was under assault throughout the period, while Neuvirth had very little to do at his end of the ice.

The Predators recorded their second shot on net after 11 minutes had elapsed off the clock, if you want an indication of how ineffective the offensive effort was.

Alex Ovechkin notched his 11th goal of the season at 7:42 of the first period as he drove the net and beat Jonathan Blum to the low slot. His wrist shot beat Lindback over the shoulder to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead.

Nicklas Backstrom got his 12th goal of the season on a nice wraparound goal. He used the net to scrape off Jerred Smithson and beat Lindback to the far post at 15:51 to make it 2-0 Capitals.

Frankly, if the Capitals had not missed some open shots, the score could have been much worse.

The Capitals out shot the Predators 11-4 in the first period, but totally dominated the play as the Predators offense failed to show up in this period. The Predators continued their poor offensive effort that started in the St. Louis game, and unfortunately, that game did not appear to be an aberration.

In the second period, the Predators skated better and generated 8 shots on net to 3 for the Capitals. The Predators once again caught a couple of breaks as they gave up two 2 on 1 rushes that the Capitals could not convert. Although they generated 8 shots, there were only a few quality scoring chances, and Neuvirth was up to the task of stopping the Predators.

The Predators had three power plays in the the third period, and never really challenged Neuvirth on any of them. One failed to generate any shots on goal. The power play has been surprisingly potent up to this point for the Predators, but the Capitals PK was hustling and shutting down quality chances for the Predators.

Through two periods, the Predators had reverted back to their old and frustrating ways by passing up shots in favor of an extra pass. The fact is that the Predators lack the elite finishers that make this style of play a solid offensive strategy. The Predators were going to have to commit to shooting the puck and crashing the net if they were going to get back in this contest in the third period.

The Predators finally found the back of the net at 4:40 of the third period as Sergei Kostitsyn stole the puck and weaved his way through the Capitals defense and let a snap shot go from the face off circle that beat Neuvirth. Good to see Kostitsyn find the back of the net again. This was his fifth goal of the year.

The Predators began to skate and challenged the Capitals (finally!). The started buzzing the net, firing the pucks, and controlling play. This was the Predators team that was finally employing their formula for success.

The Capitals seized momentum back at 10:21 of the third period as Alex Semin skated in and unleashed a laser to the top corner that beat Lindback to make the score 3-1 Capitals. Now the Predators faced the double challenge of overcoming a Capitals lead and the enemy that was the clock.

With Craig Smith in the box for hooking, the Capitals tallied on the power play as Troy Brouwer tipped a shot from the point by Dennis Wideman to make it 4-1 at 13:46.

The Predators had a chance to cut into the deficit as Joel Ward was called for slashing at 14:16, but the Predators failed to get a shot on the power play.

The Capitals spent the rest of the period choking off the Predators offense, and the final score was 4-1 Capitals.

The frustrating thing about this team is their consistently inconsistent effort. You would think that by now this team would have learned that they have to play a full 60 minute game. Apparently, that has not been ingrained into their psyche even this deep into the season. One bad period can and often does spell defeat for this team, and they have continued to struggle with this concept.

Until they grasp the concept of a 60 minute game, they will continue to get punched out by their competition.

Kinda like Daniel Sedin.

My three stars:

1. Nicklas Backstrom

2. Alex Semin

3. Sergei Kostitsyn

Sabres Stick the Predators 3-2

The Buffalo Sabres ventured to Bridgestone Arena to take on the Nashville Predators in what turned out to be a spirited contest between two teams that were evenly matched. Although these two teams rarely see each other, the venom was ramped up as the game went along.

Anders Lindback got the start in net for the Predators and Buffalo had Ryan Miller back after an injury from a collision with Boston's Milan Lucic.

You can read the game summary here.

Here are some thoughts from the game...

The first goal against Lindback was a scrambling kind of goal, as the puck was bouncing all over the place before it was buried by Luke Adam. I can't really fault Lindback on that goal as the puck was bouncing from side to side of the net and the defense could not clear the front of the net.

The second goal was a result of a momentary indecision by Roman Josi. That momentary hesitation allowed Zack Kassian to break in alone on Lindback and he roofed a nice backhand shot over the shoulder for the score. When you play a young player at any position, you have to live with their mistakes on their learning curve. This was that type of play, and it bit the Predators. Josi shows a lot of promise, and he owned up to his mistake after the game, which was a stand up act. Look for this young man to continue to develop and his game to get stronger.

The controversial play that got the blood boiling on both sides was a drive to the net by Jordin Tootoo that resulted in a collision with Ryan Miller. Tootoo was driving hard to the front of the net and was shoved by Christian Ehrhoff. Tootoo appeared to try to avoid Miller by leaping to try to miss Miller, but still collided with him. Tootoo went down, and Miller took five or six good punches at Tootoo. Miller got no penalties for his actions, but Tootoo got a 5 minute charging penalty and a game misconduct. Paul Gaustad got a 4 minute roughing penalty and a 10 minute misconduct out of the fracas after the play.

If Tootoo had really wanted to run Miller, the fact is that Miller would not have remained in the game. I know the officials were sensitive to protecting Miller because of what happened in the Boston game, but in my view overreacted. There was no consideration of the fact that Ehrhoff was beaten on the play and shoved Tootoo at the last moment, causing Tootoo to veer directly toward Miller.Obviously I view this play from Predator colored glasses, but it appeared that Tootoo did his best to avoid completely steamrolling Miller.

Buffalo fans- and players- will disagree with that assessment. So be it. It was a bang bang play that resulted in contact with the goalie. If this had been any other player than Ryan Miller, Tootoo would not have received the game misconduct.

Craig Smith scored with a blistering shot that beat Miller short side. He continues to be the most dynamic offensive player for the Predators, and I certainly hope the coaching staff has come to this realization. Playing Smith on the third line like they have is a failed experiment. Put Smith with some of the more talented players on the first or second line and he will produce. My hope is that he stays on the first or second line for the remainder of the season.

David Legwand notched another goal, his team leading 12th of the season. I wish Legwand would adopt Smith's attitude of shoot first and pass second. Legwand too often passes up shots in favor of passes, and if he would take a shoot first mentality in the offensive zone, his production would be exceptional.

Ryan Miller was very good in net. The Predators put 34 shots on net to 14 for Buffalo, but had a hard time solving Miller. Part of this is due to Miller's solid play, but part of this is due to the Predators being unable to finish chances.

Let me ask this: outside of Smith, does anyone really scare the opposition when they carry the puck into the offensive zone? Colin Wilson has flashes. Anyone else? And therein lies the problem for the Predators. This team is built with grinders and blue collar players. The finishers? Erat? Too inconsistent? Legwand? Also inconsistent. Anyone else?

I didn't think so.

Which means the Predators are going to have to overcome the mistakes that young players will inevitably make and they are going to have to outwork the opposition. Tonight, they could not beat a very good netminder that played an very good game.

However, if they keep shooting the puck like they did tonight and minimize their mistakes, they will win more than they will lose. The effort tonight cannot be criticized too much. It is important that this team continue to play to their identity.

If they do, they will stick it to their opponents.

My three stars:

1. Ryan Miller

2. Luke Adam

3. Craig Smith

Buffalo Victimized by another Miracle from Nashville, Fall to the Predators in OT 4-3

The Nashville Predators staged an improbable comeback to beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in overtime at HSBC Arena. Improbable may not be strong enough to describe the outcome of this game.

Blake Geoffrion continued his strong play of late, tallying his second goal in as many games as he banked a shot off Paul Gaustad's skates and past Ryan Miller to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 6:44 of the first period.

Anders Lindback got the start for the Predators in net, and made some good saves in the first period to keep the Sabres off the board. Buffalo had some good scoring chances and Lindback turned aside all 11 shots he faced in the period.

In the second period, the Predators opened with good jump and had several glorious scoring chances. Marty Erat had a breakaway that Miller stopped with his blocker. There were several scoring chances with the Predators shooting the puck and crashing the net, but they could not get a puck past Miller.

Unlike the Predators, the Sabres capitalized on their opportunities and mistakes by the Nashville Predators to build a 3-1 lead.

Nathan Gerbe tied the game for the Sabres as he spun away from Kevin Klein  at the front of the net and whipped a shot under the pad of Lindback at 7:04 of the second. Gerbe had a solid game for the Sabres, creating good offensive pressure throughout the night.

That goal energized the Sabres, and just 40 seconds later, Tim Connolly blistered a wrist shot over the shoulder of Lindback for his 11th goal of the year and a 2-1 lead for the Sabres.

Those two quick goals jacked up the Sabres and put the Predators on their heels. Buffalo controlled much of the play for the remainder of the second period, while the Predators mustered scant little offensive effort.

Buffalo would extend the lead to 3-1 at 19:00 of the second period while on the power play. Cody Franson took a... what word am I looking for...stupid slashing penalty at 17:22. Tyler Ennis made the Predators pay as his shot from the slot slipped between Lindback's arm and his body.

Down 3-1 and with Miller looking unbeatable and the Sabres clogging the neutral zone, things did not look good for the Predators. It was going to be essential that the Predators get a goal fairly early in the period to loosen up the Sabres defense and to give them a chance to get back into the game.

That did not happen for the Predators. The Sabres defense trapped them in the neutral zone and did a great job of limiting chances once the Predators got into the offensive zone. With the clock winding down, it looked as if an important contest and 2 critical points were going to slip away.

A funny thing happened on the way to what appeared to be a certain Buffalo win, though.

Jonathan Blum fought for the puck in the corner and outworked two Sabres to get control. Blum slipped a pass to Geoffrion, who was stationed to the right of the net. Miller moved to the post as Geoffrion shoved the puck toward the net. Miller did not control the puck and Geoffrion kept whacking at it until he knocked it under Miller's pad to make the score 3-2 Buffalo with 2:27 remaining in the game.

Nashville forced a face off in the Buffalo zone after Miller froze the puck on a shot to the net. Geoffrion won the draw back to Cody Franson, who walked the blue line and let go a quick wrist shot. On the way to the net, Geoffrion tipped the puck and re-directed it past Miller for the game tying goal at 18:37 and his first hat trick in the NHL. The hattie came in only Geoffrion's 11th game in the NHL.

Neither team could score in the waning moments of the third period, and although both teams got a point, the Sabres were stunned. All the energy and momentum was now on the side of the Predators.

The Predators ended the overtime period quickly. Ryan Suter drove the puck inside the face off circle, drawing the defense to him. He slipped a quick pass to Marty Erat who scorched a one-timer past a defenseless Miller for the game winner just 27 seconds into overtime.

When the Predators were facing a 3-1 deficit and little time on the clock, it would have been easy to fold and say this game wasn't meant to be. The aspect of this team that cannot be measured is the heart and character of the players that put on the Predators sweater. They didn't look good at times, but they kept battling and refused to fold. This win can be a hallmark win for the Predators this season, one that they can use to build upon and do great things.

Because they didn't quit.

Head Coach Barry Trotz talks about defining moments- games and sequences in games that show that of which you are made. He says it so much it sometimes becomes cliche among the fans. While running the risk of sounding just as cliche as Trotzy, this was a defining moment game. This was a game that showed this team they are never out of it.

Blake Geoffrion has shown that he is NHL ready. The young man is going to be quite a player for the Predators. Jonathan Blum has exceeded any expectations that I had when he was called up. The young players are getting a baptism by fire and they are showing that they can handle the pressure.

With the win, the Predators are 38-25-10 and have jumped into 6th in the Western Conference for the time being with 86 points.

You now have a 9 game season, boys, and 7 of them are at home. Each of these games will be a game in which you can define yourself as a player and as a team.

Time to bring it.

My three stars:

1. Blake Geoffrion

2. Marty Erat

3. Nathan Gerbe





































































































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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

Third Period Meltdown Dooms the Predators in a 6-3 Loss to the Blackhawks

As good as the Nashville Predator's win over  the Blackhawks was on Saturday, their re-match in Chicago was horrid. A third period meltdown cost the Predators a chance to sweep the back to back contests with their division rivals, as the Blackhawks turned a close game into a blowout, defeating the Predators 6-3.

The Predators were victimized by a third period that was a horror show. Tied at 2 at the end of two periods, the Predators took a 3-2 lead on the second goal of the night from J.P. Dumont. From that point on, the wheels absolutely came off for the Predators.

Before we get to the debacle that was the third period for the Predators, let's see how we got there.

The Predators opened the game with good jump and were out-skating the Hawks in the first period. Their effort paid off with four power play opportunities in the first period, and they were able to cash in on two of them.

The first tally of the game came from Marty Erat with Jonathan Toews in the box for holding.Erat buried a rebound past Hawks goalie Marty Turco to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 2:04 of the period.

Chicago would tie the game on a Dave Bolland score at 6:38, as he beat Nashville netminder Anders Lindback.

The Predators would respond with their second power play marker of the period as J.P. Dumont corralled a rebound of a Shea Weber shot that was initially blocked by Brian Campbell. He beat Turco with a quick wrist shot to give the Predators a 2-1 advantage.

Chicago would tie the game with the only goal of the second period as David Legwand made a lazy croos ice pass at the Predators blueline that Bolland intercepted. Bolland put a spectacular move on Ryan Suter, the only Predator player that was back to stop the rush, and beat Lindback five hole.

To this point, the contest had been fairly even, Nashville had outshot the hawks at the end of two period by an 18-16 margin and had skated evenly with the Hawks through forty minutes.

As I said last night, it is a 60 minute game, but tonight the Predators unfortunately checked out after 40 minutes.

Oh, the third started well. J.P. Dumont potted his second goal of the night off a clean face off win by rookie Chris Mueller. Dumont gathered in the puck and beat Turco cleanly with a quick wrister that went high glove side.

3-2 Predators and we have a game that the good guys can win.

Not so fast.

A game that the Predators had played evenly with the Blackhawks suddenly spiraled out of control. Quickly.

With Ryan Suter in the box for holding, the Blackhawks struck on a power play opportunity of their own.Troy Brouwer was left all alone in front of the net and gathered in a rebound of a pad save by Lindback and knocked the puck into an open net as Lindback was out of position. Brouwer's goal came at 9:19 of the third

Tied at 3, the Hawks turned up the pressure and the Predators did not respond. Brouwer circled out the corner, split Marcel Goc and Shea Weber, and found himself alone in the low slot. His wrist shot beat Lindback to the glove side at 9:59 of the third.

Two goals in 40 seconds and the Hawks were flying and the Predators were back on their heels. And the assault was just beginning.

Brian Bickell scored at 14:08 and Jonathan Toews added the finisher at 16:58.

From up 3-2 with 11 minutes to go in the contest to down 6-3 at the end. Indicative of how bad the third period was for the Predators, they were outshot 18-5.

Absolutely putrid.

Compounding the sting of this loss was the fact that the Predators lost Francis Buillon in the first period as he was boarded by Brouwer. The Predators spent the rest of the contest with just five defensemen.No excuses, but you have to believe that fatigue was a factor late in the game for the D corp. Ryan Suter logged 32:43 of ice time; Shea Weber had 29:40; and Kevin Klein had 21:43.

With this loss, the Predators are now tied with the Blackhawks with 54 points, but have 2 games in hand.  The Predators lead the season series with the Blackhawks 3-2.

This is another example of how this team has to play a full 60 minutes to win a game. This was a game the Predators could have won, but their 11 minute lapse in the third period bite them hard.

There will be no rest for the weary, as the Predators are now headed to Phoenix to play the red hot Coyotes.

The importance of that upcoming game? The Coyotes sit in fourth place in the West, one point ahead of the Predators.

All the games in this tightly bunched Western Conference race are important. They are yours for the taking, boys. However, ya gotta play a full 60 minutes.

And avoid those pesky meltdowns.

My three stars:

1. Dave Bolland

2. Troy Brouwer

3. J.P. Dumont






























































































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LA Lashed by the Predators 5-2

In their two previous contests, the L.A. Kings have owned the Nashville Predators, winning the first two contests of the season by a combined score of 10-2 in games where the Predators never mustered much in the way of offense. Tonight, at the Staples Center,the Predators turned the tables on the Kings with a decisive 5-2 victory.

The first period opened with both teams showing some good jump and generating some quality scoring chances. Anders Lindback and Jonathan Bernier were both challenged and both were equal to the task.

L.A. opened the contest trying to take the body and exert their physical will. Unlike the two previous tilts, the Predators answered the physical challenge and did a good job of skating hard and establishing a good forecheck. That effort resulted in some good scoring chances, but the Predators were unable to solve Bernier.

Anders Lindback fended off some good scoring chances by the Kings, holding off all 12 of the Kings shots. Bernier stopped all 11 shots he faced from the Predators.

Kyle Clifford tallied for the Kings at 2:16 of the second period as J.P. Dumont absorbed a thunderous hit and was struggling to get to the bench, effectively leaving the Predators a man down. Marco Sturm shot the puck off the wing, and Lindback made the initial save but gave up a big rebound that Clifford buried into an open net.

The Predators had a glorious scoring opportunity as Patric Hornqvist found Kevin Klein sneaking down the off wing and hit him with a perfect pass. Bernier managed to slide across the net and get a piece of the shot for a great save five minutes into the period.

The injury bug continued to bite the Predators as the lost Nick Spaling to an upper body injury in the early going of the second period.

Jarrett Stoll scored on the power play at 7:57 of the second with Francis Buillon in the box for interference. Stoll launched a bomb from the blue line that beat Lindback high over his glove side. Lindback had lost his goal stick, but it was not a factor in the play as the shot beat Lindback cleanly.

The Predators answered on a power play of their own at 9:57. Ryan Suter wound up for what appeared to be a slap shot, but instead delivered a nice slap pass to Colin Wilson who was alone at the side of the net. Wilson re-directed the pass past Bernier for his 10th goal of the season to cut the deficit to 2-1.

This goal was critical for the Predators to stave off the momentum of the Kings and keep themselves in the contest.

Marek Svatos would tally his first goal as a Predator at 10:19 as Colin Wilson took a shot coming down the wing that Bernier kicked out off his pads. The rebound came to Svatos, who was driving the net and was able to put the rebound past an out of position Bernier.

The Predators had taken a punch from the Kings. In their previous contests, they did not answer. Tonight, they answered.

The Predators went back to the power play with Matt Greene in the box for interference and made the Kings pay for their transgression. Colin Wilson walked in off the half boards and cranked a shot low along the ice. Patric Hornqvist was camped- where else- at the top of the crease and re-directed the shot past Bernier for his 12th goal of the season at 14:28.

After back and forth play, including a fight between Francis Buillon and Wayne Simmonds that left Buillon with a broken nose, the period ended with the Predators on top 3-2.

The third period opened with more of the back and forth play between the teams, with each team looking for the other to break. The Kings were the first to crack under the pressure as Sergei Kostitsyn whistled a wrist shot toward Bernier. Bernier got a piece of the shot but not enough to stop it, and the puck slid in the net just inside the far post to extend the Predators lead to 4-2 at 9:10 of the third period. This was Kostitsyn's 10th goal of the season.

That off season signing of Kostitsyn by GM David Poile looks mighty good right now.

Patric Hornqvist tallied his second goal at 15:33 of the third period as he buried a rebound given up by Bernier off a shot by Sergei Kostitsyn. After being down 2-0, the Predators had scored five unanswered goals.

That 5-2 margin would be the final score of the game as the Predators played a complete game, being physical, aggressively forechecking to create offensive opportunities, and playing solid defense. These are the hockey characteristics that were vital to the Predators win.

The aspect of this game that doesn't show in the score sheet is the heart that the Predators displayed in winning this game. Down 2-0 to a team that had dominated them this season, it would have been easy to fold under the pressure. Instead, this team manned up and came back in the face of definite adversity.

Heart will be critical to continuing the winning streak and piling up points.

This team is built around heart and character. Continue to play like this, and this team will continue to win and lash future opponents.

My three stars:

1. Colin Wilson

2. Patric Hornqvist

3. Sergei Kostitsyn

Predators Lose Ugly to the Blackhawks 4-1

Another lackluster effort, another loss for the Nashville Predators as the Chicago Blackhawks had their way in a 4-1 win at the United Center. This loss was the first of the season to the Blackhawks, and it follows a pathetic 6-1 effort against Los Angeles in their last game.

The Nashville offense was listless at best, and rarely generated many quality scoring opportunities. The Chicago defense dominated the forwards of the Predators, rarely letting them enter the offensive zone with speed and winning nearly every puck battle. This is the second straight game that the Predators offense has disappeared, and that is both disappointing and unacceptable.

When the offense is not clicking, it is imperative that the defense and goaltending be very good. Neither were tonight. Anders Lindback got the start in net and was involved in a strange play that led to the Hawks first goal. Kevin Klein passed the puck back to Lindback, who in turn tried to pass the puck back to Klein. The pass missed Klein badly and came to Dave Bolland, who walked in alone and deposited the puck top shelf over Lindback's glove at 12:29 of the first period.

With Shane O'Brien in the box for interference, Jack Skille tallied on the power play at 9:28 of the second period. Skille blistered a shot over the glove side of Lindback, and the way the Predators offense was playing, the game was essentially over at that point.

Skille wasn't done, however, as he got a shot through a a screen from the high slot to beat Lindback at 9:14 of the third period.

Sergei Kostitsyn tipped a Marty Erat shot past Hawks netminder Corey Crawford at 11:13 of the third with the Predators on a power play. Any hopes of a comeback were snuffed out by Bryan Bickell as he beat Lindback glove side at 17:28 of the third.

What do the names J.P. Dumont, Steve Sullivan, Colin Wilson, Jerred Smithson, and Nick Spaling have in common? Five forwards for the Predators that did not have a shot on goal (yes, I know J.P. rang one off the post, but it is not officially a shot on goal). Quite frankly, this is a weak effort and cannot continue if the Predators are going to have success.

Success is a simple formula for the Predators: skate hard and bring the maximum effort to the rink every night. This is what this team did during their win streak. In the last two miserable losses, this team has not come close to giving the kind of effort that brings the opportunity for a victory.

The Predators can ill afford to win five games and then go on a five game losing streak. It is obvious that the effort has not been there the last two games, and we see the result on the ice and on the scoreboard.

It is time to stop the lackluster effort. It is time to stop the losing streak. Bring your best effort, and this skid will end.

Keep playing the way you have the last two games, and it will get ugly.

My three stars:

1.Jack Skille

2. Corey Crawford

3. Dave Bolland

Kings Crush the Predators 6-1

All good things come to an end. The Nashville Predators five game winning streak came to an end with a resounding thud against the Los Angeles Kings 6-1 at the Bridgestone Arena.

In a word, the Predators effort tonight was impotent. There was absolutely no fight from the Predators as they rolled over against the Kings.

And this was horribly disappointing.

Every team endures a loss, even a thumping. Tonight, the Predators were dominated by the Kings and showed no fire, no push back against the onslaught that the Kings unleashed. Frankly, the Kings had their way with the Predators and there was no response.

It is probably easier to say who didn't score for the Kings rather than who did, because it seemed that everyone on the roster as well as the equipment managers were finding the back of the net. The Kings scored just 15 seconds into the contest as Justin Williams tapped in his own rebound past Anders Lindback.

This was just the beginning.

Ryan Smyth tallied twice. Alex Ponikorovsky, Drew Doughty, and Trevor Lewis also found the net against a Predators defense that left the front of the net open and Nashville's netminders under assault during the contest. For the night, the Predators failed to clear the front of the net and gave the Kings numerous quality scoring opportunities on which they capitalized.

Lindback was chased in the first period in favor of Mark Dekanich, who fared no better, allowing three goals during the remainder of the contest.

Steve Sullivan had the only tally for the Predators.

This effort was pathetic. The Predators have been owned in their two contests with the Kings. The lack of fire, of fight , was particularly galling. As the Kings had their way with the Predators, the appalling aspect was that there was no one who stepped up to show any fight.

The Predators rarely challenged L.A. netminder Jonathan Bernier, making him look like the second coming of Patrick Roy.

You can call it one of those nights. Those happen, but dammit, at least show some fight.

You were owned, boys. And you did nothing about it.

And that is unacceptable.

My three stars:

1. Ryan Smyth

2. Justin Williams

3. Jonathan Bernier

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

Sharks Bitten by the Predators 3-2

When the Nashville Predators play the San Jose Sharks, it is often a grinding affair. The Sharks use their size and strength to grind on the Predators and wear them down, usually on their way to a victory. The formula has worked well for the Sharks against the Predators, as they have won 9 of their previous 12 meetings.

Tonight, that formula looked as if would produce another victory for the Sharks. Nursing a 2-1 lead with five minutes to go, it appeared as if the Sharks would once again exert their will against the smaller Predators and skate away with another win.

The physical advantage of the Sharks was no match for the heart and desire of the Predators, however, as the Predators scored two goals in a span of 44 seconds and held off a 6 on 4 Sharks power play in the last minute to win 3-2 and continue their torrid December.

The win ran the Predators record in December to 6-0-1 and 7-1-2 in their last ten games. The Predators have now won four straight contests.

San Jose opened the scoring at 7:25 of the first period as Niclas Wallin was alone in the face off circle and blistered a shot to the far side post past Nashville netminder Anders Lindback. Lindback was not screened on the shot and was beaten by a rocket that was perfectly placed just inside the far side post.

San Jose used their size to muscle the Predators away from the net and refused to give them many quality looks in the first period. The Predators continued to work the puck throughout the period and did generate some chances, but were unable to get one past Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi. The effort that the Predators put forth made one feel that eventually they would manage to solve Niemi. It would just be a matter of time.

That time would come at 12:14 of the second period.

The Predators would dump a puck deep to the right of the net. Jordin Tootoo pursued the puck and made a hit on the Sharks defender at the wall, jarring the puck loose. Tootoo would control the puck and flip a centering pass toward the crease. The puck hit the stick of former Predator Scotty Nichol and would bounce past Niemi for the Predators first goal. One could say the goal was a fluke, but that score was a direct result of hustle by Tootoo and putting the puck back into a scoring position. Good things happen when you put the puck on the net.

San Jose would answer at 17:26 of the second as Dany Heatley would knock in a rebound on a Sharks power play to make it 2-1.

With that lead going into the third, San Jose played most of the period like they have played the Predators in games past: a suffocating defense and timely chances generated by the scoring line of Thornton, Heatley, and Marleau. Time was melting away off the clock, and it appeared that the Sharks would once again get the better of the Predators. Their size and strength was starting to take its toll on the Predators.

Size and strength are one thing; heart is entirely another matter. Tonight, the heart, the fight, belonged to the Predators.

Sergei Kostitsyn would continue his solid play and would tie the game at 16:44 of the third. Shea Weber skated the puck into the zone and found Kostitsyn driving the net. Kostitsyn was being harassed by a Sharks defender but fought to get his stick on the puck and was able to slide it between the pads of Niemi for the tying score.

Momentum to the Predators.

The heart was always theirs.

 The Predators would take the lead 44 seconds later as Colin Wilson took a nice pass from Steve Sullivan on a 3 on 1 break and made no mistake in burying the shot past Niemi.

The Predators did not make the finish easy, however. Jordin Tootoo was called for delay of game for shooting the puck over the glass. Initially, a linesman ruled that the puck was tipped, but was overruled by referee Francois St. Laurent. So at 18:08, the Predators were down a man and fighting to kill off the remainder of the period with a man down.

Niemi went to the box and the the Predators were fighting a 6 on 4 advantage for the Sharks.

And fight they did.

The Predators PK was outstanding, clogging shooting lanes, clearing the front of the net, and challenging shots. A few timely clears, and the clock ran out with the Predators on top.

The Predators managed to reverse their fortunes against the Sharks by seizing momentum in the third. They put themselves in that position by fighting all game, refusing to yield to the size and talent of the Sharks.

Tonight, the Predators displayed the heart and the will to win this game. Character won out.

The Predators were without Patric Hornqvist, who was injured in the previous game with the Islanders. A very big hole in the lineup, one that would require the entire team to step up and take up the slack. Another challenge to fight through; another opportunity for others to show heart and character.

That fight, that character was shown in little things that won the game. Taking a hit to make a play; hustling back, as J.P. Dumont did, to stop a breakaway attempt; fighting to clear the front of the net; all things that don't show up in the score sheet but often determine the outcome of a game.

It is this type of effort that it takes to be a talented team like the Sharks. It is this type of effort that it takes to build a winning streak like the one the Predators enjoy.

Keep playing with heart and character like you displayed tonight, and the wins will pile up.

My three stars:

1. Colin Wilson

2. Sergei Kostitsyn

3. Anders Lindback

Predators Pound the Islanders 5-0

Let's face it- the New york Islanders have struggled this season. Their lineup has been wracked with injuries and is full of call ups from their minor league affiliate. They are a wounded team that was making a rare visit to Nashville for an inter-conference tilt against the Predators.

This was a game that had all the makings of an upset. A trap game.

In these types of games, it is important that the favored team come out with some jump and put the hammer down early and take the underdog out of the contest.

Looking at the final 5-0 score, one could surmise that the Predators did just that to the Islanders. The truth is that the Predators got through a flat first period with just a 1-0 lead, and without the stellar play of Anders Lindback in net, the outcome could have been disastrously different for the Predators.

The game opened with the Islanders displaying much more jump than the Predators. The Islanders cycled the puck well and controlled much of the play early in the contest. Indicative of the tempo was the fact that the Predators did not record their first shot on net until five minutes had elapsed in the first. Lindback was tested early and answered the challenge that the Islanders presented. His steady play kept the Isles off the board and the Predators in the game early.

Lindback has now recorded his second consecutive shutout, and is 4-0-1 since taking over for an injured Pekka Rinne. He ran his season record to 7-1-2 for the season. Tonight, he faced 28 shots in his shutout effort.

The Predators finally got a puck past Islanders netminder Dwayne Roloson at 11:15 of the first period. Cody Franson had the puck at the blue line and absolutely undressed Frans Neilson with a nifty move to keep possession of the puck. Franson walked the puck into the high slot and fired a shot that was tipped by Sergei Kostitsyn and past Roloson glove side to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.


 This was the sixth straight game that Kostitsyn has recorded a point. It is good to see his game mature and that he is starting to show the potential that many thought he had. It is obvious that Kostitsyn is feeling more comfortable each game that he plays.

The Islanders are 0-15-2 in games where they have trailed 1-0, but the feel of this game after the first period was not necessarily a good one for Predator fans.

The mood of the home crowd would brighten considerably in the second period as Nashville would get their legs under them and step up the attack.

Patric Hornqvist would notch his 7th goal of the season at 5:22 of the second as he shoved home a rebound of a Shane O'Brien shot past a sprawling Roloson. The play, however, was made by O'Brien, as he controlled the puck and jumped over a sliding Isles defender, re-gathered the puck and unleashed his shot. A truly amazing play by O'Brien, showing the presence of mind to avoid the defender with a spectacular move and control the puck for a shot on net. Hornqvist was doing what he does best, lurking around the net, creating havoc, and poking home a rebound.

Nashville would add their third goal at 7:31 of the second as Jerred Smithson fought for the puck and controlled it as he drove  into the Islanders zone. He flipped a wrister at Roloson that somehow slipped between his arm and the post. One might call it a soft goal given up by Roloson, but the play was made  by Smithson who would not give up on the play and did the right thing by flipping the puck at the net.

Good things happen when you shoot the puck.

While the offense was starting to generate chances, Lindback was sharp in net, stopping Rob Schremp on several occasions and making some big saves. Lindback did give up some rebounds, but when he did, the defense was there to clean up the front of the net and not allow second chance scoring opportunities.

Patric Hornqvist would tally his second goal and make it 4-0 Predators at 13:55 of the third period. He drove down the right side and fired a shot that Roloson stopped with his pad. The rebound caromed behind the net, and Hornqvist continued his drive to the net, gathering in the puck and beating Roloson with the wraparound. Rollie was late sliding to the far post and gave Hornqvist the opening, and he made no mistake in burying the shot.

Matt Moulson took a high sticking penalty at 17:09. He was shortly thereafter followed to the box by James Wisniewski at 17:49 on another high sticking call. With the 5 on 3 power play, Nick Spaling found himself alone at the side of the net and he nailed a shot into the open net for his first NHL goal and the final score for the Predators.

5-0, and the fears of a trap game were dispelled.

The Predators started slowly, but as the game went on, exerted their will against the Islanders. Again, one should realize that the Islanders are a wounded team contending with numerous injuries.

The San Jose Sharks come to town on Wednesday, and as Head Coach Barry Trotz said in his post game remarks, the Predators will have to find another gear for that game.

Start slowly, and I will guarantee you the outcome will be markedly different.

Late in the game, Sergei Kostitysn was hit with a Shea Weber slapshot and injured his foot. The extent of the injury is not known, but according to Coach Trotz, it does not appear to be serious.

This means that Kostitsyn will miss at least a month. (Just kidding. I hope).

The Predators showed some maturity and mental toughness tonight. This was a game they should have won. A game where they should have come out and taken care of business and snuffed out any emotion and opportunity that the Islanders might have had.

It was good to see them efficiently take care of business.

Now it will be time to find another gear.

My three stars:

1. Patric Hornqvist

2. Anders Lindback

3. Sergei Kostitsyn