Predators Add Five in Free Agency and What It Means For the Team

The Nashville Predators have not usually been active in free agency, but they broke their pattern at the start of the 2013 free agency frenzy, signing five players that will change the look of this team.

The Predators signed Viktor Stalberg from the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4 year, $12 million contract that will pay Stalberg $2.5 million in each of the first two years and $3.5 million in years three and four.

Matt Cullen was signed to a two year, $7 million contract that pays $3 million in the first year and $4 million in the second year. Cullen played with the  Minnesota Wild last year.

Matt Hendricks was signed to a 4 year, $7.4 million contract that pays $1.85 million each year. Hendricks was originally drafted by the Predators in the 2000 Entry Draft in the 5th round and was on the Washington Capitals roster last season.

Eric Nystrom was signed to a 4 year, $10 million contract that will pay him $2 million in each of the first two years and $3 million in the last two years. Nystrom was with the Dallas Stars last year.

With the Predators not re-signing Chris Mason, the team was in need of a back up goaltender. They signed Carter Hutton from the Chicago Blackhawks system to a one year, two way contract that pays him $550,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 at the AHL level. Hutton appeared in one game for the Blackhawks last season, and posted a 26-22-1 record for the Hawks AHL affiliate in Rockford. Hutton had a .908 save % and a 2.72 GAA last year for the Icehogs.

So what are we to make of these signings?

When the Predators parted ways with Marty Erat, they lost their leading scorer, a talented and somewhat enigmatic winger who was a streaky scorer. There was no doubt that the team needed to replace and hopefully improve upon his scoring and talent.

In Stalberg, the Predators get... a talented and somewhat enigmatic winger that has shown flashes of potential but lacked consistency with the Hawks. Stalberg brings speed, which the Predators love and that a player has to have to play for this team, and the potential for offensive upside. Stalberg at times seemed to get lost in the shuffle with the talent of the Hawks, and saw the ice only 14 minutes a game on average. If he plays the same minutes that Erat played (nearly 19 minutes a game), one would have to believe that his production would increase. Stalberg brings an explosiveness to the forwards that the Predators have lacked for the most. Channeling that explosiveness and talent will be a challenge for Stalberg and for the coaching staff.

The Predators will give Stalberg every opportunity to settle into a top six role on the wing, and hopefully Stalberg will seize upon the chance to play a much bigger role with this team. If- and the jury is still out- Stalberg plays to his skill set and the potential that he has shown, this can be a significant add for the Predators. It will be interesting to see how he meshes with the other players on the Predators roster and the coaches. The adaptation to the Predators system should not be much of a challenge as the Blackhawks play a similar system to the Predators.

With the addition of Cullen, the Predators added a player that immediately becomes the most veteran player on the roster. Cullen has played in 1,073 regular season games in his career. Cullen adds a veteran presence to a squad that has a number of young forwards, and that experience will be good both on and off the ice. Cullen is good in the face off dot, winning 53% of his draws, a while he will not score a number of goals, he will add a solid presence in the offensive and defensive zone. Cullen provides experienced depth at center, something that the Predators need.

Matt Hendricks returns to the team that originally drafted him, and is another depth addition to the Predators roster. Hendricks has not been a prolific scorer but has surprisingly shown himself to be adept at shootouts, something the Predators need. Hendricks adds some size and grit to the Predators roster of forwards and is another player that is solid in all zones. Hendricks is durable, steady, and tough to play against.

Eric Nystrom brings grit and toughness to the forward corps of the Predators. Outside of Rich Clune this past season, this was something the Predators sorely lacked. Nystrom is certainly not going to add scoring, but he has been signed to be an agitator and a disruptor, roles that he can fill very well.

Carter Hutton is a project for Mitch Korn, the Predators goaltending coach. Hutton has the tools and potential to be good, and it will be up to Korn to develop him into a quality NHL goaltender. I have faith that Korn can do this, and the addition of Hutton gives the Predators the luxury of being patient with Magnus Hellberg, their netminder in Milwaukee. The Predators are high on Hellberg, but don't want to rush him into the backup role. The addition of Hutton sets up some serious competition for the role of backup to Pekka Rinne, and it will be interesting to see which of these young netminders can and will rise to the occasion.

So, the question still remains.

What are we to make of these signings?

Three things come to mind.

Potential, personality, and physicality.

The addition of Stalberg gives the Predators a potentially explosive an game changing top 6 forward. This is a change- a dramatic change- from the current composition of the forwards on the team. With the exception of Colin Wilson and the wildly erratic Craig Smith, the Predators have lacked the talented forward that can skate AND score. The question for the Predators and for Stalberg is can he fulfill that potential. if he can blossom into the player that can consistently be an offensive threat, then both sides win. This is the opportunity for Stalberg to be the offensive star on a team that desperately needs offensive stars.

Additionally, these free agent acquisitions set up the potential for additional roster moves. The Predators have already begun to re-shape their roster by releasing Brandon Yip and Mat Halischuk from the group of forwards that were on last season's roster. Jonathan Blum is gone from the blue line. With the addition of this depth, and with several talented youngsters waiting in the wings, there could be some additional roster moves via trade. It would not be surprising to see the Predators make trades to bolster the roster. These additions insure that there will be serious competition for roster spots, and that will be good for the team.

The personality of this team has also changed. The veteran presence of these additions will be a benefit to the locker room and especially to some of the younger players. The existing veteran leadership core will be augmented by proven veterans that are now on the roster. That experience in other programs will provide a fresh perspective and the proven voices of players that have been successful in the League. This is not only good for the players, but the coaches as well.

There was no doubt that the Predators needed to get tougher. The addition of Hendricks and especially Nystrom provide an element of physicality that makes the Predators a tougher team to play against. Adding the size and grit is a plus for a team that lacked both elements with their forwards last season.

The Predators did not pull off a mega trade, but they quietly made some very good additions to the roster that will change the face and character of this team.

And it will be for the better.

Grading the Predators: The Defense

We continue our look at the Predators as we move to the blue liners. The defense this season took on a new look with the departure of Ryan Suter and the addition of several young players that logged some big minutes.

Just as this season was a work in progress, so next season should see some changes and some opportunities for additional playing time for some younger players.

As we look at the defense, the discussion starts with...

Shea Weber  48 GP  9G 19A 28 points  -2

Weber averaged 25:55 time on ice and played against the opponents top offensive line all season. Paired with a new defense partner in Roman Josi, his production started slowly but picked up late in the season. His 28 points would translate to 48 points over the course of a full season. Weber was solid in all phases of the game, but his power play production suffered as Josi took some time to settle in as his partner on the man advantage and teams worked to take away his booming shot from the point.

Weber's leadership is not often in the public eye, but he is a solid captain and the unequivocal leader of this team. His drive and consistent play helped to steady a team that at times was unsteady.

Because of the turnover and youth on the blue line, Weber played significant minutes but showed no signs of fatigue physically or mentally. His ability to shut down top forwards makes him one of the best defensemen in the League.

Considering the adjustment to a new partner on the blue line and the youth of the team, I believe this was actually one of the stronger seasons that Weber has produced.

Final Grade: A

Roman Josi  48 GP  5G 13A 18 points  -7

The big question for the Predators was who would play alongside Weber after the departure of Ryan Suter. That question was quickly answered by the play of Josi. He proved to be very steady, calm, and a deft puck handler. Josi rarely seemed to get rattled and was good with the first pass on the breakout. Josi showed the ability to handle the puck well and was not afraid to get involved in the offensive attack. He has a deceptively good shot, which he needs to use more.

Josi is not the physical player that will deliver a crushing check, but in general he was positionally sound. He occasionally got beaten by more experienced forwards, as his +/- rating attests, but he logged some big minutes alongside Weber against top forwards.

Josi will continue to improve his game and the experience of this season will serve him well. He needs to get stronger, but at 22 years of age, that will come.

Final Grade: B+

Kevin Klein  47 GP  3G 11A 14 points  -1

Klein had a quietly solid season, and did a good job of helping Victor Bartley settle in on the blue line. Klein is not a flashy player, but he is consistently in good position and sound in the defensive zone. Klein averaged just over 20 minutes a game in time on ice in the second D pairing.

Klein did an excellent job of steadying the second pairing, especially when Bartley joined the line up. Klein helped his young defensive partner adjust to NHL play and they formed a quality duo that could play some important minutes.

Klein will not put up big offensive numbers, but can score some timely goals and contribute with the distribution of the puck. His game, however, is to play sound defense and solidify the second pairing. He has done that well.

Final Grade: A-

Hal Gill  32 GP 0G 0A  0 points -3

Injuries plagued Gill this season, causing him to miss 16 games. In the twilight of his career, Gill is not going to be counted on to produce points. What he brings to the team is his leadership, the ability to play some quality third line minutes, and his prowess on the penalty kill. Gill excels in the PK, and the Predators relied heavily on the big defenseman to play some big minutes on this special team. When he was healthy, he responded well in this role.

Gill is still adept at using his physical stature at keeping the front of the net clear at even strength or on the PK. Gill will never be an exceptional puck handler or goal scorer, but his ability to provide solid third line minutes were much need by the Predators.

Gill was often paired with different partners on the blue line, and this affected chemistry. It is a compliment to his ability that he could adjust to changing partners several times throughout the course of the season.

His durability and health remain a question, and his minutes will be limited because of these factors.

Final Grade: C+

Victor Bartley  24 GP 0G 7A  7 points  +2

Bartley was called up mid-season from Milwaukee and surprised pleasantly. Paired with Kevin Klein for most of the season, Bartley showed good defensive zone presence and positioning. He has good size and used that physical presence to establish position and police the front of the net effectively.

At 25, Bartley is older than some of the more heralded defensemen in the system, and this seemed to make Bartley more determined to stick on the roster. Rarely did he fail to bring a solid effort every game, and as he settled in, he saw more ice time as the coaches grew more confident in his game.

Like any young player, Bartley was victimized by more experienced forwards and guilty of some rookie mistakes. Those mistakes were that- rookie mistakes. There would be more concern if those mistakes were from a lack of effort.

I see Bartley on the roster next season and more upside to his game.

Final Grade: B

Jonathan Blum  35 GP  1G 7A  8 points  -1

The end of last season saw Blum at a critical juncture in his career. His mandate from the coaches was to get stronger and commit to improving his game. This season, there were flashes of that off season work. Blum had third line minutes with Hal Gill and there was a short lived experiment of a pairing with Ryan Ellis. Thankfully, it was a brief experiment.

Blum still finds himself at a crossroad. As an undersized D-man, he is not going to see top line minutes. He has to be excellent at making good decisions with the puck, contribute offensively, and not be a defensive liability. Frankly, the jury is still out on those attributes. Flashes of potential have been shown, but Blum has to be more consistent in his total game.

Final Grade: C-

Ryan Ellis  32 GP  2G 4A  6 points  -2

Another undersized defenseman, Ellis was tabbed to be an offensive defenseman that could quarterback the power play, contribute points from the blue line, and use his smarts to be a solid defender.

There is no doubt that Ellis has offensive skills and talent. The problem is that there are limited circumstances where those offensive talents can shine. The grind of being an NHL defenseman may be too much for Ellis. As much as the coaching staff tried to protect Ellis by matching him against the opponents third or fourth lines, Ellis was still at times (most of the time) overmatched physically. The Predators cannot afford to reserve a roster spot for a power play specialist and a limited minute blue liner.

Although Ellis saw a lot of action this season, I will be surprised if he sticks on the roster next year.

Final Grade: D

Mattias Ekholm  1 GP  0G 0A  0 points  -1

Although Ekholm appeared in only one game, he finally made the move to North America and spent the season in Milwaukee. Ekholm has the talent and the size to be a quality NHL defenseman. The question is does he have the drive and mental edge to make it in the NHL? Ekholm's placid demeanor gives no indication of his drive or desire, and frankly, his brief appearances this season and last in Nashville give no clue.

If Ekholm can get that edge and show that he belongs on the roster, the Predators will benefit.

Final Grade: Incomplete

Up next, grading the forwards. It won't be pretty. 

Blackhawks Battle to 1-0 Victory Over the Predators

It can be argued that the Chicago Blackhawks are the best team in the NHL. In a Saturday matinee at the Bridgestone Arena, a depleted Predators team battled the Blackhawks for 60 minutes before falling 1-0.

Pekka Rinne was outstanding in net, turning away 29 of 30 shots. He gave up a goal at 5:31 of the first period off a 2 on 1 breakaway. Michael Handzus skated the puck into the Predators zone and found Bryan Bickell after Predators defenseman Jonathan Blum overplayed Handzus. Bickell had a wide open net into which to shoot the puck after the gaffe by Blum.

The Predators managed 20 shots on Blackhawks netminder Ray Emery, and although they did generate some traffic in front, could not get enough pressure to get a puck into the net.

Some observations:

Injury Bug Bites Again

Paul Gaustad was scratched and his presence was missed in the face off circle. The Predators managed to win just 20 of 49 face offs. Gabriel Bourque missed his 4th consecutive game.

Power(less) Play 

The Predators power play had some chances, notably when Dan Carcillo was called for a 4 minute doble minor for high sticking. During the extended power play, the Predators did not get off a shot. Failing to capitalize on the man advantage made the hill even steeper for the Predators. The Predators have to get a better effort out of the power play unit to have an opportunity to win these types of games.

The Kids

Bobby Butler was back in the line up due to the absence of Paul Gaustad. Taylor Beck saw some top line minutes. And frequent flyer Chris Mueller was frequently in the face off circle against Jonathan Toews. The Predators had to mix and match their lines due to injuries and the recent trade of Marty Erat, and several young players had to play some big minutes. Generally, they acquitted themselves well.

Missing In Action

Craig Smith, Sergei Kostitsyn, Rich Clune, Taylor Beck, and Matt Halischuk did not record a shot on net. When you look at the minutes they logged, you can see why the Predators offense struggled. Other key players struggled as well to create offense. All season, this team has struggled to generate offense, and it will cost them a shot at the playoffs. This is an area that has to be addressed in the off season. The Predators have been shut out for an NHL leading 7th time, an ignominious "honor".

Final Thoughts

The Predators appear to heading toward an early off season. What is important is to see the Predators continue to battle and compete. They did that tonight, and even though the talent gap was huge, the team did not back down. These final games will be a test of character and a measure of heart.

Battle like you did tonight and I can live with the results. 

My three stars:

1. Ray Emery

2. Bryan Bickell

3. Pekka Rinne

Predators Battle Back But Fall in a Shoot Out Against the Hawks

The Nashville Predators were in the Windy City to face the red-hot Chicago Blackhawks in a game that the Predators desperately needed to keep their flickering playoff hopes alive.

Pekka Rinne was in the net for the Predators, while the Blackhawks had Corey Crawford between the pipes.

The Predators played an up and down first period with the Hawks, with each team getting good scoring chances but unable to capitalize.

That is until 11.3 seconds left in the period when Brandon Saad took a shot from the half boards that hit the skate of Jonathan Blum and deflected past Rinne to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead.

The play was set up when the Predators took a late icing and then lost the face off in their zone.

Little things. Big consequences.

The second period began with the Predators having lost the services of their leading scorer, Gabriel Bourque, due to an injury suffered in the first period. 

Pekka Rinne was busy to begin the second period as the Predators had to kill off a penalty and the Hawks fired 6 shots on net during the ensuing power play.

Rinne also came up huge with a magnificent save on Andrew Shaw on a 2 on 1 break by the Hawks.

The Predators short circuited their first power play of the game as Patric Hornqvist was called for a 4 minute high sticking penalty just 30 seconds into the power play.

In the ensuing 4 on 4, Jonathan Blum got caught too deep in the offensive zone and it created a 2 on 1 with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews breaking into the zone. Kane buried a puck glove side to make it 2-0 Hawks at 12:10 of the second period.

The second period ended 2-0, but it could have been much worse if Rinne had not been strong in net. The Hawks fired 18 shots at Rinne in the second, while the Predators anemic offense returned and they could only muster 4 shots on goal.

The Predators got on the board at 3:56 of the third period as Crawford went to cover the puck on a dump in but did not control it. David Legwand drove the net and poked the puck from between the goalies hands and under him for his 9th goal of the season.

Call it a fluke. Call it what you want, but it was a much needed goal for the Predators. The hope was that it would give the Preds some momentum in a game that up to this point had been owned by the Hawks.

That goal energized the Predators, as they had out shot the Hawks 8-0 through the first 7 minutes of the third period and were putting pressure on the Hawks in the offensive zone.

That pressure paid off as Taylor Beck scored at 7:56 to tie the game at 2. Beck took a pass from Patric Hornqvist and lost control of the puck but was able to flip it toward the net. Crawford bobbled the puck and fought to find it, but the puck managed to trickle across the line for the game tying goal. That was Beck's second goal of the season.

The Predators continued to press and created some good chances, but could not score in the remainder of the period. Rinne was solid and shut out the Hawks in the period, and as improbable as it appeared at the start of the third period, the Predators had battled back to force overtime.

Indicative of the effort by the Predators, they out shot the Hawks 15-9 in the third period.

The overtime was fast paced and scoreless, and for the eighth time this season, each team was headed to a shootout.

In the shootout,  Toews roofed a shot over Rinne, while Hornqvist missed the net in the first round.

Patrick Kane was stopped by Rinne and Craig Smith scored on a beautiful fake in the second round.

Rinne stopped Andrew Shaw and Crawford stopped Legwand in the third round.

Brandon Saad lost control of the puck and Crawford stopped Kostitsyn in the fourth round.

Michael Rozsival scored in the fifth round and Taylor Beck was stopped by Crawford for the win for the Hawks.

Some observations:

Gabby Gone

The Predators lost their most dynamic forward in the first period as Gabriel Bourque left the game with an undisclosed injury. The hope is that the injury is not serious and will not keep the Swedish Chef out of the line up for any extended period.  

Battling Back

At the end of the second period, the feeling was that the Predators were lucky to be down only 2-0. The Hawks owned the second period. Yet the Predators came out with focus, purpose, and energy in the third and battled back to tie the game. It would have been easy for the Predators to wilt in a hostile environment against a more talented opponent. They did not. They showed character and fought back. This is the kind of effort that the team can build upon, and they have to do that to win some critical games upcoming.

Final Thoughts

Kudos to the team for fighting back in a tough contest. It would have been easy to quit, but they didn't. The effort in the third period was solid, making up for a dismal second period. The Predators have to bring that effort they had in the final 20 and bring it for a full 60 minutes.

The road to the playoffs doesn't get any easier as the Predators will meet the Hawks two more times within the next week.

It is time to lay it all on the line, boys.

My three stars:

1. Brandon Saad

2. David Legwand

3. Pekka Rinne

Predators Gaffes Give Away Game to the Oilers

Just over the midway mark of the season, and the Nashville Predators faced the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place in a game that had to be considered "must win" for the Predators.

The good news for the Predators was that their offense was finally scoring some goals, having scored 7 in their past two games.

The bad news was that the Predators defense had totally collapsed in those two games, allowing 13 goals.

For the Predators to have a chance to win this game against an Oilers offense that can score, they were going to have to play better defense.

The Predators had Pekka Rinne in net, while the Oilers went with Devan Dubnyk.

The first period ended 0-0 with the Predators having a 10-6 shot advantage. Rinne had to make a couple of great saves to keep the Oilers off the board, while Roman Josi beat Dubnyk with a blast but rang it off the post.

The Oilers got on the board first on the power play at 8:11. Ryan Ellis was in the box for cross checking and Magnus Paajarvi tapped the rebound of a Ryan Whitney shot past Rinne from in front of the net. Rinne was left alone as Paajarvi had gotten lost behind Shea Weber and had an easy put back for the score.

The Oilers had three shots on the power play, and those were their first three shots of the period.

The Predators tied the game at 1 on their power play at 16:37 off a bomb from the blue line by Shea Weber for his 5th goal of the year. Roman Josi and Craig Smith picked up assists on the goal.

The period ended tied at 1. The Oilers out shot the Predators 10-7.

The Predators lost defenseman Scott Hannan to an injury in the second period, and he was out for the remainder of the game.

The Predators had a power play, but Sergei Kostitsyn had the puck hop away from him at the blue line. The Oilers had a 2 on 2 until Kostitsyn went to the bench, leaving the Oilers 2 on 1 against Shea Weber. The Oilers made the Predators pay for a major gaffe by Kostitsyn as Lennart Petrell  and Sam Gange broke in and Petrell hammered home a shot at 10:53.

Inexplicable decision by Kostitsyn, and it cost the Predators.

The Oilers picked up a Jonathan Blum turnover just inside their blue line and began a rush down the ice. Jordan Eberle whistled a shot over the shoulder of Rinne to make it 3-1 at 15:48 of the third.

Roman Josi scored with the extra attacker on the ice with 9.2 seconds remaining in the game.

Unfortunately, it was once again too little too late for the Predators as they lost their third in a row by a 3-2 margin.

Some observations:

Made of Glass

Right now, this team has no confidence and is fragile. Every mistake ends up in their net, and this team is tentative.  Playing not to make mistakes and tentatively is a formula to consistently lose games. And that is the way this team is playing. If they are going to reverse their fortunes, they are going to have to play more like Predator teams of the past: sound defense and capitalizing on the other team's mistakes. Right now, the opponents are making the Predators pay for their errors.

Get Out the Stapler

Better yet, don't staple Sergei Kostitsyn to the bench. His play has been so atrocious of late that he should be relegated to the press box to watch. His play on the second Oilers goal is inexplicable and inexcusable. A lack of offensive presence and a too casual attitude are killing the Predators.

Better Jump, No Finish

I can't fault the Predators for their effort in general. They had good chances, but once again, could not finish on those chances. Until they bury some pucks, their offense is all sound and fury, but signifies nothing.

Better Hope Rinne Is Mentally Tough...

because this team in front of him is making him look bad.

Final Thoughts

It is now desperation time for the Predators. Their string is short if they are going to make the playoffs, and they are going to have to start putting together a lengthy winning streak.

Right now, I don't see that.

This team is not playing with confidence. Their breakdowns are resulting in goals. Their scorers are not scoring consistently.

Not a great combination of factors.

Now it boils down to those in the room. The have to reach down inside and get their mojo back. It will not come from the coaches. It will come from those guys that put on the sweater each night.

This will be a test of character and heart.

Time to find out what you got, boys.

My three stars:

1. Devan Dubnyk

2. Jordan Eberle

3. Roman Josi

Predators Offensive Outburst Not Enough, Fall to Avalanche 6-5

The Nashville Predators faced off against the Colorado Avalanche in a matinee matchup in the Mile High City. The Predators were looking to continue their strong offensive effort of late, and that effort would be buttressed by the return of Patric Hornqvist who was back in the line up after missing several weeks with a knee injury.

Chris Mason got the start for the Predators while the Avalanche has Semyon Varlamov in net.

The Avalanche have struggled, and it was important for the Predators to get off to a strong start and take the Avs out of the game early.

That strong start did not materialize as the Avalanche got on the board first with a strange goal. Aaron Palushaj shot the puck off the end board from inside the Predators blue line. The puck caromed back at Mason and hist his left pad. When Mason realized that the puck was in his skates, he tried to squeeze his pads together and in the process kicked the puck into the net at 3:43 of the first period.

The Avalanche made it 2-0 on the power play as Tyson Barrie took a shot from the blue line that trickled through a screened Mason's pads at 9:30 of the first.

The Predators continued to stick to their formula of getting shots and traffic to net, and it paid off as the Predators tallied on the power play. Sergei Kostitsyn gathered in a rebound of a Colin Wilson shot that hit Craig Smith in front of the net and put the puck top shelf over a prone Varlamov to make it 2-1 at 17:20 of the first period.

The Predators ended the first period on a power play, and would nearly tie the game on a rebound attempt by Roman Josi. Varlamov made the stop, but the Predators would have 1:27 of power play time to begin the second period.

The Predators out shot the Avalanche 9-8 in the first period.

There had already been one strange goal in the contest for the Avalanche, but they got a gift goal on an absolutely horribly blown goal by the officials. Matt Duchene took a pass and was 3 feet offside in the Predators zone. Duchene skated in when the the defense relaxed and roofed a shot over Mason's should. Inexplicably the linesmen and the refs said they didn't see the blatant offside and gave the goal to the Avs to make it 3-1 at 3:18 of the second period.

The Predators cut the deficit to 3-2 as Shea Weber pinched down from the blue line and took a pass from Sergei Kostitsyn and took a shot that was tipped by Mike Fisher that beat Varlamov 5 hole for his thirdd goal of the season at 10:16.

That lead lasted all of 50 seconds as the Predators got caught in a bad change and lost Chuck Kobesew in the high slot. He beat Mason high glove side to make it 4-2 Avs at 11:06.

Once again, the Predators cut the lead to 1 as Marty Erat found Colin Wilson cruising doen the slot and hit him with a perfect pass. Wilson made a great fake and beat Varlamov 5 hole off the backhand at 13:17

The Predators could not seem to enjoy their success as Paul Stastny got free at the side of the net and had 3 whacks at the puck before finally putting the puck past Mason to make it 5-3 at13:33

The Avs continued to do damage to the Predators as on the ensuing face off from center ice, the puck went deep and Shea Weber retrieved it in the corner. Matt Duchene stole the puck and found Jamie McGinn, who blistered a shot over Mason's shoulder just 13 seconds after the previous Avalanche tally.

With the score 6-3, that was all for Chris Mason and Pekka Rinne entered the game.

Jonathan Blum made it 6-4 as his shot from the blue line hit the skate of Jan Heida and re-directed past Varlamov at 19:10 of the second period.

7 goals in the second period, 4 for the Avs and 3 for the Preds.

Wild game? Certainly a strange one.

The Avs held a 23-21 shot advantage through 2 periods, and the way this game has gone, it was still a wide open contest. Could the Predators get 3 goals in the third? The way this game was going, anything was possible.

Desperate to get back in the game, the Predators pressed and created some great chances in the third Period. Varlamov stopped Patric Hornqvist on a breakaway, and Varly came up with some big saves as the Predators worked the puck to get quality shots from in close.

It took most of the Period, but the Predators scored at 18:42 with Rinne on the bench and the extra attacker on the ice. Patric Hornqvist tried a wraparound and the rebound came out to Shea Weber just inside the face off circle. Weber deposited the puck just under the crossbar to make it 6-5.

The Avalanche held off the final flurry from the Predators and escaped with the victory.

The Predators out shot the Avs 17-5 in the third period and 38-28 for the game.

Some observations:

• The Predators were the victims of an unfortunate bounce and a horrible call. Even with that, they battled and did not back down. This is a strong indication of the drive and character of this team, which has grown significantly from some early season games where their compete level was lacking.

• It was good to see the offense get pucks and traffic to the net. This is how this team has to score, and they have embraced that ethic. 

•  Hall Gill was scratched, which changed the defensive pairings. The Predators had two glaring defensive breakdowns that cost them two quick goals in the second period. The change in the pairings- along with a brutal line change on the goal by Kobesew- may be partly to blame for the breakdowns.

• Good to see Fisher and Weber notch goals. The team desperately needs their offensive production.

Strange to say the least is how to describe this game. Missed opportunity is apropos.

The Predators have to re-group and bring the effort they did in the third period against the Red Wings tomorrow night.

Hopefully, nothing strange happens.

My three stars:

1. Seymon Varlamov

2. Aaron Palushaj

3. Sergei Kostitsyn

Predators Play Predator Hockey, Defeat the Coyotes 3-0

A funny thing happened in the Nashville Predators tilt against the Phoenix Coyotes at the Bridgestone Arena.

The Predators out shot their opponent for only the second time this season.

The Predators out shot the Coyotes 29-19 en route to a 3-0 victory in front of a sell out crowd, turning the tables on the Coyotes and dominating the visitors. In their first meeting, the Coyotes had dominated the Predators in a 4-0 victory.

The Predators did not get on the scoreboard until the third period offensive explosion, surpassing over 200 minutes without a goal in regulation time.

Fortunately, the Predators had Pekka Rinne in net, and the big netminder recorded his second consecutive shutout. Rinne has not allowed a goal in over 137 minutes of regulation time.

Mike Smith was in net for the Coyotes and did a good job of frustrating the Predators through two periods.

Smith made a great save on Mike Fisher, who was alone in front of the net. Smith got his glove on Fisher's shot to prevent the score.

The Predators had another glorious scoring chance in the waning seconds of the second period as Gabriel Bourque was alone at the side of the net and found the puck on his stick. Unfortunately, the puck bounced as Bourque took the shot and he didn't get much on it, allowing Smith to make the save.

Frustrating for Fisher and Bourque, but the story is not over. They would get their goals.

Bourque got his goal in the third period on the power play as Marty Erat took a shot with Bourque screening Smith. Bourque did a good job of taking away any look that Smith had at the shot. Erat's shot hit Bourques's skate and re-directed past Smith to put the Predators up 1-0 at 2:40 of the third period.

The Predators had done a good job of swarming the net, taking shots, and getting traffic in front of Smith. Predator hockey was back, and it was keeping the Coyotes on their heels and bottled up in their zone.

The Predators made it 2-0 at 9:38 of the third as Matt Halischuk dug the puck out of the corner and got a pass to Nick Spaling inside the face off circle. Spaling ripped a shot over the shoulder of Smith to give the Predators some breathing room.

Mike Fisher made it 3-0 at 18:16 of the third as he beat Smith to the far post from almost the same spot as Spaling. This was Fisher's second goal of the season, and it was good to see him on the score sheet.

The Predators played Predator hockey. Even though they were held off the board through two periods, it felt as if it was just a matter of time before they scored. They were firing shots at the net and had traffic in front of Smith. They had control of the puck in the offensive zone for lengthy stretches. When the Coyotes did threaten, Rinne was a wall.

With the win, the Predators are 7-3-4, good for 18 points and tied for third in the Western Conference.

Some observations:

• Bourque moved up to the line with Mike Fisher and Marty Erat. Sergei Kostitsyn moved to a line with Colin Wilson and David Legwand. I like Bourque's game, and he provided some jump to Fisher's line. I am glad to see Barry Trotz mix the lines to try to generate some offense, and tonight it worked well.

• Pekka Rinne was in the zone tonight. I think he has the best glove hand of any goalie in the NHL, and tonight, his glove gobbled up a number of the Coyotes shots. He tracked the puck well and appears to be playing relaxed and with confidence. Rinne has 3 shut outs in his last 4 games.

• The defensive pairs also changed, as Shea Weber was paired with Roman Josi and Kevin Klein and Scott Hannan were on the second D pairing. Josi continues to be a solid blueliner and his game is consistent in all phases. The pairing of Jonathan Blum and Ryan Ellis has been good, and they are playing some quality minutes.

•  The Predators appear to be rounding into shape as far as playing Predator hockey. Solid defense, excellent goaltending, and now some opportunistic scoring. The Predators have to continue to build on this effort.

This was a quality win against a team that has vexed the Predators. The game was a defensive struggle, but unlike some recent contests, the Predators committed to shooting the puck and going to the net. And it paid off with a big victory.

Now it is time to continue to string together some more games like tonight.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Gabriel Bourque

3. Nick Spaling

Predators Offense MIA in 4-1 Loss to Detroit

The Nashville Predators faced the Detroit Red Wings at the Bridgestone Arena in a Central Division tilt that saw the Predators try to win their second in a row over the Wings.

The big news for the Predators was that they were going to try to do this without their Captain, Shea Weber, and with two rookie defensemen in the line up. Weber was scratched with little information given as to why he was absent. Speculation was that he was feeling the effects of a crushing hit by Mark Fistric in the Dallas game on Friday. Rookie Ryan Ellis was called up from Milwaukee and took Weber's place.

Detroit won the game 4-1, and despite the score, there were some positive aspects to the Predators game.

The Predators out shot the Wings 32-22. They skated hard and competed well. Ryan Ellis acquitted himself well in his debut. Roman Josi continues to play a solid game.

Those were the positive aspects of the contest.

Those positives were outweighed by the fact that the Predators offense could not finish their chances. This is the Achilles heel of the offense. Finishing their chances was a critical aspect to their effort against Detroit, and the Predators could not find a finisher when they had the puck in the offensive zone. And this bit them in the ass tonight.

Detroit opened the scoring at 10:57 of the first period as Valtteri Filppula beat Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne from the slot inside the face off circle low to the glove side. This looked like a stoppable shot, but it snuck under the arm of Rinne to give the Wings a 1-0 lead.

At the end of the first period and down 1-0, the Predators were still in the contest, but it was critical that they get a goal and not let Detroit extend their lead.

That did not happen, as Pavel Datsyuk scored on a wrap around attempt at 12:52 of the second. It looked as if Rinne had the post sealed off and he got pushed into the net.. The official,  Dan Hasenfratz, signaled goal, but the play went to review. The replay was inconclusive and did not show the puck crossing the goal line, but it was not overturned and the Wings had a 2-0 lead.

Just 13 seconds later, Dan Cleary beat Nick Spaling in the low slot and had an open shot over the shoulder of Rinne to make it 3-0. This was a young team that faced some adversity and failed to respond, and Detroit took advantage to extend their lead.

In the third period, Filppula struck again as he got loose in the low slot and beat Rinne to make it 4-0 at 5:22 of the third period. Rinne had slid to the right of the net, and when the puck reversed to the left, he stumbled getting over. This left Filppula alone and with an open net into which to bury the puck. Once again, a defensive breakdown hung Rinne out to dry and Detroit capitalized on the failure of the defense to maintain their coverage.

Jonathan Blum scored at 17:48 to make it 4-1, the final margin of the game.

Going back to the absence of Weber, one could say that the defensive coverage would have been better with him on the ice. Maybe so. The fact is that three of the Wings goals occurred because the Predators forwards were beaten on the play.These defensive lapses cost the Predators an opportunity to win the game.

The Predators potent power play was 0-5 and failed to generate many quality chances against the Wings penalty kill. This crippled the chances of the Predators.

The other aspect of this game is the inability of the Predators forwards to finish their chances at even strength. Once again, the forwards passed up too many shots in favor of a pass, and their shots were for the most fairly routine for Detroit's keeper Jimmy Howard to handle. Occasionally, the Predators created some quality chances, but were unable to solve Howard. The fact is, those quality chances were few and far between.

Two of the top six forwards, David Legwand and Colin Wilson, did not register a shot on goal. The necessity of these forwards being involved in the offense goes without saying, and when they do not register a shot on net, this team is in trouble. 12 of the Predators 32 shots came from the defense, which means the Predators were not getting the puck deep and cycling to create chances with any efficiency.

This is indicative of the fact that this team has to develop a better offensive mentality. It looks good on the scoreboard to say that we out shot an opponent, but the shots have to be quality scoring chances. Tonight, there were very few of them.

This team has to understand that the deeper into the season they go, the more the defensive pressure will ramp up. This means the forwards are going to have to work harder and develop the "shoot first, pass second" mentality. Right now, that is as absent as Shea Weber was tonight.

This team is going to have to regroup and get back on track. Quickly. They have to develop their confidence in the offensive zone, and that starts with shooting the puck and going to the net.

Otherwise, this is going to be a long season for the Predators.

My three stars:

1. Valtteri Filppula

2. Jimmy Howard

3. Pavel Datsyuk

Capital Punishment: Caps Punch Out the Predators 4-1

There are times the Nashville Predators looks like Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks.

No, not an offensive force.

Instead, like Sedin getting punched by Brad Marchand in the Stanley Cup finals, they often look like a team that is getting punched in the face and not responding.

In their game against the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center, the Predators watched the Capitals out skate and out hit them consistently throughout the first period en route to a 2-0 lead. The Capitals did pretty much what they wanted and the Predators did not respond.

Anders Lindback started in net for the Predators, while the Capitals went with Michael Neuvirth. Lindback was under assault throughout the period, while Neuvirth had very little to do at his end of the ice.

The Predators recorded their second shot on net after 11 minutes had elapsed off the clock, if you want an indication of how ineffective the offensive effort was.

Alex Ovechkin notched his 11th goal of the season at 7:42 of the first period as he drove the net and beat Jonathan Blum to the low slot. His wrist shot beat Lindback over the shoulder to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead.

Nicklas Backstrom got his 12th goal of the season on a nice wraparound goal. He used the net to scrape off Jerred Smithson and beat Lindback to the far post at 15:51 to make it 2-0 Capitals.

Frankly, if the Capitals had not missed some open shots, the score could have been much worse.

The Capitals out shot the Predators 11-4 in the first period, but totally dominated the play as the Predators offense failed to show up in this period. The Predators continued their poor offensive effort that started in the St. Louis game, and unfortunately, that game did not appear to be an aberration.

In the second period, the Predators skated better and generated 8 shots on net to 3 for the Capitals. The Predators once again caught a couple of breaks as they gave up two 2 on 1 rushes that the Capitals could not convert. Although they generated 8 shots, there were only a few quality scoring chances, and Neuvirth was up to the task of stopping the Predators.

The Predators had three power plays in the the third period, and never really challenged Neuvirth on any of them. One failed to generate any shots on goal. The power play has been surprisingly potent up to this point for the Predators, but the Capitals PK was hustling and shutting down quality chances for the Predators.

Through two periods, the Predators had reverted back to their old and frustrating ways by passing up shots in favor of an extra pass. The fact is that the Predators lack the elite finishers that make this style of play a solid offensive strategy. The Predators were going to have to commit to shooting the puck and crashing the net if they were going to get back in this contest in the third period.

The Predators finally found the back of the net at 4:40 of the third period as Sergei Kostitsyn stole the puck and weaved his way through the Capitals defense and let a snap shot go from the face off circle that beat Neuvirth. Good to see Kostitsyn find the back of the net again. This was his fifth goal of the year.

The Predators began to skate and challenged the Capitals (finally!). The started buzzing the net, firing the pucks, and controlling play. This was the Predators team that was finally employing their formula for success.

The Capitals seized momentum back at 10:21 of the third period as Alex Semin skated in and unleashed a laser to the top corner that beat Lindback to make the score 3-1 Capitals. Now the Predators faced the double challenge of overcoming a Capitals lead and the enemy that was the clock.

With Craig Smith in the box for hooking, the Capitals tallied on the power play as Troy Brouwer tipped a shot from the point by Dennis Wideman to make it 4-1 at 13:46.

The Predators had a chance to cut into the deficit as Joel Ward was called for slashing at 14:16, but the Predators failed to get a shot on the power play.

The Capitals spent the rest of the period choking off the Predators offense, and the final score was 4-1 Capitals.

The frustrating thing about this team is their consistently inconsistent effort. You would think that by now this team would have learned that they have to play a full 60 minute game. Apparently, that has not been ingrained into their psyche even this deep into the season. One bad period can and often does spell defeat for this team, and they have continued to struggle with this concept.

Until they grasp the concept of a 60 minute game, they will continue to get punched out by their competition.

Kinda like Daniel Sedin.

My three stars:

1. Nicklas Backstrom

2. Alex Semin

3. Sergei Kostitsyn

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

Predators Bite the Coyotes 3-0

The Nashville Predators must feel that they are looking in the mirror when they play the Phoenix Coyotes. Both teams are aggressive on their forecheck, play tough defense, and have good goaltending. Often their contests are a punch/counter-punch affair, with each team looking to capitalize off the others mistakes.

This game, at least early on, was just this type of affair.

Nashville had newly signed and extended Pekka Rinne in net, while the Coyotes countered with Predator killer Jason Labarbera in goal for this contest at Jobing.com Arena.

Both teams played to a scoreless first period, with the Predators outshooting the Coyotes 11-8. Neither team could solve the play of the goaltenders and spent the first 20 minutes in the aforementioned punch/counter-punch mode.

That would change in the second period as Jonathan Blum cracked the scoreboard first for the Predators with a low shot through traffic with Matt Halischuk screening that eluded Labarbera at 8:01 to make it 1-0. This was Blum's first goal of the season.

The Predators would extend the lead to 2-0 as Craig Smith continued his electrifying play with a hard drive to the net and a nice feed to Matt Haslischuk. Halischuk lifted a backhand shot over the pads of Labarbera to make it 2-0 at 16:04 of the second.

Once again, the Predators had the dreaded third period lead to protect.

The Predators opened the third period with great pressure on Labarbera, taking the first 3 shots of the period and generating good pressure. That effort was short circuited with a questionable interference call on Ryan Suter.

Once again, the Predators PK unit was solid and managed to kill off the penalty.

After the opening burst by the Predators, they proceeded to spend the next ten minutes of the period sitting back on their heels and letting the Coyotes come through the neutral zone with ease and spend way too much time in the Predators zone. This is annoyingly too common for this team.

The Predators managed to hold off the Coyotes with some great saves by Rinne and some fortuitous defense in front of Rinne.

Patric Hornqvist tallied an empty net goal at 19:01 to make it 3-0 Predators and his 4th goal in as many games to seal the win for the Predators.

Pekka Rinne celebrated his birthday and the new contract with his 23rd career shutout.

For the game, the Coyotes out shot the Predators 35-32. The positive aspect of this is although the Predators were once again out shot, the shot differential is narrowing substantially.

With the win, the Predators go to 6-4-2.

The Predators are showing signs of progress. There play through the first two periods was solid. The concern remains the about the mentality of sitting back on a lead. In the third period, there were stretches where this happened, and this has to stop. The Predators did generate some good pressure in spurts, but it must be more consistent throughout the period.

More growing is to come for this team, but they are making significant progress toward playing more consistently and playing Predator hockey.

The key for this team is to keep building on this progress.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Matt Halischuk

3. Jonathan Blum

Predators End the Streak, Snuff Flames 2-0

The Nashville Predators looked to salvage their western Canada road trip with a win at the PenGrowth Saddledome in Calgary in an afternoon matinee. This trip had so far exposed the young Predators squad as not being ready to compete at a level that would allow them to win consistently. With a young team, bad play can become habit forming, and the Predators were attempting to break some of these bad habits against a team in the Flames that had struggled as well early in this season.

Pekka Rinne was once again in net for the Predators, and as has been the normal course of business for the Predators, they gave him lots of work in the period.

Mikka Kirrusoff got the start for the Flames, and unlike Rinne, did not see much action on his end of the ice.

The positive for the Predators was that the first period ended scoreless.

The Flames outshot the Predators 8-3 in the period, but spent a lot of time in the Predators zone. By contrast, the Predators never seriously threatened Kipper, save for one quality scoring chance by David Legwand.

The offense continues to struggle with chemistry and finding a rhythm in the offensive zone. The challenge for this mix and match squad is to keep their game simple and get pucks on net. In their losing streak, this has been consistently difficult.

Sometimes, you need a little luck to break out of a funk. Finally, the Predators had a bit of good luck, as Jack Hillen floated a shot toward the Calgary net. The puck bounced off the chest of Niclas Bergfors and past Kiprusoff to put the Predators on the board at 2:34 of the second period.

Although Calgary outshot the Predators 11-9 in the period, there was much better energy by the Predators. They did a good job of getting the puck deep on the Flames defense and creating offensive chances. They cycled the puck well and were much stronger on the puck. This is what this team has to do to be successful, and they executed much better in the second period.

Once again, this team was going to head into the third period with a lead. Part of the maturing process for any young group of players is learning how to lock down a game with a lead. This was going to be another opportunity for the Predators to learn how to win a game.

Everyone in the Saddledome knew the Flames were going to push in the third period, and they pushed hard. The Predators just managed one shot through the first 10 minutes of the period and had no offensive pressure. Calgary was living in the Predators offensive zone, and Pekka Rinne made some great saves to hold off the Calgary threat.

Perhaps the biggest save of the period came when Jonathan Blum dove across the crease and blocked a shot from Olli Jokinen when he had a wide open net. Sometimes, it helps to be lucky. Sometimes, you have to make your own luck.

The Predators made it 2-0 off a rush by Craig Smith. Smith drew the defense to him and slipped a nice pass to Sergei Kostitsyn  who buried the shot past Kiprusoff at 14:36 of the third period.

Great hustle and challenging the Calgary net resulted in a goal. Sounds a lot like Predator hockey.

The Predators held off the Flames for the remainder of the period and thankfully, the losing streak was over.

There are still areas of concern for the Predators. The often failed to clear the puck when they had opportunities to do so. The offense disappeared for stretches as evidenced by the fact that the Flames outshot the Predators 33-14.

These are areas that have to improve, but one cannot take away from the fact that this team battled all game, hustled, and did what it took to win the game.

Pekka Rinne was outstanding in net for the Predators. This team will continue to ride his effort and he will have to continue to be strong for this team.

Learning from losses is painful and certainly no fun. There are lessons to be learned from winning as well. This team needs to take the lessons from this win and bring them to the ice next week in a three game home stand.

Time to learn some fun lessons.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Craig Smith

3. Sergei Kostitsyn

Predators Blow Another Third Period Lead, Fall to the Oilers 3-1

The Nashville Predators made their first trip of the season to the great white North, taking on the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place. In the Oilers, the Predators faced a young, talented, speedy squad that could be very dangerous with the puck. Sorta like what the Predators had hoped to be at the outset of this season.

Pekka Rinne got the start again in net for the Predators, while the Oilers went with Nikolai Khabibulin.

It was scoreless after one period, but not for lack of effort by the Oilers. Once again, the Predators allowed a flurry of shots on Pekka Rinne, getting outshot by a 12-4 margin. Rinne was once again called upon to make some critical stops to keep the Oilers off the board. I hope you are taking your vitamins and getting lots of rest, Mr. Rinne, because this team in front of you is certainly going to give you all the work you can handle.

Both teams went 0-2 on the power play, and all 4 of Nashville's shots in the period came on their power plays. To say the Nashville offensive effort was absent in the first period is generous.

There is no doubt the young Oilers squad is talented, and they are only going to get better. The young talent of the Oilers seemed to be a step faster throughout the period, and it was the aforementioned Rinne that kept the Predators in the game. Here is a blinding flash of the obvious: the Predators are going to have to improve their defensive zone coverage and cut down on the shots and scoring chances of the opponents. Fail to do so, and this is going to be a long season.

One has to wonder what Head Coach Barry Trotz says to his team during an intermission. It is probably not suitable for those with sensitive ears, because the Predators opened the second period playing the type of hockey of which they are capable. The Predators were skating better, getting good breakouts, and getting the puck deep.

Nevertheless, the Oilers were still pressing, and a shot was rocketed toward Rinne, who blocked it out with his stick to the blue line. The puck was picked up by Sergei Kostitsyn, who skated the puck in on Khabibulin and fired a backhand shot that trickled through the Oiler netminder for a 1-0 Predators lead at 18:58 of the period.

The remainder of the period was an up and down affair, as both teams moved the puck well and created some scoring chances. The Oilers were defensed much better by the Predators, who held them to 7 shots for the period while the Predators recorded 5 shots.

Nursing a one goal lead going into the third period was going to be another test for the young Predators to see if they could shut down a potent Oiler offense.

Throughout this contest, the Predators played with fire by taking a number of penalties. They finally were burned when Ryan Suter was in the box for holding and Taylor Hall took a nice cross ice pass from Ryan Nugent Hopkins and had an open net in which to shoot the puck. Hall's first goal tied the game at 1 at 5:29 of the third period.

It was now up to the Predators to respond.

At 7:31 of the third, we saw how the Predators responded. Their response? Blowing defensive zone coverage and allowing Shawn Horcoff to make a beautiful pass to Ryan Smyth who was wide open in front of the Predators net and easily beat Rinne to make it 2-1. Both Jonathan Blum and Kevin Klein slid toward Horcoff and left Smyth wide open to attack the net. On the play, the Predator forwards on the ice were late getting back in defensive support, and this comedy of errors cost the Predators a goal.

Ryan Jones scored an empty netter at 19:22 to seal the win for the Oilers.

The absolutely horrid statistic from this game? The Predators only mustered 12- count, em, TWELVE shots on goal for the entire game. Three shots on goal in the third period. THREE shots. Now I am not a hockey coach, but to me that is not a formula for winning hockey games.

Here is the fact that all Predator fans must deal with: this is not a good hockey team. The young guys are making too many mistakes and the veterans have not stepped their game. Missing in action to date this season are Nick Spaling, Patrick Hornqvist, Matt Halischuk, and Cal O'Reilly, none of which have produced any sort of offense.

This is the second game that the Predators have blown a third period lead. This is a sign of tentativeness, lack of confidence, lack of experience, whatever it might be. Regardless, it is a problem that must be corrected quickly or this team will find itself way outside the playoff race early.

I have given this team a pass in their recent contests and called their flaws "learning experiences". The time for these painful learning experiences is, in my view, over. It is time for this team to begin to play disciplined hockey, gritty hockey, Predator hockey.

Right now, they are not even close to doing so.

My three stars:

1. Shawn Horcoff

2. Taylor Hall

3. Sergei Kostitsyn

Predators Outlast the Ducks 4-3, Take 2-1 Series Lead

The Anaheim Ducks ventured into Bridgestone Arena and found out that the fans in Nashville aren't granola eating, patchouli wearing, tie dyed types as the raucous sellout crowd willed the Predators to victory over the Ducks by a 4-3 margin. Frankly, the game was much closer than it should have been as the Predators dominated the Ducks in all phases of the game.

With the win, the Predators now have a 2-1 lead in the series.

It is apparent that the Ducks need the power play to generate their offense. Five on five, the Ducks have been quashed by the Predators. Should the Predators decide to stop taking stupid penalties- I'm talking to you Shane O'Brien- this series could be over quickly.

Ray Emery got the start for the Ducks, and he was outstanding early on, making some big saves to keep the Predators off the board. Pekka Rinne, on the other hand, had plenty of time to listen to his I-Pod and relax as the the Predators only allowed 10 shots through two periods. Although Rinne didn't get a tremendous amount of work- the Ducks only mustered 16 shots total for the game- he was still challenged and was called upon to make some big saves for the Predators.

The Predators fired 37 shots on Emery.

The Ducks were without Stompy McStomperson Stompin' Bobby Ryan, who is serving a two game suspension for an egregious stomp with his skate on the foot of Jonathan Blum in game two.

The Predators opened the game with good pressure in the offensive zone and a stifling defense that throttled the Ducks. As good as the pressure was by the Predators, they could not get a puck past Ray Emery, who was solid and made some good saves to thwart the Predators.

That would change in a 38 second span of the first period.Marty Erat would lift a puck over the shoulder of Emery at the 15:00 mark while the Predators were on the power play. Erat tallied with just 8 seconds left on the man advantage as he took a pass from Cody Franson and was able to beat Emery with the high shot.

On the next shift, Jordin Tootoo would drive hard to the net and bang a shot off the post. Tootoo followed his shot and backhanded the puck into the net to give the Predators a 2-0 advantage.

The Predators would continue their domination of the Ducks in the second period, creating some good scoring chances but unable to pot the nest goal. While the Predators looked in control of the game, one knew that the Ducks would assert themselves at some point in the contest.

That would occur with just under two minutes left in the second period. The Predators took an ill-advised penalty for elbowing- I'm looking at you Shane O'Brien- and the Ducks made them pay. Teemu Selanne was the beneficiary of a nice cross ice pass from Corey Perry to beat Rinne to make the score 2-1 at 18:10.

Selanne would strike again just 30 seconds later as he tallied an even strength goal off an assist from Perry. This was just the Ducks 4th even strength goal in the series, and we were knotted at 2-2 going into the third period.

The third period would see the Predators take a 3-2 lead on a goal by David Legwand, his first of the playoffs.Legwand's tally came at 5:25 of the third period off an assist from Ryan Suter.

Anaheim tied the game at 6:48 of the third as Saku Koivu launched a shot from the point. The puck hit a falling Matt Blelesky and caromed off the skate of Cody Franson and past Rinne to tie the game at 3. At best, this was a fluke goal, but a goal nevertheless.

The Predators would take a 4-3 lead as Mike Fisher nailed the game winner off a beautiful pass from Sergei Kostitsyn at 10:21 of the third. Kostitsyn had the puck outside the faceoff circle and spied Fisher driving the net. He rifled a nifty backhand pass to Fisher who beat Emery for the game winner.

The final 10:21 of the contest saw the Predators defense choke the life out the Ducks, as they mustered only three shots on goal in the remainder of the contest. Saku Koivu was called for a hooking penalty at 17:10, effectively limiting the chances of the Ducks to get Emery off the ice for the extra attacker.

As this series unfolds, the Predators have shown that they can absolutely dominate the Ducks five on five. The key for the Predators is to stay out of the box, as the Ducks are dangerous and have made the Predators pay for their crimes.

I'm talking to you, Shane O'Brien.

It was good to see the third and fourth lines have such a strong game. Jordin Tootoo has been very strong in this series, and it was good to see him rewarded with a goal tonight. The Predators are going to have to continue to have strong play out of these lines in this series.

The acquisition of Mike Fisher looks better and better. Fisher now has 3 goals in this series, has been solid on defense, and tonight continued to frustrate Ryan Getzlaf. Getzlaf got so frustrated, he dropped the gloves with Fisher, who got in some very good shots before the linesmen stepped in to separate them.

The Predators are going to have to play another strong game in the fourth game. I expect another push back from the Ducks. If the Predators play their game, it won't matter. They are better than the Ducks.

This win feels good. You got to get two more in this series, boys.

Continue to take care of business. Continue to play the strong game that you are playing. Continue to frustrate the Ducks and this series is yours.

Oh yeah, stay out of the box.

The Ducks can't score otherwise.

My three stars:

1. Mike Fisher

2. Teemu Selanne

3. Jordin Tootoo

Predators Hand the Ducks a 5-3 Victory

The Nashville Predators handed the second game of their Stanley Cup Series to the Anaheim Ducks by a margin of 5-3 to even their series at one. The Predators gave up a 5 on 3 power play as well as a power play goal and a goal one second after a power play had expired .

Nashville would open with their stalwart, Pekka Rinne, in net, while the Ducks would counter with a new netminder, Ray Emery.

The Predators opened the game in the worst possible way as Marty Erat was called for a ticky tack slashing call and that was subsequently followed up by a stupid slash by Shane O'Brien. Corey Perry tallied on the 5 on 3 advantage at  5:24. Jonathan Blum failed to clear a puck on a bad bounce and Teemu Selanne capitalized with the Predators still a man down to quickly make it  2-0 Ducks. Rinne had no chance on either of the Ducks goals, and for a while it appeared as if the Ducks were only going to be able to get a puck past him on the power play.

The Predators scored to make it 2-1 on a shot from Shea Weber, but the goal was waived off on a very close goaltender interference call against David Legwand.

As the period ended, the Predators were going to skate off the ice knowing they had not played a solid period of hockey. Now the test for the Predators was to going to be their ability to regroup and keep the game from getting out of hand.

The Predators brought the deficit to 1 with a goal on the power play from Shea Weber. The Predators did a good job o f getting the puck on net with traffic and that effort was enough to get the puck past Emery.

With the Predators threatening to seize momentum, the Ducks quickly swung Mo back their way when Bobby Ryan got behind the defense and beat Rinne with a follow up shot after a pad save at 7:12 of the second to make it 3-1.

The Ducks extended the lead to 4-1 as Ryan Getzlaf scored an even strength goal at 15:54. Game over, right?

The third period would prove that the Predators were not out of the game. Patric Hornqvist scored while doing the tough work in front of the net at 1:30 of the period. Hornqvist gathered in a rebound of of a Shea Weber shot and potted the goal to make it 4-2 Ducks.

Early in the period, Marty Erat was butt ended by Sheldon Brookbank and lost four teeth. Was there a call on the play? C'mon, this is the Ducks. This is their modus operendi. There was no call. Kudos to Erat for not missing a shift.

Joel Ward brought the Predators to within 1 at 4-3 with a shot from the slot that beat Emery at 10:17 of the third.

The Predators battled and generated some good scoring chances, but could not get another puck past Emery. Bobby Ryan sealed the win with an empty net goal.

As for the aforementioned Mr. Ryan. he was the perpetrator of a stomp on the top of the foot of Jonathan Blum in a scrum along the boards. The stomp was clearly caught on camera, and late word is that the NHL is going to review the play for supplemental discipline.

The Predators handed this game to the Ducks. Keep this factoid in mind: the Ducks have scored 6 goals; only 2 have been at even strength.

I don't think the Ducks can beat the Predators 5 on 5. So what does this mean? Simply put, the Predators have to stay out of the box. Stop taking stupid penalties and go back to simple Predator hockey: shoot the puck, crash the net, and make life miserable for Emery, Ellis, or whomever the Ducks drag out of the stands to play net.

I hope the boys learned from this tonight. Learn that you can't take stupid penalties; learn that you are going to have to amp up your intensity; and learn that you are better than the Ducks at even strength.

The Predators were not going to sweep the Ducks. They can beat them.

If you don't hand them the game.

My three stars:

1. Bobby Ryan

2. Shea Weber

3. Patric Hornqvist

Predators Blow a 3 Goal Lead, Fall to Wings 4-3

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Nashville Predators in overtime 4-3. Once again, the Predators failed to close out an opponent when they had a sizable lead, this time a 3-0 advantage.

This is a sad refrain heard by Predator fans too often during the course of this season. The Predators have yet to develop a killer instinct, and once again it bit them in the ass. Keep failing to close out opponents and this team will look back with regret on another wasted effort not only in a single game, but in the playoffs.

It is amazing to me that this team continues to take their foot off the gas when they have an opponent on the ropes. Detroit's first goal occurred when Jonathan Blum failed to clear the puck out of the zone when he was 10 feet from the blueline. Jakub Kindl corralled the puck at the blue line and fired a quick wrister that got past Pekka Rinne, who looked surprised that the puck didn't get out of the zone and was certainly surprised by the shot.

Detroit's second goal came when Blum was trapped on a long shift and could not clear the front of the net. Justin Abdelkader, who has obviously taken lessons from Nik Kronwall when it comes to leaving his feet to launch himself at an opposing player's head, tipped a shot from Brad Stuart and the puck fluttered past Rinne for the second Wings goal.

The Predators had built their 3-0 lead on the strength of a Ryan Suter rocket at 19:00 of the first with the Predators on the power play. The second goal was scored by Marty Erat at 1:42 of the second period off a nice pass from Shea Weber while the Predators were on the power play. Webs found Erat cutting to the net and put a perfect pass on his stick, which Erat re-directed past Jimmy Howard into the open net. The Predators third goal was a shot from Sergei Kostitsyn that he absolutely ripped past Howard at 2:37.

With this lead, the Predators just had to continue their attack and play sound defense. As you already know, that didn't happen.

The Red Wings tied the game at 3:59 of the third with another goal from the head hunting Abdelkader. The Predators had now seen momentum snatched from their hands and Detroit hunting for the win.

The Predators now developed a sense of urgency in their game and created some good scoring chances. Howard made some good saves to keep the Predators off the board. Rinne did the same at his end of the ice, and once again, we were heading to overtime.

Sergei Kostitsyn had another good scoring chance in overtime but could not get the puck past Howard. Detroit capitalized on their one good scoring chance as Dan Cleary got free in front and tipped the puck past Rinne, who was visibly upset after the score.

Perhaps Rinne needs to jack up some of his teammates and get them to play with the same fire that he does. Then I wouldn't be writing the same frustrating storyline about the Predators being unable to hold a lead.

Frankly, there is nothing else to say about the Predators inability to hold a lead in a game. If this team does not develop the mental toughness to keep an opponent down, this storyline is going to be painfully repeated.

Nashville won the season series with Detroit with a 4-1-1 record. The one point gives the Predators 95 points and a record of 42-26-11, currently 6th in the Western Conference.

My three stars:

1. Justin Abdelkader

2. Ryan Suter

3. Jimmy Howard

Predators Offense Disappears in a 3-1 Loss to the Canucks

10-7

11-5

14-2

Lopsided baseball scores?

No. These were the shot totals in the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 victory over the Nashville Predators at the Bridgestone Arena. Nashville was the leader after the first period and after that, the Canucks trapped the life out of the Predators and controlled the game to secure the win.

2 shots in the third period?

Holy shnikey!

A scoreless first period saw both teams probing the defense and occasionally challenging the opposing netminder. Both Roberto Luongo and Pekka Rinne were up to the task.

In the second period, the Predators got on the scoreboard first as Jonathan Blum fired a shot that Luongo kicked out with his pad. Mike Fisher gathered in the rebound and ripped a shot over the fallen Luongo for his third goal in the last two games. The goal came at 14:01.

Unfortunately, that was it offensively for the Predators.

Going into the third period, the Predators were going to be challenged by the Canucks. That was a given. The Predators did not help their cause by giving up a score just 1:17 into the period as Alex Burrows, villain extraordinaire for the Predators, roofed a shot over the shoulder of Rinne to tie the game.

Burrows would give the Canucks a 2-1 advantage at 17:31 as he would score on a breakaway. Aaron Rome would add an empty netter at 19:51 for the final margin.

The disappointing aspect of this game was that the Predators offense completely disappeared in the third period. They were not very effective in the second, but in the third period they could not handle the trap that the Canucks employed and were completely stymied. As Head Coach Barry Trotz said after the game, the Predators got too cute, trying to make pretty passes rather than dumping the puck in the zone and retrieving it and establishing their offense. This played right into the hands of the Canucks and the Predator offense was impotent in the third period.

With the win, the Canucks evened their season series with the Predators. The Predators still stand at 92 points and their record falls to 41-26-10.

Kudos to the Predators PK, who killed all five man advantage that the Canucks had, but one has to wonder if the PK effort didn't sap something out of the offense.

The important point about this loss is that the Predators have to learn they are not a "cute" team. They are a team that has to get the dirty goals, they are a team that has to possess the puck and get through the neutral zone and establish their offense. Failing to stick to what has made them successful will result in the kind of showing that occurred tonight.

Perhaps more importantly, the Predators got a taste of what real playoff hockey will be like. There is no easy space on the ice. It takes grit and hard work and sticking to your system to make plays and generate scoring opportunities. Tonight, the Predators did not do that.

Learn from this and start a new winning streak. Don't and the playoffs will be painful.

My three stars:

1. Alexander Burrows

2. Roberto Luongo

3. Mike Fisher

Predators Down the Ducks 5-4

The Nashville Predators scored three first period goals and needed every one of them as they held off the Anaheim Ducks 5-4 for their fifth straight win. With the win, the Predators now have 90 points and currently sit in fifth place in the Western Conference. The victory snapped Anaheim's four game win streak, and more importantly stretched their lead over the Ducks to three points and two points over Chicago and Los Angeles, who is playing at this time.

The Predators opened the game with a very strong effort against Anaheim netminder Jonas Hiller, who was making his first appearance after missing 16 games due to suffering from vertigo. The lack of playing time would show for Hiller, as he allowed three goals on just seven shots.

Sergei Kostitsyn open the scoring for the Predators at 2:04 of the first period as Patric Hornqvist took a shot from the right side of the net that leaked between the post and Hiller and was laying in the blue paint. Kostitsyn drove the net and tapped the puck home into a wide open net for a 1-0 Predators lead.

The Predators would extend the lead to 2-0 at 11:18 of the first when Jonathan Blum fired a shot wide of the net and Nick Spaling jumped on the rebound off the end boards and shoved the puck under th pad of Hiller for his 8th goal of the season. This was a smart play by Blum to put the puck in a scoring position and a great hustle play by Spaling to get to the puck and jam it under Hiller's pad.

Just 19 seconds later, the Predators would stretch the lead to 3-0 as Patric Hornqvist would launch a shot toward the net that Sergei Kostitsyn would re-direct past Hiller. 7 shots and three goals and the rusty Hiller would enjoy the rest of the night from the bench as former Predator Dan Ellis would come in to replace the shell shocked starter.

Anaheim would cut the deficit to 3-1 at 16:11 of the first as Corey Perry was left alone at the side of the net. Bobby Ryan found him with a quick pass and he jammed it into the open net past a defenseless Pekka Rinne. The defensive coverage broke down and Rinne had no chance with Perry stationed alone at the side of the net.

The Predators dominated the second period, limiting the Ducks to just five shots on goal and controlling the play in the neutral zone and in the defensive zone. The Predators generated some great offensive chances and were frustrated by Ellis, who made some great saves to keep the Predators off the board.

Rinne was not often challenged, but made a key glove save on a breakaway by Andreas Lilja to keep the Ducks scoreless. Rinne has owned the Ducks this season, and it appeared that the Ducks knew they could not solve the Finnish wall.

The Predators ran their advantage to 4-1 as Jordin Tootoo tallied his fifth goal of the season. Shane O'Brien fed the puck to Tootoo in traffic in the low slot, and he managed to get the shot off and it hit Ellis on the inside of his left leg and found the back of the net. Tootoo played a strong game and was rewarded for his efforts with the marker at 18:20 of the second.

In the third period, the Predators would make the score 5-1 with a short handed goal by David Legwand. With Shane O'Brien in the box for delay of game, Legwand broke into the offensive zone with Joel Ward. Ward drove to the net and was screened Dan Ellis. Legwand ripped a shot that hit the far side post and then into the net as Ward was checked into Ellis by Saku Koivu but Ward was called for goaltender interference after the score. A bizarre call to say the least.

The Ducks would score just 10 seconds later on the 5 on 3 power play as Teemu Selanne tallied his 24th goal of the season.

Selanne would notch his second 5 on 3 goal at 15:14 of the third to cut the lead to 5-3 Predators. The puck was tipped off the stick of Ryan Suter past Rinne, who had no chance on the re-directed puck. Frankly, Anaheim was not going to score unless it was the Predators allowing them to score with their mistakes.

And the Predators would make a lot of mistakes in the third period.

Corey Perry would strike again at 19:34 of the third period to make it 5-4. On this weird score, Ryan Suter would try to kick the fluttering shot of Perry out of harms way, but instead would kick the puck over the shoulder of Rinne and into the net.

The Predators would hold off Anaheim for the final 26 seconds to secure an all important win and gather the two precious points, but dang, that third period was stressful.

The truth is that the Predators dominated the Ducks, and if they had not made in essence two scores for the Ducks, the game would have been a rout. Perhaps more importantly, the Predators have to realize they cannot let teams climb back into games with them. The Predators were guilty of opening the door for the Ducks with penalties and with scores on their own goalie.

Fortunately for the Predators, their offensive explosion was enough to vanquish the Ducks. Play this haphazardly against the teams that remain on the schedule and the outcome will not be as favorable.

It goes without saying this was a big win for the Predators, not only from the standings but from a mental aspect as well. This was a challenge for this team, one that could very well determine a playoff spot. The Ducks were coming off an improbable win against Dallas the night before and had momentum. The Predators jumped on the Ducks early and kept the pressure up throughout the game. Erase the last 10 minutes of the contest and this was a textbook game.

You can't, however, erase those last 10 minutes. What the team can do is learn from the mistakes that were made and correct them. The remaining games on the schedule are going to be a war, and it will be imperative for this team to correct these types of mistakes and bring their best effort.

The bottom line: the Predators won the game and picked up the points. Build on this momentum and take care of business when Dallas comes to town.

My three stars:

1. Sergei Kostitsyn

2. Corey Perry

3. Teemu Selanne

Honorable mention:

Patric Hornqvist

Dishonorable mention:

Ryan Suter (scoring two goals for the Ducks)



















































































































 

Buffalo Victimized by another Miracle from Nashville, Fall to the Predators in OT 4-3

The Nashville Predators staged an improbable comeback to beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in overtime at HSBC Arena. Improbable may not be strong enough to describe the outcome of this game.

Blake Geoffrion continued his strong play of late, tallying his second goal in as many games as he banked a shot off Paul Gaustad's skates and past Ryan Miller to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 6:44 of the first period.

Anders Lindback got the start for the Predators in net, and made some good saves in the first period to keep the Sabres off the board. Buffalo had some good scoring chances and Lindback turned aside all 11 shots he faced in the period.

In the second period, the Predators opened with good jump and had several glorious scoring chances. Marty Erat had a breakaway that Miller stopped with his blocker. There were several scoring chances with the Predators shooting the puck and crashing the net, but they could not get a puck past Miller.

Unlike the Predators, the Sabres capitalized on their opportunities and mistakes by the Nashville Predators to build a 3-1 lead.

Nathan Gerbe tied the game for the Sabres as he spun away from Kevin Klein  at the front of the net and whipped a shot under the pad of Lindback at 7:04 of the second. Gerbe had a solid game for the Sabres, creating good offensive pressure throughout the night.

That goal energized the Sabres, and just 40 seconds later, Tim Connolly blistered a wrist shot over the shoulder of Lindback for his 11th goal of the year and a 2-1 lead for the Sabres.

Those two quick goals jacked up the Sabres and put the Predators on their heels. Buffalo controlled much of the play for the remainder of the second period, while the Predators mustered scant little offensive effort.

Buffalo would extend the lead to 3-1 at 19:00 of the second period while on the power play. Cody Franson took a... what word am I looking for...stupid slashing penalty at 17:22. Tyler Ennis made the Predators pay as his shot from the slot slipped between Lindback's arm and his body.

Down 3-1 and with Miller looking unbeatable and the Sabres clogging the neutral zone, things did not look good for the Predators. It was going to be essential that the Predators get a goal fairly early in the period to loosen up the Sabres defense and to give them a chance to get back into the game.

That did not happen for the Predators. The Sabres defense trapped them in the neutral zone and did a great job of limiting chances once the Predators got into the offensive zone. With the clock winding down, it looked as if an important contest and 2 critical points were going to slip away.

A funny thing happened on the way to what appeared to be a certain Buffalo win, though.

Jonathan Blum fought for the puck in the corner and outworked two Sabres to get control. Blum slipped a pass to Geoffrion, who was stationed to the right of the net. Miller moved to the post as Geoffrion shoved the puck toward the net. Miller did not control the puck and Geoffrion kept whacking at it until he knocked it under Miller's pad to make the score 3-2 Buffalo with 2:27 remaining in the game.

Nashville forced a face off in the Buffalo zone after Miller froze the puck on a shot to the net. Geoffrion won the draw back to Cody Franson, who walked the blue line and let go a quick wrist shot. On the way to the net, Geoffrion tipped the puck and re-directed it past Miller for the game tying goal at 18:37 and his first hat trick in the NHL. The hattie came in only Geoffrion's 11th game in the NHL.

Neither team could score in the waning moments of the third period, and although both teams got a point, the Sabres were stunned. All the energy and momentum was now on the side of the Predators.

The Predators ended the overtime period quickly. Ryan Suter drove the puck inside the face off circle, drawing the defense to him. He slipped a quick pass to Marty Erat who scorched a one-timer past a defenseless Miller for the game winner just 27 seconds into overtime.

When the Predators were facing a 3-1 deficit and little time on the clock, it would have been easy to fold and say this game wasn't meant to be. The aspect of this team that cannot be measured is the heart and character of the players that put on the Predators sweater. They didn't look good at times, but they kept battling and refused to fold. This win can be a hallmark win for the Predators this season, one that they can use to build upon and do great things.

Because they didn't quit.

Head Coach Barry Trotz talks about defining moments- games and sequences in games that show that of which you are made. He says it so much it sometimes becomes cliche among the fans. While running the risk of sounding just as cliche as Trotzy, this was a defining moment game. This was a game that showed this team they are never out of it.

Blake Geoffrion has shown that he is NHL ready. The young man is going to be quite a player for the Predators. Jonathan Blum has exceeded any expectations that I had when he was called up. The young players are getting a baptism by fire and they are showing that they can handle the pressure.

With the win, the Predators are 38-25-10 and have jumped into 6th in the Western Conference for the time being with 86 points.

You now have a 9 game season, boys, and 7 of them are at home. Each of these games will be a game in which you can define yourself as a player and as a team.

Time to bring it.

My three stars:

1. Blake Geoffrion

2. Marty Erat

3. Nathan Gerbe





































































































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