Predators Win 9th Straight at Home, Defeat the Leafs 4-3

The Nashville Predators have won 8 straight games and have been practically unbeatable on home ice.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost 9 straight games and have struggled mightily, winning just 3 games in their last 21 contests.

Yet the Leafs gave the Predators all they could handle at Bridgestone Arena before dropping a 4-3 decision to the Predators.

The Predators jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead off a beautiful shorthanded goal by Seth Jones, who stole a pass at the Predators blue line and roofed a shot under the crossbar, and a power play blast by Shea Weber that blew past Jonathan Bernier.

After a stellar first period, the Predators intensity level dropped in the second period, and the Leafs cut the lead to 2-1 as Daniel Winnik beat Carter Hutton with an unscreened shot from the high slot.

Bernier was cut by a skate late in the second period and James Reimer entered the game with the Predators going on the power play. The Predators couldn't take advantage of Reimer with the power play to finish the period and the carry over time in the third.

That seemed to energize the Leafs as they scored two quick goals. Nazem Kadri scored on a wrist shot and 37 seconds later Mike Santorelli cleanly beat Hutton from the face off circle to give the Leafs a 3-2 lead.

Bernier reentered the game and was victimized by Mike Fisher, who took a pass from Colin Wilson and lifted a puck over the shoulder of Bernier from in close.

Colin Wilson got the game winner off a rebound of a James Neal shot. Fisher was in front screening Bernier, who couldn't control the puck and it squirted out to side of Bernier's left pad. Wilson drove the net and slammed the puck home before Bernier could get his glove on the puck.

Some observations:

• Carter Hutton... man, you made some great saves, and your save in the third period off a puck that was deflected several times was absolutely ridiculous. Hutton was off balance, reached around behind him and swatted away a puck the was about to cross the goal line. That said, you are frustratingly inconsistent. Too often, Hutton gets beat on unscreened shots that just get blown past him. If he could get this aspect of his game together, I would certainly have more confidence in his game. As it is, that inconsistency has plagued him in nearly every game he has played this season, and that has to improve.
• You cannot overstate the value of Mike Fisher to this team. Fisher had a goal and 2 assists and battled in front of the net and in the corners all night. The game winning goal was a direct result of Fisher screening Bernier and battling for the puck. His goal was the result of some sweet hands as he was able to elevate the puck from in close. Frankly, I never expected to see Fisher contributing at this level after missing a month at the start of the season while recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon. I am glad I have been proven wrong.
• Colin Wilson had a goal and an assist tonight. His goal was his 16th of the year and tied a career high. His 35 points also ties a career high. Wilson has consistently elevated his game this season and is a big part of the Predators success.
• Seth Jones not only showed some great hands to score a shorthanded goal for the Predators but also showed some very good speed as he went from a dead stop at the Predators blue line to full speed for the break away.
• Jones shorthanded goal was the Predators third shorty this season. It was Jones first career SHG.
• This is the first time in the history of the Predators that a defenseman has scored a shorthanded goal (Jones) and a power play goal (Weber) in the same game.
• The Predators set a franchise record with 9 consecutive home wins.
• While the Predators got a first period power play goal, the Predators last power play in the third period was an absolute clustertruck. Poor puck decisions and puck handling led to several shots by the Leafs that were good scoring chances and resulted in Hutton having to make an incredible save to keep the Leafs off the board. Sometimes it appears that the Preds power play tries to get too cute rather than keep it simple and gain the zone.
• I really like the play of Mike Ribeiro, but please, Ribs, shoot the puck when you have an open lane. Ribeiro passed up a shot on several occasions while looking for a pass and it resulted in turnovers. 
• Former Predators assistant head Coach Peter Horachek has the unenviable job of being the interim head Coach of the Leafs. While the Leafs have struggled, Horachek has instilled greater defensive responsibility among his charges and they made it a difficult night for the Predators.
• Paul Gaustad won 73% of his faceoffs; Mike Ribero won 71%, his best night as a Predator.
• Bernier missed the last minute of the second period and the first five minutes of the third as he cut his left leg with his skate while making a sprawling save on a Matt Cullen breakaway. Bernier required 12 stitches to sew up the cut. He gave up all 4 goals to the Predators.
• The Leafs loss was a franchise record 10th consecutive loss.
• The Predators are 11-5-1 against the Eastern Conference.

This was a win, but the Predators made it way more difficult than it should have been with some stretches of uninspired play.

But here is the bottom line- it was a win.

And it was an important win to keep them on top of the Central Division. They currently sit in first with 72 points, 2 ahead of St. Louis and 8 ahead of Chicago.

They will be tested on home ice on Thursday against Anaheim.

My three stars:

1. Colin Wilson

2. Mike Fisher

3. Mike Santorelli

Predators Destroy the Leafs 9-2

The Nashville Predators visited the Air Canada Centre to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first of a three game stretch against Eastern Conference teams.




The Predators went with Pekka Rinne in net while the Leafs net was manned by Jonathan Bernier.


Taylor Beck opened the scoring at 1:52 of the first period as he drove wide around the defense and  rifled a shot over the shoulder of Bernier to the far post for his second goal of the year.


Derek Roy scored an absolutely beautiful goal at 10:14 of the first period to make it 2-0 for the Predators. Roy drove the net and took a pass from Matt Cullen. With former Predator Cody Franson hanging all over him Roy got his stick on the puck and was able to slide the puck five hole on  Bernier.


Taylor Beck struck again, this time on the power play. A shot from the point by Seth Jones hit Beck in the chest and dropped straight down on the ice. Beck felt Bernier behind and swatted the puck between his legs and into the back of the net before Bernier could drop to the ice. Beck's goal came at 16:49 of the first period.


James Reimer came in to net for the Leafs to begin the second period.


The second period saw both teams get some scoring chances but neither could score. The period looked as if it would end scoreless unless Taylor Beck fed Eric Nystrom, who carried the puck to the high slot and beat Reimer with a wrister over the glove at 18:45.


Just 53 seconds into the third period, the Predators swarmed the Leafs net and Mike Ribeiro was the beneficiary of a nice slap pass from Ryan Ellis as he re-directed the pass past Reimer to make it 5-0.


Filip Forsberg deflected a puck off his skate past Reimer at 1:26 of the period. After a video review, it was ruled a good goal, and Forsberg had his 9th goal and the Predators had a 6-0 lead.


Calle Jarnkrok took a sweet pass from Colin Wilson and Jarnkrok buried it for his first goal of the year and a 7-0 Predators lead at 3:06 of the third.


Roman Josi made it 8-0 at 5:14 as he wrapped around the net and his shot hit Mike Santorelli's stick and bounced over the shoulder of Reimer and trickled into the net.


The Leafs spoiled Rinne's shutout as the Predators turned the puck over behind their net and Mike Santorelli was able to slap the puck past a scrambling defense and Rinne to make it 8-1 at 8:18 of the third.


The Leafs made it 8-2 as Nazem Kadri redirected a shot from the point past Rinne at 10:33.


Colin Wilson gathered in a Craig Smith shot  a snuck the puck between Reimer and the post to make it 9-2 at 17:28. Another goal that was the result of good pressure around the Leafs net.


For the Leafs, the game mercifully ended with no more pucks in their net, and the Predators put on a show of dominant hockey in a city that believes it is the center of the hockey universe.


Some observations:

• The Predators tried changing up the power play with James Neal on the point. Uh... let's not do that again. A couple of turnovers and a shorthanded chance by the Leafs on the first power play should quash that experiment quickly.

• Speaking of the power play... Beck got some time on the PP unit and scored a goal. And tonight, the power play unit got shots on net, which they failed to do in four attempts in their previous game. Puck movement was better and they did a good job of getting pucks through.

• I have to say it again, that goal by Roy was a beauty, and it was good to see him get his first goal as a Predator. That goal was Roy's 500th NHL point.

• The speed difference between the Predators and the Leafs was noticeable. The Predators speed created matchup problems for the Leafs and scoring opportunities for the Predators.

• Taylor Beck's second goal was a smart play as he knew Bernier was not down on the ice and slapped the puck between his legs to the net. Beck is playing with lots of confidence to go with the energy he brings to the ice, and it is good to see him getting rewarded for his efforts.

• Good to see the Predators get secondary scoring, which they are going to need to continue their success.

• The Predators scored on their first four shots of the third period.

• Early in the contest, Rinne made some very good saves to thwart the Leafs attack.

• A disgruntled Leafs fan tossed their sweater on the ice in the third period.

• The Predators tied the franchise record for most goals in a game.

• 14 Predator skaters recorded a point tonight.

Wow!


That was fun, eh?


This was a complete game by the Predators. All phases played well, secondary scoring was there, and the effort was for 60 minutes. One aspect that was especially encouraging was that the Predators didn't sit back with the lead but kept coming at the Leafs all night. That is the formula for success for this team.


Now, they have to bring that effort every game.


My three stars:


1. Taylor Beck


2. Shea Weber


3. Pekka Rinne

Predators Win Their Third Straight, Blow Past Leafs 4-2

The Nashville Predators traveled to the Air Canada Center to face the Toronto Maple Leafs attempting to extend their winning streak to 3 games.

The Leafs are a talented team, which is challenge enough, but the Predators would face a real nemesis is Leafs netminder Jonathan Bernier, who has a 8-1 lifetime record against them.

Marek Mazanec, who had won his last two outings against Chicago and Detroit, was in net for the Predators.

The game opened with the Leafs skating hard and attacking the net. Their jump paid off at 5:48 of the first period as Peter Holland scored from the left face off circle on a sharp angle shot to give the Leafs a 1-0 lead.

Mazanec was called upon to make some quality saves to keep the Leafs off the board as they were shooting the puck and driving the net consistently in the period.

The Predators responded with some offensive flurries of their own but were unable to get a puck past Bernier.

The Leafs out shot the Predators 11-9 in the first period.


The Predators got a 4 minute power play early in the second period as David Legwand was cut with a
high stick by Mason Raymond. The Predators made the Leafs pay for this transgression as Seth Jones shot a puck from the blue line that knuckle balled and eluded Bernier to tie the game at 1 at 2:01.

The Predators took a 2-1 lead as Matt Cullen drove the slot and fanned on his attempt. he stayed with the puck and fired a shot that beat Bernier five hole at 11:14 of the second period. By fanning on his first attempt, Cullen got Bernier to open up the five hole for the score.

Nice to see the Predators get a little puck luck.

Craig Smith made it 3-1 on the power play. With James van Riemsdyk in the box for boarding, Smith dug the puck out of the corner in the offensive zone and then drove the front of the net. Colin Wilson slid the puck to Smith at the top of the crease, and Smith, showing great hands, was able to control the puck and slid it through Bernier's pads at 16:25.

In the second period, the Predators executed their breakouts very well, skated hard, and got shots on net with traffic. That effort yielded three goals, and this was the kind of hockey that the Predators have been playing to get back on a winning track.

They were going to have to continue that effort in the third period.

Shots were 13-7 in favor of the Predators in the second period.

The Predators made it 4-1 as Craig Smith tallied his second goal of the night. Matt Cullen battled for the puck and slipped it back to Smith just outside the icing line. Smith threw a rising shot from a bad angle at Bernier that caught his shoulder and went over his back into the net at 4:32 of the third period. This was Cullen's third assist of the night to go along with his goal. For Smith, it was his first multi-goal game of the season and he now has 6 goals.

The Predators were playing Predator hockey in the third period. They were winning puck battles, beating the Leafs to loose pucks, and their aggressive forecheck was forcing turnovers in the Leafs zone. The Predators were taking the attack to the Leafs and keeping them off balance and limiting their potent offense.

The Leafs got a gift from the Predators as a shot by Nazem Kadri was going wide of the net but hit Victor Bartley and deflected past Mazanec to make it 4-2 at 15:28.

The Leafs pulled Bernier with 2:30 to go for the extra attacker, and the final minutes were frantic. The Predators missed the open net twice, and the Leafs were in full attack mode trying to cut the deficit to one.

The Predators were able to withstand the pressure from the Leafs and captured their third win in a row with a solid 60 minute game.

Some observations:

• Craig Smith has great offensive skills, but his first goal was created by going to the hard area in front of the net. Smith has shown a willingness to battle for the puck and go to tough areas, and if he can begin to score consistently, this will boost his confidence and certainly benefit the Predators.

• Matt Cullen has been playing some solid hockey. His chemistry with Smith is exceptional, and he is smart with the puck. he has great vision and distributes the puck well, and Smith has shown the ability- albeit somewhat inconsistently- to finish.

• The Predators responded to the first period deficit very well. They battled and competed very well in the second and third periods and won most of the puck battles. This response is heartening, and the team needs to consistently play this way.

• Mazanec gave up a bad goal on the Leafs first goal, but he made some good saves during the course of the game. He has looked more confident with each start and his fundamentals look good.

• Viktor Stalberg didn't get on the scoresheet, but he had a solid game. His backchecking was exceptional, thwarting some rushes by the Leafs, and he showed his speed by blowing past the Leafs defense to set up two quality scoring chances. If he can begin to consistently find the back of the net, he can be the explosive offensive player the Predators need.

• The Predators saw two familiar faces wearing leafs sweaters. Cody Franson was a Predators draft choice as a defenseman that played 20:37 tonight for the Leafs. Jerred Smithson is a recent acquisition for the Leafs that played 9:14. Smithson played over 400 games for the Predators.

• Hopefully this outing for the Predators will dispel the aura of invincibility that Bernier has held over the team. The Predators peppered Bernier with 28 shots and forced him to work for a lot of his saves, something they have failed to do when they have faced him previously.

The Predators three game winning streak has been characterized by simple, Predator hockey. Forecheck hard and create turnovers; shoot the puck- a lot; and get traffic to the net. This simple formula often leads to a win for the Predators, and if they can apply it consistently and bring the solid 60 minute effort they have in these recent games, they will start to pile up wins.

My three stars:

1. Matt Cullen

2. Craig Smith

3. Marek Mazanec