Predators Pick Up First OT Win, Top the Canes 2-1

After getting trucked by the Dallas Stars on New Year's Eve, the Nashville Predators traveled to Raleigh to try to right the ship against the Carolina Hurricanes.

No easy task as the Hurricanes have been playing some excellent hockey in the month of December, while the Predators have sputtered.

The Predators didn't get run out of the building in this one, winning a hard fought 2-1 game that took overtime to decide it.

Victor Rask opened the scoring for the Canes as the Predators defense broke down and allowed him to swoop in uncontested and bang home a rebound that Pekka Rinne gave up.

With the Predators on the PK, Mattias Ekholm took a shot from the blue line that hit and broke Paul Gaustad's stick and fluttered past Eddie Lack to tie the game at 1.

That was all the scoring in regulation and once again the Predators were headed to the black hole known as 3 on 3 OT, where they had never won.

Well, it is a new year and hopefully new luck for the Predators as Mattias Ekholm drove the net and fired a shot over the shoulder for the game winner.


Some observations:

• Cody Hodgson drew back into the line up. Austin Watson was the healthy scratch.
• Calle Jarnkrok faced his cousin, Elias Lindholm, a center for the Hurricanes and a 2013 first round pick.
• The Predators defense has uncharacteristically been breaking down in front of Rinne. The Canes first goal came when Victor Rask cleanly beat Mattias Ekholm to the front of the net to slam home a rebound. Rinne has made some big saves but has gotten very little help from his D recently. Until that trend changes, the Predators are going to continue to give up goals.
• The Predators recorded their second shorthanded goal in the last 3 games. Mattias Ekholm figured on both of those, getting the goal in St. Louis and firing a shot that hit the stick of Paul Gaustad to change direction past Lack. This was Gaustad's first goal of the season.
• It will be criminal if Roman Jois doesn't win the Norris. I defy anyone to show mw an NHL defenseman that has a more complete game than Josi. His play to break up a second period breakaway was stellar and demonstrated his speed and on ice awareness.
• Once again, defensive breakdowns and turnovers resulted in a great scoring chance in the third period by Jeff Skinner. Only a superb save by Rinne kept the Canes off the board. Sheesh...the sloppy play at times by the Preds in the defensive zone is just stunning. Rinne made some amazing saves in the third period to keep the game tied.
• Rinne stopped 27 of 28 shots.
• The Predators power play was 0-4 and rarely looked crisp. The power play has been hot recently and the Predators need to keep that unit rolling.
• In regulation, the Predators won 31 of 60 faceoffs and out hit the Canes 48-27. 
• Carolina out shot the Predators 11-3 in the third period as the Predators had no offensive push at all. For the game, the Canes out shot the Preds 26-20.
• Mattias Ekholm continues to blossom as a complete defenseman. He is a solid, physical presence that is seeing his offensive game grow nicely. I really like his pairing with mini-me Ryan Ellis as they compliment each other well.
• Filip Forsberg picked up the assist on the game winner and nearly had the regulation winner as his wicked wrist shot hit both posts but never crossed the goal line.

This was a nice rebound game after the debacle in Dallas. Rinne was outstanding and the Predators did just enough to win the game.

Now it is time to start stringing together some wins.

A new year, a new game, boys.

My three stars:

1. Mattias Ekholm

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Paul Gaustad

Predators Blow 2 Leads and 2 points, Fall In Shootout to the Canucks

The Nashville Predators had a prime opportunity to extend their Central Division lead to 5 points by taking care of business against the Vancouver Canucks at the Bridgestone Arena.

The Canucks had played a hard game against the St. Louis Blues the night before, while the Predators had the day off.

The Predators pissed away a point, however, blowing leads twice in the game before losing in a shootout 5-4.

I frankly am pretty disgusted. If you want the box score, you can get it here.

Some observations:

• This team continues to amaze me at their lack of killer instinct. After a dominant first period that saw the Predators go to the locker room with a 2 goal lead, they were terrible in the second period. The Canucks first goal never should have happened as Pekka Rinne was beaten five hole on an easily stoppable shot. And to give up a shorthanded goal after a brutal Seth Jones turnover at the start of the third is inexcusable. When you have a team, a tired team, down you don't let them back into the game. This is a matter of will over skill, and the Predators lack of intensity and will is disturbing. The playoffs are all about will and grit, and this team seems to be coming up short in that area.
• That said, it seems that this team isn't comfortable playing with a lead but will battle like hell to get back into a game. I appreciate the compete level when they are behind, but when you have leads, don't get behind. Protect those leads and amp up your intensity level. Instead, the Predators seem to sit back and let Rinne stop shots (think the Ducks game earlier this month). And when Rinne struggles, like he did tonight, this team is in trouble.
• Rinne was not sharp tonight. Both of the second period goals were goals that Rinne usually eats up. This team leans so heavily on Rinne, and when his game is off, they struggle mightily.
• The power play continues to baffle me. We score a power play goal from Cody Franson and then the man advantage unit goes cold. This killed the team when they had a 5 minute power play late in the third and one minute into overtime. Five minutes of power play time and we managed 4 shots. This unit continues to worry me and I still feel that this will be a serious problem in the playoffs. One aspect of this unit that puzzles me is the continued inconsistency of getting traffic in front of the opposing goaltender. The Preds tried using Taylor Beck and Gabriel Bourque on the power play to do that but there were long stretches where they weren't on the ice. Bombing shots from the point toward an unscreened netminder is rarely going to get you a goal, but this seems to be the only strategy for this unit.
• Vancouver played a chippy game and Kevin Bieksa was a classless piece of crap, yapping at an injured Paul Gaustad. Bieksa was given a game misconduct for his classless antics.
• Mike Fisher had a 3 point night with a goal and two assists. Fisher now has 19 goals on the season. If you had told me that the team would get that kind of production from Fish after rupturing his Achilles tendon in the offseason, I would have seriously doubted you. I am impressed with the effort Fisher brings to the ice every night. Some other players need to follow suit.
• Seth Jones is...an adventure. He will make an outstanding play and will next shift make a brutal play. His turnover at the Predators blue line while on the power play set up Alex Burrows shorthanded goal. Consistency is definitely an issue for Seth.
• Shea Weber missed his third game with a lower body injury.
• Roman Josi continues to impress. His level of play has been solid all season and he has elevated his game of late. Josi had 8 points (4G-4A) in his last 9 games. he had 30:16 of ice time tonight.
• The Predators were 6-7-2 in March. This trend has to get back on an upswing before the playoffs.

I continue to believe this team has the potential to go far in the playoffs. But if they cannot hold leads and up their intensity level for 60 minutes, the time in the playoffs could be short.

My three stars:

1. Eddie Lack

2. Mike Fisher

3. Alex Burrows

Predators Vanquish Vancouver, Lose Rinne to Injury

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some observations:

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

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

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

The collective fingers of Smashville are crossed.

My three stars:

1. Colin Wilson

2. Craig Smith

3. Mike Fisher

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

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


Some observations:

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

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

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

• Today was Matt Cullen's 38th birthday.

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

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

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

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

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


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


Now to keep the momentum going.


My three stars:


1. Filip Forsburg


2. James Neal


3. Pekka Rinne

Same Song, Different Verse; Predators Shut Out Again

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Some observations:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My three stars:

1. Eddie Lack

2. Henrik Sedin

3. Alex Edler