Predators Defeat the Kings 2-1, Sweep Season Series

The struggling Nashville Predators needed a win to right the ship and stay in the hunt for the Central Division lead.

They got that win at the Staples Center as the Predators defeated the Kings 2-1 and swept the season series from L.A. 3-0.

Jeff Carter opened the scoring on the power play as Ryan Ellis blocked a shot and it went right on the stick of Carter in the slot. His wrist shot beat an out of position Pekka Rinne to give the Kings a 1-0 lead.

The Predators played with lots of jump and created some good scoring chances, but could not solve Kings netminder Jonathan Quick through two periods.

This game had all the hallmarks of a good effort but bad results for the Predators.

That changed in the third period as Craig Smith scored on the power play and 1:06 later a shot from Viktor Stalberg deflected off the stick of Jake Muzzin and past Quick for the game winning goal.

Some observations:

• James Neal was out of the game with an upper body injury. Mike Santorelli moved to the top line with Mike Ribeiro and Filip Forsberg. Calle Jarnkrok drew back into the lineup and centered the third line with Matt Cullen and Viktor Stalberg on his wing.
• Same song, same verse. Once again, the Predators gave up the first goal of the game, this on the power play as Jeff Carter tallied.
• That power play was the result of a Mattias Ekholm penalty. Matty Ek has had a rough two games, taking three penalties, two of which resulted in the opponent scoring a power play goal.
• Let's be honest- the Predators power play is not a threat to score. Not even close. And this is hard to understand given the talent that we have at forward. Entries into the zone are scary at best and more often than not result in a turnover that is sent down ice. What puzzles me is that this has been on-going for most of the season. If the man advantage unit is struggling so much, one would think that the system would need to be modified to make it more effective. One would think.
• That said and the Predators score a power play goal as Craig Smith worked hard in front of the net to poke one past Quick. Smith is not afraid to go in front of the net and he was rewarded for his hard work with his 22nd goal of the season. Prior to Smith's goal, the power play had been 0-18 in their previous games.
• Viktor Stalberg got his first goal of the season and played a solid game. He had lots of jump, forced some turnovers, and created in the offensive zone. I sure would like to see him build on this and get his game going.
• Pekka Rinne had no chance on the Kings power play goal, but after that, he was in control. Rinne looked more relaxed in the crease and tracked the puck exceptionally well.
• I really like the play of Craig Smith, and not just that he scored a power play goal. Smith is absolutely relentless in hunting down the puck and attacking the net. He certainly is not afraid to shoot and drives the puck to the net which creates opportunities for his line mates.
• The effort by this team was strong and consistent all game. That is a good sign for this team as they have not let the rough patch cause their energy and effort to drop.
• Maybe the hockey gods are starting to smile on the Predators. Stalberg's shot was one that Quick would have easily handled but the deflection off his defenseman's stick wound up in the back of the net.
• The Predators win tonight was the 600th for the franchise. It was also Pekka Rinne's 200th win. Does anyone have any doubt about the value of Rinne to this franchise?
• Before the goal by Craig Smith, the Predators had gone 113:33 without scoring a goal. Ouch.
• The Predators played some disciplined hockey tonight, taking two penalties for the game, one of which was a coincidental penalty with Stalberg and Dwight King both going to the box for roughing.
• The Predators blocked 18 shots.

This team has continued to battle through the difficult patch that they have faced. And the only way to get out of a funk is to battle.

They did that tonight.

As long as this team continues to compete like they did tonight, they will be fine.

They will have to. It won't get any easier.

My three stars:

1. Craig Smith

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Jonathan Quick

Predators Snap Losing Streak, Defeat Kings 3-2

The Nashville Predators faced the Los Angeles Kings in the throes of a 5 game losing streak. Ending that streak, even at home at Bridgestone Arena, was going to be a tough task against  a talented Kings squad that sits currently third in the Western Conference standings.

The Predators did the improbable, defeating the Kings 3-2 in a spirited and scrappy affair. Mike Fisher tallied two goals, including the game winner with 26 seconds left to stop a five game losing skid.

The Predators opened the scoring at 14:42 of the first period as Mike Fisher's shot was kicked off the pads by Kings goalie Ben Scrivens. Patric Hornqvist, stationed in his customary spot just outside the crease was able to backhand the puck past Scrivens for a 1-0 Predators lead. This was Hornqvist's first goal in six games.

The Kings tied the game at 7:05 of the second period on the power play as Anze Kopitar took a shot from the face off circle that beat Predators netminder Marek Mazanec to the far post.

The Predators took a 2-1 lead at 16:42 of the third period. With the Predators on the power play, the Kings dumped the puck out of the zone, but it was quickly gathered in the neutral zone by Hornqvist, who got the puck to Fisher. The Kings went for a line change on the clear, but since the puck did not get deep, Fisher was able to gain the zone and drive unimpeded into the high slot. his slap shot beat Scrivens five hole for the goal.

With Scrivens off for the extra attacker, Jeff Carter blasted a shot from the point past Mazanec to tie the game with 36 seconds left in regulation.

On the ensuing faceoff, the Predators got the puck into the zone. Colin Wilson got a shot on net that Scrivens could not control. Fisher drove the net and was able to just slide the rebound over the goal line with 26 seconds left.

The Predators were able to keep the Kings from getting a quality scoring chance in the final seconds, and the miserable five game funk was finally over.

Some observations:

• The Kings are talented, but they are also big and physical. The Predators were able to match the physical play of the Kings which went a long way to helping secure this win.
• The Predators stepped up their play in the third period with the game in the balance. They out shot the Kings 15-0 and did a much better job of puck possession and controlling the play. This kind of effort, especially in the third period of the five previous losses, had been absent. It was good to see this response from the Predators.
• Seth Jones played some solid minutes tonight, and more than doubled his ice time compared to recent games. Tonight, he had 19:08 of ice time and picked up two assists.
• Fisher has been playing some good, aggressive hockey, even during this losing streak. Tonight, it was good to see his effort and hustle rewarded with some goals. Fisher logged some tough minutes and led all forwards with 21:58 of ice time.
• David Legwand, Gabriel Bourque, Matt Hendricks, and Nick Spaling were the only Predator forwards not to record a shot on goal. These guys, Legwand and Bourque in particular, have to be more productive offensively. 
• Matt Cullen played a strong game. he is creative offensively, strong on the puck, and won 6 of 7 faceoffs.
• Mazanec made some good saves tonight, and stopped 26 of the 28 shots he faced. The shot by Carter to tie the game was a blast, but it was an unscreened shot that Mazanec has to stop. This was the best effort by a Predators netminder in a while, and hopefully it gives mazanec some confidence going forward.

The Predators won by out working the Kings in the third period.

They have to continue to bring this kind of work ethic if they are going to string together some wins.

My three stars:

1. Mike Fisher

2. Patric Hornqvist

3. marek mazanec

Kings Pummel the Pitiful Predators

The Nashville Predators were looking to salvage their three game West coast swing with a win against the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center. The Predators had dropped their first two games of this important road trip and had looked awful in the process.

The task before the Predators was simple: get the puck on net and get find their scoring touch. As simple as that sounded, it was a monumental challenge for this offensively impaired squad.

Pekka Rinne was in net for the Predators, while the Kings had Jonathan Bernier between the pipes.

The first period was scoreless, with the Predators outshooting the Kings 5-3. The Predators defensive effort was solid as they did not allow a shot on net by the Kings until there was 4:30 remaining in the period. Offensively, the Predators created a few chances but did not generate a consistent offensive push.

The Kings opened the scoring on the power play at 5:28 of the second period as Jeff Carter shoveled a puck toward the net that hit Rinne's pad and skittered through the five hole for a 1-0 lead. The man advantage was set up because of a high sticking penalty on Craig Smith.

That was the only tally of the second period. The Predators out shot the Kings 8-3 for a two period total of 13-6, but had shown no ability to solve Bernier. The Predators would have 50 seconds of carryover power play time to begin the third period.

Jeff Carter got his second goal of the night as the Kings broke in 2 on 2 against the Predators. David Legwand was late in covering Jeff Carter, who got loose in the low slot and beat Rinne, who had no chance on the shot at 4:39 of the third period.

Just 19 seconds later, Carter stole the puck from Roman Josi and broke in alone and beat Rinne to make it 3-0.

The way the Predators offense had sputtered, the Kings lead was probably safe at 1-0. With a 3-0 advantage, the lead would be insurmountable.

The Kings made it 4-0 on the power play as Mike Richards blasted a one timer from the face off circle past Rinne at 7:40.

In a game the Predators desperately needed, they folded their tent, pissed on the fire, and called the dogs home in the third period.

Absolutely awful play by the Predators.

The Kings made it 5-0 at 10:54 as Dwight King beat Gabriel Bourque down the slot and ripped a shot past Rinne.

That was all for Rinne, as he had been hung out to dry by his teammates. Chris Mason entered the game to face the onslaught of the Kings.

Gabriel Bouque ruined Bernier's shutout as he whipped a shot from the slot that went just under the crossbar to make it 5-1 at 13:05.

Fortunately for the Predators, the Kings did not embarrass them further and, mercifully, the clock ran out on this debacle.

Some observations:

• In general, this team has of late shown no fire and no push back. This is very disturbing. If this team has lost heart and fails to play with character and the grit they have typically shown, this season will get awfully ugly. This team lacks the talent to win on talent alone. They win with heart. Without that, this team is going to get pummeled.

• It is a sadly repetitive refrain, but once again, the usual suspects were invisible offensively. Legwand, Colin Wilson, and Sergei Kostitsyn had zero shots. Mike Fisher had 1. This is totally unacceptable. When the coaching staff is preaching- no, pleading, for the guys to shoot the puck and your "leaders" and top line players are not doing that, there is a serious problem. It is time for Trotz to begin to take away ice time if these guys are just going to float.

• I make no secret of my disdain for David Legwand. He is an offensive liability. Tonight, he was a defensive liability, especially at a critical point in the game. For what he is getting paid, I expect more from him. Lots more.

• Pekka Rinne has to be frustrated. He knows that if the other team scores, the Predators are in trouble. He is having to be perfect every night for the Predators to have a chance. The first goal tonight was on him, as he just misplayed the puck. The next four he was hung out to dry by the players in front of him. Pekka is a great goalie, but no goalie can be perfect in every outing, and his is getting no help from the team in front of him.

• The truth is that the Predators are not a playoff team. Hell, they are not a very good team as they are constructed. It is past time for General Manager David Poile to look at this roster and tear it apart and rebuild the team.

The Predators have slipped out of the playoff race. The question is will they have the character and the desire to get back into it?

Or, how far will they fall?

My three stars:

1. Jeff Carter

2. Jonathan Bernier

3. Gabriel Bourque

Predators Wow the Home Crowd With a 6-5 Victory Over the Jackets

Wow!

That sentiment, along with a few others, can only begin to capture what happened in the Bridgestone Arena as the Nashville Predators faced the Columbus Blue Jackets in a Central Division tilt. The Predators won the game 6-5 in spite of making it extremely difficult on themselves.

Heck, they didn't make it difficult on themselves. They nearly gave away the game.

Don't believe me?

The Predators gave up 4 power play goals, three in the first period on a 5 minute penalty kill after absorbing a major penalty to fall into a 4-1 hole after twenty minutes.

I will get to that in just a moment.

Pekka Rinne got the start for the Predators, while Curtis Sanford was in net for the Blue Jackets.

These two teams typically play a tight checking game, with most contests decided by a goal. This game started no differently, with each team probing the others defense and looking for an opportunity to score.

That first opportunity would belong to the Predators, as Mike Fisher was left alone at the side of the net and had an easy tap in of a rebound of a Sergei Kostitsyn shot at 12:29 of the period. This goal was a result of the Predators playing their type of hockey-  shooting the puck and crashing the net. Simple hockey, effective hockey.

Predator fans had hardly settled back into their seats when the BJ's tied the game on a shot from Jeff Carter. Carter beat David Legwand on a drive to the net and launched a wrist shot from just inside the face off circle that beat Rinne over his shoulder at 12:56 of the first period.

The first "Wow" moment came at 14:26 of the first period as Brian McGratten boarded Derick Brassard as Brassard was going off on a line change. McGratten was given a 5 minute major for interference and a game misconduct. While the penalty can be debated as to the severity, the fact is that this was a boneheaded and selfish play by McGratten, who skated across the rink to deliver the hit. It is the type of hit that the League looks at closely and one which the officials have been quick to call. It was a totally unnecessary hit.

And it would cost the Predators.

Columbus would tally 3 times during the major to take a 4-1 lead. Jeff Carter got 2 goals to give him a first period hat trick, with his goals coming at 14:35 and 16:14. Sandwiched between those two goals was a gaol by Ryan Johansen at 15:30.

Yes, it was a major penalty, but the Predators penalty killers were manhandled by the Jackets forwards. Columbus peppered the Predators net and crashed hard to gather in rebounds and tally goals. Pucks were bouncing off legs of the defenders and the Predators could not clear the front of the net, and they were burned by the Jackets because of their ineffectiveness.

Down 4-1 at the end of the first period, the Predators were going to have to play Predator hockey and chip away at the Jackets lead in the second period.

Patrick Hornqvist would make it 4-2 with a tap in of a rebound of a shot from Shea Weber at 5:28. Once again, the Predators benefited from shooting the puck and going to the net.

The Jackets would again extend their lead to 3 goals on the power play. Ryan Johansen took a shot that hit Ryan Suter's leg and skidded by Rinne for the Jackets 4th power play goal to make it 5-2 at 7:52 of the second period.

The Predators did not deviate from their style of play, as they kept shooting the puck and going hard to the net. Nick Spaling was the next Predator to score at 8:53 of the second period. Spaling was working hard in the low slot and gathered in a rebound of a Colin Wilson shot and shoveled the puck past Sanford to make it 5-3 Columbus.

The Predators made it 5-4 at 13:41 of the second as Roman Josi took a pass from Francis Buillon and wired a shot over the shoulder of Sanford with Mike Fisher screening in front. Josi is rounding into a very solid defenseman who handles the puck well and has a good shot. Each game, he appears to be playing with more confidence.

The Predators caught a break in the second as Mark Letestu got free in the low slot and beat Rinne with a shot that hit the post and bounced out.

Going into the third period and trailing by one, I felt that if the Predators could tie the game, they would win it.

The Predators did just that at 16:14 of the period as David Legwand corralled a rebound of a Colin Wilson shot and banged home the tying goal. With that score, one could sense the fragile Jackets were on the verge of breaking, and with the partisan crowd roaring, the Predators were looking for one more improbable win over the BJ's.

Wow!

Improbable? How about absolutely amazing?

The Predators were not done with their "wow" moments just yet.

Ryan Suter found Marty Erat streaking through the middle of the ice and hit him with a pass on his tape. Erat split the defense of the Jackets and fought off a hook to break in on Sanford. Erat made a nice forehand backhand move to open Sanford up and slid the puck five hole with 8.4 seconds to go to give the Predators a 6-5 lead.

WOW!!

As the horn sounded, a Blue Jacket player summed up their night by shattering his stick at the bench, just like their hopes for a victory were shattered by a gritty and never say die group of Predators.

Make no mistake, this win feels good. But as good as it feels, the Predators should have never been in that position. Frankly, the Predators kept Columbus in the game with the stupid major penalty and the resulting ineffectiveness of their penalty kill. Against a team that is not as fragile as the Jackets, the result would probably not have turned out as good as it did for the Predators.

Strong play tonight from Mike Fisher and Colin Wilson. Both of these players are skating hard and doing the little things that lead to big plays. this type of effort was instrumental in turning around this contest.

What this contest should point out to this team is that you are never out of it. Play your game- shoot the puck and go hard to the net- and good things happen. When this team was down early, rather than quit, they fought back and fought back hard.

That is character.

That is Predator hockey.

My three stars:

1. Marty Erat

2. David Legwand

3. Jeff Carter

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

Predators Suffer an Embarrassing Loss to the BJ's in OT 4-3

The Nashville Predators suffered a 4-3 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Bridgestone Arena that was in a word, embarrassing.

Throughout the game, the Predators were unable to get through the neutral zone and turned the puck over more times than I can count. Rather than skate the puck through the zone or dump it deep and establish the cycle in the offensive zone, the Predators were content to make blind crossing passes or drop passes that were quickly gathered in by the Jackets and started the other way. Frankly, the inability to get through the neutral zone against this team was inexplicable and plagued the Predators all night long. Even more baffling was the persistence in making bad- or dumb- passes that resulted in turnovers.

When the Predators got into the offensive zone, they had trouble establishing their cycle and offensive flow against the aggressive Jackets defense. The Predators reverted to form on a couple of occasions, and when they did, they challenged Curtis Sanford in the Jackets net and tallied three goals for their efforts. The problem for the Predators was that they were too inconsistent in doing the essential things that would have lead to a victory.

Colin Wilson opened the scoring for the Predators at 18:29 of the first period as he gathered the puck in a goal mouth scramble and lifted it over Sanford to make it 1-0 Predators.

Jeff Carter tied the game at 1 at 3:29 of the second period with his first goal of the year. He used Ryan Suter as a screen and beat Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne with wrist shot over his shoulder.

The Predators took the lead again on the power play as Mike Fisher scored from in front of the net off a rebound of a Shea Weber shot at 10:27 of the second period.

The Predators could not seize the momentum and hold on to the lead as Columbus tallied on the power play with Ryan Suter in the box. Vinny Prospal lifted a backhand past Rinne to the short side. Rinne got most of the puck but could not stop it completely and it fluttered into the net to tie the game at 2.

The BJ's took a 3-2 lead at 1:45 of the third period as R.J. Umberger scored on the power play with Ryan Suter again in the box for roughing.

Nick Spaling tied the game at 3 as he corralled a rebound in the low slot and slipped the puck five hole on Sanford at 14:24 of the third.

There was no more scoring in the third period, and off to overtime, which has not been kind to the Predators. Going into this OT, the Predators were 1-3.

Make it 1-4.

James Wisniewski scored past a screened Rinne at 2:43 of the overtime period to end the BJ's string of futility with 27 straight losses at Nashville.

Yes, the Predators got a point. That is the positive.

Losing to a team like Columbus is the major negative. In a word, it is embarrassing.

Actually, two words. Unacceptable.

Sloppy play has been the hallmark of the Predators in the last two games. Tonight, their poor play bit them in the ass. Frankly, the Predators got what they deserved in this contest.

The Predators got David Legwand back in the lineup, and Head Coach Barry Trotz inserted him as the center between Patric Hornqvist and Colin Wilson, breaking up the dynamic line of Hornqvist, Wilson, and Craig Smith. Legwand was generally ineffective with his line mates, and in the third period, Smith was reunited with his line. This line should have never been disbanded, and in doing so, the offensive effort suffered.

The Predators have lost their identity in the last two games. The team has tried to be cute and play a finesse game rather than their blue collar style of hockey. Tonight, when they played their game, they were effective. Too often, they deviated from that game and it cost them a win.

Hopefully this team has learned their lesson about what it takes to be successful. They did not do that consistently in this game.

Keep on being inconsistent in your play, and there will be more embarrassing losses.

My three stars:

1. Curtis Sanford

2. Colin Wilson

3. James Wisniewski

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