Jets Crash and Burn, Pummeled By the Predators 7-0

The Nashville Predators were looking to get their offense back on track after a lackluster performance in their last game.

The Winnipeg Jets were just what they needed.

The Jets were pummeled by the Predators 7-0 at Bridgestone Arena that saw an abundance of scoring and penalties.

The Predators were handed 72 penalty minutes. The Jets, frustrated and gooning up the game after falling behind by a large deficit, were called for 84 minutes in the sin bin*

*That number could change as the official game sheet is not in hand as of this writing.

The Jets, losers of their last 4, were desperate for a good start and looking to get back to the win column against a division rival.

That didn't happen, as the Predators torched starter Michael Hutchinson for 3 goals on 7 shots.

Calle Jarnkrok, Craig Smith, and Seth Jones lit up Hutchinson for 3 goals in the first 12 minutes of the first period. That was all for Hutchinson as Ondrej Pavelec came on in relief.

Pavelec was welcomed to the game 2 minutes later as Mike Ribeiro scored.

Pavelec would give up 3 more goals. James Neal would score in the second, and Jarnkrok and Mattias Ekholm would notch goals in the third for the final margin of 7-0 for the Predators.

The Jets never threatened Pekka Rinne, who had to turn away only 20 shots.

Some observations:

• The Jets were obviously frustrated with the losing streak and the way the game went tonight. And they decided to goon it up. Cheap shots and unnecessary rough play resulted in both teams sending a steady parade of players to the penalty box. How bad was it? Take a look at the Predators penalty box in the third period:

This was after all 5 players from each team on the ice were sent to the box for unsportsmanlike conduct calls

• Good to see Calle Jarnkrok stepping up his game. he has settled in to the third line center position and is playing some very good hockey of late. Jarnkrok is playing with confidence and seeing the ice well. Now he is finding the back of the net and this is adding some pop to that line.
• Craig Smith had a goal and 2 assists. He has always worked hard, but has not been rewarded on the score sheet. His goal tonight was his first in 10 games, and hopefully this opens the door for his game to continue to find the net.
• How snake bitten is Colin Wilson? For the second game in a row, he worked to find open ice but rang a shot off the post. It is just a matter of time until he starts to find the net.
• Seth Jones scored his first goal of the season. Good for Jones, as it took him 31 games to score his first goal last season.
• Isn't this Predators offense fun to watch? They have scored 15 goals in their last 3 games, and when they are skating, they are a dangerous team that can put the puck in the net.
• Pekka Rinne recorded his 38th career shut out tonight. He has 112 games where he has allowed 1 goal or less. Rinne is 8-1 all time against the Jets.
• Filip Forsberg picked up an assist and now has a 3 game point streak (3A).
• The 4 goals the Predators scored in the first period are the most goals in a period since their game against Toronto on 11/18/2014, when they scored 5 goals in the third period of that game.
• James Neal has 14 goals against the Jets, the most against any team.
• The 156 minutes (so far) in this game were the most penalty minutes in any NHL game this season. The Predators 72 minutes in penalties was the third highest in team history.
• Nashville is 9-1-1 when scoring first.

Although this was rough game, mostly initiated by the Jets, the Predators maintained their composure and kept their foot on the gas. When the Predators are skating, they are a dangerous and explosive team, and it showed tonight as they took the game to the Jets for 60 minutes.

This was a good response game by the Predators after the snooze fest in their previous game.

And how sweet was it to put on this kind of show on a Hockey Night In Canada game?

Good to show those folks in the Great White North that hockey in the South, especially in Smashville, is pretty damn good.

Now to finish off the 5 game game homestand with this kind of game against the Ducks on Tuesday.

My three stars:

1. Craig Smith

2. Calle Jarnkrok

3. Pekka Rinne

Predators Ground the Jets 3-1

Shea Weber wasn't at the morning skate because he wasn't feeling well, and he was called a game time decision for the Predators in their game against the Winnipeg Jets at Bridgestone Arena.

Weber was in the line up, and the Predators were glad to have him as he tallied a goal and 2 assists in leading the Predators to a 3-1 win over the Jets.

Weber opened the scoring on the power play as he launched a bomb from the face off that beat Ondrej Pavelec cleanly 4:47 into the first period.

The Jets answered with a power play goal of their own as a Dustin Byfuglien shot from the point was redirected past Pekka Rinne by Michael Frolik to tie the game at 1 in the first period.

The Predators used another power play goal in the second period to take a 2-1 lead. Filip Forsberg skated the puck into the face off circle and snapped a wrist shot top corner past Pavelec. James Neal was screening in front of Pavelec, and he didn't know the puck was past him until he heard the goal horn.

The Predators had played fairly evenly with the Jets through two periods, but in the third, the Jets applied pressure and dominated the Predators in time of possession and zone time.

The Predators didn't help themselves by taking consecutive penalties by Victor Bartley and Shea Weber, which gave the Jets 91 seconds of 5 on 3 advantage.

The Predators penalty killers stepped up and blocked shots and Rinne made a couple of spectacular saves to keep the Jets off the board.

James Neal iced the game with a wrap around goal that went between the pads of Pavelec for the final margin of 3-1.

Some observations:

• Colin Wilson was back in the line up and played a strong game. he was robbed in the first period by a great save from Pavelec, but Wilson was active in all zones and did a great job with puck possession. He played 13 minutes of solid hockey, including delivering a booming hit on T.J. Galiardi behind the Jets net.
• With Wilson back in the line up, Viktor Stalberg was reassigned to Milwaukee.
• Filip Forsberg's power play goal was a perfectly placed shot to the top corner. Forsberg has such good hockey sense and patience with the puck and on this goal saw that he was not being pressured by the Jets defense and skated in until Neal got the screen and placed the shot into the small space that he had to shoot. This was Forsberg's 19th goal of the season and gives outright ownership of the Predators rookie scoring record. Forsberg has 11 points (4G-7A) in his last 11 games.
• Tyler Myers and Drew Stafford made their debuts for the Jets after being traded from the Sabres. Late in the third period, Myers was welcomed to the Central Division when he took a Weber slap shot off his knee. The shot dropped Myers and he was barely able to get back to his feet. James Neal exploited this to get around Myers and the net for the final goal. Myers barely made it to bench and went directly to the locker room and did not return to the game.
• With the win, the Predators are the first team in the NHL to reach 80 points.
• Roman Josi continues his strong play and picked up two assists tonight. This gives Josi 40 points (10G-30A), a career high.
• James Neal tallied his 19th goal of the season. He is tied with Forsberg for the lead in goals.
• The power play has had its struggles this season, but tonight it was clicking. They were 2-6 and Neal's goal came just after a power play expired. The Predators did a good job of getting pucks to the net and both Neal and Mike Fisher did a good job of screening in front of Pavelec. Simplifying the power play like the Preds did tonight has yielded some positive results.
• The Jets are a talented team and they are fighting to maintain their playoff position. In truth, they are a desperate team and they played like it tonight. There were stretches of the second period and most of the third period where the Jets dominated puck possession and exhausted the Predators defenders. 
• Because of that, Rinne had to make some fantastic saves. He was especially sharp in the third period, making a diving save of a Bryan Little shot. He was very good in the 5 on 3 and was a calming presence for the Predators defense when the Jets were pressing to get the tying goal.Rinne stopped 32 of 33 shots he faced and picked up his League leading 32nd win.
• Rinne is also 7-0-0 against the Jets.
• This was the Predators first home win by more than one goal since January 16th (5-1 against Vancouver).
• This was the Predators 4th straight win. The Predators are now 23-3-1 on home ice.

This was a solid win against a hungry team that is fighting to stay in the playoff race. The Jets are talented and desperate, and the Predators responded to the challenge they presented.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Shea Weber

3. Filip Forsberg

Predators Pass Their First Road Test, Ground the Jets 2-0

The Nashville Predators ventured to Winnipeg to take on the Jets in the Predators first road game of the season. This first road test for the Predators would come against a divisional foe in front of their rabid fans, and it would be a good indication of how this team is going to perform in a hostile environment.

They passed this test with flying colors.

Pekka Rinne picked up his first shut out of the season with a 31 save effort, and the Predators got goals from Mike Ribeiro, his second of the season, and James Neal, his first, to seal the win.

Ribeiro re-directed a slap shot from Seth Jones past Ondrej Pavelec at 16:20 of the first period to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

After a scoreless second period, the Predators added to their lead as Filip Forsberg controlled the puck in the corner in traffic and found James Neal in the slot. Neal's quick wrist shot bounced over the shoulder of Pavelec to make it 2-0 at 7:31 of the third period.

Rinne had a strong game and thwarted some very good scoring chances by the Jets to maintain the shutout. This was Rinne's this win in four outings this season.

Some observations:

• Viktor Stalberg saw his first action of the season after being injured during training camp. he played on a line with Derek Roy and Craig Smith and moved well and had some scoring chances.

• I continue to like the play of Anton Volchenkov. He is a fierce hitter, plays a sound positional game, and showed some good wheels to speed down the ice and negate an icing in the second period.

• Pekka Rinne had to make some exceptional saves when the Predators were on the power play. the Predators gave up some short handed chances- okay, way too many short handed chances- and Rinne had to come up with some big stops.

• Filip Forsberg has shown me that he belongs on the top line. He is strong on the puck, sees the ice well, and has great hockey sense. He is fast becoming a very good playmaker, and in the third period almost single handedly created a great scoring chance. He later gathered an assist on James Neal's goal with strong work in the corner.

• Ryan Ellis took a vicious hit from Bryan Little that was borderline boarding midway of the third period. Although he remained on the bench, he did not return to the game.

The first road test was passed, but now it gets tougher as the Predators travel to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks Saturday night.

Continue to bring this kind of effort and this will be a test they can pass.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Mike Ribeiro

3. James Neal

Predators Outlast the Jets 4-3

The Nashville Predators wrapped up a 4 game road trip with a stop in Winnipeg to face the suddenly resurgent Jets, who have gone 6-1 since Paul Maurice stepped in behind the bench. The Predators had gone 1-1-1 on the trip, and needed the two points in this game to try to stay remotely close to the last wild card position in the Western Conference.

Nashville opened the scoring on a wrap around goal by Seth Jones. Jones carried the puck in deep and showed great speed and puck control as he sped behind the net and banged the puck off the skate of Ondrej Pavelec and inside the post.

The Predators have shown a troubling tendency to give up a goal shortly after scoring, and this game was no different. Just 22 seconds after the Predators score, the Jets got on the board as Chris Thorburn deflected a point shot past Nashville netminder Carter Hutton to tie the game at 1.

The Predators got the lead back just 42 seconds into the second period as Roman Josi notched his 7th goal of the season.

The Predators made it 3-1 off a nice give and go between Colton Sissons, Paul Gaustad, and ultimately Nick Spaling, who deposited the puck past an out of position Pavelec.

3-1 and late in the second period and the Predators looked to have control of the game. But this is the Predators and they gave up two goals in 27 seconds to let the Jets tie the game. Mark Scheifele and Balke Wheeler tallied to knot the game at 3 going into the third period.

The Predators looked to take the lead early in the third period, but the goal was disallowed as David Legwand was deemed to make incidental contact with Pavelec.

With the Predators on the power play to open the third period, they scored but the goal was disallowed due to what the officials deemed was incidental contact with Pavelec by David Legwand. Undeterred, they did score 42 seconds into the period as Mike Fisher banged home a shot for his 14th goal of the season.

That goal would be the game winner as the Predators were able to hold the Jets off the board for the remainder of the period.

The 4-3 win gave the Predators a 2-1-1 record on this road trip and they captured 5 of a possible 8 points.

Some observations:

• This was a nice bounce back effort by the Predators after the debacle in Edmonton in their last game. They were aggressive and got the puck on net and had good traffic in front. Tonight, the Predators played their game and they got the win for their efforts. This is the way this team has to play consistently to have a chance to win games.

• That said, this team has got to do a better job of locking down a lead. Letting the Jets tie the game just 22 seconds after taking the lead in the first period and giving up 2 goals in 27 seconds in the second period are exasperating. This team has shown an inability to step up intensity and hold a lead, and this has to change if this team is going to have success. 

• Shea Weber left the game midway of the third period with an upper body injury. Weber appeared to injure himself after taking a slap shot. The Predators played the rest of the game with five defensemen.

• Colton Sissons was called up from Milwaukee due to the injuries to Viktor Stalberg and Matt Cullen. Sissons picked up his first NHL point with an assist on Nick Spaling's goal.

• Paging Colin Wilson. Another game with no shots on goal. Tonight Wilson had 13:41 of ice time and was once again invisible.

• Craig Smith continues his strong play. He had two assists tonight and delivered several hits and used his speed to create space and opportunities.

The Predators have a few days off before playing at home on Friday night. Hopefully they can continue to bring this level of play and intensity and continue to get some wins.

My three stars:

1. Mike Fisher

2. Craig Smith

3. Mark Scheifele

Predators Grounded In 5-0 Loss to the Jets

The Nashville Predators traveled to Winnipeg looking for their third win in as many meetings against the Jets. The Predators were attempting to continue their stellar play on this lengthy road trip, having picked up 5 of 6 points so far on this roadie.

The Jets remembered those two previous losses to the Predators as they unleashed some pent up frustration against a team that had beaten them in their two prior meetings.

Carter Hutton was again between the pipes for the Predators while Ondrej Pavelec was in net for the Jets.

The game opened with the Jets on the attack and firing pucks at Hutton. Bryan Little opened the scoring for the Jets as he took a shot from the left face off circle that found its way through traffic and the five hole of Hutton for a 1-0 Jets lead at 3:04 of the first period.

The Jets made it 2-0 at 6:47 of the first period as Olli Jokinen beat Seth Jones to the front of the net to bang home a rebound.

Certainly not the start that the Predators wanted or needed.

It got worse for the Predators

Dustin Byfuglien blasted a shot from the blue line that eluded Hutton to make it 3-0 at 8:33 of the 2first period.

That was all for Hutton as the Predators inserted Marek Mazanec into the game. Hutton gave up 3 goals on 8 shots.

The Predators continued to embarrass themselves with defensive breakdowns as off a face off in the offensive zone, Devin Setoguchi was left alone in front of the net. He took a pass from Olli Jokinen and lifted the puck over Mazanec to make it 4-0 at 16:45 of the first period.

Mercifully for the Predators, the period ended without the Jets scoring another goal. this was about as bad a period of hockey as the Predators have played all season.

Now we will see if the Predators have the heart to battle back in the final 40 minutes.

The good news in the second period was that the Jets did not score. The bad news was that neither did the Predators. The Predators out shot the Jets 15-11 and had a few flurries around the net but rarely threatened Pavelec.

The Jets resumed scoring at 9:53 of the third as Bryan little knocked in a rebound of an Andrew Ladd shot to make it 5-0.

Thankfully that was it for the scoring for the Jets. The Predators never threatened after that and the mercifully ended.

Some observations:

• Maybe the Predators were feeling good about themselves; maybe they thought the Jets would be another win; whatever the reason, they did not come out ready to play in the first period. This team is not good enough to take a period off, and they did just that tonight. They were horribly sloppy in the defensive zone and gave the jets too many scoring chances. Worse yet, they failed to respond to the push from the Jets. By the time the second period got under way and the Predators started to skate, the game was over.

• Carter Hutton didn't get much help on a couple of the goals he gave up, but he didn't look good either. The first goal through traffic beat him five hole when Hutton failed to take away the lower part of the net. That can't happen.

• The Predators out shot the Jets 41-31, but Pavelec was on his game and thwarted the Predators offensive efforts. The Predators needed to make a better effort to get to the front of the net and create more traffic and fight for rebounds. The Jets did a good job of clearing the front of the net and the Predators forwards did not establish a good presence in the hard areas.

• This game was an all around stinker. I don't like it, but those games happen. The real test for the Predators will be Sunday night when they are back on the ice against the New Jersey Devils. I want to see more compete and effort from the start in that game.

• The defensive breakdowns are costly. Yes, I know we have a young D corps, but the regularity of some of these breakdowns is troubling. This is an area that the team has to improve quickly.

This was a dog of a game. Time for the team to learn from this debacle and then put it behind them.

And get redemption on Sunday night.

My three stars:

1. Bryan Little

2. Olli Jokinen

3. Andrew Ladd

Predators Grind Out a 3-2 OT Win Over Winnipeg

The Nashville Predators learned today that they would be without the services of goaltender Pekka Rinne for at least 4 weeks as he is recovering from surgery to clear a bacterial infection from his surgically repaired hip.

This means that the work load over the next month will fall on back up Carter Hutton.

Hutton got started well with a 3-2 overtime win over the Winnipeg Jets at Bridgestone Arena.

The first period opened with the Jets in control of the puck and the game, and Hutton made some good saves to keep the Jets off the board. The Jets dominated so totally in the first half of the opening period that the Predators didn't record their first shot on goal until 10:48 had elapsed.

The Predators got their legs going and began to claw back into the game in the second half of the period, and finally broke through on the power play at 15:53. Shea Weber blasted a puck from the high slot over the shoulder of Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec off a pass from David Legwand to give the Predators a 1-0 lead. This was Weber's third goal of the season.

Shots were 10-9 in favor of Nashville at the end of the first period.

The Jets tied the game at 1 at 13:49 of the second period when Anthony Peluso took the puck behind the net and wrapped it around and tucked it in just over the goal line. Hutton sprawled across the goal line and got his stick on the puck and it appeared that he made the save. The play was reviewed, and the replay showed that it did cross the goal line.

The second period ended tied at 1. Winnipeg out shot Nashville 14-9 in the period, and once again, Hutton came up with some quality saves for the Predators.

In the third period, Pateic Hornqvist broke the tie at 6:04 when Pavelec kicked out a rebound of a Mike Fisher shot and Hornqvist controlled the puck just inside the face off circle. Hornqvist ripped a shot over the shoulder of Pavelec for his fourth goal of the season to give the Predators a 2-1 lead.

The Jets tied it at 2 at 16:59 as Hutton gave up a rebound off his pads that landed on the tape of Blake Wheeler. Wheeler was completely alone on the right side of the net and he banged home an uncontested shot as Hutton had not recovered to get back in position.

Regulation ended with the score tied at 2. Nashville had a 12-11 shot advantage in the third period.

In the overtime period, the Predators controlled play and fired shots at Pavelec. Unfortunately, most missed the net. That changed at 4:43 of overtime when Craig Smith took a pass from David Legwand and blew a shot short side over the shoulder of Pavelec to give the Predators their second win over the Jets in as many games.

Some observations:

• The Predators welcomed Mike Fisher back into the line up. Fisher had missed 4 games with a fractured foot. Fisher showed no signs of rust and played 17:30 and picked up an assist.

• Craig Smith continues his strong play. Smith used his speed and puck handling skills to create scoring chances and his shot to win the game was a rocket. Smith had four shots on goal and has shown that he can be one of the most offensively creative and dangerous players on the ice.

• Matt Cullen took a puck to the face in the first period. He dropped to the ice and play was stopped as trainers helped him to the bench. After getting some attention on the bench, Cullen returned to the game and did not miss a shift.

• Carter Hutton has shown that he can carry the team when needed. In the first period, the Jets had territorial dominance to open the game. They fired 7 shots on Hutton and he made some good saves. Hutton has good rebound control and rarely leaves a rebound in prime scoring position. The Wheeler goal came off a rebound that caught the Predators defense rotated to one side of the ice, leaving the Jets forward alone at the side of the net. Hutton will be tested in coming games, but his efforts against the Jets show that he is calm and poised in the net, moves well, and has good positioning on shots he faces.

• There were times where the Predators forwards created some good scoring chances, and there were times where they were just grinding in the offensive zone. The line of Cullen, Smith, and Gabriel Bourque has been the Predators best offensive line, and the Predators need more consistency in the offensive zone out of their other lines.

• Speaking of Bourque, it would be good to see him get his offensive game going. I like his hustle and effort, but he needs to find the back of the net.

• I love the way Patric Hornqvist plays. He brings it every night. His hustle and fire set the tone for the team. Some of the other forwards need to follow more closely his style of play.

• Viktor Stalberg was a healthy scratch. The Predators really need Stalberg to get his game going.

The Predators are now 6-4-1 and will play another divisional rival in St. Louis on Saturday night at the Bridge. This will be a tough test and a good measuring stick for this team.

Time for the boys to step up.

My three stars:

1. Craig Smith

2. Carter Hutton

3. Patric Hornqvist

Predators Pick Up Point in the 'Peg

The Nashville Predators ventured to Winnipeg in search of back to back wins and their second road victory of the season.

This was the first meeting of the season between the new divisional rivals.

With the Predators playing last night in Montreal, Carter Hutton got the start in net. The Jets had Ondrej Pavelec manning the crease.

The first period was scoreless but both teams played an up tempo style that created some good scoring opportunities. The Predators best scoring chance came when Matt Cullen came out of the penalty box and gathered in a puck that had gotten behind the Jets defense. Cullen was stopped on the breakaway by a stick save from Pavelec.

Shots were 15-12 in favor of the Jets in the first period.

Just 10 seconds into the period, Matt Hendricks went to the box for tripping. On the PK, Eric Nystrom blocked a shot by Dustin Byfuglien and took the puck in the neutral zone. He broke in 2 on 1 with Paul Gaustad, but rather than pass he ripped a shot inside the far post to give the Predators a 1-0 lead 20 seconds into the period.

The Jets answered the Predators score with a flurry of shots at the net, requiring Hutton to make some big saves to hold the Predators lead.

The Predators got a gift from the Jets at 12:07 of the second period. Pavelec had gone behind the net to stop the puck. The the puck was cleared around the boards and Patric Hornqvist took possession of the puck along the boards in the offensive zone and just threw the puck at the net. Pavelec was not back in the net, and Hornqvist's shot hit the leg of Zach Bogosian and caromed into the net to make it 2-0.

The Predators got their first power play of the game, and just as the power play expired, Matt Cullen got a pass on his tape from Craig Smith and roofed a shot from the left face off circle to give the Predators a 3-0 lead at 14:57.

The second period ended with the Predators up 3-0. Carter Hutton was strong in net, fending off all 11 shots he faced in the period. The Predators had 7 shots on goal.


Winnipeg got on the board at 9:13 of the third period as Carter Hutton looked to have the puck frozen at the side of the net. Several jets kept banging away at the puck and it trickled out into the blue paint. Evander Kane poked the puck five hole to give the Jets some momentum.

That goal gave the Jets more than momentum. they were buzzing the net and keeping the Predators hemmed in their zone. The Predators looked to have reverted to survival mode trying to hold off the offensive onslaught of the Jets.

The teams traded some power play opportunities but neither could capitalize. The Predators defense was able to limit quality scoring chances and protect the two goal lead for the remainder of the game for the 3-1 victory.

Some observations:

• Carter Hutton looked very good in net. he was poised, relaxed, and was rarely caught out of position. There were questions about Hutton in the back up role before the season began, but if he can continue to give quality starts like tonight, the Predators have found a solid back up.

• Mike Fisher was out of action again tonight with a lower body injury.

• The line of Cullen, Bourque, and Smith continue to play well. They have good chemistry and are very complimentary style players.

• In general, I like the compete level and response of the team. They withstood the pressure of the Jets and matched their speed. There was a stretch in the third period where the Predators ere back on their heels but they rallied back to level the ice. That showed some mental toughness.

• Patric Hornqvist continues his solid play. he constantly battles for the position and the puck and his motor is always going full tilt. He has to work on his breakaway shot, though. After a stellar defensive play, he broke in alone on Pavelec. Instead of getting a shot, he launched it into the net.

• Eric Nystrom has been a very good add for the Predators. He brings intensity and hockey smarts, and tonight, he showed he has a pretty good shot. His shorthanded goal took the energy out of the building and gave the Predators momentum.

With the win, the Predators move their record to 5-3-1. More importantly, the Predators are building confidence with two good road wins and they are beginning to gel as a team.

They will have an opportunity to build on that momentum Tuesday night in Minnesota.

My three stars:

1. Carter Hutton

2. Matt Cullen

3. Eric Nystrom