Predators Hold Off the Avalanche 4-3

The Nashville Predators have secured a playoff spot, and with 3 games to go, one could say that their game with the Colorado Avalanche at Bridgestone Arena didn't mean anything.

But it did. It meant a lot to both teams.

For the Predators, it was an opportunity to end a 4 game losing streak and sharpen their game. For the Avalanche, it meant keeping their faint playoff hopes alive.

The Predators weren't as sharp as they will need to be in the playoffs, but they did enough good things to defeat the Avalanche 4-3 and begin to build some positive momentum. As for the Avs, their playoff hopes were crushed by the Predators effort.

Colin Wilson opened the scoring with his first goal in 15 games, blasting a shot over the shoulder of Semyon Varlamov.

Filip Forsberg made it 2-0 with a goal that is a legitimate candidate for goal of the year. Watch and be amazed:

Seemingly in control of the pace of the game, Pekka Rinne let in a brutally soft goal on a shot from the goal line by Mikkel Boedker to send the teams into the first intermission with the Predators up 2-1.

The second period saw the Avs dominate possession and the Predators spend much of the period trapped in their own zone. Jerome Iginla sent the teams into the second intermission tied at 2 as he chipped the puck past Rinne from the side of the net.

With the game in the balance, the Predators came out with jump and capitalized. Mike Fisher scored just 36 seconds into the third to give the Predators a 3-2 lead.

That lead stood for all of 1:22 as Shawn Matthias beat Ryan Ellis to a rebound and slapped it into the open net to tie the game

The Predators took the lead for good as Craig Smith took a sweet pass from Forsberg and buried his 21st goal of the year for the game winner.

The Predators had to hold off the Avs for the final 3:40 of the game as Varlamov was pulled for the extra attacker. The Predators compounded their misery when Ryan Johansen took a high sticking penalty with 1:57 left in the game, but the Predators PK came up big to seal the win.

Some observations:

• That goal by Forsberg was amazing, to say the least. To have the presence of mind to kick the puck between his legs and get it on his forehand, get the stick between his legs, and place the shot perfectly is a talent level that the Predators have not had. Ever.  Couple those sick puck handling skills with his vision and hockey sense and Forsberg is the most talented and dangerous player that the Predators have ever had on their roster.
• Forsberg now has 32 goals for the season, one goal away from tying the franchise record for 33 goals in a season held by Jason Arnott.
• Although Rinne let in a bad first goal, he stood tall, especially in the second period when the Avs dominated play. He did a great job tracking the puck through traffic and generally controlling rebounds. 
• I continue to be impressed with the hustle and heart of Viktor Arvidsson. The Aardvark has to get stronger, but he is fearless and will mix it up in the tough areas. I especially like his motor- the kid goes full tilt every shift.
• Good to see Colin Wilson get his game going. His first goal was a perfectly placed rocket under the crossbar. Wilson also picked up an assist for a 2 point night. Hopefully Wilson will get his game in gear heading into the post season.
• Teams that go deep in the post season have to have strong play from their third line. Tonight, the line of Fisher, Wilson, and Arvidsson combined for 2 goals and an asist. If that line can produce consistently then the Predators can have some good results in the post season.
• Roman Josi and Shea Weber both picked up assists tonight. The gives the Predators D corps a total of 109 points for the season, a new franchise record.
• The Predators blocked 21 shots tonight, 17 through the first 2 periods.

Not the prettiest win by the Predators, yet it was a good win.

The Predators need to fine tune some aspects of their game and they have two more game to do so. They are going to have to step up their intensity and effort for a full 60 minutes. A period of hockey like tonight's second period usually spells trouble in the playoffs.

So the team has ended a losing streak and has started to build some positive momentum. Learn from the mistakes, tune up the performance.

And most importantly, keep it rolling into the playoffs.

My three stars:

1. Filip Forsberg

2. Colin Wilson

3. Craig Smith

Predators Sloppy Play Dooms Them in 5-3 Loss to the Avalanche

Ryan Johansen was on the ice for his much anticipated debut for the Nashville Predators as they traveled to the Pepsi Center to take on the Colorado Avalanche.

While there is much anticipation about the appearance of a legitimate number one for the Predators, the importance of this game for the Predators shouldn't be lost.

The Predators hold the last wild card slot in the West, with 45 points. Colorado sits right behind them with 43 points. Patrick Roy, Head Coach of the Avalanche, called this game a "playoff game" and that only served to emphasize the importance of this game.

In a game as important as this to the Predators, their play was horrendously sloppy. They took 6 penalties and gave up 2 power play goals.

The Predators wasted a strong debut by Johansen with an abundance of penalties and sloppy play on the way to dropping a critical game by a 5-3 score.

Johansen made his presence felt immediately with the Predators on the power play. He held the puck before roofing a shot over the shoulder of Semyon Varlamov into a very small space for a Predators 1-0 lead. That was the Predators first shot of the game, and it was beautiful to see the finish and placement on that attempt.

The Avs evened the game on a power play of their own as they outnumbered the Predators down low and Jerome Iginla was able to gather in a rebound and slam it past Pekka Rinne.

The Predators got trapped in their zone late in the period and couldn't clear the puck. The turnover committed by the Predators resulted in a goal by Cody McLeod to make it 2-1.

Ryan Ellis tied the game at 2:45 of the second period with a wrist shot from the face off circle.

The Avs broke that tie as the Predators gave up a 2 on 1 and Gabriel Landeskog buried the shot to make it 3-2.

Once again, the Predators bounced back to tie the game on a wrist shot by Filip Forsberg from the slot. Johansen would pick up an assist on the play.

Tyson Barrie would break the tie with the Avs once again on the power play as he blasted a shot from the high slot to make it 4-3. On the play, Paul Gaustad's stick had broken, and he tried to get a new one from the bench. That decision left Barrie open for the shot.

And that was certainly not a good decision.

Jack Skille iced the game with an empty net goal with 1.4 seconds remaining on the clock for a 5-3 Avs win.


Some observations:

• Johansen opened the game on a line with James Neal and Colin Wilson. 
• My goodness, that first goal by Johansen showed what an elite finisher can do. He fit that shot into an extremely small window. That goal was a goal scorers goal, something the Predators have been lacking.
• Anthony Bitetto was in the line up and paired with Barret Jackman on the third D pair. 
• With the arrival of Johansen, players moved down in lines. Calle Jarnkrok centered the second line with Filip Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro on the wings. Mike Fisher centered the third line with Craig Smith and Miikka Salomaki on the wings.
• The Avalanche opened the game with lots of jump, in fact more than the Predators, which forced the Predators into three penalties in the period. The Predators got lucky in that the Avs wiped out one of their power plays with a penalty on the opening face off of the second Preds penalty. 
• The Predators defense has broken down numerous times recently, and they continued that trend again tonight. Part of this was the pressure that the Avs forecheck put on the Preds defense; part of it was that the Avs outskated the Predators for much of the game. These uncharacteristic breakdowns have cost the Predators as more often than not, the puck is finding the back of the net.
• Midway of the game, Filip Forsberg moved up to the first line with James Neal and Johansen. That lined combined for the Predators third goal of the game. they had several shifts together before Wilson rejoined that line early early in the third period.
• The undisciplined play of the Predators cost them this game. The Avs outworked the Predators all over the ice and forced them into taking way too many penalties. And the Avs have an excellent power play and they burned the Predators when they went down a man. This is the kind of play that this team cannot overcome.
• Austin Watson had a tough game, recording only 5:50 in ice time and was a -2 for the night.
• Anthony Bitetto logged 12;20 in ice time and was even +/- for the night.

The Predators looked like a team that didn't have a sense of the importance of this game. As it is, by continuing to fail to take care of business, they now find themselves tied with the Avalanche for the last playoff spot.

And if the Predators continue to struggle and play inconsistently, they won't be tied for long.

They will be on the outside looking in.

My three stars:

1. Ryan Johansen

2. Tyson Barrie

3. Carl Soderberg

Predators Blow Golden Opportunity, Choke Against the Avs

The Colorado Avalanche are out of the playoffs. The Nashville Predators are firmly ensconced in a playoff position.

That didn't mean the Predators game against the Avalanche had the Pepsi Center had no meaning.

A Predators win, coupled with a loss by the St. Louis Blues in their game tonight against Winnipeg, would move the Predators back into the top spot in the Central Division.

St. Louis (and Chicago) complied as they lost their games tonight.

The table was set for the Predators to feast on the Avs and pick up an important two points.

Instead, the Predators choked.

Big time.

After a Calle Jarnkrok goal gave the Predators a 1-0 in a dominant first period, the Predators took just 9 seconds to puke up the lead to the Avs.

Mattias Ekholm fell in the defensive zone, creating a turnover. Jerome Iginla hammered a puck past Pekka Rinne to tie the game. 9 seconds later, Ryan O'Reilly blasted a shot from the slot past Rinne to give the Avs a 2-1 lead.

The Predators tied the game at 2 on a Ryan Ellis power play goal, a rocket from the blue line, and looked to have taken the lead when Roman Josi scored 18 seconds later but the goal was diallowed on a weak incidental contact call on Paul Gaustad as he skated past Semyon Varlamov.

The Predators once again gave up the lead as Joey Hishon scored his first NHL goal with a wrist shot that beat Rinne cleanly.

The Predators pulled Rinne with 1:36 to go in the game, but the Predators couldn't solve Varlamov and went down to a horrific and disappointing loss by a 3-2 margin.

Some observations:

• Paul Gaustad returned to the line up after being injured by a cheap shot from alex Burrows in the Vancouver game. Mike Santorelli was scratched for the second consecutive game. 
• I really like this trend of the Predators scoring first. It certainly beats having to fight your way back into a game. Now if we can just learn to hold a lead.
• The Predators once again show the disquieting trend of being unable to hold a lead. Whether it's being too cautious, lacking intensity, or just plain bad luck, the Predators have shown an inability in the last quarter of this season to hold onto a lead. I am at a loss to explain it, but this lack of intensity and failure to elevate their play has been the bane of the Predators over the last 20 games. This trend is one that will spell immense trouble for the Predators in the playoffs.
• To be successful in the playoffs, you have to have secondary scoring. The line of Viktor Stalberg, Matt Cullen, and Calle Jarnkrok, running as the third line, has played with a lot of jump and has created some good scoring opportunities. You can't overstimate the play of Cullen. He drives this line and having him healthy and producing is a huge plus for the Predators.
• While I don't think anyone could have stopped the Iginla goal, the next two goals given up by Rinne were pucks that were stoppable, and he has to stop those if this team is going to win games. We are so used to seeing Rinne play at an elite level, and he has for so much of the season. He is now playing at a good level, and that is a problem for this team.
• The coaches and players both have talked about hitting another gear and getting playoff ready. I don't see the Predators have another gear. If you can't step up and take care of business against a team that is out of the playoff hunt, if you can't lock down a game, perhaps you don't have another gear. Playoffs are about elevating your level of play, and the Predators have shown they can't elevate their compete level and win critical games.
• The Predators out shot the Avs 42-23. while Varlamov played an outstanding game, the Predators had a lot of very good opportunities where they couldn't finish. Again, this team has struggled to finish and it is only going to get harder to do so in the playoffs.

The Predators had a golden opportunity to re-take the lead in the Central and didn't have the heart to do that.

And this scares me for this team come playoff time.

My three stars:

1. Semyon Varlamov

2. Joey Hishon

3. Calle Jarnkrok

Avalanche Shut Down the Predators 3-0

The Colorado Avalanche used a stifling defense to shut down the Nashville Predators at the Pepsi Center to capture their first win this season against the visitors.

The Avs used a first period goal from Maxim Talbot, a third period goal from Jerome Iginla, and a late empty net goal from Gabriel Landeskog to secure a 3-0 victory.

Marek Mazanec got the start for the Predators in net and played a solid game. Semyon Varlamov, his counterpart in goal for Colorado was better. Varlamov stopped all 28 shots he faced.

The Predators offense created some chances during the game but looked a bit out of sync after a tough game the previous night in St. Louis. The avalanche defense totally frustrated the Predators offensive effort, not allowing clean entries into the offensive zone. When they did create some scoring chances, Varlamov shut down the Predators.

Some observations:

• Marek Mazanec got his first start since his recall since Carter Hutton played last night in St. Louis. Mazanec looked good in net- confident and moved well and did a good job of tracking the puck. He made several quality saves during the course of the game.
• Olli Jokinen was a healthy scratch and Taylor Beck returned to the lineup.
• The Avs have become a trapping team under Coach Patrick Roy, and the Preds struggled to handle the trap during stretches of the game. That is the style of hockey the Avalanche have to play to try to claw back into contention, and this is a good test for the Predators in handling this style of play because this is what they will see in the playoffs.
• The Predators were without Mike Ribeiro for the majority of the third period as he picked up an unsportsmanlike conduct and a game misconduct penalty. Must have said something really bad to referee Wes MacCauly.
• With the absence of Ribeiro, Colin Wilson moved up to center the top line.
• The Predators had a difficult time establishing a consistent offensive flow. Credit the Avs for their defense, which choked off a lot of the Predators offensive effort. When the Predators got some scoring chances, they could not solve Varlamov.
• This was just the second time this season that the Predators have lost back to back games, and it was just their 11th regulation loss this season.

Not a fun game for the Predators. Not much offensive consistency or pop.

We all know that the month after the All Star game is going to be a test for the Predators. They will play 15 games in 28 days in February and have several back to backs.

Now is the time for the team to dig down and elevate their play. This nest four weeks will go a long way to determining where the Preds wind up in the playoffs.

My three stars:

1. Semyon Varlamov

2. Jerome Iginla

3. Marek Mazanec

Predators OT Win Over the Avalanche Continues Torrid Play On Home Ice

The Nashville Predators returned from the All Star Break to take on the Colorado Avalanche at Bridgestone Arena.

A home game for the Predators is almost a certain win this season, and although it took overtime, the Predators prevailed 4-3 to run their home record to 19-2-1.

Craig Smith scored on a breakaway at 2:46 of the extra period to give the Predators the win. Smith took a lead pass from Mike Ribeiro and beat Semyon Varlamov stick side for the game winner.

A slow first period for the Predators saw them fall behind 1-0 on a point shot from Cody McLeod past a screened Carter Hutton..

The second period was when the Predators awoke. They tied the game on a blast from Roman Josi from the top of the face off circle.

Colin Wilson gave the Predators a 2-1 lead on the power play as he gathered a shot off the end boards and beat Varlamov from a sharp angle.

Jerome Iginla beat Hutton through traffic to tie the game at 2 at 16:05 of the second period.

Just 32 seconds into the third period, Filip Forsberg gave the Predators a 3-2 lead when Varlamov paddled his shot off to the side of the net. Forsberg didn't give up on the play and lifted the puck over the shoulder of Varly for the goal.

The Avalanche pulled Varlamov with 2:16 remaining in the game for the extra attacker. Nick Holden was able to get a rebound and lifted a shot over the glove of Hutton to tie the game with 26 seconds remaining.

Hutton set up Smith's OT heroics by stopping a Zach Redmond shot and kicking the rebound to Ribeiro, who hit Smith breaking down the middle of the ice for the winning goal.

Some observations:

• After a slow and rusty first period, the Predators kicked it up a notch and took it to the Avalanche. The Predators had an 8-5 shot advantage after the first period; 22-14 after the second period; and 37-21 after the third period. The Predators held the Avs to single digit shot totals in each period and held the Avs without a shot for over 10 minutes in the third period. It is encouraging to see the team get stronger as the game goes along.
• Winning close games is critical in this league. The Predators are 20-4-5 in one goal games this season.
• Roman Josi continues to elevate his game. He has become a more consistent offensive threat with a deceptively good shot. His ability to handle the puck is exceptional. But Josi is very solid defensively and plays very good positional hockey in the defensive zone. he had 5 blocked shots tonight to bring his season total to a team leading 121.
• Filip Forsberg's goal was a beauty, following his shot and scoring from a tough angle for a team leading 16th goal. We all marvel at his ability to handle the puck and his nose for the net, but tonight he showed a gritty side to his game. He was in front of the net battling and screening Varlamov on Josi's goal, and in the third period sacrificed his body (and his stick, which was shattered into two pieces) to block a shot when the Avs were pressing in the offensive zone.
• The Predators power play was 1 for 2 on the night. They were successful on their second attempt by getting the puck to the net. Their first power play was too cute, looking for the perfect pass instead of taking the shot.
• I really liked the play of the line of Matt Cullen, Gabriel Bourque, and Calle Jarnkrok. They played with good jump and used their speed to create problems for the Avalanche. If this line can start to pot some goals, it will boost their confidence and obviously help the team.
• Colin Wilson had a strong game. His goal on the power play was from a difficult angle and was a perfectly placed shot. He used his speed and strength to control the puck and create some chances in the offensive zone. His goal tonight was his 15th of the season.
• Faceoffs continue to be a struggle for the Predators as they won 30 of 67 draws, a 45% winning percentage.
• Shea Weber led the Predators with 27:21 TOI.

It wasn't the prettiest game for the Predators, yet it was a good win. They overcame a slow start and the push back from the Avalanche throughout the game.

The Predators have 67 points and a 5 point lead over the Blues and Blackhawks, who were both idle tonight.

My three stars:

1. Craig Smith

2. Mike Ribeiro

3. Nick Holden

Bruins Outlast the Predators in OT 3-2

The Nashville Predators traveled to TD Garden looking to have a better showing against the Boston Bruins than their first meeting, a 6-2 Bruins win in Nashville on December 23rd.

The Bruins had rookie Niklas Svedberg in net, making his first NHL start, while the Predators went with Marek Mazanec.

With a rookie making his first start, the mission for the Predators was to get pucks on net and challenge Svedberg.

A scoreless first period saw the Predators get 8 shots on net, while the Bruins had 11. Mazanec made some good saves, especially on a Bruins power play to keep the game scoreless. The best Bruins save came not from Svedberg, but from Matt Bartkowski as the defenseman sprawled across an open net and used his helmet to block a shot from Matt Hendricks.

The Predators had some great scoring chances in the second period, but a combination of good saves by Svedberg and the inability to finish kept the Predators off the board.

That changed at 18:04 of the period as the Bruins got caught in a bad change. Mike Fisher carried the puck into the zone and fired a shot that Svedberg kicked out to the tape of Viktor Stalberg. Stalberg buried the shot into the open net to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

The second period ended with the Predators on the penalty kill, which would carry over into the third period for 1:48.

As for that imperative to get shots on Svedberg...

The Predators had 16 shots in the second period to 3 for the Bruins.

The Bruins tied the game a 4:55 of the third period as Johnny Boychuk was left alone in the high slot and he blew a shot past Mazanec. The third period opened with the Bruins putting pressure on the Predators, and their jump and effort paid off with the tying goal.

That goal energized the Bruins and the Predators were back on their heels. The dominance and momentum of the Predators in the second period was now securely on the side of the Bruins and the Predators were going to have to step up and wrest it back.

The Bruins took a 2-1 lead at 12:29 as Jerome Iginla beat roman Josi driving to the net. he took a pass off the boards from Milam Lucic and tapped it past Mazanec. Iginla got inside of Josi and just overpowered him on the drive to the net.

The Predators responded at 14:35 as Svedberg gave up a long rebound of a Mike Fisher shot. The puck came to Shea Weber and he hammered a shot through traffic that beat Svedberg between his arm and his body to tie the game at 2.

In the remaining time, both teams created some scoring opportunities, but could not find the back of the net.

The Bruins won the game just 54  seconds into overtime as Brad Marchand beat a screened Mazanec from just outside the face off circle.

Some observations:

• The second period was a solid period of hockey for the Predators, one of the best they have played this season. They out skated the Bruins, won puck battles, and got the puck to the net to challenge Svedberg.

• As good as the second period was, the Predators were back on their heels for most of the third period. The talented Bruins had more jump and won the puck battles for most of the period.
• It was good to see the Predators respond, however. The Garden was rocking and the Bruins had all the momentum. Tying the game with just over 5 minutes to go gave the Predators life and they started skating, winning puck battles, and attacking the net.

• The Predators had 35 shots on net for the game including 16 in the second period. Their old nemesis- not finishing their chances- came back to bite the Preds in this game.

• Mazanec made some good saves and looked poised in the face of the pressure from the Bruins. while neither he nor Carter Hutton have firmly established themselves as the starter, Mazanec seems to have an edge.

• This was a much better effort by the Predators than their last outing against the Bruins, where they stunk it up and did not compete.

This team has shown that they can compete and win against some of the best teams in the NHL. They need to consistently apply that effort every night.

My three stars:

1. Brad Marchand

2. Shea Weber

3. Mike Fisher

Kostitsyn's Hat Trick Leads Predators Past the Flames

New Year's day signifies the start of something new, a chance to begin afresh.

For the Nashville Predators, their contest with the Calgary Flames started in a way that was anything but new. They gave up the first goal and allowed the Flames to hold a significant territorial advantage in the first 12:30 of their game at the Bridgestone Arena.

The new year saw the old Predators on the ice.

But it is a new year and a time of new beginnings, and the Predators reversed their fortunes with some strong play to defeat the Flames 5-3 in front of their sixth straight sellout crowd.

The Flames opened the scoring at 3:47 of the first period as Jerome Iginla spun away from Sergei Kostitsyn in the low slot and beat Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne with a shot low to the stick side to give the Flames a 1-0 lead. This was Iginla's 499th goal.

Calgary continued to control the puck in the Predators zone, and the Predators were looking much like the Predators team that would come out flat for a period and struggle to establish even the most basic offensive effort. The Predators often looked content to just get the puck out of the zone.

Same old Predators, eh?

Not so fast.

Instead of taking 20 minutes to finally get their game going, the Predators got their legs midway of the period and started to challenge the Flames. They began to get the puck deep and work their cycle to create chances and control possession.

The Predators broke through on the scoreboard at 12:39 of the first period as Kevin Klein, back in the lineup after missing six games with the flu, blasted a slap shot from the blue line that beat a screened Mikka Kiprusoff glove side to tie the game at 1. Critical to this goal was Gabriel Bourque, who battled behind the net and fought to get control of the puck. This play doesn't happen if Bourque does not win that puck battle

That goal served to energize the Predators, as the would dominate the Flames for the rest of the period and all of the second period. For the next 30 minutes, the Predators would play as good a stretch of hockey as they have played all season.

Sergei Kostitsyn would notch the Predators second goal at 15:46 of the period off a nice assist from Patric Hornqvist. Hornqvist battled hard in the corner and passed the puck from out of the corner from behind the goal line to Kostitsyn, who was driving hard to the net. Kostitsyn was able to get his stick on the pass and chip the puck over Kiprusoff, who could not get over to cover the left side of the net to make it 2-1.

The Flames out shot the Predators 9-7 in the first period, but the final eight minutes were controlled by the Predators.

They continued to dominate play throughout the second period, out shooting the Flames 14-5 and controlling the puck for long stretches. Calgary went over 10 minutes in the period without a shot on net.

The Predators made it 3-1 just 2:27 into the second period as Matt Halischuk tallied his 9th goal of the year by driving the net and hammering a snap shot past Kirusoff from the slot.

Sergei Kostitsyn would tally his second goal of the contest at 5:59 of the second as he broke in 2 on 1 with Patric Hornqvist. Kostitsyn looked to Hornqvist as if he was going to pass the puck and snapped a wrist shot that beat Kipper five hole to make it 4-1.

Everyone in the arena knew that Calgary would not roll over and would have a push in the third period, and that is just what they did. Rene Bourque scored just 1:17 into the period as he skated into the slot and beat Rinne make it 4-2.

Two goal lead for the Predators and they were still in control, but Calgary kept pushing, trying to draw closer. The Predators did a good job in the period of forcing Calgary to the outside and keeping the Flames forwards from the front of the net. Limiting quality scoring chances was going to be critical for the Predators to secure the victory, and they were doing a good job of doing just that for the bulk of the period.

Calgary cut the lead to 1, 4-3, at 17:57 of the third period as Brenden Morrison was able to beat Rinne by slamming home a rebound of a T. J. Brodie shot.

Kiprusoff was pulled for the extra attacker, and with a face off in the Predators zone, the pucker factor for Predators fans was off the chart.

That anxiety would change to elation as Sergei Kostitsyn corralled a chip out of the zone by Kevin Klein that appeared destined for the empty net and tapped it into the empty net for the final margin of 5-3 for the Predators. For Kostitsyn, this was his first career hat trick, and his timely scoring propelled the Predators to the first win of 2012.

Once again, the Predators were without Shea Weber, who has been moved to Injured Reserve with his concussion, and Colin Wilson, who is out with an upper body injury. Since Weber has been out of the lineup, the Predators are 3-1. They have won 9 of their last 12 games.

Once again, this effort tonight showed that this team can win playing Predator hockey. Timely scoring from throughout the lineup and solid defense and goaltending have been the keys to success for this team. This team will win and will win frequently if they keep playing with this kind of effort.

Both Jordin Tootoo and birthday boy Patric Hornqvist had two assists.

Calgary is a team chasing the Predators in the standings, and it is important that this team take care of business against an opponent that is trying to catch them in the standings.

Hats off for a solid effort.

My three stars:

1. Sergei Kostitsyn

2. Kevin Klein

3. Patric Hornqvist

Flames Frustrate the Predators (Again) 3-2

The Calgary Flames swept their season series with the Nashville Predators, handing them another frustrating one goal loss in a 3-2 home ice victory. This was a game that started well for the Predators and quickly fell apart.


The Predators opened the scoring at 2:47 of the first period as Marty Erat gathered in a rebound of a Jonathan Blum shot and powered the puck past Mikka Kiprusoff as he was being knocked to the ice. Blum did a great job of getting the shot through traffic and Erat was doing the dirty work in front of the net that the Predators have to do to score.

Calgary would tie the game at 7:15 of the first while on the power play with Jonathan Blum in the box for tripping. It was one of the craziest goals that I have ever seen, as the shot from Mark Giordano was weakly shot toward the net. The fluttering puck would hit the stick of Ryan Suter and then Shea Weber, changing direction and floating over the shoulder of Pekka Rinne. Rinne looked at his two defensemen with a look that could only be described as exasperated.

The Predators would regain the lead at 15:58 of the first as Ryan Suter fired a shot from straight away on the point. Joel Ward and David Legwand were screening in front and Kiprusoff never saw the puck until it was in the back of the net.

As the first period ended, the Predators had to feel good about their effort against a team that has been their nemesis all season.

Perhaps they felt too good.

The Predators were absolutely dominated in the second period as the Flames outshot the Predators 13-4. The Flames would tie the game early in the second as Sergei Kostitsyn would hook down Jerome Iginla on a breakaway. Iginla was awarded a penalty shot and he would beat Rinne five hole just 59 seconds into the period.

The Flames controlled the action for the entire period, and frankly if not for the stellar play of Rinne, the Predators would have been run out of the Saddledome. The Predators offense would completely disappear in the second in what has been a troubling characteristic of this team all season- disappearing for a period at a time in a game.

The troubling trend of a missing in action offense would continue for most of the third period. Although the final shot count was 14-10 for the Flames, for much of the period the Calgary offense controlled the play. The shot total only looks as good as it does because of a late flurry by the Predators.

Calgary's offensive pressure would pay off in the game winning goal by Curtis Glencross at 10:23 of the third period. Ollie Jokinenwould fire a shot a Rinne, who made the initial save, but gave up a rebound. Glencross was crashing the net unimpeded and tapped the puck into an open net past an out of position Rinne.

One felt that the way the Predators offense had failed to produce that this goal would suffice for the margin of victory.

Unfortunately, that proved to be the case.

For much of the night, the Predators found themselves on their heels and let Calgary gain the zone with speed. This forced the Predators back and they did not counterattack effectively. This team does not have the ability to just turn on the offensive flow, and when they are pushed back defensively, the offense seems to continually get stymied.

This was a wasted opportunity to gain two precious points, and opportunity squandered when the offense went into a shell in the second and third periods.

For this team to make the playoffs, they are going to have to understand that it is a full 60 minutes of flat out, balls to the wall hockey. Failure to play that way and they will find themselves on the short end of the score more often than not.

It is beyond waiting for other teams to falter. Now is the time to turn it on and play your way into the playoffs.

There is no other way.

My three stars:

1. Curtis Glencross

2. Ryan Suter

3. Mikka Kiprusoff

Predators Burnt by the Flames 3-1

All good things come to an end, and tonight, the Nashville Predators three game winning streak came to an end against the Calgary Flames in a 3-1 loss at Calgary.

The Predators saw their potent penalty kill give up two power play goals and their effective offense rendered impotent by an aggressive Calgary defense that stymied the Predator's effort in the offensive zone all night.

Calgary opened the scoring at 10:14 of the first period on a fluke goal by Curtis Glencross. Glencross took a shot that was partially blocked by Shea Weber. The puck hit Weber's stick and fluttered into the air and over the shoulder of netminder Pekka Rinne, who lost sight of the puck when it went airborne.

Nashville would answer at 10:32 of the second period as David Legwand tapped home a rebound of a Colin Wilson shot. Joel Ward dug the puck out of the corner and sent a centering pass to Wilson. His backhand shot hit Mikka Kiprusoff and floated to the goal line at the side of the out of position goaltender. Legwand, driving the net, had an easy tap in for the tying goal.

Calgary took the lead at 13:01 on the first of their power play goals as Jerome Iginla was left alone at the side of the Predators net. He gathered in a rebound of a Matt Stajan shot and had an empty net to shoot the puck into as the defense lost coverage on Iginla.

Brenden Morrison would add another power play tally at 14:18 of the third period as he was alone at the side of the net (notice a common thread here) and took a nice pass from Alex Tanguay for a shot into a virtually open net.

I don't know if it was fatigue from playing the night before or the physical nature of the Calgary defense- probably a bit of both- as the Predators never really challenged Kiprusoff throughout the game. They had some pressure in the the third period, but frankly never skated well all night and didn't create enough traffic in front of Kiprusoff to create problems.

As Assistant Coach Brent Peterson said during an in game interview, the Predators are a good team when they are skating and moving their feet, and when they do not do that, they are a poor team. Tonight, they were a poor team.

No excuses, but the Predators iced a patchwork lineup as they were without the services of J.P. Dumont, who was slashed across the neck in last night's game in Edmonton. The loss of Dumont effectively takes away one of the Predators lines as his replacement, Wade Belak, skates limited minutes and does not present an offensive threat.

The Predators have a day to re-group and then face a stern test in Vancouver on Wednesday. Skate hard and play Predator hockey, and you will be fine. Play like tonight, and the game will be ugly.

My three stars:

1. Jerome Iginla

2. Matt Stajan

3. David Legwand