Predators Don't Fold, Top Kings 4-3

The Nashville Predators faced the Los Angeles Lings in the second game of their 7 game road trip, and for the Predators, they needed another fast start like the one they had in Phoenix.

They also needed a better finish than what they had in Phoenix.

That fast start was just what the Predators got, jumping out to a 2-0 lead on two power play goals. David Legwand opened the scoring at 11:15 of the first period on the Predators first power play. He cruised into the high slot and fired a wrist shot past a screen from Patric Hornqvist in front of Kings netminder Jonathan Quick to give the Predators a 1-0 lead. Legwand scored on the first shot of the power play.

The Predators made it 2-0 on the first shot of their second power play. The puck went down low to Hornqvist at the side of the net. He drew the defense to him and found Shea Weber pinching into the low slot. Weber took the pass and potted the puck past an out of position Quick at 19:06 of the first period.

The Kings cut the deficit to 2-1 at 19:23 as Anze Kopitar banged home a rebound of a Jake Muzzin shot that fluttered over the pads of a sprawling Carter Hutton.

Hutton had to be strong in the first period, as five on five, the Kings out played the Predators. They had 14 shots on net compared to the Predators 6.

The second period saw the Kings pressure the Predators and thy had a decided territorial advantage with the puck in the Predators offensive zone. Hutton made some good saves and he was getting a lot of help from his defense to keep the Kings off the board.

By contrast, the Predators were not generating much offense 5 on 5. One of their few quality chances was converted by Eric Nystrom when he took a great pass in the slot from Hornqvist and beat Quick with a one timer at 8:41 to make it 3-1.

The Predators got bad news as Mike Fisher was injured when he collided with Dustin Brown in an accidental collision. Fisher appeared to hurt his foot and went immediately to the locker room. He was called out for the rest of the game.

The Kings out shot the Predators 10-5 in the second period.

The Kings were going to push even harder in the third period. The Predators were going to have to show more resilience and toughness than they did in their previous game to secure the win.

The push did come from the Kings as they controlled the puck in the offensive zone and peppered Hutton with pucks. They broke through with a goal at 9:41 of the third as a shot from Dustin Brown deflected off the stick of Kevin Klein in front of the net and eluded Hutton to make it a 3-2 game.

With Ryan Ellis in the box for interference, Mike Richards battled for the puck at the top of the crease and slid a rebound home to tie the game at 3 at 11:18.

The Predators had been out shot 8-1 at this point in the game and were on the verge of another troubling and epic collapse in the third period.

The Predators fought back to make it 4-3 as Mattias  Ekholm took a shot from the point. Quick kicked out a rebound onto the stick of David Legwand and he rammed the rebound  home to give the Predators the lead at 16:04.

This time, there was no collapse.

The Predators held off the Kings to capture the 4-3 win.

Some observations:

• The predators made the most of their scoring opportunities, which were few and far between. The Kings out shot the Predators 38-17 and controlled play for most of the game. If the Predators had not been efficient with their shots, this game would have been a rout.

• Patric Hornqvist and David Legwand had outstanding games. this is the kind of hockey these guys need to play and tonight, they showed exceptional leadership and effort.

• The Predators power play was 2 for 3. This unit has to produce for the Predators to be successful and they were very efficient tonight.

• Eric Nystrom may be the Predators best off season add. He brings energy, grit, and is able to contribute some timely scoring.

• Mattias Ekholm is settling in on the blue line. He has been playing some sound hockey on the third pairing and I look for his game to continue to develop and improve.

Tonight, the Predators showed some heart and some character. For a while in the third period, it appeared as if they were playing not to lose. Yet when the game was on the line, they capitalized on a prime scoring chance to secure the win.

This is the way this team has to play- for a full 60 minutes and going for the win.

Do that, and this will be a successful road trip.

My three stars:

1. David Legwand

2. Patric Hornqvist

3. Anze Kopitar

Predators Defeat the KIngs in a SO 2-1

The Nashville Predators have struggled to generate offense so far this young season. Their task is to get shots on net and quality scoring chances, to get back to playing Predator hockey. A game built on grit, speed, and effort.

That task was going to be made more difficult as they faced the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center.

The Predators had Pekka Rinne in net, while the Kings were going with Jonathan Quick.

The Predators got the start they wanted as just 58 seconds into the game David Legwand won a face off in the Kings zone and the puck came to Brandon Yip at the top of the face off circle. Yip loaded up the shot and beat Quick high glove side to give the Predators a 1-0 lead. 

The Predators gave the Kings a golden opportunity to tie the game. Scott Hannan was called for interference at 11:10 of the period. One minute later, Paul Gaustad was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct for chirping the officials. The Kings had 1 minute of 5 on 3 power play time, which they immediately short circuited by taking a tripping penalty off the face off, resulting in a minute of 4 on 3 hockey and the Kings with the advantage.

The Kings made the Predators pay for their transgression just as Hannan's penalty was about to expire. Mike Richards shot the puck over the net and it rebounded right in front of the net. Hal Gill did not see the puck and Dustin Brown pounced on the loose puck at the top of the crease and hammered it past a defenseless Rinne to tie the game at  13:08 of the period.

The Predators continued to tempt fate as Hal Gill was called for cross checking, the fourth penalty that the Predators took in the period. The Predators were able to kill the penalty, but would open the second a man down for another 32 seconds. That is until Dustin Brown took a penalty at the 20 minute mark for interference.

The Predators skated better in this opening frame than they have in their past few games.The undisciplined play of the team gave the Kings the opportunity to out shoot the Predators 10-3 and disrupted any offensive flow the Predators tried to establish. The Predators were going to have to play a more disciplined game and stay out of the box to be successful. The potent Kings offense did not need help with the man advantage.

Scott Hannan continued to get familiar with the officials in the penalty box as he took his third penalty of the game for tripping at 3:05 of the second period. Fortunately, the Predators were able to kill off the penalty.

The second period was scoreless. The Predators power play was ineffective, and even though the shots were 5 apiece in the period, the Kings had the territorial advantage for much of the period. Through two periods, the Predators offense continued to struggle, mustering just 8 total shots on goal.

The same sad song.

If the Predators were going to have a chance, they were going to have to commit to getting the puck onnet and create some havoc in front of Quick. So far, they had failed to do that.

The third period started to open up with both teams moving the puck up and creating some chances. The Predators had a chance to take the lead with Quick caught out of position but the Predators unable to corral a bouncing puck at the side of the net. Rinne made a huge stop as the Kings converted a turnover  and Jeff Carter got loose in front of the net.

The Kings pressed late in the third period, but the Predators were able to keep them off the board. Neither team could find the back of the net, so the game was going to overtime.

The Kings out shot the Predators 22-11, and the Predators failed to register a shot on goal over the final 10 minutes of the period.

It would be an understatement to say that the Predators stole a point in this game.

The Predators created some great scoring chances in the overtime period off their effort down low in the Kings zone. Ryan Ellis had a good scoring chance but could not bury it and Sergei Kostitsyn could not put home a rebound.

The Predators kept up the effort and the forecheck and showed their best offensive zone possession of the game, but could not get the puck in the net. So for the fourth time this season, the Predators were heading to the shootout.

In the first round, Pekka Rinne stopped Jeff Carter. David Legwand beat Quick to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

In the second round, Mike Richards beat Rinne five hole. Craig Smith fired a shot that hit Quick's pads and bounced in the goal. to restore the Predators lead.

In the third round, Dustin Brown beat Rinne with a great fake. to tie the shootout. Marty Erat missed the net on his attempt.

The fourth round saw Drew Doughty miss the net. Colin Wilson had a chance to end the game, and was missed off the backhand.

The Kings had Jarrett Stoll shoot in the fifth round and Rinne was able to stop the shot with his left pad. Brandon Yip hit the side of the net.

Anze Kopitar gave the Kings the lead as he beat Rinne stick side. Gabriel Bourque had to score in the sixth round and he made a sweet move and beat Quick off his backhand  just under the crossbar.

Rinne stopped Justin Williams as he got enough of the shot and it trickled wide. Roman Josi fired wide on his attempt.

In the eighth round, Simon Gagne was stopped by the pad of Rinne. Sergei Kostitsyn faked Quick to the ice and beat Quick to the far post for the win.

Although there were stretches where the Predators were outplayed by the Kings, this game was a different game for this team. They did not cave under pressure and played with some heart, qualities that had been lacking in some of their previous games.

This is the kind of effort that, while far from true Predator hockey, showed flashes of what this team can do.

It is time to build on that effort, boys.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Brandon Yip

3. Sergei Kostitsyn

Predators Grind Out a 2-1 Win Over the Kings

The Nashville Predators secured a workmanlike 2-1 victory over he Los Angeles Kings at the Bridgestone Arena to run their record to 37-19-7, good for 81 points.

The first period was a spirited affair between the two teams as each had some good scoring chances. Pekka Rinne got the start in net for the Predators, and he was called upon to make some good saves early in the contest to keep the Kings off the board. Jonathan Quick, the Kings netminder, did the same, thwarting some good scoring chances for the Predators.

The Predators would find the back of the net late in the first period on a goal by Roman Josi at 18:27. Josi took a wrist shot that hit the Kings Drew Doughty's stick and was re-directed between Quick's arm and his body. The puck trickled through and over the goal line to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

Patric Hornqvist extended the lead to 2-0 at 3:52 of the second period. David Legwand fired a puck off the end board that caromed directly onto the tape of Hornqvist's stick. Hornqvist buried the shot past an out of position quick for his 18th goal of the season. It was good to see Hornqvist back in action and contributing after missing five games due to injury.

The Kings got on the board at 16:36 of the third period as Dustin Brown fired a shot toward the net with traffic in front. The puck pinballed off the skates of Ryan Suter and Mike Fisher and skittered past Rinne for the Kings only goal of the game.

Leading 2-1 with the clock winding down, the Predators held the Kings off the board and secured an important two points.

Pekka Rinne made 30 saves for the Predators, some of which were spectacular. For the game, the Kings out shot the Predators 31-28.

The Predators did a good job of forechecking the Kings and skated well with them all night. The Kings like to use their size to wear down their opponents, but the Predators generally did a good job of controlling the Kings cycle and forcing them to the outside. Unlike their previous game with the Sharks, the Predators stepped up their offensive pressure in the third period, especially late in the game, preventing Quick from getting off the ice for the extra attacker by forcing the puck deep and forcing the Kings to defend in their zone.

Kudos to Hal Gill for another strong game. Gill continues to block shots and his physical presence is dominant in front of the net. Gill is especially important to this team in taking pressure off of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter by chewing up minutes. Also, a special mention should go to Jack Hillen. Hillen was inserted into the lineup with Kevin Klein out of action, and he played a solid game. His best play came in blocking s hot that was targeted for the open net when Rinne was out of position.

This was a solid effort against a desperate team that really needed the points. The Predators continue to play a strong team game, and have four lines that can put the puck in the net. More importantly, the four lines that are on the ice are defensively responsible and contribute quality minutes in all situations.

This is a winning formula. Sometimes the wins are not things of beauty, but they are wins nevertheless.

And the Predators will take them.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Patric Hornqvist

3. Roman Josi

Predators Fall to the Kings 4-3

The Nashville Predators continued their west coast swing with a visit to Los Angels to take on the Kings at the Staples Center. The Predators gave workhorse Pekka Rinne the night off and Anders Lindback got his first start in net since March 20th of last season.

The Kings went with their back up netminder Jonathan Bernier.

The Kings opened with an interference penalty just 25 seconds into the contest. The Predators did not get a shot on net during their power play, and just as the penalty expired, Patric Hornqvist was called for interference. With 10 seconds remaining in that penalty, Jerred Smithson was called for tripping. The Predators killed off Hornqvist penalty but 5 seconds later gave up a power play goal as defenseman Alec Martinez got open on the weak side and took a nice cross ice pass from Justin Williams and buried the shot past an out of position Lindback to give the Kings a 1-0 lead.

Drew Doughty gave the Kings a 2-0 lead at 13:47 of the period as he unleashed a blast from just inside the blue line that beat Lindback over his shoulder and just under the crossbar. The Kings have struggled to score goals this season, and unfortunately for the Predators, they looked as if they had broken out of this slump early on in the contest.

It was a deficit that the Predators did not need to face and certainly not the start they wanted. It was now going to be another test of character for the Predators to claw their way back into this game.

Matt Halischuk cut the deficit to one with a 4 on 4 goal at 10:41 of the first. This goal was the result of nothing but hard work and hustle, as Haslichuk dumped the puck in the zone, retrieved it, got it out front and got a rebound of a Shea Weber shot and wristed the puck past Bernier. A Predator hockey goal and a nice answer to the push the Kings had put on early in the period.

Character showed itself at 16:02 of the period as Craig Smith blasted a rocket from the face off circle past Bernier while the Predators were on the power play. This was Smith's fifth goal of the season, and the thing about Smith is that he is not afraid to shoot  the puck, and it is paying off in good scoring chances and in goals.

The Predators were guilty of some horrific turnovers in their zone- one by Teemu Laakso and one by Jordin Tootoo- that could have resulted in Kings goals, but Lindback made some big saves to keep the Kings off the board. The period ended with the score knotted at 2, but certainly the Kings had some glorious chances to take the lead late in the period.

The Predators troubling trend of getting badly outshot reared its ugly head in the first period, as the Kings outshot the Predators 16-8.

More ominously, the Predators lost David Legwand early in the period to an upper body injury.

The action in the second period was back and forth with both goaltenders making some good saves, but the Kings finally cracked the scoreboard at 9:28 on a 3 on 2 break out. Mike Richards took a nice cross ice pass from Dustin Brown and beat Lindback with a shot inside the post.

The Kings extended their lead to 2 on the power play with Jordin Tootoo in the box for hooking as Simon Gagne took a shot from the face off circle that was deflected by Predators defenseman Jonathan Blum and past Lindback to make it 4-2.

The second period ended with the Predators a man down as Patric Hornqvist took his third penalty of the night, one of five the Predators incurred through the first two periods. The Predators were also down 4-2 on the scoreboard. While the first period demonstrated the character and grit of this team, the second period was the complete opposite. The Predators gave the Kings numerous quality scoring chances and didn't generate much of anything in the way of offensive push.

The second period was in a word, disappointing. The lack of discipline and response by the Predators was frustrating to say the least.

With one period left, it remained to be seen how the Predators would respond. Would it be a San Jose effort, or we we see another Edmonton implosion?

For most of the period, we saw very little. The Predators failed to generate quality scoring chances and challenge the Kings in their zone. Yes, we shot the puck, but it was a fairly easy period for Bernier.

But at 18:48, with the extra attacker on, Ryan Suter threw the puck at the net and Patric Hornqvist deflected the puck past Bernier to make it 4-3. Nice to see Hornqvist atone for some of the penalties he took earlier. This was the 6th straight game in which Hornqvist has recorded a goal.

The Predators had a good flurry in the final minute, but it was too little too late as a horrifically sloppy second period and a mostly flaccid third period effort doomed the Predators as they fell 4-3.

This team cannot take a period off, and must play Predator hockey for 60 minutes if they are going to have an opportunity to win games. Tonight, they did not play a full 60 minutes and it cost them.

Hopefully, this team does not have to keep learning this lesson.

My three stars:

1. Jonathan Bernier

2. Dustin Penner

3. Craig Smith