Predators Pick Up A Point, Fall In SO to the Blues

The Nashville Predators met the St. Louis Blues at Scott Trade Center for their last regular season meeting of the season.

It was a physical affair that took a shootout to decide the winner, which the Blues won 2-1 to capture a 5-4 win.

The Predators jumped out to a 2-0 lead off a power play goal by Mike Fisher and an even strength goal from Filip Forsberg as the Predators challenged Blues netminder Brian Elliott early in the contest.

The Blues exploded for three goals in the second period as Jaden Schwartz, T.J. Oshie, and Steve Ott tallied, the last 2 goals coming just 26 seconds apart.

Mike Fisher tied the game at 3 with a shorthanded goal in the second period.

Ryan Reaves gave the Blues a 4-3 lead late in the second period with a blast that eluded Carter Hutton.

James Neal tied the game late in the third period with a quick shot from the slot.

The overtime was scoreless and the game would be decided in a shootout.

In the shootout, T.J. Oshie  and Kevin Shattenkirk scored for the Blues while Roman Josi was the only scorer for the Predators.

Some observations:

• Mike Fisher's goal in the first period was his 500th career point. Most of those points have come from his gritty play in the hard areas, and tonight's goal was no different. A shot from the point from Roman Josi deflected off his shoulder, off the end board, and off Elliott's back into the goal. Every team needs a player that can get those gritty, greasy goals, and Fisher fills that role well for the Predators.
• We have seen Filip Forsberg score some amazing goals this season. One aspect of his game that is often overlooked is his fearlessness in going to the front of the net. His goal in the second period was, in my opinion, one of his best of the season. He was in the hard area in front of the net, gathered the puck in traffic, and had the hands to flip the puck over a sprawling Elliott. That was a quality goal from a high traffic area with lots of bodies around him, and that is an underrated aspect of his game. This was Forsberg's team leading 17th goal.
• The Predators have two shorthanded goals this season. Both have come against the Blues. Fisher collected the Predators second shortie of the season off a great job of forechecking by Calle Jarnkrok.
• Carter Hutton made some big saves, some really good saves, and I really can't fault him for the first three Blues goals. But as happens too often, he gave up a goal on an unscreened shot to Ryan Reaves for the Blues 4th goal. These are the kind of shots that have plagued Hutton in almost every game he has played, and frankly, these are the kinds of shots that an NHL netminder has too stop. All the time. Hutton's biggest problem is his inconsistency in making those types of saves.
• In the four previous contests with the Blues, the Predators took 10 penalties. Tonight, they were uncharacteristically undisciplined and took 6 penalties. The penalty kill did a great job against the League's number one power play unit, killing all 6 man advantage attempts by the Blues.
• Every game this season between the Predators and the Blues was decided by one goal. The Predators captured the season series 3-2.
• With the point tonight, the Predators have 68 points. The Blues have 64 points, and the Blackhawks have 62.

This was a tough, hard hitting contest, and the Predators played a solid road game. Some defensive breakdowns and a bad goal cost them the win. Yet the team did manage to pick up a point in this critical divisional game.

It doesn't get any easier as the Predators travel to Colorado for a matchup against the Avalanche tomorrow night.

My three stars:

1. Mike Fisher

2. T.J. Oshie

3. Roman Josi

Predators Early Deficit Leads to Defeat at Dallas

The Nashville Predators, fresh off their amazing come from behind victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, ventured to the American Airlines Center to take on the Dallas Stars in their second game in two nights.

Once again, Pekka Rinne got the start for the Nashville Predators, while the surprisingly feel good story in the form of Richard Bachman started in net for the Stars.

It was going to be critical for the Predators to put their victory from the night before behind them and come out hard against the Stars. They opened the game skating hard and creating some chances, but were unable to find the net.

By contrast, the Stars capitalized on their chances. Vernon Fiddler, a former Predator, got the Stars on the board early as he gathered in a puck alone at the side of the net and beat Rinne with a shot over his shoulder to give the Stars a 1-0 lead at 9:25 of the first period.

Just 1:16 later, Loui Eriksson tallied from the right side of Rinne on a quick wrister from the right side that went under his arm to make it 2-0 at 10:41.

Steve Ott added a third goal for the Stars at 12:30 as he tipped a shot from the point by Trevor Daly and re-directed it past Rinne. Three goals on seven shots for the Stars, and Rinne's night was done. Anders Lindback came on in relief of Rinne at this point.

Although the Predators were skating well, their offense was not finishing and their defense had broken down on two of the three Stars goals. Once again, the troubling tendency to dig an early hole was plaguing the Predators.

The period ended with the Predators on the power play, but not showing much movement and creating opportunities for quality scoring chances. Oh yeah, they were still trailing 3-0.

The Predators out shot the Stars 17-8 in the period, but the Stars efficiency in the offensive zone was the difference in this contest so far. It was going to be up to the Predators to elevate their game and get back into the contest.

The Predators finally got on the board at 8:56 of the second period as Jerred Smithson was strong on the puck and got through a check from Fiddler on the boards and drove into the zone. He shot the puck at the Dallas net and Bachman gave up a rebound that was met by a crush of bodies from the Predators and the Stars. The puck was lost in the maze of legs and bodies and slowly trickled over the goal line. Blake Geoffrion and Matt Halischuk took whacks at the puck, and the goal was credited to Halischuk.

For the Predators, this goal was big, because up until that point their offense had been one shot and the puck was going back out of the zone. Finally, the Predators got forwards to the front of the net, and they were able to tally through their persistent in the dirty areas.

The Predators had a glorious chance to cut into the Stars lead at 8:54 of the second. Adam Burish was in the box for a knee on knee hit, and  on the ensuing power play Nicklas Grossman took a holding penalty to give the Predators a 5 on three power play.

Ryan Suter took the puck into the high slot and fed the puck to Marty Erat, who blistered a one timer past Bachman to make it 3-2 at  11:45 of the second period.

Mike Ribeiro scored a beautiful goal at 5:59 of the second period from a sharp angle. Ribeiro saw Lindback slide across the crease and waited until he dropped into the butterfly and lasered a shot into the short side top corner to make it 4-2. The goal was a goal scorer's goal and placed into the only area of the net that Lindback could not cover.

The second period ended with Jerred Smithson in the box for hooking and 1:04 of power play time left for the Stars to start the third period. Down by 2 goals, the Predators were going to have to bring their best game in the final 20 minutes to have a chance in this contest.

The second period saw the Predators continue to skate hard and get pucks on the net. They out shot the Stars 14-13 and 31-21 through the first 40 minutes. The outcome of this game would hinge on the Predators continuing to shoot the puck and get to the net for second chance scoring opportunities.

The potent Predators power play (yes, you read that correctly) struck again at 4:30 of the third period to make it 4-3. With Alex Goligoski in the box for delay of game, Colin Wilson sped drove down the right side of the slot a slipped a nice pass to David Legwand, who hammered the puck home to cut the Predators deficit to one goal.

Momentum to the Predators and a chance to seize control.

Not so fast.

Just 30 seconds later, Jamie Benn beat Mike Fisher in the low slot and took a great feed from behind the net by Loui Erikkson to bang home a back breaking goal for the Stars and put them up by 2 goals again.

The Stars used the Benn goal to propel themselves to a decided territorial advantage for the majority of the third period. The Predators spent much of the third chasing the Stars in their own zone and were not able to muster much in the way of an offensive thrust.

Michael Ryder iced the game for the Stars at 17:53 with an empty net goal to make it 6-3, which was the final score of the game.

I cannot fault the effort of the Predators. They skated hard and fired the puck at the net. They out shot the Stars 37-29 and showed good compete.

I can fault the annoying tendency of this team to continue to fall into an early hole and having to spend lots of time and energy trying to dig themselves out of it. Tonight, the Predators found out that the Dallas Stars are not the Columbus Blue Jackets, and falling into a deep deficit against a quality opponent almost always spells defeat.

The Predators now have the Christmas break off with Detroit coming to town Monday. It is going to be imperative that this team tighten up its defense and not hang their goalies out to dry. They are going to have to understand that an early game deficit is not a winning formula.

A better defensive showing from the second and third D pairing, a more consistent effort for the entire game, and avoiding the early game hole are critical for the team's success going forward.

I hope Santa is listening.

My three stars:

1. Loui Eriksson

2. Richard Bachman

3. Marty Erat

Wounded Predators Waste a Solid Effort Against the Stars

The Nashville Predators depleted lineup gave the Dallas Stars a challenge before falling 4-2 at the Bridgestone Arena. With this loss, the Nashville Predators have dropped 5 straight games.

The Predators were missing five forwards, with David Legwand, Matthew Lombardi, Steve Sullivan, and Martin Erat all out due to injury. Jordin Tootoo is out of the lineup since checking in to the League's substance abuse program.

Steve "Cheap Shot" Ott opened the scoring for the Stars at 4:39 of the second period after taking a nice backhand pass from Loui Erikkson. Ott tapped the puck home past an out of position Pekka Rinne to give the Stars a 1-0 lead.

The Predators would answer on the power play at 19:00 minutes of the second as Colin Wilson was lurking around the net and put a shot over the pads of Andrew Raycroft. Wilson corralled a rebound off a shot from J.P. Dumont and slapped home the tying goal.

Through two periods, the Predators outshot the Stars by a margin of  34-15, but could not solve Raycroft. The Predators had numerous scoring chances, but could not finish their chances. This inability to finish scoring chances was going to come back to haunt the Predators in this contest.

Wilson would strike again for his second goal just 32 seconds into the third period as he lifted a backhand past Raycroft on a breakaway. For the first time in five games, the Predators would have a lead. This was a very solid game for Wilson, perhaps the best he has played in his young career.

That lead was short lived, however, as Loui Eriksson would score from the slot with a quick wrist shot that beat Rinne high over the glove side. Erikkson was able to take advantage of a breakdown in the defensive coverage and was alone in the low slot.

Dallas would take the lead at  8:18 of the third as Mark Fistric would let a shot go from the point that beat Rinne. That goal seemed to take all the air out of the Predators. Krys Barch would tally the fourth goal for the Stars at 10:05 as he crashed the net and beat Rinne with a wrist shot.

The Predators could not answer and fell for the fifth straight time. Dallas evened their record against Nashville to 1-1 for the season.

The Predators outshot the Stars 46-25 for the contest, but the inability to bury some quality scoring chances proved to be their undoing.

Chris Mueller made his NHL debut for the Predators, and logged 3:17 of ice time. Linus Klasen played his second game for the Predators and had 14:48 of ice time and two shots on goal.

The injuries have obviously taken a toll on the Predators, but tonight's contest brings home the point that the Predators have to take advantage of their chances offensively and cannot have any defensive lapses. Three Stars goals were the result of defensive coverage that broke down.

The Predators are a team that has no margin for error. Tonight, a few defensive errors cost them a much needed win. This game also points out the fact that the offense has to finish the scoring chances that they have. Give credit to Raycroft for 44 saves, but frankly, he is not that good of a goalie. Bury a few of the chances that you have, and the Predators run the Stars out of the building. Tonight, the Predators made the Stars look good.

This is a painful losing streak. The only way that you get out of this is to play hard and bring this kind of effort every night. Keep up this type of play, and this streak will be broken.

This is part of hockey. You have to play with the guys that put on the sweater and bring it every night. Keep up this kind of effort and the wins will come.

Wounded or not, the only way to end this losing streak is to play your way out of it.

My three stars:

1. Loui Erikkson

2. Colin Wilson

3. Andrew Raycroft