Predators Cap An Improbable Comeback With a 3-2 OT Win Over the Coyotes

In a game that was meaningless for the Predators and one in which they played for stretches like it was meaningless, the Predators shocked the Coyotes and the Predator fans with a 3-2 OT win.

The Predators were down 2 goals going into the third period when they supplied the wow factor.

Shea Weber drew the Predators within 1 goal with his 14th power play goal of the season to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Looking for all the world like Predator fans were going home disappointed, the Predators scored with 19 seconds to go. With Pekka Rinne pulled for an extra attacker, Roman Josi launched a shot toward the net that Filip Forsberg redirected past Mike Smith to tie the game at 2.

Overtime has not been kind to the Predators, but they figured it out in their second to last game of the year.

Josi took the puck through the neutral zone with speed, drove the net, and slid the puck past Smith for the improbable game winner just 20 seconds into the extra period.

Some observations:

• Antoine Vermette gave the Coyotes a 1-0 lead, deflecting a shot off his skate that was going well past the net. Shane Doan scored from the face off circle when the Predators failed to clear the puck. The play by Rinne was solid tonight, and I don't fault him for the 2 goals he gave up. It does point out that the defensive coverage has got to tighten up during the playoffs. There is no doubt Rinne will play his tail off but he is going to have to have some help out front.
• The Predators struggled for most of the night on the power play. The lone exception was Weber's goal. At times, the Predators wasted a lot of time just trying to get into the zone. That is an area of play that is going to have to improve in the playoffs.
• Speaking of Weber, he hit 20 goals for the third time in his career. His power play goal was his 14th of the year, tying Andy Delmore and Paul Kariya for a franchise high in power play goals.
• How about Filip Forsberg? His goal was his 33rd of the season and tied Jason Arnott for the franchise record. The thing about this goal that was exceptional to me is that it came with Forsberg right at the top of the crease battling for position. We have all seen and been amazed by some of his goals, but he has also shown that he is not afraid to go to the hard areas to score. 
• Big props to the fans. The team finished the season playing 41 home games at 99.2% capacity at the Bridge. 695,828 fans attended games this year, 4800 more than last season. The Predators sold out 35 of their 41 home games this season, eclipsing the previous high of 30 sellouts, set last season.
• The Predators are now 5-21-5 when they trail after 2 periods.
• The Predators are now 2-12 in OT.
• Anthony Bitetto returned to the line up after missing 9 games due to an injury.

As it was in the last game, this win was certainly not a thing of beauty. Yet it was beautiful from the standpoint that the Predators never quit and kept pressing.

And they were rewarded for that effort.

It is that kind of effort that the Predators will need in the playoffs.

My three stars:

1. Roman Josi

2. Filip Forsberg

3. Mike Smith

Predators Have No Fight In Them, Fall to the Coyotes 4-0

The Nashville Predators were looking to find some consistency and some wins. A trip to Gila River Arena to face the Arizona Coyotes stood in their way of accomplishing those goals.

Pekka Rinne got the night off and Carter Hutton got the start, while Louie Domingue, who has been red hot for the Coyotes (5-0-2 in 7 starts), was in the net.

Hutton was tested early as Anthony Duclair was awarded a penalty shot and he stopped the attempt.

After a scoreless first period, the Coyotes struck first in the second period as Antoine Vermette tallied on a power play for a 1-0 lead.

Tobias Rieder scored 55 seconds into the third period on a shot that floated over the shoulder of Carter Hutton to make it 2-0. He added an empty net goal at 17:37, and Anthony Duclair scored with 14 seconds left to humiliate the Predators 4-0.


Some observations:

• Colin Wilson was scratched with a lower body injury.
• D pairs were changed. Petter Granberg skated with Mattias Ekholm in his first action since being acquired. Barret Jackman was paired with Ryan Ellis.
• Cody Hodgson drew back into the line up and was on a line with Viktor Arvidsson and Mike Fisher. 
• In the absence of Wilson, Filip Forsberg moved up to the Johansen and Neal Line. Calle Jarnkrok was on a wing with Craig Smith and centerd by Mike Ribeiro.
• The Predators penalty kill has had stretches of being bad and then showing some significant improvement. They are back to being bad again. This unit has never really looked in sync this season, although they have had some good stretches. They are back to looking out of sync again. And this is not good for this struggling team.
• On the other side, the Predators man advantage has been very inconsistent. There are moments where that u nit looks really good and moments where they have difficulty in getting in the zone. Again, the inconsistency of this unit mirrors the inconsistency of this team. Both have to improve.
• Maybe it is just me, but it seems that the constant line juggling by Head Coach Peter Laviolette has seriously disrupted the chemistry among the Predator forwards, both in the offensive and defensive zones. 
• The lack of production from the third line is troubling. Great teams get balanced scoring and there is none on the Predators right now. And the 4th line? It has David Legwand-itis. That is where offense goes to die.
• This team has completely lost its confidence and mojo. While talented, this is a fragile team that lacks mental toughness and the ability to fight back in the face of adversity. Halfway through the season and the Predators have only 2 wins when trailing after 2 periods. This speaks volumes about the toughness, or lack thereof, on this squad.

There is not much to say about this game, or frankly this team, that hasn't already been said. The season is wasting away and this team shows no ability to stop this miserable slide.

I hope I am proven wrong.

My three stars:

1. Louie Domingue

2. Tobias Rieder

3. Anthony Duclair

Predators In a Deep Hole, Fall to the Blackhawks 3-2 in Triple OT.

The Nashville Predators trail the Chicago Blackhawks in their first round series by a 2-1 margin. To say that game Four at the United Center was a huge game for the Predators is an understatement of Brobdingnagian proportions.

A spirited and fast paced first period saw both teams go to the locker room having tallied once.

Colin Wilson redirected a Ryan Ellis shot past Scott Darling with the Predators on the power play to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

The Hawks answered with a shot that was redirected by Antoine Vermette to knot the game at 1. Vermette's goal was his first of the series.

James Neal got his first goal of the playoffs as he corralled a loose puck and slid it off the skate of Duncan Keith and past Darling to give the Predators a 2-1 lead late in the second period.

Brandon Saad was left all alone in the slot and he blasted a puck past Pekka Riine to tie the game at 2 midway of the third period.

With neither team able to score in the remainder of the period, the teams went to overtime for the second time in this series.

These teams must really like playing each other, because the first OT wasn't enough to decide the game. For the second time in four games, the Predators and Hawks would go to double overtime.

Guess what?

That wasn't enough hockey for these two teams either.

Off to triple overtime.

And in the triple OT session, Brent Seabrook ended 1 minute in with a shot that eluded Rinne to give the Blackhawks a 3-2 victory. Rinne was screened by Brian Bickell on the shot from the blue line and he never saw the shot until it went in the net.


Some observations:

• Kevin Fiala saw his first post season action. Taylor Beck was scratched to make room for Fiala. Fiala is the 6th youngest player in League history to play in the post season. Fiala started the game on a line with Calle Jarnkrok and James Neal.
• Colin Wilson got the tip in front off the Ryan Ellis shot for his 4th goal of the series. Wilson has come alive in the post season, and this is obviously good for the Predators. Wilson went to the hard area in front of the net on the power play and was rewarded for his efforts. This is the kind of play the Predators need to consistently see from Wilson and it is good to see him step up on the big stage. Wilson goal came on the power play, and he has 3 of his 4 goals on the man advantage.
• The Predators iced a depleted line up without Shea Weber and Mike Fisher, two big losses for the team. Regardless, I liked the hustle and the effort of the Predators. The Blackhawks are clearly a more talented team, but the Predators didn't back down in the face of a hostile crowd or the pressure of the Hawks. The young players on the ice had to grow up quickly, and they did just that.
• Viktor Stalberg has played a solid series against the Hawks. We are seeing flashes of his skill and he is not afraid to throw the body around. I would really like to see Stalberg live up to his potential in these playoffs and in the coming season.
• James Neal notched his first goal of the playoffs, and it was good to see him get on the score sheet. Neal played a solid game all night, hustling, hitting, and fighting for the puck. This is the kind of play the Predators need from Neal if they are going to win this series.
• Two Predator players that stood out to me in this game were Gabby Bourque and Ryan Ellis. Bourque was a demon on the forecheck and was physical all night. Bourque doesn't often find the score sheet, but he plays with heart and passion, and I love that about his game. The mini-me D man, Ellis, also had a strong game. He was directly responsible for the Predators first goal, getting his shot from the point to the net. Ellis lacks size, but he is a very smart player and uses his hockey smarts to get into position in the offensive and defensive zone and generates a lot of offense from the blue line.
• The Hawks are a dangerous team throughout their line up and they made the Predators pay on Brandon Saad's goal. The defense was drawn to the puck carrier and Saad was alone in the high slot. His shot was blistered past Rinne and was perfectly placed inside the post.
•  While Rinne has struggled in this series, his save on Marian Hossa with about 5 seconds remaining in regulation was amazing. It was a beauty of a stop that Predator fans have become used to seeing to keep the Predators in a game.
• And Rinne made some great stops in overtime as well. This team really needs Rinne to get his mojo back, and hopefully those quality saves will help his confidence.
• I have seen pucks get lost in equipment before, but the one that got lost in Rinne's gear stayed hidden for about as long as I have seen a puck stay lost.
• Fatigue really played a factor as the OT sessions wore on. On the Seabrook game winner, no one attempted to move Bickell out of front of Rinne and the screen was perfect for the shot to sneak through.

The Predators competed and competed well, but they were not good enough to win this game. They had their chances but let the Hawks hang around and capture a critical win.

Their backs are really against the wall. Can they fight back and extend this series or will it be a disappointing first round exit?

We will find out what the team is made of Thursday night.

My three stars:

1. Brent Seabrook

2. Colin Wilson

3. Scott Darling

Predators Sneak Past the Coyotes In A Shootout 4-3

The Nashville Predators faced off against the Phoenix Arizona Coyotes at Bridgestone Arena in a contest that would prove to be quite a battle.

The Predators defeated the Coyotes 4-3 in a shootout.

And frankly, they were fortunate to secure the win and the two points.

The Yotes opened the scoring off a 2 on1 break. David Moss carried the puck in the offensive zone on the right side and slipped the puck to Rob Klinkhammer. The Colonel tapped the puck past Pekka Rinne at 3:21 of the first period.

The Predators answered off an odd man rush of their own. Mike Ribeiro carried the puck into the offensive zone with the Predators on a 4 on 1 rush. Ribeiro sent the puck to Ryan Ellis in the high slot and got a return pass that he put through the wickets of Devan Dubnyk to tie the game at 12:05 of the first period.

Ellis gave the Predators a 2-1 lead at 5:12of the second period, just 3 seconds after a Predators power play had expired. Ellis beat Dubnyk short side from the top of the face off circle, sneaking the shot just inside the post.

The Coyotes tied the game just 3 seconds into a power play. With Calle Jarnkrok in the box for unsportsmanlike conduct, Antoine Vermette won a face off back to Keith Yandle and he beat Rinne glove side at 11:18 of the second period.

Former Predator Marty Erat gathered in a rebound at the side of the net and scored at 7:42 of the third period to give the Coyotes a 3-2 lead.

That goal was answered by James Neal, who blasted a slap shot past Dubnyk from the circle at 8:03 of the third period.

After the remainder of the third and the overtime period ended with neither team able to score, the game went to a shootout.

Derek Roy scored in the first round for the Predators, while Antoine Vermette scored in the third round to tie the shootout.

Ryan Ellis scored off a sweet move in the fourth round, and Rinne was able to stop Erat to secure the win.

Some observations:

• In three of their past four games, the Predators have shown alarming inconsistency in handling an aggressive forecheck. Tonight, the Predators had difficulty throughout the game in dealing with the aggressive, attacking style of the Coyotes. The pressure the Coyotes put on the Predators disrupted their breakouts and their cycle once they got in the offensive zone. On several occasions, the Coyotes forecheck forced turnovers in the Predators defensive zone, resulting in Rinne having to make some quality saves.

• The Coyotes turned up the intensity in the third period, and the Predators could not match their effort. The Yotes out shot the Predators 17-5 in the third, and 36-26 for the game.

• Ryan Ellis had a monster game, recording a goal, two assists, and the shootout winner. this was Ellis' first three point game of his career.

• How sweet must this game have been for Mike Ribeiro. He had a goal and an assist against the team that dumped him last season. Ribeiro now has points in his last 4 games.

• Former Predator Marty Erat had a goal and played with energy all night. Where was that game from Marty in his last year as a Predator?

• The goal from James Neal was a blast that he just blew past Dubnyk, Neal now has two goals in his last three games. Good to see him starting to heat up.

• The Predators are now 18-10-3 all time against the Coyotes at Bridgestone Arena.

• The Predators struggled in the face off dot all night, winning just 45% of the draws. Paul Gaustad led the team, winning 11 of 18 draws for 61%. This is going to have to improve especially in the offensive zone.

• The Predators power play did not look good at all. They were 0-5 tonight, and the PP unit just looks too static without much movement. Especially troubling was the lack of net front presence. No one was taking away the eyes of Dubnyk, and he had some rather routine saves when the Preds had the man advantage.

• Shea Weber led the team with 33:18 TOI. Roman Josi was the leader in blocked shots with 6.

• The Predators are now 4-0-2, good for 10 points and first place in the Central Division.

While winning the game feels good and getting points is important, the reality is that the Predators, while working hard, have caught a few breaks. There are facets of their game that have to improve if they want to continue to win games and pile up points.

But for now, enjoy the win and get ready for another test against Chicago on Thursday night.

My three stars:

1. Ryan Ellis

2. Mike Ribeiro

3. Keith Yandle

Predators Blow 3 Goal Lead, Fall in SO to the Coyotes

The Nashville Predators embarked on their longest road trip in team history- 7 games in 17 days and over 6,000 miles of travel- by facing the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena.

The Predators faced a big challenge in the Coyotes, who always play the Predators tough and are playing some very good hockey right now.

Unfortunately for the Predators, a game that started so well ended in a collapse that never should have happened.

Carter Hutton was in net for the Preds, while the Coyotes had Thomas Greiss in between the pipes.

The Coyotes opened the game with a ferocious forecheck, but credit the Predators for responding to the pressure and getting their legs going.

The Predators opened the scoring at the 11:00 of the first period as Matt Hendricks came off the bench on a change and David Legwand found him behind the defense with a cross ice pass. Hendricks ripped a shot from outside the face off circle that beat Greiss to the far post for a 1-0 lead.This was Hendricks first goal as a Predator.

The Predators made it 2-0 at 14:12 of the first period as Patric Hornqvist threw a puck at the front of the net. The puck deflected off Eric Nystrom and past Greiss. This was a prototypical Predator goal as the puck was sent to the front of the net with players crashing the net. For the Predators to have success, this was the style of hockey they needed to play.

The Predators had a 5 on 3 power play for just over a minute when David Legwand scored at 18:24 to make it 3-0.

A superb first period saw the Predators out shoot the Coyotes 11-5 and capitalize on their scoring chances. Again, this was the kind of start- and response- that the Predators needed against a very good team.

The challenge would be to continue this level of play over the next 40 minutes.

The Coyotes got in the board at 17:39 of the second period as Jordan Szwarz took a harmless shot at the net that Hutton misplayed. The puck slid under his glove and into the net to make it 3-1. Certainly not the type of goal that the Predators wanted to give up and hopefully it would not be a turning point for momentum in this game.

The Coyotes made it 3-2 at 10:09 as Derek Morris walked in from the blue line a ripped a shot past Hutton. The Coyotes D corps has some prolific scorers, but the Predators made it easy for the Coyotes as the defense had rotated to one side of the ice and Morris took advantage of an open lane to notch his 4th goal of the season.

The Predators needed an answer to the Coyotes push to swing momentum back to their side.

There was no answer by the Predators, but fortunately, they were able to hold off the pressure of the Coyotes for the remainder of the period.

The Predators out shot the Coyotes 8-6 in the second period, but there were stretches where the Coyotes had a decided territorial advantage.

The third period was shaping up to be a war, and the Predators were going to have to answer the inevitable push that the Coyotes would bring.

The Predators came out skating hard and putting pressure on the Coyotes. Nick Spaling put a shot on net from the boards that Greiss kicked out onto the stick of Paul Gaustad. Gaustad banged home the rebound at 15:45 to make it 4-2 Predators.

That was a huge goal for the Predators, not only to extend the lead back to 2, but also to take some of the momentum away from the Coyotes.

That regained momentum did not last long.

The Coyotes answered right back on the power play at 13:44 as Shane Doan hammered a shot from the right circle to make it 4-3.

The Coyotes tied the game at 11;43 as Antoine Vermette broke in on a breakaway and tucked the puck through the five hole of Hutton. The breakaway occurred as the Predators were trying to get a change and left the middle of the ice open for Vermette.

Neither team could get the winning goal in regulation, and after blowing a 3 goal first period lead, the Predators were now facing overtime.

David Legwand was called for holding early in the overtime period, and the Predators were going to have to rely on their penalty killers to salvage their chances.

And they did just that.

The Predators were able to survive the OT and now the second point would be claimed in the shootout.

In the first round of the shootout, Mike Ribeiro and Craig Smith were stopped. Radim Vrbata and Matt Cullen were stopped in the second round. Oliver Ekman-Larsson was stopped by Hutton and Mike Fisher hit the pipe. In the fourth round, David Rundblad and Gabriel Bourque were stopped by the netminders.

Mikael Boedker scored in the fifth round for the Coyotes and David Legwand was stoned by Greiss.

The Predators epic collapse was complete, dropping a 5-4 decision in overtime.

Some observations:

• Hutton gave up a soft first goal to the Coyotes, but was generally sound in net. The goals he gave up after the first one were solid goals that the Coyotes worked for along with some defensive breakdowns that assisted their effort.
• Mike Fisher didn't score, but played a very physical and competitive game. I liked his effort, and if he keeps up this level of play, he will find the back of the net.
• The Predators lost Matt Hendricks after a clean hit by Derek Morris in the second period. He is called out with an upper body injury.
• Viktor Stalberg was back in the line up. He showed good jump and saved a goal in the second period by sweeping a puck off the goal line. The Predators desperately need him to get his offensive game going.

This was a game that the Predators never should have lost. Yes, the Coyotes are an excellent team, but when you have a 3 goal lead, you have to lock down the other team. This game is evidence that this young team doesn't yet have a killer instinct.

They are going to have to develop one quickly.

My three stars:

1. David Legwand

2. Shane Doan

3. Keith Yandle

Woeful Predators Pummeled by Phoenix 4-0

The Nashville Predators continue their lengthy road swing with a contest in the desert against the Phoenix Coyotes. The Predators enter the tilt with a 1-1-3 record and some serious questions to answer.

Patric Hornqvist has been lost for 3-4 weeks with a sprained knee after being injured when Ryan Getzlaf of the Ducks fell on his knee in their previous game. The first question the Predators have to answer is who is going to step up and fill the roll of Hornqvist as a gritty presence in front of the net?

The longer term question- but equally important for the Predators- is what will it take to get their offense untracked? There have been stretches where the offense has been invisible, and the team is struggling to put the puck in the net. The Predators have to get balanced scoring out of their roster, and right now, the offense is sputtering. The quicker that question can be answered, the quicker the Predators get on track and keep pace with their rivals in the Central Division.

The Predators had Pekka Rinne in net, while the Coyotes went with Chad Johnson in his first NHL game of the season.

The Predators did not get the start they wanted as Antoine Vermette beat Pekka Rinne high glove side just 3 minutes into the game. Vermette just blasted a shot past Rinne from the face off circle, who had a good look but could not stop the puck.

The first period ended with the Coyotes leading 1-0 and the Predators still struggling to find any offensive push. The shots on goal were 6-3 for the Coyotes, a testament to the ineptness of the Predators offense.

The second period saw Pekka Rinne make two huge saves to keep the Coyotes off the board, one of which was a point blank stop from right in front of the net. Meanwhile, the Predators were never seriously threatening Johnson in the Phoenix net.

The Predators started skating and getting shots on net, but did not get quality scoring chances. Meanwhile, the Coyotes won a face off in the Predators zone and fired a shot on Rinne that he blocked but could not control. The Predators looked to have control of the puck, but lost it in traffic. The puck squirted to Lauri Korpikoski and he rifled the puck into the net to give the Coyotes a 2-0 lead at  16:48.

After two periods, the shots on goal were 13-10 for the Coyotes. If the Predators were going to have a chance to get back in this game, their offense was going to have to get going in the third period. Too often in the first two periods, the Predators had few quality scoring chances and were many times one shot and done. The Preds needed to get shots on goal and traffic to the net.

The third period saw the Predators begin to activate their defensemen in an attempt to create some offense, but Johnson was able to see the shots cleanly and rarely gave up a rebound. The Coyotes defense was doing a good job of clearing the front of the net, and although the Predators out shot the Coyotes 5-1 early in the period, they rarely had a second chance scoring opportunity.

The Coyotes took a 3-0 lead at 11:34 of the third period as a back pass from David Legwand was intercepted and started a 4 on 2 rush. Nick Johnson took a pass from Keith Yandle and buried the shot to give the Coyotes an insurmountable lead.

The Coyotes tallied on the power play at 15:02 as Keith Yandle took a shot from the blue line that beat Rinne through traffic. Unlike the Predators, the Coyotes had three players in front of the net screening Rinne and he never had a chance on the shot.

For the Predators, they could only hope the clock quickly would run out and end this miserable night.

The game mercifully ended with the no further scores by the Coyotes. The Coyotes out shot the Predators 25-22, but the reality is that Chad Johnson rarely had to make quality saves.

For the Predators, the offensive impotence that has plagued the team all season continued in a big way tonight. If the offense does not quickly develop some chemistry and jump, the Predators will soon find themselves spending the remainder of this shortened season trying to get back into the playoff race.

This is early in the season to be sure, but the effort by the offense is alarming.

It is time to get hungry boys.

My three stars:

1. Antoine Vermette

2. Keith Yandle

3. Chad Johnson

Coyotes Outwork and Outplay the Predators, Take 2-0 Series Lead

The Nashville Predators looked to even their second round series with the Phoenix Coyotes in the second game of this semi final match up.

The Predators needed to have sense of desperation and intensity in this contest. Going back to Nashville down 2-0 would not bode well for the Predators.

The Predators were once again going to rely on Pekka Rinne in net, while the Coyotes had their stalwart Mike Smith manning the pipes.

Both teams started the game skating well and throwing shots on net, but both goaltenders were able to handle the offensive thrust.

The Coyotes struck first at 8:32 of the first period as Keith Yandle took the puck just outside the right face off circle and found Antoine Vermette streaking to the net. Yandle's pass across the slot was right on the tape of Vermette's stick and he had a wide open net in which to deposit the puck. Vermette beat Marty Erat, who was late getting back in coverage and left his man wide open.

Phoenix seized momentum and were peppering Rinne with shots and being much more physical than the Predators. The Predators looked as if they were just holding on and trying to survive the Coyotes pressure and get out of the period.

That changed Kevin Klein took the puck through the neutral zone and went into the Phoenix zone. As Klein was being checked to the ice, he slid a pass to Andrei Kostitsyn. AK46 broke in alone on Smith and buried a forehand to tie the game at 1 at 17:13.

This was a huge goal by the Predators to take back momentum and give them some confidence. Responding as they did shows the fight in this group, and they will need it against the tough Coyotes.

The first period ended tied at 1. The Coyotes out shot the Predators 12-9.

The Coyotes took a 2-1 lead at 3:47 of the second period as Radim Vrbata drove to the net and was forced wide by the Roman Josi. Vrbata centered the puck from behind the net through the legs of Rinne and onto the stick of Martin Hanzal, who beat Kevin Klein driving to the net. Hanzal had an open net to shoot the puck into as Rinne could not recover after sliding to the post on Vrbata's drive.

Both Coyotes goals had occurred because the Coyotes beat Predator defenders to the net. This was not the type of hockey that the Predators had typically played, and if they did not correct these mistakes, then this series would end quickly.

The Coyotes stymied the Predators, who had a great flurry in the offensive zone but could not get the puck past Smith. The Coyotes  got control of the puck and came in the zone 2 on 2. A shot fluttered over the and the puck came to David Legwand, who inexplicably threw the puck over  his own net. Rinne certainly did not expect that, and he was bumped off balance as the puck landed on the tape of Radim Vrbata. Rinne was sprawled on the ice and Vrbata flipped the puck into the top of the net to give the Coyotes a 3-1 lead at 7:05.

There are no words to describe the stupidity of the play by Legwand.

Ray Whitney was called for slashing, and the Predators power play was dominant, controlling the puck for the entire power play in the Phoenix zone. As the power play was winding down, Ryan Suter took a shot from the point  and Patric Hornqvist deflected the puck past Smith to make it 3-2 at 11:20.

The Coyotes answered the Predators goal almost immediately as Shane Doan drove down the wing past Roman Josi and put a shot on Rinne that he deflected out into the slot. Taylor Pyatt was able to drive the slot unmolested and he batted the rebound out of mid-air past Rinne to give the Coyotes a 4-2 lead at 11:50.

The inability of the Predators to keep Phoenix from scoring after their tallies was frustrating to say the least. In this game, the Predators defense had been uncharacteristically loose and sloppy, and it had cost them.

Down 4-2 at the end of the period, the Predators were facing a desperate 20 minutes of hockey. They had been out shot 31-24 and had ceded the physical play to the Coyotes. Their defense was woeful to this point, and the hole they had dug was deep.

It would be a blinding flash of the obvious to say that the Predators had to play their best 20 minutes of the season to have a chance to win this game.

The Predators started the third period 4 on 4, but quickly got a power play. With the Predators moving the puck, Ryan Suter got open and blasted a shot off the shoulder of Smith and into the net just 53 seconds into the period.

THAT was certainly the start the Predators needed.

Now they had to play solid defense and play their style of hockey.

That didn't happen. The Coyotes once again answered the Predators goal as Derek Morris took a shot that was re-directed by Shane Doan to make it 5-3 Coyotes at 3:36. The play was set up by a clean face off win in the Predators zone by Antoine Vermette.

The Predators inability to keep the Coyotes from scoring when they get close is a matter of desire, in my opinion, and effort. To this point in the series, the Coyotes have outworked the Predators and their effort has been rewarded with goals.

As much as the Predators needed offensive push to get back into this game, they were thwarted by the forecheck and the work of the Coyotes. The pressure the Coyotes put on the Predators suffocated any offense the Predators tried to generate. After the initial goal to open the period, the Predators rarely pressured Smith, and appeared to be completely knocked out of kilter by the Coyotes forecheck.

Pekka Rinne was pulled with 2:13 to go in the game, and even with the extra attacker, the Predators were still being outworked by the Coyotes and could not set up their offense. The Coyotes beat Predators to the puck and out manned the Predators on the puck. There was absolutely no offensive flow at all from the Predators.

David Legwand took a penalty with 46 seconds remaining and Boyd Gordon took a coincidental high sticking penalty. Nashville now had a 5 on 4 with Rinne pulled, and still the Predators could not get their offense going.

The Predators could not threaten Smith, much less score, and the game ended with Coyotes dominating the Predators and the scoreboard 5-3.

This game was particularly disappointing for the Predators, as their defense was horrific. The guys in front of Pekka Rinne owe him a big apology for their sloppy play.

Also disappointing is the fact that throughout the game, the Predators were outworked. The Coyotes forecheck dominated the Predators and they had no answer. The Predators have long prided themselves on their work ethic, and tonight, the Coyotes showed the Predators what a real work ethic looks like.

Having dug a 2-0 hole, the Predators now face a gut check. They can come back to Nashville and play Predator hockey and make a commitment to outwork the Coyotes. If they do, they can capture the games on home ice in front of their raucous crowd.

If they do not, then the Predators are looking at embarrassingly getting swept with this kind of play.

The choice is yours, boys.

My three stars:

1. Radim Vrbata

2. Antoine Vermette

3. Ryan Suter

Predators Stun the Jackets in OT 4-3

The Nashville Predators ventured to the Nationwide Arena to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets and were desperately looking for a win to turn around their fortunes. The Predators came into the game with a 3-6-1 record in their last ten games, while the Jackets have improved their play of late and entered with a 5-3-2 record in their last ten game.

Pekka Rinne got the start in net for the Predators, while the surprisingly solid Curtis Sanford started his 11th straight game for the Blue Jackets.

Stop me if you have heard this song before.

The Predators were dominated in time of possession and in shots in the first period. With 17 minutes gone in the first period, the Predators had been outshot 10-1, and except for some good saves by Pekka Rinne, the Blue Jackets would have blown the Predators out of the barn in the first period.

As it was, the Jackets had a 1-0 lead by virtue of a goal from Jeff Carter at 12:42 of the period. Carter skated from behind the goal and whipped a shot  from just outside the goal line that was in and out of the net so fast that play continued. After a stoppage of play and a video review, the goal was credited to Carter and the Jackets.

The BJ's made it 2-0 at 10:49 of the second period as Antoine Vermette eluded Jack Hillen and was able to gather in a rebound of a shot by Jared Boll and backhanded the puck over Rinne.

The Predators showed some life as Mike Fisher tallied at at 13:10 with a nice backhand shot off a feed from Sergei Kostitsyn. Finally, the Predators had a response and looked like they had some life.

Whatever momentum the Predators had was quickly squelched as Derek Dorsett absolutely blew through the Predators defense and skated in uncontested on Rinne. His snap shot beat Rinne high glove side just inside the post to make it 3-1 Columbus.

With Rinne pulled for an extra attacker late in the period, Shea Weber sent a shot to the net, and Patric Hornqvist, working hard in the dirty area, banged home a rebound for his 8th goal of the season to cut the deficit to 3-2 with 1:38 left in the contest.

The goal was on only the 4th shot of the period for the Predators.

With 1:06 remaining in the contest, Sami Pahlsson of the BJ's was sent to the box for cross checking. With Rinne pulled, the Predators had a 6 on 4 advantage.

The Predators tied the game with 12.1 seconds to go in the contest as Marty Erat took a shot from the face off circle and the shot was re-directed by Sergei Kostitsyn.

With this flurry at the end of the period, the Predators had amazingly managed to tie the game and send it to overtime.

Fortunately for the Predators, their slumbering offense finally awoke to salvage a point that this team desperately needed.

At 1:45 of the overtime period, Marty Erat skated in 2 on 1 with Colin Wilson. Erat hit Wilson with a perfect pass on his tape and Wilson buried the one timer for the game winning goal.

An improbable win?

Absolutely.

A win that can turn the fortunes of a team?

Without a doubt.

This time, the song turned out differently for the Predators.

The Predators were badly outplayed for stretches at a time in this contest. The BJ's were dominant at times. Yet this team kept fighting and working, and finally were rewarded for their effort.

During this miserable period of hockey for the Predators, there have been times where this team hasn't worked and times where they have quit.

Not tonight.

I have mentioned on too many occasions that this young team has had to learn some painful lessons. Tonight, they learned that if they keep working and playing their game, eventually they will be rewarded.

This lesson is a lot more fun to learn.

Confidence can be fleeting. Over the past few games, this team has not been confident. The takeaway from tonight's game is that the team should be confident in their work ethic and they should know that if they keep fighting, skating, and working hard, they will be rewarded.

Now it is time to take the lessons from this game and the confidence that you should have from your effort and build on it.

That song is much more fun.

My three stars:

1. Colin Wilson

2. Patric Hornqvist

3. Jeff Carter

Nashville Blown Away by the BJ's

Points in the Western Conference race are precious. Every game becomes a must win game with the standings jammed with teams competing for playoff positioning. Unfortunately, the Nashville Predators don't seem to grasp the necessity of winning games right now, as they stunk in a  4-0  loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The two teams engaged in a tight checking scoreless affair for two periods as Pekka Rinne and Steve Mason were solid in their respective nets. It would all fall apart for the Predators in the third period, however.

Rick Nash opened the scoring in the third period at 1:11 when he drove past Kevin Klein and poked the puck past Rinne to give the Jackets a 1-0 lead. The way the Predators were playing, one had the sick feeling that this goal would be enough.

It was.

The BJ's would make it 2-0 at 4:29 as Rinne had a mis-communication with his defenseman, Alexander Sulzer. Both went behind the Nashville net to play the puck with Nahville a man down. Neither played the puck and it bounced out the other side to Matt Calvert who stuffed the puck home into an empty net.

The BJ's would make it 3-0 as Antoine Vermette was left alone in front of the Nashville net and he had all day to jam a puck past Rinne.

Rick Nash scored at 19:10 on the power play to make it 4-0.

The Predator offense was invisible in this game, and that is extremely disappointing and unacceptable. The Predators did not do the tough things to win this game. They lost board battles all night; they did not put any traffic in front of Mason; and there was a general lack of toughness, both physical and mental.

In a word, the Predators did not have the desire to win this game. It showed in the third, in crunch time. This is a sign of mental toughness- or lack thereof. This team has shown the annoying habit of fading in crunch time.

Keep it up, and you will be on the outside looking in come playoff time.

It's time for this team to get some snarl, to play smart but with an edge. Right now, this team seems too content to sit back and absorb the punches from their opponent. The Predators have to be in attack mode to be successful.

There was no attack tonight.

And you were embarrassed and embarrassing.

You now have 22 games left. You are going to have to win, by my estimate, 15 of these games to make the playoffs.

It's time to understand how important these games are now. It's time to play with some edge and some desperation. It's time to stop making inferior opponents look great.

My three stars:

1. Rick Nash

2. Steve Mason

3. Matt Calvert

Predators Beat Blue Jackets 4-3 in a Shootout

The Nashville Predators journeyed to the Nationwide Arena once again for a divisional tilt with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Unlike their first foray into enemy territory, the Predators effort in this contest was decidedly better than the first meeting with the Jackets. The Predators took the game to a shootout, defeating the Blue Jackets 4-3 behind Pekka Rinne's outstanding goaltending.

The Predators decided that they were going to crash the net and challenge Jackets netminder Steve Mason, something that they did not do in the first meeting. The Predators shot the puck and crashed the net and generally created havoc in front of Mason, making him scramble to make saves and making his life difficult.

Nashville scored first at 17:02 of the first period when Colin Wilson was the beneficiary of a beautiful saucer pass from Cal O'Reilly from behind the net. Wilson was crashing the crease and lifted a shot over the shoulder of Mason to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

Anoine Vermette tied the game at 7:11 when the Predators lost defensive zone coverage and allowed Vermette to break in alone on the backside of the coverage. Marty Erat and Shea Weber lost the coverage, and Rinne was rightfully livid with his defense after the score.

Nashville would regain the lead at 16:29 of the second period as Marty Erat found Sergei Kostitsyn braking to the net. He got the pass to SK74 in traffic, and he was able to control the puck and lift it over Mason's shoulder.

Nashville would give up the equalizer at 2:01 of the third period as Kris Russell would get his first goal of the season. That goal would energize the Blue Jackets as their forecheck picked up and created turnovers and put the Predators back on their heels.

The Jackets pressure would pay off as Rick Nash walked in on net and put a shot in on Rinne, who made a great toe save. The puck was caromed off the skate of Colin Wilson, who missed the clear at the side of the net. Antoine Vermette, following the play, tapped the puck into the open net to give the Jackets their first lead of the night.

It was disappointing to once again see the Predators fail to hold a lead in the third period. Having played the previous night, there was concern about how much gas Nashville would have in the tank. More importantly, would this team have the mental toughness to mount a comeback against a tough divisional opponent?

That question was answered at 11:38 of the period as the Predators were crowding the crease and Kevin Klein unleashed a rocket that went low along the ice. Mason never saw the shot until it went into the back of the net. Tie game, question resoundingly answered.

The game remained scoreless for the rest of the third period and the overtime session, but it was not for lack of effort as both Rinne and Mason made some big saves.

Once again, the Predators were going to a shootout, their sixth of the season.

Columbus elected to have Nashville shoot first, and Mason got a piece of Cal O'Reilly's shot. Rinne answered by stopping Jakub Voracek.

Nashville's second shooter, Steve Sullivan absolutely undressed Mason, faking to his backhand and causing Mason to slide completely out of the net. Sully drew the puck back and slid it into the net with a gentle forehand shove.

Rinne stoned Rick Nash and Mason stopped Marty Erat.

With the game on the line, Rinne faced his nemesis tonight, Antoine Vermette. Rinne ate up his shot, and the Predators had the all important second point.

After a four game losing streak, the Predators have now won two in a row.

The tenor of this game was decidedly different than the first contest. Nashville skated better and the forwards were not going to be denied the dirty areas in front of the crease. Two of their three goals came from shots in the hard area, with players paying the price to establish position and challenge Mason.

Kudos to Pekka Rinne. This win was squarely on his shoulders, as he made some outstanding saves. Rinne is a beast in net and is playing with confidence. His game is on, and it gives the Predators an opportunity for victory every night. The three goals that were allowed were goals for which I do not fault Rinne.

The win feels good, but there are still holes in the Predators game that have to be plugged. There are still lapses in the defensive coverage that one would not expect with the D that Nashville puts on the ice. There are still times that the offense disappears.

The win is positive. The mistakes have to be corrected. Take the positives and build on them. You played a very good team tonight and you did what it took to win the game.

Play Predator hockey, and you will see the wins add up.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Antoine Vermette

3. Steve Sullivan