Predators Shoot Down the Capitals In a Shoot Out

Our elected leaders in Washington are a pretty dysfunctional bunch.

The hockey team in Washington is pretty dang good.

The Capitals brought their high octane offense to Smashville to face the Predators, who were struggling to get above .500, and the Predators managed to find enough offense to outlast the Capital in a shootout to win 4-3.

Patric Hornqvist scored two goals for the Predators, His effort was matched by Troy Brouwer of the Capitals, as he scored twice as well.

Hornqvist tallied his first goal by driving the net and chipping a rebound over the pad of Jaroslav Halak to tie the game at 1.

Hornqvist gave the Predators a 2-1 lead as he carried the puck into the offensive zone, drove the net, and roofed a backhand under the crossbar.

After Brouwer tied the game with a power play goal in the second period, Shea Weber beat Halak with a rocket from just outside the face off circle to make it 3-2 at 8:23 of the third period.

With Washington again on the power play, Nicklas Backstrom snapped a shot past Carter Hutton to tie the game at 3 at 12:20 of the third.

The remainder of the period was scoreless, as was the overtime.

In the shootout, Craig Smith was the lone goal scorer. Hutton stopped Evgeny Kuznetsov, Mikhail Grabovski, and Backstrom to secure the win for the Predators.

Some observations:

• The Predators shootout win was only their second win of the season in the skills competition. They are now 2-8 in shootouts.

• Hutton stopped 23 of 26 shots and all three shooters in the shootout. Hutton is now 10-5-2 in 2014.

• Mark Van Guilder made his NHL debut for the Predators. The 30 year old rookie was called into action with injuries to Nick Spaling and Paul Gaustad.

• Patric Hornqvist played an excellent game tonight. His energy helped propel the Predators to the win, and his first goal of the night was a typical Hornqvist play, driving the net and capitalizing (pardon the pun) on a rebound. His second goal was a thing of beauty, carrying the puck on the breakaway and lifting the shot under the crossbar. His two goal tonight give him 101 goals for his career. He now has 10 points (5G-5A) in his last 9 games.

• Rich Clune destroyed the Capitals Patrick Wey in a first period fight, and that seemed to energize the Predators. Wey did not return to the game after the scrap.

• Weber's goal gives him 21 for the season, tops among NHL defensemen. He also lead the Predators in TOI, with 27:47.

• The Capitals have the best power play in the NHL, and they showed it tonight, going 2-4. The Predators did not have a power play in the game.

This was a scrappy win by the Predators against a more talented team, a win that showed this team refused to quit under the pressure the Caps brought.

This is the kind of effort that this team needs to end the season on a positive note.

My three stars:

1. Patric Hornqvist

2. Shea Weber

3. Troy Brouwer

Predators Squander Two goal Lead in Loss to the Ducks

The Nashville Predators had an opportunity to do something only a handful of teams have done this season: defeat the Anaheim Ducks.

The Predators started that mission well, scoring 2 goals on 6 shots in the first period.

A brutal second period doomed the Predators as they gave up 4 goals en route to a 4-3 loss at Bridgestone Arena.

The Predators opened the scoring at 1:52 of the first period as Gabriel Bourque controlled the puck behind the Ducks net. He found Paul Gaustad, who split three Ducks players and beat Frederik Andersen glove side to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

Craig Smith made it 2-0 at 2:22 of the first as he took a pass from Matt Cullen and whipped a shot past Andersen glove side.

The Ducks were sluggish in the first period, but their forecheck was working and was effective in bottling the Predators up for most of the first period. The Predators had to know that the Ducks would come out with more fire and push in the second period.

Did they ever.

The Ducks outshot the Predators 17-8 and controlled the play in the second period with their strong forecheck and offensive play.

The Ducks took just 55 seconds to get on the board in the second period as Ryan Getzlaf fired a shot into a narrow space over the glove of Predators netminder Marek Mazanec.

The ducks tied the game on Getzlaf's second goal at 4:36 of the period as he beat Mazanec badly to the glove side. Mazanec was unscreened but could not stop the shot.

The Predators took a 3-2 lead at 5:31 of the second as Craig Smith fired a shot toward the net from below the face off circle. The puck bounced off Rich Clune and past Andersen.

As the Predators have disappointingly done all season, they quickly gave up the tying goal as Getzlaf made a great pass to spring Corey Perry. Perry fired a shot toward Mazanec with no traffic in front but the shot beat him five hole.

The Ducks took a 4-3 lead on the power play as Patrick Maroon took the puck at the top of the crease and backhanded a pass to Teemu Selanne. Selanne buried the shot into the wide open net for the game winner at 18:52 of the second period.

The Predators had some good opportunities on the power play in the third period but could not get a puck past Andersen. The Predators out shot the Ducks 12-4 in the third period but could not finish their chances.

What had been a promising start to a pivotal contest saw the Predators squander an opportunity to get a much needed win.

Some observations:

• With his goal, Paul Gaustad tallied his 200th point.

• For the life of me, some of the line combinations, especially late in the game, made no sense. Why on earth was Rich Clune getting top line minutes in critical situations late in the game when you had more offensive minded players on the bench?

• Craig Smith continues to play well. his goal off a nice pass from Matt Cullen showed some sweet hands and the shot was placed perfectly.

• Note to David Poile: see what offensively skilled players can do. It is not enough to have guys on the roseter that are gritty, or "Predator hard" (whatever that is). You have to have guys that can finish and can put pucks into the net.

• The second Getzlaf goal and the goal given up to Perry were brutal. Both came on unscreened shots that abused Mazanec. Those were shots that Mazanec has to stop.

• The Predators were without Patric Hornqvist, who is day to day with an injury.

• Colin Wilson is struggling badly. He is ineffective in the offensive zone and tonight registered one shot on goal. he was a -3 and played only 12:03 with one shot on goal.

• Roman Josi showed his skill at carrying the puck. Josi is one of the few Predators that is reliable in getting the puck through the neutral zone and carrying the puck through traffic. He logged 25:35 TOI tonight.

• The Ducks forecheck caused problems for the Predators all night. That effort is one the Predators attempt to emulate every game. The difference between the two teams is that the Ducks can transition from gritty forechecking to dynamic offense. That is something to which the Predators can only aspire.

This is a disappointing loss in that the Predators folded in the face of the relentless pressure and talent of the Ducks.

It is two points that the team cannot afford to give away.

My three stars:

1. Ryan Getzlaf

2. Craig Smith

3. Matt Cullen

Predators Stop Losing Streak, Romp Over the Rangers 4-1

The New York Rangers left the ice to boos from the home crowd at Madison Square Garden at the end of the first period of their game against the Nashville Predators.

The crowd was agitated because the Predators had a 2-0 lead against the home team. Henrik Lundqvist had given up two goals on 6 shots. The first Predators goal had come on some nice passing in the low slot between David Legwand, Patric Hornqvist, and Nick Spaling. Spaling was the beneficiary of that effort and he buried a snap shot over the shoulder of Lundqvist at 13:45 of the first period.

The Predators took a 2-0 lead as Rich Clune took a pass from Matt Hendricks and beat Lundqvist with a backhand on a good drive to the net at 17:52.

Carter Hutton, getting his first start in net in 13 games, turned away all 10 shots he faced in the first period.

The Rangers cut the lead to 2-1 at 6:38 of the second period as the Predators got caught in a bad line change, which opened the ice up for Rick Nash. Nash got free down low and beat Hutton in close with a back hand.

The Predators were going to need a strong third period to break their five game losing streak. Through two periods, they had done a good job of attacking the Rangers net and forcing Lundqvist to make some good saves.

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

The Predators did just that 2:38 into the third period as Paul Gaustad drove below the goal line and drew two Ranger defenders to him. He slipped the puck out into the slot where Matt Hendricks controlled the puck and lifted it over a sprawling Lundqvist to make it 3-1.

The Predators were getting scoring from their fourth line, which had accounted for two goals in this contest. This is something that the Predators have been lacking during their losing streak.

After this goal, both teams went back and forth at each other with good rushes and scoring chances, but both netminders were able to keep the puck out of the net.

Paul Gaustad sealed the win for the Predators with an empty net goal at 18:54.

The Predators had snapped their five game losing streak with a solid 4-1 win.

Some observations:

• Carter Hutton looked good in net. He was poised, moved well, and was positionally sound. Hutton appeared to have his confidence shaken after a few rough starts, and apparently had lost the confidence of the coaching staff as he sat for 13 games. Hopefully this solid outing will help his confidence and get him back on track. The Predators need some strong efforts by Hutton. and this 28 save effort is a good way to get his game going.

• The effort by the Gaustad, Clune, and Hendricks line was exceptional. These guys had a nose for the net and great jump in their game. The Predators need contributions from all lines, which they had not been getting, and to get this effort from the fourth line guys was key to securing this win. They need to build on this momentum and establish consistency in their game.

• The defense in front of Hutton played well. There had been too many holes in the coverage in the defensive zone during this losing streak. Tonight, the blue liners played sound defense and did a good job of protecting Hutton. Once again, Shea Weber and Roman Josi did yeoman's work,  with Weber logging 30:25 of ice time and Josi 29:20. Victor Bartley had 19:02 of ice time, while surprisingly, Seth Jones logged only 9:29.

• The Predators had 26 shots on net, and all lines did a good job of creating some opportunities. Colin Wilson, Mike Fisher, and Gabriel Bourque each had one shot on net, and the Predators need to get these guys rolling. They have too much talent not to produce some shots on goal and some scoring opportunities.

This was a solid, 60 minute game by the Predators.

The type of game they needed to break the losing streak. They showed a nose for the net and a willingness to shot the puck and create some offensive chances.

This kind of effort has to continue for the Predators to win games.

My three stars:

1. Paul Gaustad

2. Matt Hendricks

3. Carter Hutton

Same Song, Same Tired Refrain. Predators Fall to the Caps 5-2

The Nashville Predators traveled to the Verizon Center to take on the Washington Capitals and were in desperate need of a win. The Predators had just ended a four game home stand by losing every game, and faced a big challenge in the Capitals and their explosive offense.

Marek Mazanec was in net for the Predators, while the Capitals went with Braden Holtby.

Mazanec made a couple of stellar saves early in the period to keep the Caps off the board. Washington would get the first goal of the game, though as Troy Brouwer outmuscled Ryan Ellis in front of the net and was able to slide a backhand past the pads of Mazanec at 6:44 of the first period.

Rich Clune was called for interference at 13:06 and Alex Ovechkin fired a shot from the face off circle that caromed past Mazanec at 13:09.

So much for an effective penalty kill.

Karl Alzner made it 3-0 for the Caps with a blast from the blue line that beat Mazanec glove side at 16:19. this was just after Mazanec made 3 great saves in close after Kevin Klein had a give away in front of his net.

The Predators finally showed some signs of life as Roman Josi carried the puck into the zone a fired a wrist shot from outside the face off circle that beat Holtby over the shoulder to make it 3-1 at 19:38 of the first period.

The Caps out shot the Predators 14-12 in the first period.

the game was not out of reach- yet- but the Predators were going to have to get better goaltending and tighten up their effort in the defensive zone.

The Predators opened the second period skating better and firing shots on net. they created some great scoring opportunities, but could not finish their chances.

The Predators also played much better defensively, limiting the Caps shots and scoring chances. In the period, the Predators out shot the Caps 12-6.

If the Predators were going to get back in this game, they were going to have to do something that had been a struggle over the last 4 games, and that was finish their scoring chances.

At 3:39 of the third period, Nate Schmidt fired a puck from the blue line that beat an unscreened Mazanec stick side to make it 4-1.

The Predators made it 4-2 as Eric Nystrom broke in on a 2 on 1 and rather than pass, took a shot from inside the face off circle that beat Holtby to the far post at 3:52 of the period. Nystrom has a deceptively good shot, and he beat Holtby with a well placed shot.

The game turned into a pond hockey affair as both teams sped up and down the ice with scoring chances. The Predators tempted fate by giving up odd man rushes, and the Caps eventually made them pay as Eric Fehr buried a shot from the face off circle that beat Mazanec stick side to give the Caps a 5-2 lead at 14:50.

The Predators never threatened again after that score, and mercifully, the Caps did not score again.

Some observations:

• The Predators welcomed Shea Weber back to the line up after taking a puck to the eye on Thanksgiving night against Edmonton. weber was wearing a visor, which I hope he continues to do for the remainder of his career. Weber is one of the players that is grandfathered under the CBA and he can choose not to wear a visor because of his tenure in the League.

• The Predators scratched their second leading scorer, Craig Smith, in favor of Rich Clune. The logic of that move eludes me.

• Mazanec had to make some quality saves. The score would have been more embarrassing except for some very good play in the net. The goal by Schmidt was one he would like to have back, as it was an unscreened shot that blew past him. Mazanec was beaten stick side twice tonight on shots that seemed stoppable.

• Once again, the inability to finish scoring chances victimized the Predators. They put a lot of pucks on Holtby and he gave up rebounds, but we had difficulty finishing scoring chances in close.

• The Predators faced some familiar players in Joel Ward and Marty Erat.

• Patric Hornqvist took a big hit from Troy Brouwer late in the game and went to the locker room and did not return. It appeared that he hurt his shoulder again when he landed awkwardly on the ice.

This is a struggling team that is not playing good hockey. And that is a formula for falling far out of the playoff race.

If the Predators do not get back on track very quickly, this will be a long and dismal season.

My three stars:

1. Braden Holtby

2. Eric Fehr

3. Roman Josi

Predators End Road Trip With a Thud, Fall to the Wild 2-0

The Nashville Predators traveled to the Xcel Energy Center to face the Minnesota Wild seeking to win their third game of a three game road trip.

Pekka Rinne was in net for the Predators and the Wild had Josh Harding between the pipes.

The Predators scratched Filip Forsberg and inserted Rich Clune into the line up. The Predators were once again without the services of Mike Fisher, who continues to deal with a lower body injury.

Both teams are fast and both like to play an up tempo game. The Wild had a decided advantage in the early going of the game as the Wild had the Predators back on their heels and controlled the puck in the offensive zone for most of the first part of the period. Thanks to two power plays, the Wild out shot the Predators 13-2 past the midway mark. Pekka Rinne was sharp and made some outstanding saves to keep the Wild off the board.

The first period was scoreless, but the Wild dominated the Predators and it was fortunate that the Predators survived the period. The Wild out shot the Predators 13-3.

The second period was not much better for the Predators. The Wild had the better scoring chances and controlled the puck once again for much of the period.

The Wild finally broke through at 18:53 of the second as Justin Fontaine got his stick on a rebound given up by Rinne  of a Clayton Stoner shot and was able to flip the puck over his shoulder to give the Wild a 1-0 lead. The defense was caught out of position on the play and gave Fontaine an unimpeded path to the front of the net.

The Wild out shot the Predators 11-6 in the second period.

The Predators had been out skated and out worked through 40 minutes. The Predators were going to have to dig down and begin skating and pressuring Harding to have a chance to claw back into this game.

The Predators did not mount much offense in the third period. With Rinne pulled for an extra attacker in the final minute, the Predators swarmed the net and got a puck behind Harding but it was swept off the goal line by Jared Spurgeon.

Jason Pominville sealed the win for the Wild with an empty net goal at 19:35 to make the final score 2-0.

Some observations:

• The Predators were out worked the entire game. They were outshot 29-15 and the Wild controlled play throughout. Whether it was fatigue or just a failure to respond, this was the most disappointing game the team has played in a while.

• Puck support in the offensive zone was virtually non-existent all night. The Predators did not do a good job of getting the puck deep, but when they did, the puck support was not there. This caused numerous turnovers and limited the offensive chances.

• Still waiting for some offense from Viktor Stalberg.

• Colin Wilson was a non-factor tonight. No shots on goal and nothing in the offensive zone.

• Rinne was very good tonight. He had pucks coming at him from all angles tonight and made some excellent saves. Unfortunately, he got no offensive support.

As much as this game was a stinker, it is important to keep this road trip in perspective. The Predators picked up 4 out of  a possible 6 points and except for tonight's effort, played some good hockey.

The Predators will have a chance to put this one behind them on Thursday night when they face the Jets at Bridgestone Arena.

My three stars:

1. Justin Fontaine

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Josh Harding

Predators Wilt Against the Wings

The Nashville Predators have been relegated to the role of spoiler as the season winds down, and they were in Detroit not only attempting to win their second game in a row but put a dent in the Red Wings playoff chances.

While the Red Wings were playing with a sense of urgency, the Predators could play loose and continue to audition some of their young players.

One of those would be Joonas Rask, who was called up from Milwaukee and was appearing in his first NHL game.

The Predators went with Chris Mason in net, while workhorse Jimmy Howard was in goal for the Wings.

The Predators welcomed back Mike Fisher, who has been out with an injury, and he made his presence felt early as he tallied the first goal of the game off a nice feed from Rich Clune.

The Wings answered with Valtteri Filppula getting free in the low slot and beating Mason with a quick wrist shot.

The Predators took a 2-1 lead on the power play as Shea Weber shoveled the puck to the front of the net. Mike Fisher was in front battling and Craig Smith took a shot that Howard stopped. Smith got his rebound and roofed the puck past Howard.

The first period ended with the Predators leading 2-1 but having to kill off 57 seconds of a  Detroit power play to start the second period.

The Wings tied the game just 1:01 into the second period as the power play had just expired. Johan Franzen gathered in a rebound and roofed a shot from a sharp angle.

Patrick Eaves got lost by the Predators defense and whipped a one timer past mason from the face off circle to give the Wings a 3-2 lead. Eaves was all alone as the defense broke down and lost track of the forward in a dangerous scoring position.

The Predators kept playing with fire by taking penalties, and the it burnt them as late in the period the Predators were once again down a man and Pavel Datsyuk skated the puck into the zone and blistered a shot past a screened Chris Mason to make it 4-2.

The Predators gave up 3 goals in the second period through some miscues and sloppy play. If they were going to have a chance to get back into the game, they were going to have to elevate their play.

Through two periods, the Wings had out shot the Predators 25-15.

The injury bug continued to bedevil the Predators, as they lost Matt Halischuk in the second period and for the rest of the game with an upper body injury.

The Predators attempted to get back into the game with some good pressure in the Wings zone but could not get a puck past Howard.

Justin Abdelkader extended the Wings lead to 5-2 late in the period as he buried a rebound past Mason, and any hope the Predators had of climbing back into this game were squelched with that goal.

The game ended with that score as the Predators wilted down the stretch in face of the pressure from a desperate Wings team playing with greater urgency.

Some observations:

Messy Mistakes

The Predators made a game of it early with solid play and good pressure in the Wings zone, but as the game wore on, their mistakes cost them dearly. Too many penalties and some blown coverage in the defensive zone allowed the Wings to get back in the game. Part of this is the presence of the new guys in the line up, and losing Halishcuk in the second period further jumbled the forward lines which didn't help the effort. The Wings were hungry and focused, and they capitalized on the mistakes the Predators made.

Welcome Back Mike

Mike Fisher returned to the line up and made his presence felt with the first goal of the game and was battling all night. It was good to see Fisher back and his effort and leadership on the ice will be a benefit to the young players.

Smith Shows Up

Craig Smith had a goal and an assist, his first points in...forever. Smith played with good jump and went to the hard area in front of the net for his goal. Smith has had a brutal season, but he has not stopped hustling and working. He has the potential to be a very good winger, but this season has been forgettable. hopefully, this is just a very bad sophomore slump and that these points will give him some confidence and get him untracked.

Gotta Have More

David Legwand has 21:18 of ice time; Sergei Kostitsyn had 19:08, the most among the forwards. They combined for 2 shots on goal. The Predators have to get more from these veteran forwards if they are going to be in any game. Tonight, they were invisible, and their offensive drought contributed to the Predators lack of production.

Final Thoughts

The result was about as expected as a team that is fighting to get into the playoffs matched up against a patchwork lineup. The effort by the Predators was spotty and the mistakes were costly. The Predators have one more chance to try to salve some wounds from this awful season.

Hope you bring it, boys.

My three stars;

1. Jimmy Howard

2. Pavel Datsyuk

3. Craig Smith

Canucks Crush the Predators 5-2

The Vancouver Canucks rolled into Bridgestone Arena and rolled over the Nashville Predators 5-2. It was not without a fight, literally and figuratively.

The Predators competed well as the mix and match lines of call ups and regulars brought a good effort, out shooting the Canucks 38-24, but once again, the inability to finish haunted the Predators.

After falling behind 2-0 after one period on goals by Ryan Kessler and Derek Roy, the Predators fought back in the second period to tie the game. Sergei Kostitsyn set up the first goal by controlling the puck behind the Vancover net. He found Nick Spaling in the low slot, and Spals one timer beat Roberto Luongo over his glove to make it 2-1.

The Predators tied the game at 2 as Bobby Butler drove to the face off circle and rifled a shot that beat Luongo to the far post.

The Canucks took a 3-2 lead after a brutal roughing call against Hal Gill. Alex Burrows slashed Gill at least 6 times with no call, but Gill was called for the penalty after taking Biting Burrows to the ice at the side of the Predators net.

Vancouver scored almost immediately on the power play as Jason Garrison notched a goal just 6 seconds into the man advantage.

The Canucks added 2 goals in the third period to make it 5-2 before the officials (Dan O'Halloran and Mike Leggo) lost control of the game with 3 minutes left. After a brawl that saw players on both sides ejected with game misconducts, the clock ran out and the Predators skid continued.

Some observations:

Gotta Finish

The Predators poured 19 shots on Luongo in the second period and had 14 more shots than the Canucks for the game. That is the positive. The negative is that they could not finish their chances, and part of this is that the Predators need more traffic in front of the net. At times, they did this, but too often, a presence in front of the net was missing. Shots from the point were mostly handled by Luongo, and the Predators need to do a better job of taking away the clean looks that opposing netminders are getting.

Bang For The Buck

Outside of Rich Clune, the Predators need someone that can bang and hit and be an overall shift disturber. Daniel Bang has shown flashes of being able to be that physical presence. He is a big body and doesn't seem to mind the contact. As he settles in, the hope is that he will become more of a physical presence.

Butler Starts to Shine

Bobby Butler has the tools, but he needs to consistently apply his talent. over the past few games, he has begun to play with confidence, battling for the puck, using his speed, and he has a deceptively good shot that we saw tonight. If Butler can continue to elevate his game, he is going to make a strong case to stay on the roster next season.

Captain Courageous

I liked the response of Shea Weber to the cross check on Rinne. The Canucks are notorious for the cheap and borderline dirty play, and the way you stop it is the way Webs responded. Swift, sure, and certain. Touch our goalie in a cheap way like the Canucks did and pay the price. A character move by the Captain.

Final Thoughts

The Predators will get no sympathy form the teams that remain on the schedule, and Predator fans are going to endure a rough and dismal stretch as injuries have decimated this team. But what you want to see is a strong compete level and a response to adversity. You want to see the call ups step up and contribute in all situations. They have been doing that, and although there is a significant talent gap for the Predators, one cannot fault the effort.

This is what this team can build upon for next season.

Character forged in difficult circumstances.

My three stars:

1. Ryan Kessler

2. Roberto Luongo

3.Daniel Sedin

Blackhawks Battle to 1-0 Victory Over the Predators

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

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

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

Some observations:

Injury Bug Bites Again

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

Power(less) Play 

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

The Kids

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

Missing In Action

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

Final Thoughts

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

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

My three stars:

1. Ray Emery

2. Bryan Bickell

3. Pekka Rinne

Predators Bury the Blue Jackets 5-2

The Nashville Predators were looking to win two games in a row for the first time in over a month, and the Columbus Blue Jackets were just what the Predators needed to do just that.

The Predators buried the Blue Jackets with a first period goal scoring spree en route to a 5-2 victory.

The Predators scored 4 goals in a 3:04 stretch of the first period, the fastest 4 goals in franchise history.

Taylor Beck got the scoring started as he rifled a shot from the face off circle over the shoulder of Columbus netminder Sergei Bobrovsky for his first NHL goal. His tally came at 7:11 of the first period.

Shea Weber stretched the lead to 2-0 at 8:21 of the period on the power play. Bobby Butler worked hard to get control of the puck, made a move toward the net, and slipped a beautiful pass to Weber on the off side. Weber blasted home the shot for his 6th goal of the season.

The Jackets made it 2-1 as R.J. Umberger crashed into Pekka Rinne in the blue paint and the puck trickled through Rinne's pads after the collision and into the net. The play was reviewed, but inexplicably no goaltender interference was called.

Rather than let the Jackets build momentum, David Legwand responded to make it 3-0 at 9:46 of the first as he beat Bobrovsky from the slot.

The Predators made it 4-1 at 10:15 of the first period as Matt Halischuk whistled a shot over the shoulder of Bobrovsky off a rush into the Columbus zone.

Bobrovsky had given up 4 goals on 11 shots by the Predators, and his night was done. Steve Mason came in to replace Bobrovsky and finished the game in net for the Jackets.

Just 12 seconds after the 4th Predators goal, Rich Clune was called for interference, and because the play resulted in an injury to a Jackets player, he was given a 5 minute penalty and a game misconduct.

The 5 minute power play was a prime opportunity for the Jackets to get back into the game. The Predators had killed off the just over 3 minutes of Clune's penalty when Mike Fisher stole the puck and drove the net. He crashed into Mason and was given a 2 minute penalty for goaltender interference.

Now the Predators had to kill off nearly 2 minutes of 5 on 3 power play time.

And they did so in grand fashion.

The Predators gave the Jackets just two shots with the two man advantage.

Game, set, and match.

Artem Anisimov tallied at 14:53 of the second period, as his shot hit the stick of Mike Fisher and caromed over the shoulder of Rinne to make it 4-2.

The third period saw the Jackets have a decided advantage in zone time, as they controlled the puck and kept the Predators bottled up in their own end for lengthy stretches. The Predators did a good job of limiting quality scoring chances for the Jackets, however.

Roman Josi scored an empty net goal at 19:36 for the final margin.

Some observations:

Welcome Back, Big Guy

Hal Gill was back in the line up, and his presence was welcome, especially on the penalty kill. Gill was strong and his effort during the Jackets 5 on 3 was exceptional. Gill is a steady presence on the blue line and his return gives the coaching staff some flexibility with the D corp and getting the best blue liners on the ice for the match ups with the opponent.

Welcome Back, Predator Hockey

In the first period, the Predators forecheck was relentless and helped to create offensive opportunities. It was refreshing to see the Predators firing the puck at the net, and some good things- such as 4 goals- happened because they pulled the trigger. The defense did a good job of limiting quality scoring opportunities by the Jackets. And Pekka Rinne was solid in net. This is the type of game that the Predators are capable of playing, and tonight, they played a solid game in all phases.

Home, Sweet Home

With the win, the Predators home record is now 8-2-4. By contrast, their road record is 5-11-2. With the schedule heavily slanted to home games for the remainder of the season, the Predators have to continue to use home ice to their advantage.

No Let Downs

The Predators out shot the Blue Jackets 13-4 in the first period. In the final 40 minutes, the Jackets out shot the Predators 19-11. The Jackets started to control play in the second period, out shooting the Predators 9-4 and then 10-7 in the third. As mentioned, the Jackets spent a lot of time in the offensive zone in the third period. The Predators cannot step off the gas with a lead. Good teams will make them pay for that, and their success in upcoming games will depend on a full 60 minute effort.

Everyone Contributes

Taylor Beck had a goal and an assist. Marty Erat, Gabriel Bourque, and Bobby Butler each had two assists. Matt Halischuk, David Legwand, Shea Weber, and Roman Josi had goals. This is the kind of effort that this team has to bring every night, and contributions have to come from all lines. This is the formula for the Predators to succeed, and it has to be consistent from game to game.

Kudos to Bobby Butler, who had a strong game. His assist on Weber's goal was a thing of beauty. He was strong on the puck and battled in the hard areas.

Final thoughts

The Predators are now 13-13-6 and have 32 points. They sit just outside of the 8th spot for the playoffs. Getting into the playoffs will be a battle over the final 16 games. I still believe they will need to win 13 of their remaining 16 games to get in the dance.

The hill is steep and the task is going to be difficult. But it can be done.

Tonight, the team saw what it will take to get it done.

Now, they have to bring this effort every game.

My three stars:

1. Taylor Beck

2. Bobby Butler

3. Marty Erat

Predators Fight to 4-0 Win Over the Stars

The Nashville Predators embarked on a critical five game road trip, making their first stop in Dallas to take on the Stars.

These two teams met earlier in Nashville, with the Predators taking a 5-4 overtime decision in a spirited contest. This one had the makings of another feisty contest, and the teams did not disappoint.

The Predators had Pekka Rinne in net, while the Stars went with Kari Lehtonen.

The Predators had a solid effort in a 4-0 win.

I missed the second period while at my son's hockey game, but I saw enough of the game to offer these observations:

Predators Find Some Grit

Dallas made a commitment to be physical, to the point of gooning up the game in the third period. The Predators responded with grit and physical play of their own, but it was physical play that was in control. The Predators drew penalties and responded with physical play of their own.

I like the response of the team, especially in the third period that saw an old fashioned line brawl. When the Stars get down, they try to use their size and physicality to back down their opponent. Tonight, the Predators did not back down. That is the kind of response that the Predators have to have, as the remaining games will bring out the desperation of every team.

Rinne Was...Rinne

Peks recorded his league leading 5th shutout and was outstanding in net. He made some big saves, especially in the third when the Predators were under siege by a desperate Dallas squad. When Rinne is moving well and tracking the puck like he did tonight, he is nearly unbeatable. And this frustrates the other team, as we saw late in the game by the Stars cheap shots and goon tactics.

Penalty Kill Comes Up Big

The PK was a perfect 4 for 4, and came up with two big kills early in the third period when Dallas was pressing to get back into the game. The Predators are going to need the PK to be stronger than it has been in previous games, and this was a good way to get their mojo back. They need to build on this effort.

Clune Continues To Impress

Rich Clune had another strong game and even scored on a penalty shot. Clune plays a gritty game, but has emerged as a player that is smart with the puck and creates some offense. His style of play gets under the skin of the opponents as evidenced by drawing a game misconduct penalty against the Stars  Jamie Oleksiak late in the game. Clune chose not to engage Oleksiak and watched him sent to the showers while he stayed on the ice. That was a heady play.

Welcome Back Matt

Matt Halischuk set up the Predators first goal with a nifty steal of the puck at the Stars blue line, setting up Nick Spaling for the Predators first goal of the contest. Halischuk had been sent down to Milwaukee but was recalled after two games because of injuries. Halischuk needs to continue to produce, and the Predators need him playing solid hockey.

That Darn Injury Bug...

struck again as the Predators lost Paul Gaustad to an upper body injury. The extent of the injury is unknown, but with Patrick Hornqvist and Colin Wilson injured, the Predators can ill afford to lose more players for an extended period of time.

Stop Me if You Have Heard This before

Once again, Marty Erat and Sergei Kostitsyn played a game and recorded no shots on goal. C'mon guys.. we need scoring, and you are not going to score if you never shoot the puck.

Final Thoughts

A solid win by the Predators that was characterized by gritty play, solid goaltending, and scoring by committee. And it is good to see the committee begin to score again. Shots on net with traffic in front is a winning combination for the Predators. Now, if we can just get some of our forwards untracked and shooting the puck...

This is the kind of win the Predators needed to start the road trip. But this is one game in a critical five game swing. It is imperative that the Predators bring this kind of effort in the remaining road games. I beleive the Predators are going to need to capture at least 6 of the 10 possible points on this trip.

This was a good start.

Now build on it.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Craig Smith

3. Rich Clune

Predators Find Their Offense in 6-0 Drubbing of the Oilers

Desperately trying to end a three game skid and a goal scoring drought, the Nashville Predators got just what they needed to get healthy against a struggling Edmonton Oilers team at the Bridgestone Arena.

The Predators suddenly found their scoring touch in a 6-0 win before their 24th straight sellout crowd.

Pekka Rinne was in net for the Predators, and recorded his 4th shutout of the season.

Colin Wilson led the way for the Predators offense with two goals and two assists.

Some observations:

The Killer B's

The Predators added forwards Bobby Butler and Zach Boychuk as waiver acquisitions and called up defenseman Victor Bartley from Milwaukee. All three had positive contributions to the win tonight.

Butler showed good jump and a willingness to god to the hard areas. His nose for the puck and ability to move his feet resulted in drawing three penalties against the Oilers. The Predators capitalized on two of the subsequent power plays.

Boychuk has incredible speed and offensive skills. The Predators just may be what he needs to get his game together and stick on an NHL roster. Boychuk made some slick passes, was strong on the puck, and re-directed a Shea Weber blast past Yann Danis for his first goal as a Predator.

I was very impressed with Bartley. He kept his game simple, made good passes on the breakout, and was solid in the defensive zone. Paired with Kevin Klein, he looked comfortable and did a good job of communicating with his partner on the blue line. Bartley even jumped in on several occasions in the offensive zone, and played with a great deal of poise.

The Push

Maybe it was the presence of the new players on the roster. Maybe it was the fact that there could now be some competition for ice time. Whatever the reason, the Predators played like the Predators tonight. They pushed the puck up the ice, played with jump, and looked for shots rather than passes. The Predators out shot the Oilers 34-24 and had a decided edge in offensive zone time.

This is the way the Predators have to play. Not fancy hockey. Simple hockey. Predator hockey. This is their formula to win games, and recently, the Predators had gotten away from that type of hockey. They will need to continue to play like they did tonight to keep winning.

The Wall

Rinne recorded his 4th shut out of the season, and although he was not seriously challenged, he did have to come up with a couple of big saves on Ryan Jones. Jones, a former Predator, had a shorthanded breakaway in the first period and another breakaway chance in the second period. Rinne stoned Jones on both attempts to keep the Oilers off the board and not allow the visitors to get some momentum.

Rinne is an excellent goalie, but has not had much help in front of him in recent games. Tonight, he was solid in net, making some timely saves, and the guys in front of him were much better. This is the combination that the Predators have to bring to the ice each game to win.

Wilson Wows

Colin Wilson played like many have believed he can play. Wilson went strong to the net for his first goal and his second goal was a rocket from the face off circle. Wilson dished out two assists and was strong on the puck and created offense. This is the kind of play the Predators need each game for the talented winger.

Clune Continues To Impress

Rich Clune isn't the most talented player on the Predators roster, but he plays with heart and effort every night. Clune got a goal by going to the hard area in front of the net, sliding home a rebound between the pads of Danis. He also went skate to skate with Oilers heavyweight Mike Brown in a first period fight. Clune skates hard and plays harder, something some of the other players on the roster should note.

Blind Hog

David Legwand scored on a fluke goal late in the first period, flipping the puck from the red line and skipping it past Dubnyk. This was Legwand's first goal since February 16th, and frankly, the Predators need much more from him.

I guess this goal proves the old adage that blind hogs do find acorns.

Hornqvist Hurt

Patric Hornqvist had a Patric Hornqvist goal to open the scoring by tipping a puck past Devan Dubnyk from in front of the net. That was the good. The bad was seeing Hornqvist crunched into the boards  in the second period by Theo Peckham on a questionable hit and leaving the ice with what looked to be a badly injured shoulder. Hornqvist went straight to the locker room and did not return to the game.

This was a game that the Predators had to have. Nashville now has 25 points at the halfway mark of the season. I believe that it will take 55 points to get into the playoffs.

If that is the case, the Predators can ill afford any more losing streaks and will have to elevate their play to get into the playoffs.

This game reinforced to the Predators what they have to do to win. Get pucks to the net, play with heart, and keep it simple.

This is the formula upon which this team has to build in the second half of the season.

It starts tomorrow night.

My three stars:

1. Colin Wilson

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Shea Weber

Embarrassing Effort By the Predators as They Are Demolished by the Ducks

The Nashville Predators embarked on another West coast road trip, with their first stop at the Honda Center to face the red hot Anaheim Ducks. This road trip was going to be important for the Predators as they were looking to get consistent scoring and put some distance between themselves and the teams chancing them in the standings.

The Predators had their workhorse, Pekka Rinne, in net, while the Ducks had Viktor Fasth, he of the sterling 8-1 record, between the pipes.

The Ducks struck first at 2:48 of the first period as Pekka Rinne went behind the net to play the puck and Emerson Etem tied him up and stole the puck. He got the puck to a wide open Nick Bonino and he fired the puck into a wide open net. Rinne misplayed the puck and the defense lost sight of Bonino and he got an easy goal.

The Ducks made it 2-0 at 3:49 of the first period as Kyle Palmieri took the puck just inside of the face off circle and drove the net. He beat Shea Weber to the front and slid the puck past Rinne for anothe quick- and bad for the the Predators- goal.

For the Predators, this was an absolutely horrific start. The goals energized the Ducks and the Predators had to respond quickly or this game would be out of hand before the few fans at the Honda Center got settled into their seats.

It didn't get any better for the Predators as Kyle Palmieri scored his second goal at 16:57 to make it 3-0 Ducks. Palmieri cruised into the low slot and eleuded Mike Fisher, who had the coverage. Palmieri took a pass from Corey Perry and was totally alone and able to beat Rinne.

The Predators defensive coverage had been atrocious to start the game. It was now horrific.

Worse yet, there was absolutely no push back from the Predators.

Thankfully, the Ducks did not score again in the remainder of the period. One could only imagine what Head Coach Barry Trotz was going to say to his charges in the locker room.

Would the Predators have any kind of a response?

It was certainly going to be a test of their character.

The Ducks had 1:27 of power play time as the Predators were guilty of too many men on the ice late in the first period.  The Ducks made the Predators pay as Kyle Palmieri was alone sliding down the right side of the ice. He took a pass from Corey Perry who was driving the net and  forced Rinne to respect the shot. Palmieri had a wide open net to deposit the puck for his third goal of the game just 1:07 into the period.

The Predators were beyond awful.

They were embarrassing.

The Predators finally responded at 9:27 of the second period as Rich Clune took the puck low to the corner. He found Kevin Klein pinching from his defense position and got the puck to him. Klein quickly slid the puck to Craig Smith and he beat Fasth with a one timer to make it 4-1.

After a phantom goaltender interference call against Rich Clune, the Ducks tallied again once again on the power play as Saku Koivu got his stick on a bouncing puck in the blue paint and knocked the puck home at 19:20 of the second period.

Given the effort of the Predators through the first two periods, the best they could hope for is that the third period would end quickly and they wouldn't be further embarrassed.

Chris Mason was in net to open the third period for the Predators. While Rinne was on the bench, I hope that his teammates were apologizing for the sorry effort in front of him tonight.

The good news: the Ducks didn't score in the third period.

The bad news: neither did the Predators.

Some observations:

• This team wasn't ready to play tonight. One can argue about where to place the blame, but ultimately, the responsibility for effort, drive, and character rests with the players. The Predators have not consistently shown the type of effort that has characterized past teams, and this is troubling. This is a problem that has to get corrected quickly, and it starts with the Leadership group of Weber, Fisher, and Erat.

• There were too many players that were invisible on the ice. Not only with shots (that's a blinding flash of the obvious), but with grittiness and effort. For too long, David Legwand, Marty Erat, and Sergei Kostitsyn have not produced. This team will not succeed unless these players- and most of the roster- begin to elevate their game.

• This team has relied on the outstanding goaltending of Pekka Rinne. Tonight, the first Ducks goal was off a bad play that Rinne made behind the net. The other goals? The team in front of Rinne hung him out to dry.  This team has to commit to sound defense, and recently, that has been sorely lacking. 

• Obviously, this was an embarrassing effort. A good Ducks team took the Predators to the woodshed. But what is especially disturbing about the effort- or lack thereof- tonight was that there was no push back from anyone on the Predators roster. No anger, no emotion, no fire, no heart. This team is in trouble if this is the type of response to a debacle like this was.

• This team is offensively challenged (another brilliant insight) and the concern is that once the Predators go down a goal, the morale of this team seems to sag markedly. It is as if they seem to believe they cannot overcome even a one goal deficit. This has to change and there has to be a more positive response to adversity.

As a fan, I am embarrassed by this non-effort. No, I am appalled, disgusted, and frustrated. And as bad as I feel, I hope that it feels even worse for this team. I hope it burns and makes them angry.

And they need to use those emotions to bring a better effort in their next game.

Or they will be embarrassed again.

My three stars:

1. Kyle Palmieri

2. Corey Perry

3. Viktor Fasth

Predators Scrap Out An OT Win Over the Stars

The Nashville Predators and the Dallas Stars met at the Bridgestone Arena, and if this is a preview of the conference rivalry these two teams will have after re-alignment, the intensity will be off the charts.

The Predators won a wild affair in overtime by a 5-4 margin.

The game featured several fights, chipiness, and overall animosity between the two teams.

Pekka Rinne was in net for the Predators, and 3 of the 4 goals scored by the Stars were goals where Rinne didn't get much help.

Christopher Nilstorp was in net for the Stars, and he had a rough night as well.

The Predators opened the scoring at 14:43 of the first period as Sergei Kostitsyn dug a puck out of the corner a got the puck to Rich Clune. Clune got the puck and quickly got the puck out of the opposite corner to Craig Smith, who was cruising down the slot. Smith re-directed the puck the puck past Nilstorp to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

Neither team tallied again, and the Predators held a 8-6 shot advantage in a period that saw both teams probing the defense and trying to establish their offense.

That would change in a wild second period that saw numerous penalties handed out against both teams. The Stars tied the game a 1 at 1:20 of the second period as David Legwand lost coverage and Matt Fraser was left alone in the face off circle. His shot went past a screened Rinne and gave momentum back to the Stars.

Just 15 seconds later, the Stars took a 2-1 lead as Reilly Smith abused Scott Hannan to get free in front of the net and was able to chip the puck over the pad of Rinne at 1:35 of the second.

Roman Josi would tie the game at 2 at 3:10 of the period as his blast from the blue line beat Nilstorp through traffic.

With Marty Erat in the box for holding, Mike Fisher took a double minor for high sticking on the penalty kill. The Predators got Erat out of the box, but with 2:08 left on Fisher's penalty, Vernon Fiddler beat Rinne cleanly with a slap shot from just inside the face off circle to make it 3-2 Stars at 7:29 of the second.

With the Stars still on the power play, Loui Eriksson beat Rinne at 9:21 of the second to make it 4-2.

The game was quickly getting out of hand for the Predators, but they got a 5 on 3 power play as Eric Nystrom fought Brandon Yip and was also called for unsportsmanlike conduct at 11:45. Vernon Fiddler got a double minor for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct at 12:24. The Predators made the Stars pay as Patric Hornqvist got his second goal of the year, corralling the puck at the side of the crease and flipping it over the shoulder of Nilstorp to make it 4-3 at 13:43 of the second period.

Shea Weber was cut with a high stick, however, the officials deemed it was from the stick of one of his teammates. That was questionable, but the fact was that it angered Weber, and he went into beast mode and delivered some booming checks that seemed to energize the Predators.

Dallas out shot the Predators 13-10 in the second period.

In the third period, Mike Fisher took the puck on a rush and split two Stars defenders and beat Nilstorp with a backhand at 8:33 to tie the game at 4.

There was no more scoring in the period, but the Predators choked off the Stars offensive attack and peppered Nilstorp with shots. The Predators had 12 shots on net in the third period to 5 for the Stars.

The overtime lasted all of 28 seconds as Roman Josi wired a shot from the blue line over the shoulder of Nilstorp to give the Predators a much needed win.

Some observations:

• Roman Josi is quickly growing into a very solid blueliner. This was his first multi-point game, and he has shown adroitness in handling the puck as well as making good decisions. It bodes well for the Predators that he is beginning to score. My prediction: Josi will quickly make Predators fans forget about the departed duplicitous Ryan Suter.

• As good as Josi was tonight, Scott Hannan had a miserable game. Hannan was beaten badly by Reilly Smith for a goal, and he didn't look as confident or solid as he has in past games. This may have been due to playing with a new defense partner- Ryan Ellis, but for whatever reason, it was not his best effort.

• Good to see Fisher get on the score sheet, and he was scrapping and feisty. The Predators have to have this kind of effort and production from Fisher.

• Marty Erat had an assist, but his offensive effort has been non-existent in recent games. Marty did not register a shot on goal and has not been an offensive threat for a while. The Predators have to have production, creativity, and shots from Erat. Right now, this is not happening.

This was a much needed win for the Predators before they head out for a West coast road swing. Scoring five goals should- hopefully- give the boys some confidence.

They will need it.

The road will not be easy.

My three stars:

1. Roman Josi

2. Michael Ryder

3.Patric Hornqvist

Canucks Slip Past the Predators 1-0

The Nashville Predators faced off against the Vancouver Canucks at the Bridgestone Arena in their first meeting of the year, and the Canucks won the goaltending duel by a 1-0 margin.

The winning goal was scored by Dale Weise at 9:14 of the third period as Maxim Lapierre carried the puck low in the Predators zone as the Predators were making a line change. Lapierre fired a shot that Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne kicked out with his right pad. The Predators defense was not in position because of the change and Wiese was all alone to bang in the rebound.

Roberto Luongo was stellar in goal, especially in the first period as the Predators fired 13 shots on net. Throughout the game, both Luongo and Rinne came up with big saves.

The Predators opened the game with good jump, dominating the Canucks in the first period with 13 shots and good defense. Vancouver did not record its first shot on net until 12:27 of the first, and its second at 3:37.

That  changed in the second and third periods, as the Vancouver defense stepped up and Nashville could only record 5 shots in each period. Nashville had a power play late in the game and pulled Rinne for the extra attacker, but could not get a shot on net.

Some observations:

• Rinne was tested in the second and third period and came up with some great saves, most notably on Jannik Hansen, who had a point blank shot from the low slot. Rinne had no chance on the goal by Wiese as the Predators line change behind the play left Weise alone in the slot.

• The fourth line of Nick Splaing, Rich Clune, and Matt Halischuk was strong and played with good jump. They created several scoring opportunities and presented problems for the Canucks with the match up.

• After the strong start, the Predators offensive effort faded fast, and this is disappointing. Gabriel Bouque , David Legwand, and Nick Spaling did not record a shot on net. The Predators have to have players that get shots on net, and more importantly, they have to have players that can finish. This was the story of the game for the Predators offensively in that they could not finish their chances.

• The Canucks were going to make defensive adjustments, and they were very effective in the second and third period. However, the Predators lost  a lot of puck battles and as a result, the Canucks had a lot of offensive zone time. The Predators have to be stronger on the puck and more determined to win these puck battles to establish their offense. 

• The Canucks lost defenseman Kevin Bieksa, who took two shifts in the second period and then went to the Canucks locker room. He left the game with a lower body injury.

The Predators played a tight game with the Canucks, who lead the Pacific Division are are 3rd in the West. That is a positive.

The Predators will look at this game as one that got away. Finish a couple of those chances and the Predators have a victory. Keep the offensive pressure up and the outcome may have been different.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

Disappointing yes. But there is no time to dwell on this as the Predators meet the Red Wings tomorrow night.

Finish your chances and the outcome will be different boys.

My three stars:

1. Roberto Luongo

2. Dale Weise

3. Pekka Rinne

Predators Beat Down the Blues 6-1

The Nashville Predators wrapped up their 7 game road trip with their third contest against the St. Louis Blues at ScottTrade Center.

The Predators looked to build on their success from consecutive shootout victories over the L.A. Kings and the San Jose Sharks. More importantly, the Predators were looking to continue to discover their identity and play their style of hockey- solid defense and opportunistic offense.

In other words, Predator Hockey.

The Predators had Pekka Rinne in net, while the Blues went with Brian Elliott.

The Predators wanted to bring a better effort than the last time they played the Blues, and the game certainly started well as Ryan Ellis tallied on the power play at 17:50 to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

The Predators extended the lead to 2-0 on a play that was caused by the effort of Colin Wilson. Wilson fought for and controlled the puck at the Blues Blue line. Wilson tried to get the puck to Paul Gaustad, but the puck hit a Blues defender and came back to Wilson. He fired a shot that Elliott stopped with his pad, but Rich Clune was crashing the net and smacked home the rebound for his first NHL goal at 15:53.

The Predators kept up the pressure on the Blues net, and Nick Spaling cashed in as he lifted a shot over the prone Elliott at 19:13 of the period to give the Predators a 3-0 lead. The goal was typical Predator hockey: getting the puck on net with traffic, winning the puck battle, and slamming home a rebound.

All of a sudden, it appears as if the Predators have discovered Predator hockey.

The defense was solid as well, limiting the Blues to just 4 shots in the period, while the Predators had 9.

The Blues were expected to come out with a strong push in the second period, and through 9 minutes the Blues out shot the Predators 4-1. The Predators limited the Blues quality scoring chances, and needed to get their offense back in gear and not give momentum back to the Blues.

The Predators seized the momentum back as Kevin Klein unleashed a blast from the blue line that beat Elliott cleanly to give the Predators a 4-0 lead at 9:09 of the period. That goal would send Elliott to the bench and rookie Jake Allen entered the game.

The Predators welcomed Allen to the game as Colin Wilson split two Blues defenders and backhanded a puck that caromed off the crossbar and landed in the blue paint. Gabriel Bourque drove the net and the puck went off his skate and into the goal. After review, it was ruled a good goal, and Bourque had his first goal of the year at 10:09 to give the Predators a 5-0 lead.

The Blues made it 5-1 on the power play as Alex Pietrangelo lifted a backhand that went off the shoulder of Rinne at 13:09.

The Predators did not make it easy on themselves by taking a penalty but were able to kill off the man advantage.

Yet once again, the Predators were guilty of another penalty as Shea Weber was called for tripping, and they managed to kill off the penalty in the remainder of the period, but the Blues would have 1:38 of carry over power play time going into the third. By virtue of the Blues strong push and the Predators spending time down a man, the Blues out shot the Predators 14-3 in the second.

Going into the third, the Predators could not afford to lose their aggressiveness in the offensive zone. They needed to keep attacking and could not afford to sit back on their heels.

With 24 seconds remaining in the initial penalty to Shea Weber, Roman Josi was called for cross checking and the potent Blues power play had a brief 5 on 3 advantage.

The Predators killed the 5 on 3 and the penalty on Josi, but the Predators were going to have to play with more discipline and get back to the game that jumped on the Blues in the first period. Sitting back and letting the Blues dictate the attack was not a comfortable position for the Predators, even with the 4 goal lead.

The Predators picked up the attack and got some shots in on Allen, but more importantly got back to the forecheck. The Blues still had some quality chances, but the Predators began to limit time in their defensive zone and slow the Blues rush in the neutral zone. Pekka Rinne came up with some big stops to keep the Blues from gaining momentum.

The Predators restored their 5 goal lead as Marty Erat gathered in a rebound of his own shot and banged home the rebound to make it 6-1 at 16:34. The play was set up by Ryan Ellis, who found Erat breaking to the net and hit him with a perfect pass.

The remainder of the game was scoreless and the Predators had exploded for their highest goal output of the season in defeating the Blues 6-1.

There are numerous positives to take away from this game: Rinne was solid; scoring was opportunistic and came throughout the line up; and the Predators PK limited the number one power play in the NHL to 1 for 5.

Perhaps most importantly, the Predators look as if they have discovered their identity and are playing to the strengths of their game and their roster. If the Predators are going to succeed this season, they are going to have to play to that identity in the remaining games.

Gritty, opportunistic hockey. Staunch defense. Aggressive forechecking that creates scoring opportunities.

The Predators have built some good momentum off this road trip. 8 of the next 11 games are at the Bridgestone Arena.

Time to bring that momentum home.

My three stars:

1. Colin Wilson

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Marty Erat

Predators Go to the SO (Again), Lose to the Ducks 3-2

The Nashville Predators were looking to rebound from a 3-0 drubbing by the St. Louis Blues as they traveled to the Honda Center to take on the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks were flattened by the Vancouver Canucks 5-0 in their last game on Friday night.

The Predators have won 6 consecutive regular season games against the Ducks and were attempting to keep that streak alive in their first meeting of the season.

The Predators had Pekka Rinne in net, while the Ducks went with Viktor Fasth as Jonas Hiller had the start the night before.

The key to the Predators getting back on track was simple: they had to control the puck, get through the neutral zone, and get shots on net.

The Predators did just that with their fourth line on the ice as Brandon Yip broke in 2 on 1 with Rich Clune. Fasth stopped Yip's initial shot but gave up a juicy rebound that Yip gathered in a fired into the net to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 1:52 of the first period. This was Yip's first goal of the year.

The remainder of the first period saw both teams trade some good scoring chances. In particular, Pekka Rinne had to come up with a big save off a flurry in front of the net to keep the Ducks off the board. The shots on goal were 7 apiece in the first period.

For the Predators, they had better jump and skated much better than they did in the game against the Blues.

The Predators opened the second period with good jump and had a decided advantage in the offensive zone. Although they peppered Fasth with shots, they couldn't get a puck past the rookie netminder. It was going to be important for the Predators to keep up the offensive pressure in this game.

Although the Predators had the 1-0 lead and had controlled much of the play in the second period, the lead felt uneasy as the Ducks were just one good shot from tying the game. That sense of foreboding became a reality with just 32 seconds remaining in the period as Cam Fowler took a hard wrist shot from the point that was re-directed by Stompin' Bobby Ryan past Rinne to tie the game at one.

The shots were 6 for each team in the second period.

The third period was going to be a test of character for the Predators. They had to keep up the pressure and continue to skate hard. 

The third period was wide open, with both teams getting some good scoring chances and both keepers equal to the task.

The Predators broke the tie at 10:09 of the third period as they had good offensive zone presence. Kevin Klein took a shot from the high slot and Fasth gave up a rebound that David Legwand gathered in slid a backhand in to give the Predators a 2-1 lead.

The Ducks tied the game just over a minute later as Corey Perry drove the left side of the Predators defense and was able to get a pass to Daniel Winnik. Winnik out worked Hal Gill to get his stick on the puck and tipped it past Rinne, who had no chance on the shot.

Neither team could score, although each had several good chances, and for the third time in five games, the Predators were heading to overtime.

Shots were 19-19 at the end of the regulation time.

The Predators lost Patric Hornqvist in the third period as he took a Shea Weber slapshot off his thigh and was able to fight through that injury, but was lost when Ryan Getzlaf fell on his leg at an awkward angle.

In the extra period, both the Predators and the Ducks had some glorious scoring chances, but neither team could capitalize. So for the third time this season, the Predators were heading to a shootout and were looking for their first victory in the skills competition.

The Predators sent Marty Erat, Mike Fisher, and David Legwand out in the shootout, and all were stopped by Fasth. Ryan Getzlaf was stopped by Rinne, but Corey Perry scored the lone goal to give the Ducks the win.

This was a much better effort by the Predators. Once again, they desperately need to finish some of their scoring chances, but I cannot fault their jump and their effort.

This is a team that continues to gel. It is going to be important for them to gel quickly and begin to get some regulation wins.

My three stars:

1. Viktor Fasth

2. Brandon Yip

3. Daniel Winnik