Young Guys Help Predators Defeat the Wings in OT 4-3

The Nashville Predators faced the Detroit Red Wings at the Bridgestone Arena in their first meeting of the year. There is no love lost between these teams, and the contests usually feature a high level of intensity.

Tonight did not disappoint.

Pekka Rinne was in net for the Predators, and Jimmy Howard was in net for the Red Wings. The Predators quickly made life uncomfortable for Howard.

The Predators opened the scoring at 5:01 of the first period on the power play. Colin Wilson got the puck to Craig Smith and he sniped a shot to the top corner from a severe angle to give the Predators a 1-0 lead. This was Smith's first goal of the year and it was a beauty. With little net to work with, Smith found the top corner at the far post over the shoulder of Howard.

The Predators extended their lead to 2-0 at 10:41 of the first period as Scott Hannan took a shot from the blue line that was re-directed by Gabriel Bourque in front of the net and past Howard. This goal was the result of Hannan getting the shot through and Bourque battling in the hard area in front of the net.

Shortly after this goal, Howard would leave the game with an upper body injury and Jonas Gustavsson would come in net for the Wings. 

Dan Cleary would make it a 2-1 game at 15:01 with a shorthanded goal. Jonathan Blum turned the puck over behind the Predators net. Pavel Datsyuk stole the puck and got it to Cleary, who was alone in the slot and beat Rinne with a wrist shot.

The Wings out shot the Predators 11-8 in the first period.

The second period opened with the Wings dominating in puck possession and forechecking the life out of the Predators. Rinne made some good saves early in the period to keep the Wings off the board. The Predators did not get their first shot on net until 15:30 of the period.

Surviving the early push by the Wings, the Predators got their legs going and fired shots on Gustavsson, who came up with some good saves as well.

The second period ended scoreless and the Predators leading 2-1. The Predators out shot the Wings 12-7 in the period.

The fireworks came in an intense third period. Jordin Tootoo tied the game at 2 at 11:33 as he took a shot that appeared to be going wide of the net. However, it hit the skate of Kevin Klein and re-directed into the net past an out of position Rinne. This was Tootoo's first goal of the season.

The Predators reclaimed a 3-2 lead at 12:54 of the third period as Roman Josi took a shot from the blue line that a screened Gustavsson did not see until the last second. It hit a Detroit defender in front of the net and caromed into the net.

Pavel Datsyuk would tie the game just 36 seconds later as he embarrassed David Legwand, Marty Erat, and Kevin Klein. Datysuk dangled the puck through the three Predators and beat Rinne with a wrist shot from the slot.

With no more scoring in the period, the Predators would once again head to overtime.

In the overtime period, Colin Wilson skated the puck in over the blue line and fired a shot that kicked off the end board and back out to the other side of the net. Shea Weber was pinching in from his defense position and got the puck on his stick and beat a sprawling Gustavsson with a wrist shot just 44 seconds into overtime.

Some observations:

• Did you notice who scored in regulation for the Predators? Smith, Bourque, and Josi. These young players have played some quality minutes for the Predators, and Smith especially has begun to elevate his game. The Predators have to continue to get contributions from the younger players on their roster to be successful, and it is good to see them contributing in a big way.

• Here is a blinding flash of the obvious: Pavel Datsyuk is good. Really good. He almost single handedly willed the Wings to victory and his mastery at handling the puck is amazing. His goal in the third was a highlight reel goal, beating three defenders and then Rinne with a wrist shot. As a hockey fan, I respect his skill. As a Predator fan, I am ready for him to retire.

• The Wings are a wounded team, and tonight they were without the services of Todd Bertuzzi and Johan Franzen, two key cogs that are injured. The extent of the injury to Howard is unknown. The Predators are relatively healthy but did not have Paul Gaustad, who was injured in the previous game against Colorado

• The return of Patric Hornqvist is welcome for the Predators. His energy and effort are contagious, and he is fearless in going to the front of the net. His presence in the line up seems to energize the Predators.

• It is troublesome that the Predators are having trouble holding a lead. It is especially bothersome that the Predators are giving up goals shortly after they score. This is an area that has to improve, and the Predators have to get better at protecting a lead.

With this win, the Predators are 8-4-5, good for 21 points and 4th in the West.

This was a gutsy win for the Predators, especially after a disappointing loss the day before. The Predators have shown resiliency. Now they are showing grit and their offense is starting to click.

It will have to in this short season.

My three stars:

1. Shea Weber

2. Pavel Datsyuk

3. Colin Wilson

Predators Backs Against the Wall With a 1-0 Loss

The Nashville Predators dropped a 1-0 game to the Phoenix Coyotes at the Bridgestone Arena to fall behind in their series 3-1.

To say their backs are against the wall is an understatement.

The Predators offense was ineffective and rarely threatened Phoenix netminder Mike Smith. When they did threaten, Smith was equal to the task

The Coyotes Shane Doan scored at 14:25 of the first period as he went into the slot and fired a shot at Rinne that he got with his blocker, but it flipped over his shoulder, off Roman Josi, and into the net. for the only goal of the game.

The Phoenix defense made that goal stand up as they forechecked the life out of the Predators, rarely letting them come through the neutral zone with any speed, and one the Predators got into the offensive zone, choked the life out of them.

The Predators struggled to get any offensive rhythm because of the pressure the Coyotes put on the puck and throughout the game had more energy and jump than the Predators.

The offensive effort was disappointing to say the least, but give credit to the Coyotes for their play, because they ere better than the Predators tonight.

And therein lies the problem for the Predators. Their best offensive players were average and failed to create quality chances. It's telling that Colin Wilson, Marty Erat, Gabriel Bourque, and nick spaling all mustered just one shot on goal each. Jordin Tootoo, Sergei Kostitsyn, Matt Halischuk, and Paul Gaustad had none.

The Predators were 0-3 on the power play, as the Coyotes did a good job pressuring the puck and not letting the Predators get quality chances on Smith. The Predators did score on a power play late in the third period, but the goal was waved off as the officials struck with the dreaded "intent to blow" call.

The fact is that the Predators were outplayed throughout the contest. Rinne was exceptional, especially in the first period , stoning Mikkel Boedker alone in front of the net on one sequence. Frankly, without the strong play of Rinne, who seemed to be the only Predator ready to play, the score could have been much worse.

The Predators sat Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn for the second straight game after their curfew violations before game 3. While many may second guess that decision, I concur with the call made by Head Coach Barry Trotz. The Predators squad on the ice tonight was the same one that played a dominant game 4 an captured a 2-0 victory. That squad that was so effective in game 4 did not come to play tonight.

The Predators have dug an immense hole. The task before them is monumental.

It is not insurmountable.

It will require each player that puts on the sweater Monday night to commit to win puck battles, to play balls to the wall on every shift.

Do that, and the series will come back to Nashville.

Fail to do so, and your backs will no longer be against the wall.

They will be out of the playoffs.

My three stars:

1: Mike Smith

2. Shane Doan

3. Pekka Rinne

Predators Outlast the Wings, Take 2-1 Series Lead

Well, that was exciting!

The Nashville Predators faced the Detroit Red Wings at the Joe, a place where they had never won a playoff game, tied at one game apiece in their playoff series, and the two teams engaged in a back and forth contest that went down to the final seconds before the Predators captured a 3-2 victory.

Entering this game, the Predators knew they were going to be in a spirited contest, to be sure.

No, actually, it was going to a war.

The Predators knew they were going to need to come out strong, take the Wings and the crowd out of the game, and play a solid 60 minutes of hockey.

Oh yeah, Pekka Rinne had to be stronger than his counterpart for the Wings, Jimmy Howard.

Getting their dormant power play going was essential for the Predators, and they did that on their second power play opportunity. With Drew Miller in the box for goaltender interference, the Predators swarmed the Detroit net. Shea Weber, crashed the net and gathered in a rebound of an Andrei Kostitsyn shot and slammed the rebound past Howard to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 2:48 of the first period. Finally, the Predators were able to convert on the man advantage, and the 0-12 monkey was off their back.

The first period settled down to playoff hockey, as both teams created some good chances. Both Rinne and Howard turned aside the shots that each team fired. Rinne in particular looked sharp and relaxed in net.

The first period ended with the Wings out shooting the Predators 11-9.

Just after a Jordin Tootoo penalty had expired early in the second period, Kevin Klein split the Wings D with tremendous speed and buried a shot over the shoulder of Howard to give the Predators a 2-0 lead at 3:50. Klein was sent into the zone off a nice pass from Marty Erat, and Klein's speed into the zone surprised the Wings defense. More importantly, Klein finished the play, and that goal was huge for the Predators to give them some breathing room.

The Predators needed that breathing room as Pavel Datsyuk absolutely undressed Roman Josi and stole the puck from him behind the Predators net. He beat Rinne, who was looking the other way expecting the puck to go to his right. Datsyuk tucked the puck under Rinne's pad before he could recover to make it 2-1 Predators at 15:03 of the second.

It goes without saying that Josi cannot let that play happen, As it was, the Wings now had life, and it was going to be important for the Predators to respond.

Sergei Kostitsyn took a penalty late in the period, and the Wings were swarming the Predators zone. Rinne fought off a shot by Nick Lidstrom and the rebound kicked out to Johan Franzen, and he made no mistake in depositing the puck into the back of the Predators net.

Just one problem.

The clock had just expired before the puck went into the net.

And the Predators had caught a huge break.

The Wings had out shot the Predators 13-9 in the second period, but they were energized and would have 1:49 of power play time to start the third period. It was going to be critical that the Predators respond, and especially not sit back on their heels in the third.

Detroit opened the third on the power play, and the Predators were able to kill off the penalty, but the Wings were rolling. They opened the third out shooting the Predators 7-0 and were dominant in the Predators zone. Rinne made some huge stops to keep the Wings off the board, but the Predators were going to have to begin to mount some offensive pressure. Sitting back like they were doing was going to be disastrous for the Predators.

The Predators finally got a couple of shots on net, but the Wings held a 13-2 shot advantage with just over 7 minutes remaining in the third period. The Predators tactic of sitting back and playing prevent defense was both frustrating and dangerous.

The Predators once again got some breathing room as Sergei Kostitsyn broke in on a 2 on 1 and instead of passing the puck snapped a shot over the shoulder of Howard to give the Predators a 3-1 lead at 16:30 of the third.

The Predators would need that goal as David Legwand was called for holding and the Wings tallied on the power play  as Henrik Zetterberg walked into the zone and rifled a shot over the shoulder of Rinne short side to make it 3-2 with 52 seconds remaining.

Detroit came with the full court...uh, ice press in the remaining seconds, but the Predators did a good job of controlling and clearing the puck, and the Wings could not get a shot on goal.

The final horn had sounded and for the first time ever, the Predators had won a playoff game at the Joe.

It goes without saying that Rinne was magnificent in net. His play is so strong and it has to affect the Wings, leaving them wondering if they can get an even strength goal past him (Datsyuk's flukey goal not withstanding).

How strong was Rinne? Detroit fired 43 shots on net. By contrast, the Predators managed just 22 for the game.

It is good to see Sergei Kostitsyn get on the board. He had been invisible up to this point, and finally getting on the board will hopefully get his game rolling.

The play of Kevin Klein was outstanding as he scored a beautiful goal and came up with a huge save when Rinne was out of position, stopping Cory Emmerton with a nice block of his shot. A very good game by Klein today.

The significance of this win at the Joe cannot be understated. For the Predators, it lifts that 800 pound gorilla of never winning there off their back. And for the Wings, it cracks their veneer of invincibility at home.

Yes, Detroit is a veteran team, and I expect them to come out flying in game 4. I also expect the Predators to be more calm and composed and their compete level to be extremely high. Now they know they can win at the Joe.

More importantly, they know they can win this series.

The time to take control is Tuesday.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Kevin Klein

3. Sergei Kostitsyn

Predators Dominate Detroit 4-1

The Nashville Predators faced off with the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena in a pivotal contest that would either give the Predators possession of 4th in the West or the Wings some breathing room in their hold on that coveted 4th spot.

The Predators faced a daunting task in their attempt to win at the Joe, where Detroit was 30-5-2 going into this game.

Consider the jinx at the Joe broken as the Predators dominated the Wings en route to a 4-1 victory.

The Predators had Pekka Rinne in net, while the Wings welcomed back Jimmy Howard, who had missed the last 4 games with a groin injury.

The first period was scoreless, but both teams had some quality scoring chances. The Predators out shot the Wings 9-7 in the first, but the real story of this period was that the Predators did a great job on the forecheck and pressured the Wings in their zone. The Predators used their forecheck to stymie the speed of the Wings through the neutral zone and did not allow them to enter the offensive zone with speed.

That level of play would continue throughout the game, as the Predators controlled the neutral zone. In addition, the Predators did a good job in the defensive zone of disrupting the Wings in the offensive zone, intercepting passes and thwarting the offensive flow that the Wings tried to establish.

The second period continued just as the first had played out, with both teams probing and trying to establish offensive zone presence.

It was the Predators that would break through first.

Gabriel Bourque would take a pass from Jordin Tootoo in the slot and slip a wrist shot past Howard to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 13:05 of the second period. Bourque continues his solid play, as he goes to the tough areas and is strong on the puck, and he was rewarded for his efforts with a big goal.

The Predators tempted fate as they gave the Wings consecutive power plays. Nick Spaling was called for hooking at 14:04, and the Predators PK killed off the Wings power play.

Just 20 seconds later, the Predators were called for too many men on the ice, and once again, the PK unit came up big, killing off the Wings power play. The highlight of that kill was Rinne absolutely robbing Henrik Zetterberg with a glove save at the side of the net.

Just 23 seconds after that kill, the Predators put a dagger into the heart  of the Red Wings.

With Alexander Radulov being mugged in front of the net- actually being tackled by Todd Bertuzzi- the puck squirted out of traffic onto the stick of Francis Buillon. Frankie buried the puck past Howard at 19:27 of the second period to give the Predators a 2-0 lead.

Detroit out shot the Predators 17-8 in the second period, but many of those shots were from the outside and were shots that Rinne easily handled.

The third period was one that everyone knew would have a push by the Wings. For the Predators, it was going to be important not to sit back and let the Wings take the play to them.

The Predators did anything but sit back, as they kept the pressure up on the Wings. Alexander Radulov took a very sweet pass from Andrei Kostitsyn, who moved up to the second line in the third period, and was alone in the slot. Radulov hammered the shot past Howard, who had no chance on the play, to give the Predators a 3-0 lead at 2:40 of the third period.

The Predators continued to limit the quality chances by the Wings through their forecheck and their play in the neutral zone. This was evidenced by the Predators holding the Wings to 8 shots in the third period, while the Predators had 10.

The Wings finally cracked the scoreboard at 16:57 of the third period, as Jiri Hudler took a pass from Henrik Zetterberg and found the open side of the net past an out of position Rinne.

The Predators iced the win with an empty net goal by Shea Weber at 19:20 of the third period.

For the Predators, this win allows them to take possession of 4th place in the West. With 4 games remaining, it is going to be imperative that the Predators take care of business. They have the advantage of 3 of those 4 games being in the friendly confines of Bridgestone Arena.

This game was also a milestone game for Barry Trotz and David Poile. This was Head Coach Barry Trotz's 500th win, all with the Predators. Trotz becomes just the fifth coach to win 500 games with one team. General Manager David Poile becomes the first General Manager to have 500 wins with two different teams, the Washington Capitals and the Predators.

Congratulations to both of these gentlemen for this significant accomplishment.

Obviously this win feels good, but there is work left to do in the regular season, starting tomorrow night against Chicago.

Play like you did tonight, and home ice is yours for the taking.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Alexander Radulov

3. Francis Buillon

Blues Blast the Predators 3-0

The war that has been the Predators/Blues series continued for the final time in the regular season at the Scott Trade Center. 4 of the previous 5 contests had gone the way of the Predators, with their only loss occurring in overtime, and there was nothing that the league leading Blues would like to do more than avenge some of their earlier losses.

The Predators welcomed Colin Wilson back into the line up, but were without Marty Erat for the second game in a row as well as Jordin Tootoo, who was injured in the game with Chicago.

While this game was going to be tight checking and a war among the skaters, there was also a stellar goaltending battle that was going to take place as well, as the Predators had Pekka Rinne in net while the Blues countered with Brian Elliott.

The significance of this game was twofold: with a win, the Predators could move back into 4th place in the West; and with a win, Barry Trotz would notch his 500th victory as a Head Coach, all with the Predators.

The first period was just as billed: a war. Both teams created some scoring chances, but the first 20 minutes was characterized by some ferocious checking, tight defense, and good goaltending. Both netminders were perfect, as Rinne turned away 6 shots and Elliott rejected 8.

The second period opened with the Blues putting pressure on the Predators and generating some good chances. The Blues finally capitalized as Jason Arnott fed Jamie Langenbrunner in the slot and he buried the wrister to give the Blues a 1-0 lead at 6:35 of the second period. Langenbrunner worked himself free and was alone in the slot to take the shot.

Save for the Langenbrunner goal, the second period was a mirror image of the first, with both teams trying to solve the others defense and goaltender. The Predators out shot the Blues 12-7, but could not solve Elliott, who was outstanding in net.

In the third period, the Predators were going to have to get more traffic to the front of the net to try and take advantage of the rebounds that Elliott was leaving on the ice. This was going to be a tall order, as the Blues defense had so far done a good job of collapsing around Elliott.

It was going to be a matter of "want to" for the Predators in the third period.

So much for "want to" as the Blues continued to win puck battles and clog the neutral zone. Their effort paid off as David Backes got the puck to David Perron who beat Kevin Klein to the front of the net and beat Rinne with a backhand to give the Blues a 2-0 lead at 4:47 of the third period.

The Predators caught a break when it appeared that the Blues scored as David Perron shoved the puck into the net, but the goal was waved off as it was deemed by the officials that Perron had pushed Rinne and the puck into the net.

At the 16:00 minute mark, T.J. Oshie beat Rinne with a backhand to make it 3-0 for the Blues, and this game was over.

The Predators got a taste of what playoff hockey will be like, and the team was found wanting. The forwards did not finish, they lost puck battles, and their compete level was not equal to that of the Blues.

This was not fun. By any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it was painful.

But the Predators should learn from this. Playoff hockey is different. Tonight, the Blues played playoff hockey.

The Predators did not.

The Predators finished the regular season series with the Blues 4-1-1, capturing 9 of a possible 12 points.

That feels good.

But the Blues are the team playing like it is the playoffs. The Predators are not.

And they are going to have to elevate their level of play.

My three stars:

1. Brian Elliott

2. David Perron

3. Jamie Langenbrunner

Predators Turn the Sharks to Sushi 6-2

Gonna be brief on this blog as I am typing with one hand and the drugs are kicking in*

The Nashville Predators defeated the San Jose Sharks 6-2 at the Bridgestone Arena to run their point total to 79 and firmly hold on to the fifth spot on the /western Conference.

Pekka Rinne won his 34th game, best in the NHL and a personal record for the stellar netminder. Rinne made some big saves in this game and carried the Predators in the third period as the Sharks outshot the Predators in the final frame by a 16-3 margin.

The Predators scored on their first two shots as Colin Wilson and Shea Weber potted goals off odd man rushes. Jordin Tootoo played a strong game, setting up the first goal by stealing the puck from Colin White and feeding the puck to a breaking Colin Wilson, who beat Antti Niemi low stick side for a 1-0 lead. Tootoo's hard work behind the net to gain control of the puck and set up Nick Spaling for a one timer from the slot capped the scoring for the Predators, making the score 6-2.

Shea Weber tallied the first of his two goals off a 3 on 2 rush. Sergei Kostitsyn made a nice pass across the slot to Weber, who roofed the puck over Niemi to make it 2-0 Predators on their first two shots of the game. Weber would later tally on a blast from the blue line while the Predators were on the power play in the second period.

The Sharks cut the lead to 2-1 on a goal by Patrick Marleau from the top of the blue paint at 10:58 of the first period.

The Predators showed great resilience in this game by answering each challenge to their lead by the Sharks. Kevin Klein stretched the lead back to two goals by notching his 4th goal with a shot from just inside the blue line. Klein tied his season high with this goal. Niemi had allowed 3 goals on 7 shots and was pulled in favor of Thomas Greiss.

Joe Pavelski scored just 23 seconds into the second period with a shot from just inside the face off circle to make it 3-2. Weber gave the Predators a 4-2 lead with his power play tally.

The third period was all Sharks and all Rinne. The Sharks pounded the predator net with 16 shots and were territorially dominant in the final frame. Rinne was more than up to the challenge, turning away numerous opportunities by the Sharks, many with heavy traffic in front. San Jose scored, but the goal was waved off as the Sharks interfered with Rinne. No penalty was called on the play as incidental contact with Rinne was called on the ice.

Greiss was pulled with 2:12 remaining for the extra attacker, and Marty Erat buried an empty netter to make it 5-2. Spaling tallied at 19:18 to make it 6-2, the final score.

In this game, the Predators did an exceptional job of supporting the puck, something they failed to do in their previous game. This lead to a good cycle in the offensive zone and some quality scoring chances. The breakouts through the neutral zone were crisp and allowed the Predators to gain entry into the offensive zone with speed, which gave the Sharks problems.

What can be said about the play of Rinne? He absolutely carried the team on his back in the third period. The Predators spent much of the period hemmed in their own zone, and the Sharks were sending pucks and players to the net. Rinne was stellar, tracking the puck through traffic and making numerous big saves. His play continues to be amazing, and you can see teams getting frustrated as they realize they cannot beat the athletic netminder. Thanks, Pekka, for an outstanding effort tonight.

The Predators continue to get balanced scoring and solid defense and netminding. This is a winning formula, and they have to continue this level of play to keep pace with the competitive Central Division.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Shea Weber

3. Jordin Tootoo

* shoulder surgery yesterday has limited the use of one arm

Red Wings Eke Out a 2-1 Win Over the Predators

The Nashville Predators looked to end the Detroit Red Wings 21 game home winning streak at the Joe in a contest between two Central Division foes fighting for division and conference supremacy. The Wings home winning streak was nothing short of amazing, and the Predators faced a daunting task trying to derail the home juggernaut that was Detroit.

Pekka Rinne got the start in net for the Predators, while Joey MacDonald, doing an admirable job filling in for the injured Jimmy Howard, manned the pipes for the Wings.

The Predators were playing without Patric Hornqvist, who was placed on injured reserve today with an upper body injury suffered in the game with the Boston Bruins. The Wings were missing Patric Eaves and Dan Cleary.

The Predators and the Wings both generated some good scoring chances, and both goaltenders were equal to the task that the opposing offenses presented. That changed at 12:44 of the first as the Predators defense left Johan Franzen alone in the low slot and the feed from Todd Bertuzzi was on his tape, allowing him to bury a quick wrist shot behind Rinne for a 1-0 Detroit lead.

The first period ended with the score 1-0 and the Wings recording 14 shots on goal to 9 for Nashville.

One mistake, and the Predators found the puck in the back of their net.

While not a bad period for the Predators, their offensive effort was going to have to improve with more shots and quality shots.

The second period, long a bane for the Predators, saw them out work, out hit, and out hustle the Wings. The Predators forecheck was working, bottling the Wings up in their zone and creating chances. The Predators best scoring chance came on a set up from Sergei Kostitsyn that sent Marty Erat in alone on MacDonald. Unfortunately for the Predators, MacDonald stopped the glorious scoring chance, as he had done so far during the game.

The Predators finally broke through at 14:58 of the second as Jordin Tootoo stole the puck from Jakob Kindl and fed Nick Spaling in front of the MacDonald. Spaling cashed in on the chance, tying the game at 1.

For the Predators, this had to be a big relief. Lots of chances and unable to beat MacDonald, the pressure was mounting.

The period ended tied at 1; Nashville had 8 shots on goal in the second, while Detroit had 7.

This presaged a third period that would be a battle.

And a battle it was. Both teams went up and down the ice, created chances, but could not finish.

That would change with just 5 seconds to go as Pavel Datsyuk broke in on a breakaway and beat Rinne over his shoulder to take a 2-1 lead, which would be the final score.

Let's face it, the Wings are the best team in the NHL, and the Predators competed and gave them all they wanted for the duration of the game. The Wings were just a little bit better tonight, but a little bit means a big difference in the outcome of a game like this.

I thought the effort by the Predators was solid. They forechecked well, were solid on defense, and except for two plays, could have won this game.

Yet those two plays were the difference, and those are the plays that elite teams make.

If I were to criticize any aspect of the Predators game, it was that they did not finish their chances. They had 4 breakaway attempts, none of which they could bury. They had some good scoring chances at even strength and could not finish. This is something that has to improve for this team.

This was at least one point the Predators gave away. That is painful.

The thing the Predators have to do now is learn from that pain and channel it. Use it to start another winning streak.

And don't let another team eke out a win.

My three stars:

1. Pavel Datsyuk

2. Nick Spaling

3. Johan Franzen

Predators Get a Humongous Win Over the Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers made a rare visit to Nashville to take on the Predators in a barn where they last won in the year 2000. The Predators continued the Flyers misery in the Music City with a 4-2 victory in front of a sell out crowd that had a number of Flyers fans in attendance.

Pekka Rinne started in net for the Predators, while media sensation Ilya Bryzgalov got the start for the Flyers.

The first period was an entertaining period of hockey, with both teams pouring shots on the net. Philadelphia out shot the Predators 15-12 in end to end action. Both teams generated some quality chances, and both goaltenders came up with some solid saves.

It appeared that the Predators had taken a 1-0 lead as Gabriel Bourque was able to direct the puck from behind the net off Bryzgalov and into the goal. The goal was waved off after a review that deemed that Bourque had kicked the puck at Bryz for the deflection.

The Predators got on the board with just 57 seconds remaining in the period while on the power play. With Patric Hornqvist screening Bryzgalov in front, Marty Erat took a shot from the face off circle that hit the ice in front of Bryzgalov and skipped up over his shoulder to give the Predtors a 1-0 lead.

The second period saw the Flyers use their size to assert themselves. They out shot the Predators 13-6, but were forcing the puck deep in the Predators zone, cycling well, and creating some chances. One had to wonder whether the Predators defense could hold up under this pressure.

Want an indication of how the Predators responded? Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds, one of the massive forwards on the Predators roster, broke down the wing with no one but the smallish Ryan Ellis between him and Pekka Rinne. Ellis timed a perfect hip check and flipped Simmonds head over heels, separating him from the puck and thwarting the scoring threat.

The Predators kept grinding away at the Flyers defense, and their effort paid off with their second goal. The Flyers appeared to have control of the puck in their zone, but Gabriel Bourque fought for the puck and stole it away. He found Sergei Kostitsyn and got the puck on his stick. Kostitsyn fired a wrist shot over the shoulder of Bryzgalov with Mike Fisher screening in front to give the Predators a 2-0 lead at 10:36 of the second period.

The Flyers sensational rookie, Sean Couturier, cut the lead to 2-1 at 12:18 of the second with a sweet wrist shot from just inside the face off circle that beat Rinne high glove side.

Going into the third period with a 2-1 lead, the Predators lead seemed tenuous at best, and everyone knew the Flyers would have a strong push.

Rather than wilt under the pressure of the Flyers, it was the Predators that struck first in the third period. Jordin Tootoo found Nick Spaling driving the slot and centered a pass to him. The puck actually bounced off the shaft of Spaling's stick and through the five hole of Bryzgalov to give the Predators a 3-1 lead at 4:30 of the third period.

The Flyers answered at 9:55 of the third as the Predators failed to clear the puck and Wayne Simmonds beat Ryan Ellis for control of the puck at the top of the crease. He was able to poke the puck past Rinne to cut the Predators lead to 3-2.

Rinne stepped up and made some big saves after this to keep the Flyers off the board. With time winding down and Bryzgalov on the bench for the extra attacker, Mike Fisher potted an empty net goal at 19:20 to seal the win.

The defensive effort by the Predators was very good tonight. Although they gave up 38 shots, most were not from quality scoring areas. The Flyers big line of Claude Giroux, Jaromir Jagr, and Scott Hartnell were held off the board, and the play of Ryan Suter and Shea Weber was outstanding in this effort.

This game may not have taken on the importance of a game against a Western Conference opponent, but this was a humongous 2 points for the Predators. With this win, they sit just 4 points out of the lead in the Central Division and 5 points out of first place in the West. They also sit just 4 points out of 9th place in the West. The Western Conference is tightly bunched in the standings and is ultra competitive and it makes every point precious.

Make no mistake- this was a very big game.

The Predators have now won 13 of their last 17 games, essential for keeping pace with the other teams in the West that seem to keep winning as well. Nashville now has sole possession of 6th place in the West.

Tonight, this team battled against a very good opponent. Young players stepped up and veterans played like they should. It will be critical that they continue to do so in the unrelenting pressure cooker that is the Western Conference.

Keep playing this way, and you will have more humongous wins.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Sergei Kostitsyn

3. Wayne Simmonds

Predators Bury the Avalanche 4-1

The Nashville Predators ventured to the Pepsi Center to do battle with the Colorado Avalanche. Even though it is early January, this game took on some significance because the Predators stood just one point in front of the Avs in the standings, with the Predators in 7th place with 48 points and the Avalanche in tied for 9th with 47 points.

This would be the first of four meetings with the Avalanche and the first of two consecutive games between the two teams.

The Predators opened with Pekka Rinne in net, while the Avalanche had Semyon Varlamov tending the pipes.

The Predators opened the scoring at 4:31 of the first period as the line of Jordin Tootoo, Gabriel Bourque, and Nick Spaling continued their stellar play. Tootoo and Bourque battled behind the net for the puck, and Tootoo won the puck battle and slipped the puck to Spaling in the low slot. Spaling's wrist shot was hammered past Varlamov to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

With T.J. Galiardi in the box for tripping, the Predators potent power play continued the effectiveness as Ryan Ellis blasted a shot from inside the blue line over the glove of a screened Varlamov to give the Predators a 2-0 lead at 7:18 of the first. Patric Hornqvist was in front of the net and did a very good job of taking away the eyes of Varlamov on Ellis' shot.

The Predators continued their assault on Varlamov as Marty Erat unleashed a dart at Varlamov that absolutely fooled the Avs netminder and found the back of the net through the five hole to make it 3-0 Predators at 15:35 of the first period. Erat took the puck in the face off circle and did not hesitiate, letting go a quick snap shot. This is the what this team needs out of Erat- shots on goal, and he was rewarded with a score on his first shot.

At the end of the first period, the Predators out shot the Avalanche 13-6. That doesn't tell the whole story, however. The Predators were dominant on the forecheck, forcing turnovers and limiting the Avs breakouts theough the neutral zone. Their low cycle controlled the puck and created quality scoring opportunities. The line of Tootoo, Spaling, and Bourque were outstanding.

After this solid first period, the Predators were going to need to come out in the second period and continue their solid effort.

The Predators opened the second period with some good scoring chances, but Varlamov was equal to the task of turning aside the Predators chances. Colrado came with their inevitable puck back, and began to control the puck in the Predators zone. The Avs were aided by a questionable goaltender interference call on Matt Halischuk, but the the Predators PK unit was able to stymie the Avs chances. During this stretch, Rinne came up with some good saves to keep the Avs off the board.

Throughout the period, the Avs dominated play and kept the Predators bottled up in their zone and limited the offensive opportunities. The Predators were badly out shot by a margin of 18-6.

Late in the period, Francis Buillon was called for hooking, and the Avalanche made the Predators pay for their infraction. Ryan O'Reilly tipped a puck past Rinne off a pass from Paul Stastny to make it a 3-1 contest at 18:25 of the second.

The Predators survived the second period. That is about all that can be said about it. They were back on their heels and spent much of the period chasing the puck. This type of play set up a third period in which everyone knew that the Avs were going to come out again with another strong push. It was going to be incumbent on the Predators to come out with more jump and answer the push from the Avs.

The Avs opened the third period with a continued strong push. The difference in this period was that the Predators responded. After being out shot 5-0 to open the period, the Predators came back with a strong forecheck and started to get shots in on Varlamov. The Predators forecheck began to disrupt the Avs offensive push and forced them to get deeper in their zone. This created some chances for the Predators and it felt like the Predators were beginning to take momentum back to their side.

The Predators finally broke through at 15:34 of the third period as Ryan Ellis was able to hold the puck in at the blue line. He got a pass to Patric Hornqvist in the high slot, and his quick wrist shot beat Varlamov high over the glove side to restore the Predators 3 goal lead at 4-1.

The Predators held off the Avs for the remainder of the period and secured an important victory against a team that is desperately chasing them in the standings. The importance of this type of game is that it essentially a 4 point game, and with the win, the Predators extended their lead over the Avs to 3 points.

Kudos to the kids for their play tonight. Gabriel Bourque, Ryan Ellis, and Roman Josi had solid games. This is what had been hoped- that these young players would mature quickly and contribute, and they did that  tonight.

The Avs out shot the Predators 33-26, and it goes without saying that Pekka Rinne kept the Predators in the contest in the second period when the Predators offense struggled. Rinne was outstanding, thwarting the Avs offensive chances.

This was a quality win by the Predators. We are watching a young team grow up and become a real force. This has to continue for the Predators to be successful.

Keep doing this and you will bury more opponents


My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Ryan Ellis

3. Nick Spaling

Predators Hand the Stars a 4-1 Victory

The Nashville Predators handed the Dallas Stars a 4-1 victory at the Bridgestone Arena in front of the 7th consecutive sellout for the home team.

"Handed?" Sour grapes?

No.

Consider that in a 1-1 game, the Predators made two egregious mistakes that wound up in the back of their net and allowed the Stars to take control of the game and cement a win.

Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne is owed an apology by the team in front of him.

I will get to that in a moment.

First, the Predators welcomed back Shea Weber, who missed four games due to a cheap shot from the Stars Mark Fistric in a game just before Christmas. Weber was his usual physical self and appeared not to miss a beat, as he logged 25:45 of ice time.

As to the game, the Stars struck first as Mike Ribeiro got the Stars on the board first at 4:18 of the first period. Ribeiro undressed Roman Josi in front of the net, and the Predators forward was late getting back on the line change to help. Ribeiro made a nice move in the low slot and beat Rinne glove side to give the Stars a 1-0 lead.

The Predators answered at 8:31 of the first as Gabriel Bourque tallied his first NHL goal off some hard work and a nice pass from Jordin Tootoo. Tootoo fought for and won the puck behind the net and found Bourque in the low slot with a nice pass. Bourque buried the wrister behind Kari Lehtonen to tie the game at 1.

With time winding down in the first period, Ribeiro took a shot that eluded Rinne and was lying in the blue paint. Kevin Klein came back to help his goalie, but instead of securing the puck, accidentally knocked it into the net to give the Stars a 2-1 lead at 19:21 of the first period.

In the second period, the Predators gave the Stars another goal as Ryan Suter made a blind drop pass behind the net thinking that Nick Spaling would be there to take possession of the puck. Spaling was nowhere to be found, and the puck was taken by Jamie Benn at the goal line, and he fired a quick shot on the surprised Rinne that caromed off his skate and into the net to make it 3-1 at 6:28.

In the third period, Adam Burish gathered in a puck that the Predators failed to clear and then over skated in the defensive zone and fired a shot past a screened Rinne to make it 4-1 at 12:53 of the third period. This would be the final margin of the game.

For the Predators, this was a disappointing effort. Giving the Stars 3 goals is certainly a formula for defeat. The Predators offensive effort was negligible for the night. David Legwand, Mike Fisher, Marty Erat, and Sergei Kostitsyn were virtually invisible in this game, and for the Predators to have success, they have to be more effective and create chances.

By far, the best line for the Predators was the Tootoo, Bourque, Spaling line. They played with energy and enthusiasm, and were a force on the ice.

There was a large dose of animosity on the ice. Fistric was going to pay for his cheap shot on Weber, and early on was challenged by Jordin Tootoo. Fistric was not going to trade punches with Toots, and was content to hang on and try to wrestle with his opponent. When called out, Fistric would not answer.

As I mentioned, the effort tonight by the Predators was disappointing. Giving the Stars three goals doomed their effort against a team they need to beat and should beat.

There will be two more meetings against the Stars. Hopefully the Predators will not give them any goals in those contests.

My three stars:

1. Mike Ribeiro

2. Kari Lehtonen

3. Gabriel Bourque

Kostitsyn's Hat Trick Leads Predators Past the Flames

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

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

The new year saw the old Predators on the ice.

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

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

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

Same old Predators, eh?

Not so fast.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hats off for a solid effort.

My three stars:

1. Sergei Kostitsyn

2. Kevin Klein

3. Patric Hornqvist

Predators Win Over the Wild in a Shootout 2-1

Watching the Minnesota Wild play hockey is a bit like watching (if it were possible) your arteries harden. You know those clogged arteries are going to be a problem, you just never know when.

The Nashville Predators took on the Wild at Bridgestone Arena and were able to do just enough against the sclerotic defense of the Wild to escape with a 2-1 shootout victory to extend the Wild's losing streak to 8 games.

Throughout the night, the Wild clogged the neutral zone and the offensive zone, creating problems for the Predators entering the zone and establishing their offense. Yet the Predators kept persisting, kept pushing, and kept fighting. The victory wasn't pretty by any stretch, but fortunately, they don't grade victories on style points.

Pekka Rinne got the start in net for the Predators, while Josh Harding was in net for the Wild.

Rinne got most of the work of the two netminders,as the Wild out shot the Predators 35-25 and created numerous scoring opportunities from in close. Rinne came up with some very big saves for the Predators as the Wild threw the puck at the net often and had several scoring chances from in close. Rinne was outstanding in goal and was exceptional in keeping the Wild off the board early.

The first period was scoreless, but the Wild carried the play early. With 6 minutes to go in the period, the Wild had out shot the Predators 10-4, but a late flurry by the Predators narrowed that margin to 11-10. The Wild threw pucks at the net, and there were times where the Predators defense had trouble clearing the front of the net, forcing Rinne to make some big stops from close range.

The second period was more of the same. The Predators opened with a strong offensive effort, really their only offensive thrust of the period. Colin Wilson rang a shot off the post from close in, but that was the best scoring chance for the Predators. The Wild spent most of the period bottling up the Predators and not allowing them to establish their offensive flow. In turn, they used their defense to create offense and control the puck in the Predators zone.

The Wild out shot the Predators 11-5 in the second period. Once again, the play of Rinne kept the Predators in the game, as he stopped several close in shots to keep the Wild scoreless.

The Predators defense was over matched in terms of size, but they battled throughout the night, working to keep the Wild to the outside and limit quality scoring chances. Ryan Suter was a workhorse and played a rock solid game. For the night, he logged 29:46 of ice time.

This game had the feel of a one goal contest, and the team that scored first would win the contest.

The team that would strike first would be the Predators at 7:00 of the third period. Jonathan Blum launched a shot from the blue line that caromed off Jordin Tootoo and past Harding to give the Predators a 1-0 lead. The key to this goal was that Tootoo was driving hard to the net and was able to re-direct the shot past Harding.

Those clogged arteries, uh, the Wild were not done, though. They tied the game at 16:01 of the third as Dany Heatley beat Rinne on a wrap around. Rinne scrambled to to get to the right post, but Heatley managed to squeeze the puck between Rinne's skate and the post.

Both teams had to kill off penalties int he last 3:30 of the regulation time, as Jordin Tootoo was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for something he said to an official after a scrum, and Jon DiSalvatore was called for cross checking. Neither team was able to capitalize on the man advantage, and tied at 1, the game was going to overtime.

The overtime was scoreless, but the Wild had 4 shots to none for the Predators, and despite their efforts, we were going to a shootout.

As is the Predators custom, the chose to shoot second. The Wild's first shooter, Matt Cullen, had the -puck roll off his stick and never got off a shot.

Colin Wilson was  the Predators first shooter, and he beat Harding with a nice forehand to backhand move to roof the shot over the diving Harding.

Mikko Koivu was stopped by the right pad of Rinne.

Craig Smith missed the net high on his attempt.

The Predators could win the game with a stop of the Wild's third shooter, Pierre-Marc Bouchard. Bouchard attempted a spin move that was stopped by Rinne, and the Predators had the win in the shootout.

With the win, Pekka Rinne continues his dominance over the Wild at the Bridgestone Arena. He ran his record to 5-0, with a .979 save % and a .55 GAA.

Gabriel Bourque was called up by the Predators to take the roster spot of Blake Geoffrion, and he logged 8:05 of ice time. He was strong on the puck and battled hard in the corners. He brings an element of grit, speed, and tenaciousness that the Predators can use, and his play will, in my view, merit more ice time in coming contests.

In one respect, this was not a pretty win. This was a grinding game that was going to be decided by which team made a mistake or cracked first under the pressure of a tight contest. It was not a pretty game to watch.

In another perspective, this was a beautiful win. The Predators were facing adversity with injuries (Weber, Klein) to their blue line, and some young players were thrust into key roles and asked to play some very big minutes. They performed admirably. This team refused to yield to the pressure the Wild brought, and they battled all night, eventually securing the win.

That is character.

These are the tough games that in the course of a season a team has to battle through to win. Sometimes, a win like this isn't flashy and doesn't look good.

Except on the score sheet.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Colin Wilson

3. Jordin Tootoo

Resilient Predators Dump Detroit 4-3

Persevere verb "to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of obstacles, difficulty,or discouragement"

The Nashville Predators faced the Detroit Red Wings at Bridgestone Arena in a contest that required the Predators to persevere, fight, and claw their way to a 4-3 win for their fourth straight win and even their season series with the Red Wings at one game each.

The Predators faced a significant test against the Red Wings, who had been red hot and playing some of the best hockey of any team in the NHL. Everyone knew this one would be a tough test for the Predators.

It was that, and then some.

Pekka Rinne got the start in net for the Predators, while Detroit countered with Jimmy Howard. Rinne was tested early and often throughout the contest, as the Wings fired a total of 40 shots at the Nashville net. Jimmy Howard faced 21 shots from the Predators.

Detroit opened the scoring on the power play as Ryan Suter was called for a weak hooking call and was in the box. Ian White sent a shot toward the net that pinballed off several sticks and legs, eventually coming to Tomas Holmstrom alone at the side of the net. Holmstrom had an easy tap in to give the Wings a 1-0 lead.

The Predators answered the Wings score at 10:09 of the first period as David Legwand took a shot from the left side of the net that Howard stopped with his pad. The rebound came right back to Legwand, and he lifted the puck over a sprawling Howard to knot the game at 1.

Tied going into the second period, the Wings asserted themselves. They outshot the Predators 15-5, controlled the puck for long stretches, and thoroughly stymied the Predators offensive effort. Oh, by the way, they also scored two goals.

The first of those goals came at 10:03 of the second with the Wings on another power play. Jerred Smithson was in the box for hooking, and the Wings got control of the puck down low. A nice tic tac toe pass from Todd Bertuzzi to Juri Hudler to Henrik Zetterberg found Zetterberg alone at the side of the net and he had a virtually empty net in which to shoot the puck to give the Wings a 2-1 lead.

Nicklas Lidstrom made it 3-1 Detroit at 11:30 of the period as he beat Rinne with a shot from the blue line at even strength. For Predator fans, things looked grim. Detroit was 18-0 when they had a 2 goal lead and the Predators offense was virtually invisible, having failed to record a shot on net for 11 minutes in the period.

The Predators would show some signs of life as Jordin Tootoo tallied off a rebound of a Kevin Klein shot to beat Howard and make it 3-2 Detroit at 17:22 of the period. Tootoo continues his strong play with his 9th point in the last 10 games, and he has brought a spark and a scoring touch to his line that the Predators have long expected out of him and that they have desperately needed.

Detroit is strong on the puck, and in the third period, they continued to control the puck and keep the Predators hemmed in their own end. With the clock melting away, it appeared as if the Wings would strangle the life out of the Predators.

The momentum would turn toward the Predators at the 15:14 mark of the third period, as Jimmy Howard was called for hooking, the only Detroit penalty of the night. The Predators would make the Wings pay for this transgression at 15:36 of the third as Shea Weber unleashed a blast from just inside the blue line. Patric Hornqvist was screening Howard, and the puck flew past the Detroit netminder to tie the game at 3.

That goal energized the crowd, who was in full throat in support of the Predators, and the home team responded.

The Predators got the puck into the zone, and Jordin Tootoo got the puck to Weber at the blue line. He took a wrist shot that bounced about 10 feet in front of Howard and skipped over his shoulder to give the Predators a 4-3 lead.

The Predators were able to hold off the final push by the Wings with Howard out of the net and the extra attacker on the ice. As they horn sounded, the crowd erupted, and as improbable as it might seem, the Predators had the 4-3 win over their rival.

After the game, I heard someone say that the Predators "stole" that game from Detroit. Here is the aspect that one should keep in mind: the Predators kept themselves in a position to win that game- "steal" it if you insist- by persevering. It would have been easy to quit, to let Detroit continue to dominate and choke the life out of the Predators. The fact that this team didn't quit and kept fighting is telling.

The bottom line is that they put themselves into a position to win the game.

Here is a blinding flash of the obvious: Detroit is talented. They are well coached. They are experienced. Those characteristics overshadow the fact that the Predators faced adversity and they were in a 2 goal hole, but they continued to push, they continued to skate, and there was no quit in them.

This is a young team that is growing up right before our eyes. They are learning to fight, to scrap, and to persevere.

More importantly, they are learning to win.

This is the result of a total buy in of what the coaching staff has been teaching. It is a result of believing in the coaches and the teammates on the ice.

There will be more tests of this young squad, and more chances to persevere.

This contest with the Wings shows this team that they are never out of a contest.

Just keep persevering.

My three stars:

1. Shea Weber

2. Jordin Tootoo

3. Nicklas Lidstrom

Predators Down the Ducks 3-2

The Nashville Predators were looking to string together some wins and especially to reverse their fortunes on home ice, where they had the worst home record in the NHL. What better opponent to face than the struggling Anaheim Ducks.

Nashville once again had workhorse Pekka Rinne in net, while the Ducks went with former Nashville Predator Dan Ellis.

The first period was scoreless but not without controversy. Colin Wilson scored for the Predators on the power play, but the goal was waved off because it was deemed by referee Stephan Auger that Wilson had kicked the puck into the net. The replay did not confirm this, but after a lengthy review, the call on the ice stood.

The first period was scoreless, but the Predators had a decided territorial advantage and out shot the Ducks 7-5. Ellis made some good saves to keep the Predators off the board, but the effort by the Predators was one of their best of the season. They controlled the puck for long stretches at a time and did not let the explosive Ducks offense get in gear. For the Predators, the task was to solve Ellis and find the back of the net.

The Ducks opened the second period with a score just 38 seconds into the second frame. Andrew Gordon took a feed from Brandon McMillan and walked out of the corner with it past defenseman Roman Josi, who had fallen and was scrambling to catch up to Gordon. Gordon fired a snap shot that beat Rinne to the far post to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead.

The Predators appeared to tie the game when Mike Fisher banged home a rebound in a goal mouth scramble, but once again, the Predators had the goal waved off as it was ruled to have been kicked in.

Could it be one of those nights?

The answer would be a resounding "No".

Nick Spaling took a nice pass from Colin Wilson across the slot and beat Ellis high glove side to tie the game at 1 at 12:03 of the second period. This goal was not waved off.

The Predators once again dominated the period, maintaining a huge territorial advantage in the offensive zone and out shooting the Ducks 13-5, yet the game was tied at 1 heading into the third period.

The game was in the balance, and it was going to be important for the Predators to step up and take control.

And that is just what they did.

With Brandon McMillan in the box for slashing Jordin Tootoo, Roman Josi took a feed from Shea Weber and unleashed a rocket from just inside the blue line. The shot beat a screened Ellis over his glove to make it 2-1 Predators at 2:33 of the third.

Jordin Tootoo extended the Predators lead to 3-1 as Kevin Klein found Toots streaking in and hit him with a pass at the Ducks blue line. Tootoo drove hard to the net and his hard wrist shot beat Ellis over his glove hand at 5:25 of the third period.

Francois Beauchemin scored for Anaheim at 13:24, beating Rinne high over his glove to cut the lead to one for the Predators.

The Predators managed to shut the Ducks down for the remainder of the period and had won consecutive games for the first time since November 17th. More importantly, they had protected their home ice.

The Predators did a good job of overcoming adversity, having two goals waved off by the officials. Their ability to bounce back and persevere has been what this team has inconsistently done throughout this season, and it was good to see the resiliency of this team shine through.

I mentioned that the Predators had a territorial advantage throughout all three periods. The shot totals reflect that, with the Predators out shooting the Ducks 28-17. This would not have happened if the Predators had not been dominant in the face off dot. Particular mention goes to Mike Fisher, who was 10 of 13 in the dot, and was especially strong in the offensive zone. This was very important to the Predators as they were able to maintain possession, particularly on their power plays.

About that power play: although they were 1 of 4, they dominated with the man advantage. There was one power play that stands out. The Predators kept the puck in the offensive zone for 1:40 before the Ducks could get a clear. The movement was better and the chances that the man advantage created were good scoring chances. This has to continue for the Predators.

Although the Ducks are struggling- heck, let's call it like it is- they are inept, this was a solid win for the Predators. Their defensive effort against the Ducks offensive weapons was exceptional, shutting them down all night. A great effort from Ryan Suter and Shea Weber. Having Frankie Buillon back in the line up settles the other pairings as well, and their work tonight was very good.

This team is developing their edge again. They are playing Predator hockey- aggressively forechecking, opportunistic offense, and solid defense.

Keep playing like this and you will down some more teams.

My three stars:

1, Jordin Tootoo

2. Roman Josi

3. Mike Fisher

Predators Fall to the Flames 1-0

The Nashville Predators continued their western Canada with a tilt against the Calgary Flames at the Saddledome. The Predators had recently halted a 4 game losing skid with a win the previous night in Edmonton, while the Flames were looking to get their game back on track, having just one win in their last five games.

The Predators had Pekka Rinne in net, while the Flames opened with their workhorse Mikka Kiprusoff.

After an up and down first period, the Flames drew first blood at 18:49 as a shot from the point by T. J. Brodie was deflected past Rinne by Derek Smith. Smith was driving the net and beat Craig Smith coming back for the Predators . Rinne had no chance on the re-direct and the Flames took a 1-0 lead through hustle and driving to the net..

For the period, the Predators out shot the Flames 9-7, but once again found themselves trailing at the end of 20 minutes.

Blake Comeau was called for high sticking Jordin Tootoo with 20 seconds remaining in the period, so the Predators would open the second with 1:40 of power play time.

The second period saw both teams do a lot of skating, each get a few scoring chances, but neither team able to score. The closest chance came from the Flames when Roman Horak rattled the puck off both posts but did not cross the goal line.

Very troublesome for the Predators was the fact that they passed up several shots in favor of a pass. In last night's victory, the Predators shot the puck- often- and created chances. Tonight, the shots were not as abundant, and as a result, Kiprusoff was not challenged nearly enough by the Predators in the first 40 minutes.Nashville manage only 6 shots in the second period, a painful reversion to their old habit of not shooting the puck nearly enough.

It was now coming down to the final 20 minutes of play for the Predators. Key to their effort was going to be first and foremost getting pucks on net.

Remember, I said the key to winning this game was getting pucks on net.

Well... through 11 minutes of the third period, the Predators had managed only 4- count 'em, 4- shots on net.

Not exactly a winning formula.

How bad was it?

The Predators had a power play and managed no shots on goal.

Here is the truth. The Predators offense was generally impotent tonight. The good work habits and effort of the previous night were not evident in this game tonight. The Predators managed 10 shots on goal in the third period- 25 for the game- and none really challenged Kiprusoff.

The Predators executed their style of play the night before. Tonight, they did not. And it cost them a win.

Up and down. Inconsistent.

This has been the style of play for the Predators this season. It is a sign of a team that has not grown into their role and become the type of team of which they are capable of becoming.

Frustrating?

Without a doubt.

And it will continue to be so until this team grows up.

My three stars:

1. Derek Smith

2. Mikka Kiprusoff

3. Pekka Rinne

Predators Slide by the Oilers 2-1 to End Losing Streak

The Nashville Predators looked to stop their 4 game skid by venturing to Rexall Place to take on the up and coming Edmonton Oilers. For the Predators, this was a game that was going to require discipline and the necessity of playing a full 60 minutes of hockey.

Since this was the first of a back to back series of games, Anders Lindback got his second start of the season, while the Oilers went with Nikolai Khabibulin.

The Oilers young talent has demonstrated speed, creativity, and play making ability so far in this season, and in two previous contests, they have out skated and outworked the Predators. For the Predators to win this contest, they were going to have to work and minimize mistakes.

Unfortunately for the Predators, the first mistake they made wound up in the back of their net.

Shea Weber had the puck in the defensive zone and made a blind pass that was intercepted by the Oilers Ryan Nugent Hopkins. Hopkins got the puck to Jordan Eberle, who circled behind the net and took a shot that Lindback stopped with his pad. The rebound came right back to Eberle, and he roofed a shot over the shoulder of Lindback at 7:07 of the first period.

There was no more scoring in the period, as the Oilers D and Khabibulin made the early goal stand up. The Predators did skate better and generated some traffic in front of the Oilers net and created some scoring chances. For the period, the Predators out shot the Oilers 6-4.

It is apparent that the Predators need to bury some shots and get their confidence back in the offensive zone. Finish some chances and stop gripping the sticks so tightly.

The Predators certainly had some chances to get their offense going as the Oilers started a parade to the penalty box as Theo Peckham was called for cross checking and Ryan Jones got a 5 minute major for elbowing Blake Geoffrion, both at the 6:35 mark of the second. Geoffrion was injured on the play and left the game. Jordin Tootoo was also called for diving after the cross check by Peckham, so the Predators were skating 5 on 4.

The Predators power play was short circuited 20 seconds later when Sergei Kostitsyn was called for interference. Skating 4 on 4, the Predators started to shoot the puck and creating chances with traffic in front of Khabibulin.

Roman Josi was called for a weak tripping call on Jordan Eberle, and the Oilers had a brief 4 on 3. Lindback made a couple of good saves to keep the Oilers off the board.

With Kostitsyn out of the box, the Predators continued their man advantage and continued to press the attack in the Oilers zone. Khabibulin made some great saves with Predators crashing the net, and it appeared as if the Predators were going to squander this golden opportunity.

That would change with one second left in the man advantage as Shea Weber skated the puck into the zone and let go a shot from the face off circle that beat Khabibulin cleanly to tie the game at 1 at 11:34 of the second period.

There was no further scoring in the period, but not for lack of effort by the Predators. For the first time in a looong time, the Predators were not afraid to shoot the puck, and shoot the puck they did. In the second period, the Predators forechecked hard, created turnovers, and the result of their effort was a 16-7 shot advantage. By far and away, this was the best period of hockey that the Predators had played in their last five games.

Once again, the Predators were heading into the final 20 minutes of hockey with the game in the balance. Would this be the game where the Predators took control of a game and skated away with a victory?

The third period was another back and forth period of hockey, with both teams skating hard. Neither team could crack the scoreboard, although they had good chances. The positive for the Predators is that there was no drop off in their intensity and their effort.


The Predators would break the tie at 12:21 of the third because of good work by Craig Smith and Jordin Tootoo in the corner to control the puck. Tootoo got the puck and passed to Nick Spaling in the low slot who rifled a shot past Khabibulin to give the Predators a 2-1 lead.

This goal was a direct result of hard work on the boards by Smith and Tootoo and the desire to win the puck battle, something that had been absent in the Predators previous four losses.

The remainder of the period saw the Predators continue their aggressive play and hard forechecking. They blocked shots when the Oilers pulled Khabibulin with time running down, and as the seconds melted away to a Predators victory, they had achieved what they had failed to achieve in their previous four contests.

A victory the Predator way.

For Anders Lindback, it was his first win of the season.


This was a pivotal game for the Predators, not only just to stop the four game losing streak, but to instill again in the team the value of playing hockey like this team is capable of playing. The Predators will not often win pretty, but they will win the majority of their games where they work like they did tonight.

Evidence of how hard they worked was the final shot total. The Predators out shot an explosive Oilers squad by at 31-18 margin.

Good things happen when you shoot the puck, boys.

Here is what this team should take away from this contest: when you win puck battles, when you skate hard, when you are strong on the puck, good things happen.

Hopefully, we have learned this lesson.

My three stars:

1. Nick Spaling

2. Anders Lindback

3. Shea Weber

Predators Give Away Another Game, Lose to the Wild 3-2

The Nashville Predators traveled to the great white North to take on the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center in a game that saw the Predators seeking redemption for the putrid effort the night before in Nashville.

Pekka Rinne once again got the start for the Predators as the Wild went with Josh Harding as Nicklas Backstrom was out of the lineup to attend to personal business.

The Predators opened the contest looking just like they did in their debacle against Edmonton the night before. Minnesota was out skating the Predators and got the first four shots on goal. For Predator fans, this was a big "uh-oh" and the thought was "here we go again."

The Predators got their legs under them and started skating with the Wild, and when they did, they were very competitive.

Jordin Tootoo got the Predators on the board with their first shot on goal at 5:21of the first period as he skated the puck out of the corner straight to the front of the net. Tootoo jammed the puck in on Harding and the puck got through his pads and trickled into the net to give the Predators a 1-0 lead. Rookie Craig Smith picked up an assist on the play, giving him 15 points on the season.

The period was a back and forth contest with both teams generating some good chances. In the period, the Wild out shot the Predators 10-9, which is a decidedly better effort than the Predators put forth in their previous contest.

The second period was scoreless, but not for lack of effort by both teams. Both Rinne and Harding came up with some big saves for their respective squads. Each team created some good scoring opportunities from close in, but both netminders were up to the task. The Predators certainly made their task tougher in the period as they had to kill off a 4 minute double minor for high sticking by Colin Wilson.

In the second period, the Wild out shot the Predators 11-8.

Once again, this young team was going into the third period with a lead, and they knew they would face the inevitable push from the Wild. And once again, the question that hung in the balance was "Would the Predators be able to lock down the other team and hold the lead?"

That question was answered just 1:05 into the third period as the Predators got caught with 4 men down low and gave up a 2 on 1 that Dany Heatley buried to tie the game.

The Predators did their best to give the game to the Wild as the period wore on. They took back to back penalties to Craig Smith and Ryan Suter, with Suter's penalty coming with just 13 seconds remaining in Smith's penalty. Yes, both penalties were questionable calls, but nevertheless, the Predators put themselves in a precarious position. Although they were able to kill off the brief 5 on 3, the Predators could not kill Suter's penalty as Kyle Brodziak took a shot that Rinne got most of, but couldn't stop it and the puck found the net to give the Wild a 2-1 lead at 9:39.

Perhaps more indicative of the Predators imminent collapse was the fact that the Predators had only mustered 2 shots on goal through 12 minutes of the period. Yes, one of those shots was highway robbery on Sergei Kostitsyn by Harding, but it still remains a troubling fact that the Predators offense cannot seem to put in a full 60 minutes of effort.

The wheels came off for the Predators at 13:19 of the third as the Predators gave up a shorthanded goal. Rinne came out to play the puck that was dumped down the ice and stumbled and could not get back into position. Cal Clutterbuck picked up the puck and scored what will probably be his easiest goal of the season as he had nothing but an open net into which to shoot the puck.

The Predators demonstrated some heart and pulled within one at 13:57 as they scored on a 5 on 3 power play. Jordin Tootoo took the puck at the goal line and found Ryan Suter alone in the low slot. His quick wrist shot beat harding over his shoulder to make it 3-2 Wild. This was Suter's 5th goal of the season, topping his goal total from last season.

The Predators has a chance to tie the game as Ryan Suter hit both posts with a shot and the team still on the man advantage. Harding was able to swallow up the rebound in a furious scramble in the blue paint to thwart the Predators.

The Predators were unable to generate any more offense, and once again, a game that they led going into the third period was given away, victimized by another 20 minutes of poor hockey.

Same song, different verse.

And it's becoming a very tired refrain.

The shots on goal were 8 to 8 in the third period, but the majority of those shots for the Predators came during desperation time. Frankly boys, when you go through 12 minutes of a period- especially one where you have a lead and are trying to squeeze out the opposition- you more often than not are going to lose the game.

Like tonight.

I have often talked about lessons, and some of these lessons are painful. I guess it hasn't gotten painful enough for this team, because they haven't consistently learned how to take control of a game when they have a lead. Giving up three goals in crunch time is inexplicable and shows that this team has not developed a killer instinct.

Yet.

Here's a bit of advice: develop that killer instinct. Learn how to finish a game ( and start a game for that matter).

Do that, and you will not be giving games away.

My three stars:

1. Josh Harding

2. Jordin Tootoo

3. Kyle Brodziak

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 Fall to the Blackhawks in OT 5-4

The Nashville Predators journeyed to the United Center for a Halloween night tilt against the Chicago Blackhawks, and in a game befitting the night of tricks and treats, it was a wild affair as both Pekka Rinne and Corey Crawford will have nightmares about this contest. Crawford will probably sleep a bit better than Rinne as the Hawks outlasted the Predators in overtime 5-4.

For the second game in a row, Patric Hornqvist wasted no time getting the Predators on the board. Blackhawks netminder Corey Crawford misplayed the puck behind his net, failing to stop the puck. David Legwand picked up the puck and found Hornqvist driving the net for an empty net tap in just 26 seconds into the contest. For Hornqvist, this was his third goal of the season, and as he has started to return to 100% health, his game has started to heat up.

The Predators gave the Hawks three power plays in the first period, and against an explosive offensive like Chicago has, this is tempting fate. Fortunately for the Predators, they were able to kill off all three penalties.

The Predators did a good job of limiting Chicago's speed through the neutral zone in the first period, and once Chicago gained the zone, were hard on the puck, limiting the scoring chances. Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne, making his 11th straight start, was solid in net, turning away the Hawks chances...

Until there were 49 seconds remaining in the period. The Predators had the puck in their zone but failed to control it and clear the puck. Patrick Sharp got control of the puck and slipped it to Patrick Kane, who whistled a quick wrist shot by Rinne to tie the game at 1.

As this season has progressed, the Predators have started to discover their identity, and that is one that incorporates speed, solid defense, and aggressive forechecking. Those characteristics were on display in the second quarter. After being outshot 9-8 in the first period, the Predators came out skating hard in the second and recorded the first 6 shots on goal en route to outshooting the Blackhawks 11-6.

That effort paid off with a Craig Smith goal at 6:00 of the second. Marty Erat broke into the zone, drew the defense to him and found Smith alone just inside the face off circle. Smith roofed a shot over the shoulder of Corey Crawford to make it 2-1 Predators.

This lead would stand until 11:51 of the second as Patrick Kane found Nick Leddy with a nice pass from behind the net and he lasered a shot past Rinne to tie the game at 2.

The Blackhawks gave the Predators a prime opportunity to take the lead again as Patrick Sharp was called for goaltender interference and just 25 seconds later Dave Bolland fired the puck over the glass to give the Predators a 5 on 3 advantage. Patric Hornqvist made the Hawks pay for their transgressions as he took a pass from Ryan Suter and used Brent Seabrook as a screen to fire the puck past Crawford to make it 3-2 at 18:48 of the second period.

Once again, a young team early in the season was going into the third period with a lead. Would this team show maturity and be able to hold the lead?

The Blackhawks opened the third period buzzing and the Predators were back on their heels. The pressure paid off for the Hawks as the Predators turned the puck over at  the Chicago blue line and Patrick Kane broke in on Rinne and fired a shot that trickled through between his arm and his body to tie the game at 3 at 14:59. This was a goal that Rinne would like to have back.

The Predators then started to go into self destruct mode. Marty Erat was called for slashing and almost immediately Jerred Smithson was called for roughing and Matt Halischuk got a 10 minute misconduct penalty. The Blackhawks would now have nearly 2 minutes of a 5 on 3 power play.

The Predators penalty killers did an amazing job killing off the 5 on 3 with great hustle and determination. Kudos to those guys on the PK unit, because their play throughout the night was spectacular.

Brian Bickell put the Hawks ahead 4-3 as the cycle down low worked to perfection for Chicago and he rocketed a shot past Rinne at 13:08.

That lead lasted 1:41 as David Legwand buried a rebound of a Jordin Tootoo shot at 14:49 to tie the game at 4.

Once again, the Predators PK unit was going to be called upon to hold off the Hawks as Ryan Suter was called for slashing. The Predators kept tempting fate, giving the Hawks their 7th power play of the night.

And once again, the PK unit did their job, aided by an amazing save by Rinne as he sprawled to take a way a scoring opportunity by Kane who was alone in front of the net.

Regulation ended with the teams tied at 4. The Predators were not able to hold another third period lead, but unlike some earlier games in the season, they fought back to take the powerful Hawks to overtime and earn a point.

In the third period, the Hawks outshot the Predators 18-8. Frankly, as much pressure as the Hawks put on the Predators, the Preds were lucky to get a point.


Just 30 seconds into overtime, Pekka Rinne made an incredible save to keep the Hawks off the board.

Viktor Stalberg ended the contest with a blast at 2:37 of the overtime period, beating Rinne stick side.

This is a game that the Predators will look back upon and realize that they gave away a point. Kudos to the team for fighting back, but this is another instance of sloppy play and sitting back on their heels that cost the Predators a win. Once again, this team failed to seal the deal in the third period.



There were bright spots for the Predators to be sure. I liked the way they fought back in this contest, and their work ethic was good.

This team is on the cusp of being good- very good. But it will take some more maturing for this team to get to that level. There are painful steps in that learning process.


Like tonight.


My three stars:


1. Patric Hornqvist



2. Patrick Kane



3. Viktor Stalberg

Dirty Ducks Downed by the Predators 3-0

The Nashville Predators defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-0 at Bridgestone Arena in a contest that can only be characterized charitably as "chippy".

Heck, let's just call it the way it was. The Ducks were their typically classless and dirty selves.

The Predators set the tone for the contest by scoring just 14 seconds into the contest as Patric Hornqvist banged home a rebound of his own shot past Ducks netminder Jonas Hiller to make it 1-0 Predators.

The Ducks dirty play began at 7:14 of the first period as Francois Beauchemin hit Mike Fisher in the head from the blind side in open ice, knocking Fisher out of the game. Kevin Klein cam over to seek retribution against Beauchemin, but the Ducks defenseman turtled and wouldn't fight. Both players were assessed four minute double minors.

The Predators made it 2-0 at 18:59 of the first period as Marty Erat, playing in his first game since the opening game of the season, gained the zone and left a drop pass for Jordin Tootoo. Tootoo made a sweet pass to Erat, who one timed the puck from just inside the face off circle past Hiller. It was good to see Marty back on the ice and playing a strong game tonight.

Pekka Rinne started his 10th straight game for the Predators, and was strong in net in the first period. Although he didn't see a lot of work in the first- the Ducks only had 7 shots- he made some quality saves to keep the Ducks off the board.

The Predators tallied 16 shots on net in the first period. Yes, you read that correctly. The Predators outshot their opponent by a wide margin. The two first period goals were a direct result of making Hiller move and scramble throughout the period.

The second period was scoreless, with the Ducks outshooting the Predators 10-7. The Predators generated some scoring chances, but could not get one past Hiller. Once again, Rinne locked down the net for the Predators.

Throughout the contest, the Predators did a good job of limiting the Ducks on secondary scoring chances. Often, the Ducks would get one shot on goal and the Predators were in good defensive position to prevent shots off rebounds.

The Ducks reverted to form in the third period, taking four penalties, the cheapest of which was a Corey Perry spear of Jordin Tootoo. Tootoo had a strong game all night, and was clearly under the skin of the Ducks. Perry's frustration boiled over with his egregious cheap shot. If there is any justice, he will hear from the Shanahammer and be suspended for this cheap shot.

The Predators made it 3-0 at 2:14 of the third, as Shea Weber notched his first goal of the season on the power play with a blast from the blue line that Hiller never saw with a screen in front. It is good to see the big cannon unleashed from Weber and finding the back of the net.

Any thoughts of the Ducks getting back into the game were erased when Sheldon Brookbank to a double minor high sticking penalty at 14:05. The Predators stifled the Ducks for the remainder of the period to capture their second win in a row on home ice by a 3-0 margin.

Congratulations to Pekka Rinne, who recorded his 100th win for the Predators and his 22nd shutout, a franchise record. Rinne was solid, and his level of play has been consistently strong even when the team in front of him has struggled.

Now that it appears the team has found their identity and has begun to play Predator hockey, this team could start to make some noise.

With the win, the Predators go to 5-4-1 and 11 points. The positive aspect of this is that the team is starting to play Predator hockey. They are skating hard, aggressively forechecking, and the defense has begun to settle down and play sound hockey. This is Predator hockey, and it is a winning formula for this team.

We all knew that there would be growing pains for this young squad, and it was going to be important that they grow quickly. They last two games show me that they are starting to "get it" and hearing what the coaches are telling them. They are playing Predator hockey.

And that is winning hockey.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Patric Hornqvist

3. Jordin Tootoo