Predators Get A Much Needed Win Against the Sabres

You hate to say that the Nashville Predators game at Bridgestone Arena against the Buffalo Sabres was a must win game for the Predators.

But it was.

The Predators were looking to snap a 3 game home losing streak and to get back to the type of game that propelled them to the top of the NHL for a good portion of this season.

The Predators brought the effort, and more importantly, they brought the finish to the game and secured a 3-0 victory in front of a sellout crowd.

The Predators came out firing and poured 17 shots on Sabres netminder Matt Hackett in the first period, but could not find the back of the net. Pekka Rinne had relatively little work in the first as he faced only 6 shots.

The Predators finally broke through on the power play late in the second period as Taylor Beck redirected a Shea Weber shot past Hackett. The power play goal came just 5 seconds into the man advantage.

The Predators tacked on 2 more goals in the third period.

Craig Smith banged home his 23 goal of the season as Hackett kicked out a rebound of a Ryan Ellis shot to Smith, who was driving hard to the net.

Mike Fisher added an insurance goal as Viktor Stalberg found Fisher in the high slot and Fisher beat Hackett stick side to make it 3-0.

That was a big goal for the Predators because although the Sabres had not mustered much offense to the third period, they would up the intensity and Rinne made some huge saves to keep the Sabres off the board.

Some observations:

• James Neal missed his third game with an upper body injury. Colin Wilson, who is listed as day to day, was out with a lower body injury.
• With those players out of the line up, the Predators called up Viktor Arvidsson from Milwaukee. Arvidsson doesn't have the size of Wilson or Neal, but the kid has some wheels and showed that he is not afraid to go to the hard areas. Arvidsson played on a line with Mike Ribeiro and Gabriel Bourque and finished with 12:52 of ice time, 3 shots, and 1 hit.
• Craig Smith continues to play some solid hockey. He is not afraid to go to the net and has a nose for the puck. His goal was a direct result of driving the net, blowing past a Sabres defender and his own teammate (Mike Fisher, whom he bowled over to get to the puck) to score.
• Once again, the Predators faced an opponent who turned it up in the third period, but this time, Pekka Rinne shut the door. He was outstanding in the third period, making some very big and athletic saves, and he stopped Tyler Ennis on a breakaway to keep momentum with the Predators. Rinne was a rock for the Predators and kept Buffalo from seizing momentum in the third, something the Predators have failed to do in previous games. This was Rinne's 4th shutout of the season and his 38th win of the year.
• Ryan Ellis played a strong game in the defensive zone and picked up 2 assists tonight. The Predators get more dangerous when Ellis can contribute offensively, and it is good to see him back to 100% after missing 21 games.
• This was the Predators first win on home ice since February 24th against Colorado.
• The Predators out shot the Sabres 43-24 and out shot them in every period. It was certainly good to see the Predators keep up the effort and intensity for a full 60 minutes.
• One troubling aspect of this skid has been the tendency for the Predators to give up the first goal. Tonight the Predators got on the board first. How important is that to this team? The Predators are 24-2-4 when they score first.
• Matt Hackett kept the Sabres in the game and was very good in net. He was under attack all game long, and this game had the makings of another hot goalie stealing a game from the Predators. Full marks to the Predators for their relentless attack all game long.
• And big ups to the fans of Smashville. This was the 7th consecutive sellout and the 25th of the year, tying a franchise record.
• The Predators were outstanding in the faceoff circle, winning 63%. Paul Gaustad won all 13 faceoffs he took. This is so important for possession in the offensive zone in particular, and the Predators had their best game of the season in the dot.
• The Predators PK did a good job, shutting down the Sabres power play including a 4 minute double minor to Craig Smith for high sticking. They did an excellent job disrupting the Sabres offense and limiting scoring chances.

Like I said, this was a must win game for the Predators, and it was good to see the team take care of business.

Nine games are left and it will be against some stiff competition. 

The Predators control their destiny and where they will wind up in the playoffs.

It's up to this team to determine where they will wind up.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Craig Smith

3. Ryan Ellis

Predators Defeat the Kings 2-1, Sweep Season Series

The struggling Nashville Predators needed a win to right the ship and stay in the hunt for the Central Division lead.

They got that win at the Staples Center as the Predators defeated the Kings 2-1 and swept the season series from L.A. 3-0.

Jeff Carter opened the scoring on the power play as Ryan Ellis blocked a shot and it went right on the stick of Carter in the slot. His wrist shot beat an out of position Pekka Rinne to give the Kings a 1-0 lead.

The Predators played with lots of jump and created some good scoring chances, but could not solve Kings netminder Jonathan Quick through two periods.

This game had all the hallmarks of a good effort but bad results for the Predators.

That changed in the third period as Craig Smith scored on the power play and 1:06 later a shot from Viktor Stalberg deflected off the stick of Jake Muzzin and past Quick for the game winning goal.

Some observations:

• James Neal was out of the game with an upper body injury. Mike Santorelli moved to the top line with Mike Ribeiro and Filip Forsberg. Calle Jarnkrok drew back into the lineup and centered the third line with Matt Cullen and Viktor Stalberg on his wing.
• Same song, same verse. Once again, the Predators gave up the first goal of the game, this on the power play as Jeff Carter tallied.
• That power play was the result of a Mattias Ekholm penalty. Matty Ek has had a rough two games, taking three penalties, two of which resulted in the opponent scoring a power play goal.
• Let's be honest- the Predators power play is not a threat to score. Not even close. And this is hard to understand given the talent that we have at forward. Entries into the zone are scary at best and more often than not result in a turnover that is sent down ice. What puzzles me is that this has been on-going for most of the season. If the man advantage unit is struggling so much, one would think that the system would need to be modified to make it more effective. One would think.
• That said and the Predators score a power play goal as Craig Smith worked hard in front of the net to poke one past Quick. Smith is not afraid to go in front of the net and he was rewarded for his hard work with his 22nd goal of the season. Prior to Smith's goal, the power play had been 0-18 in their previous games.
• Viktor Stalberg got his first goal of the season and played a solid game. He had lots of jump, forced some turnovers, and created in the offensive zone. I sure would like to see him build on this and get his game going.
• Pekka Rinne had no chance on the Kings power play goal, but after that, he was in control. Rinne looked more relaxed in the crease and tracked the puck exceptionally well.
• I really like the play of Craig Smith, and not just that he scored a power play goal. Smith is absolutely relentless in hunting down the puck and attacking the net. He certainly is not afraid to shoot and drives the puck to the net which creates opportunities for his line mates.
• The effort by this team was strong and consistent all game. That is a good sign for this team as they have not let the rough patch cause their energy and effort to drop.
• Maybe the hockey gods are starting to smile on the Predators. Stalberg's shot was one that Quick would have easily handled but the deflection off his defenseman's stick wound up in the back of the net.
• The Predators win tonight was the 600th for the franchise. It was also Pekka Rinne's 200th win. Does anyone have any doubt about the value of Rinne to this franchise?
• Before the goal by Craig Smith, the Predators had gone 113:33 without scoring a goal. Ouch.
• The Predators played some disciplined hockey tonight, taking two penalties for the game, one of which was a coincidental penalty with Stalberg and Dwight King both going to the box for roughing.
• The Predators blocked 18 shots.

This team has continued to battle through the difficult patch that they have faced. And the only way to get out of a funk is to battle.

They did that tonight.

As long as this team continues to compete like they did tonight, they will be fine.

They will have to. It won't get any easier.

My three stars:

1. Craig Smith

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Jonathan Quick

In A Battle of the Best, Predators Beat the Lightning In OT

The Best of the West, the Nashville Predators, faced the Beast of the East, the Tampa Bay Lightning, at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators took this game in over time 3-2 for a League leading 22 home ice wins.

A spirited first period was scoreless but not for lack of effort by both teams. Andrei Vasilevskiy stoned Mike Ribeiro from point blank range with a sprawling pad save, while Pekka Rinne stopped all 10 shots he faced.

The Predators got on the board in the second period on goals by Seth Jones and Taylor Beck. Jones ripped a slap shot over the shoulder of Vasilevskiy and inside the far post that hit the goal net and came out so fast it was called a no goal by the on ice officials. After a video review, the call was corrected and Jones had his 6th goal of the season and the Predators had a 1-0 lead.

Taylor Beck made it 2-0 as he battled to the front of the net and slammed home a rebound of a Paul Gaustad shot. The goal was purely a result of Beck fighting through a defender to get to the front of the net and getting into prime scoring position.

Going into the third period leading 2-0, the Predators needed to play good defense and continue to generate chances in the offensive zone.

That didn't happen as the Lightning totally outworked and out hustled the Predators and tallied twice to tie the game.

Brett Connolly got the Bolts on the board as he banged home a rebound of a Valtteri Filppula shot. Connolly got to the front of the net unchallenged by the Predators defense and Rinne had no chance to stop the shot.

Nikita Kucherov tied the game with his 21st goal, and the Predators were back on their heels and chasing the puck throughout the period.

Regulation ended with the teams tied at 2.

In overtime and with time winding down, James Neal fired a wrist shot from the face off circle that beat Vasilvskiy between the pads for the game winner.

Some observations:

• The Predators turned the puck over 14 times, the bulk of those coming in the 3rd period. Several of those turnovers resulted in Rinne having to make some good saves to keep the Lightning off the board. Puck management was about as poor as I have seen in a while, and turning the puck over like the team did tonight is a formula for disaster. This area has to improve because good teams are more often than not going to make you pay for sloppy puck management.
• Once again, an aggressive forecheck by an opponent caused all sorts of problems for the Predators. The Lightning have some very talented players that play good team defense and they stymied the Predators on their breakouts and coming through the neutral zone, especially in the third period. Puck support was horrible tonight, as often a defenseman would be pressured by two forecheckers and have no one making themselves available for a pass. This often resulted in turnovers and the Predators be bottled up in their defensive zone.
• Great to see the line of  Gaustad, Eric Nystrom, and Taylor Beck rewarded with a goal tonight. They often draw the toughest defensive assignments and it was good to see them get on the scoresheet tonight.
• Speaking of Gaustad, Beck, and Nystrom, they were matched up against Steven Stamkos most of the night. Stamkos is arguably the best player in the NHL and they held him without a point tonight.
• With the injury to Mattias Ekholm, Anthony Bitetto was called up from Milwaukee. Bitetto logged 10:09 of ice time and dropped the gloves with Brett Connolly, whom he proceeded to hammer. Bitetto is a big body who is not afraid to mix it up physically and skates well. He was paired with Victor Bartley tonight on the third D pairing.
• Viktor Stalberg was also called up with Colin Wilson injured. Stalberg played on the second line with Mike Fisher and James Neal and picked up an assist tonight. I would really like to see Stalberg get his game going. He is big and fast and has a good shot. If he can find consistency to his game, he could be a big contributor for the Predators.
• Seth Jones continues to mature and elevate his game. His goal was a rocket of a shot, perfectly placed inside the far post. Jones is drawing some bigger minutes on the second D pair and is playing well. With his goal tonight, he has a career high five game point streak (3G-2A).
• The Predators have a league best 24-4-6 record in one goal games.
• James Neal's overtime goal was his 5th game winning goal of the season.
• The Predators won 57% of their faceoffs and were led by Paul Gaustad, who won 14 of 19 for 74%.
• Shea Weber led the Predators in TOI with 30:56.
• The Lightning have a very good young goalie in Andrei Vasilevskiy. He is athletic and made some very good saves, especially a first period save on Mike Ribeiro.

Make no mistake, the Lightning are an excellent team with lots of talented players. This wasn't a pretty win, but it was a win nevertheless. The Predators continued to attack and press and prevailed because they didn't back down.

There are some things to work on and improve, but the fact is that the Predators found a way to win and still sit first in the NHL.

And the view from there is great.

My three stars:

1. James Neal

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Andrei Vasilevskiy

Predators Storm Back With 3 Third Period Goals to Defeat the Hurricanes 3-2

Fresh off two tough road games against Western Conference opponents, the Nashville Predators returned to Bridgestone Arena to face Eastern Conference foe Carolina Hurricanes.

Although the Hurricanes defeated the Predators in early December by a 2-1 margin, they have struggled to string together wins.

On paper, it should be a fairly easy contest for the Predators.

Well...

The Hurricanes played an excellent road game and challenged the Predators throughout the contest before the Predators turned it on in the third period to capture a 3-2 win.

A lethargic first period by the Predators saw them fall behind 1-0 as Eric Staal banged home a puck from the top of the crease with the Canes on the power play.

The score could have been worse but for Pekka Rinne making some good saves, including one with his back to the ice and flicking his leg out to catch the puck behind his knee off a shot from Nathan Gerbe.

The Predators had more jump in the second period but could not get a puck past Hurricanes netminder Cam Ward, who looked rock solid through two periods. The game had all the makings of a hot goalie stealing a game from the Predators.

That changed in the third period when Ryan Ellis drove down the wing and put a shot on net. Ward looked to have the post, but somehow the shot snuck through and trickled over the goal line to tie the game at 1.

That lead was short lived as Justin Faulk fired a shot through traffic with the Canes on another power play. That shot eluded Rinne and went just inside the post to give the Canes a 2-1 lead.

Mike Fisher tied the game at 2 when he was able to slap a puck past Ward from the slot.

The Predators got the game winner from Roman Josi as he blasted a puck from the face off circle over the shoulder of Ward at 15:17 of the third period.

Some observations:

• I really liked the play of Gabriel Bourque and Viktor Stalberg tonight. Both players had jump, played with speed, and were aggressive in the offensive zone. Stalberg picked up two assists tonight with the primary assist on both the goal from Ellis and Josi. 
• Filip Forsberg picked up an assist tonight to give him 38 points on the season, which is a rookie record for the Predators. He broke the previous record of 37 points set by Alexander Radulov.
• Roman Josi has 7 points (3G-4A) in his last 6 games.
• The Hurricanes played an excellent game and disrupted the Predators offensive flow with an aggressive forecheck. Once in the zone, the Canes worked hard to keep the Predators to the outside and away from the net. Full marks to the Predators for battling through and capturing the win and a critical two points. For a while, it just looked as if it was not going to be the Predators night, but they kept coming and got the win. That is the mark of a team playing at a championship level.
• The Predators still have not lost back to back games this season.
• The Predators PK struggled tonight, giving up 2 power play goals on 3 chances for the Hurricanes. Once again, the Predators power play failed to connect on home ice, going 0-2.
• The Predators were woeful in the face off circle, going 29 for 65 for 44%.
• The Predators are 15-2-1 on home ice this season. They are 17-4-4 in one goal games.
• I know Olli Jokinen brings a veteran presence to this team and contributes on the PK. That said, I think Olli is a liability on the second line, where he played much of the game with Mike Fisher and Colin Wilson. The Predators started to get their game going when the lines got juggled and Olli dropped down a line. Frankly, Olli doesn't have the speed and jam to play higher than the third line, and more reasonably belongs on the 4th line.
• One cannot overstate the contribution of Mike Fisher. He battles in front of the net, is strong on the puck, and is good in the face off circle. Fisher can score the timely goals that this team has to have. He lead all forwards tonight with 19:47 in TOI. Fisher has 10 points in his last 12 games (6G-4A), and the Predators have not lost a game when Fisher scores a goal (6-0).
• The Predators are now 26-9-4, and coupled with the loss by the Blackhawks now sit first in the Central Division with a 2 point lead over Chicago with 56 points.

This wasn't a pretty win by the Predators, but it was a good win, an important win in that the team escaped a trap game and collected two important points. It was a scrappy win, and sometimes you have to win games in that manner.

The Predators jump back into divisional play on Thursday against the Dallas Stars.

Time to bring it for this one.

My three stars:

1. Roman Josi

2. Mike Fisher

3. Eric Staal

Predators Survive In OT, Defeat the Kings 7-6

The Nashville Predators survived blown leads and bad defense to hold off the Los Angeles Kings in overtime by a 7-6 margin.

That is pretty amazing when you consider the Predators blew a 3 goal lead with just 2:04 remaining in the game.

The L.A. Kings scored on their first shot on goal against the Predators at the Staples Center as Matt Greene's seeing eye shot eluded Pekka Rinne.

Behind 1-0 in a hostile environment with the crowd in full throat, this was not the start the Predators wanted.

But this isn't your father's Predators.

9 shots later, the Predators had scored three goals and chased starter Jonathan Quick en route to a 3-1 lead midway of the first period.

Mike Fisher tallied from in front. Colin Wilson banked a shot off the stick of Greene past Quick 1:22 after the tying goal. Ryan Ellis ripped a slap shot from the point on the power play, and just like that the Predators had seized momentum and ended Quick's afternoon early.

Mattias Ekholm kept the pressure up early in the second period as his wrist shot from the point eluded Martin Jones, who was now in net for the Kings. Ekholm's second goal of the season came 2:16 into the period.

Mark Arcobello welcomed himself to the Predators line up as he roofed a shot short side over the shoulder of Jones at 3:57 of the second.

L.A. made it 5-2 just after their power play had ended as a shot through traffic from Alec Martinez got past Rinne at 6:29 of the second.

The Kings kept whittling away at the Predators lead as Jake Muzzin took a shot from the point that was re-directed by Dwight King and past Rinne at 15:05.

You knew the Kings weren't going to roll over and they would come back. The Predators were going to have to respond to the pressure from the Kings.

The first nine minutes of the third period were a shooting gallery for the Kings. The Predators were back on their heels and Rinne was tested by the Kings.

That changed when Gabriel Bourque used his speed to hunt down a puck and get a shot on net. Jones kicked out a rebound to Olli Jokinen, who buried the rebound to make it 6-3 at 8:38 of the third.

Dwight King recorded his second goal of the night as he banged home a rebound that Rinne gave up at 17:59. King was left alone at the front of the net and had no challenge from any Predator defender on his shot.

The Kings made it 6-5 with 64 seconds left as Alec Martinez let a blast go from the blue line that Rinne could not find. The Kings had  Jones pulled for the extra attacker.

The Predators could not hold the lead as Jeff Carter tallied with 34 seconds left to tie the game.

A massive choke job by the Predators that is just beyond words.

Going to the overtime, would the Predators fold?

They did not.

Roman Josi saved the Predators from utter embarrassment by ripping a shot from the slot past Jones just 18 seconds into the overtime for a 7-6 win.

Some observations:

• Viktor Stalberg saw his first action of the season on a line with Mike Fisher and Colin Wilson, and I really liked the way Stalberg played. He was strong on the boards and used his speed to create some chances, and hopefully he can get his game going consistently. If he can, this will be a big boost to the Predators.
• Matt Cullen and James Neal missed the game with injuries. Taylor Beck and Victor Bartley were placed on IR. Along with Stalberg, Miikka Salomaki was called up from Milwaukee and was a healthy scratch for this game.
• Mark Arcobello, acquired in a trade from Edmonton for Derek Roy, saw his first action, skating on a line with Eric Nystrom and Calle Jarnkrok. Arcobello is a nice add to the roster as he plays with lots of energy and speed, and although smallish in stature, is not afraid of mixing it up in the hard areas of the ice. His goal in the second period was a sweet goal placed in a small area over the shoulder of Jones.
• Even though the Predators jumped on the Kings, there was no quit in L.A.'s game. They are a very talented team and kept attacking the net and Rinne had to make some very good saves to keep the Kings off the board. The goals that Rinne gave up were goals scored with lots of traffic in front that were nearly impossible to stop.
• I continue to like the play of Gabriel Bourque. His hustle made the Preds 6th goal possible, and his energy and jump have been a welcome dimension to the Predators 4th line.
• The inability of the Predators to lock down games, especially with multi goal leads, is distressing to say the least. The lack of killer instinct and the inability to play sound defense is appalling, and Rinne got little support in front of the net. This is going to have to change for the team to have long term success. Put teams away when you have them down like this. NEVER let an opponent back into a game like you did tonight.

This game showed that the Predators can score. It also showed that they don't know how to handle prosperity and lack the killer instinct and lock down mentality that great teams have.

The defensive breakdowns tonight were horrific and nearly cost the Predators a game that they should have won easily.

Tighten this up and put teams away when you have the chance.

My three stars:

1. Roman Josi

2. Dwight King

3. Alec Martinez

Predators Win a Wild One Over the Flames 6-5

The Nashville Predators offense can score against the Calgary Flames.

Unfortunately, the Predators defense can't seem to stop the Flames from scoring.

The Predators played a wild affair with the Flames at the ScotiaBank Saddledome that saw both teams light up the scoreboard and pull their starting goalies in a game that the Predators eventually won 6-5.

The Predators opened the game with good jump and skating well. That effort gave them a two goal lead as they tallied two goals just 49 seconds apart. Victor Bartley opened the scoring with a drive from outside the faceoff circle that beat Flames netminder Joni Ortio.. The play was set up by the speed of Craig Smith, who beat the Calgary defense down the ice and set up Bartley with a nice pass.

Bartley's first NHL goal came at 5:10 of the first period.

Shea Weber made it 2-0 as he drove the net and took a pass from Mike Fisher and lifted the puck over the shoulder of Ortio at 5:59 of the first.

The Flames scored on the power play with 34 seconds remaining in the first period as Kris Russell beat Pekka Rinne over the glove with a shot from the face off circle.

The Predators would notch two more goals in the second period. Michael Del Zotto hit Patric Hornqvist with a perfect lead pass that he re-directed past Ortio at 4:20 of the second to give the Predators a 3-1 lead.

That lead evaporated in just 51 seconds as the Flames scored two quick goals.

Mike Cammalleri scored at 6:23 and Jiri Hudler scored at 7:14. All of a sudden, the Predators had lost control of momentum and of the game.

Viktor Stalberg gave the Predators that momentum back as well as the lead as he stuffed a puck past MacDonald on a wrap around at 8:06.

That was it for Ortio as he was pulled and Joey MacDonald came in to tend the net for the Flames

The Flames tied the game on an egregious play by Rinne as he was caught behind the net and the Flames gained possession of the puck. Lance Bouma got control of the puck and passed it to Mikael Backlund in the slot and he fired it into the open net at 13:31.

That would be it for Rinne as Carter Hutton came in net. Not the sharpest night for Rinne, especially on the play that gave the Flames the tying goal.

The Predators broke the tie on the power play as Shea Weber hammered a shot from the face off circle past MacDonald to give the Predators a 5-4 lead at 14:28 of the third period.

Now, could the Predators make the lead stand up?

The Predators made their case to do just that as Patric Hornqvist carried the puck into the zone and dropped the puck for Roman Josi. Josi took a shot toward the net that was re-directed past MacDonald by Matt Cullen to give the Predators a 6-4 lead at 17:08.

The Predators are... the Predators, however.

Mike Cammalleri took a shot from almost on the goal line that got between Hutton's pads and barely dribbled over the goal line to make it 6-5 at 17:36 of the third.

Wow. Just wow.

With the Flames goalie pulled for the extra attacker, Hutton made a huge save on Sean Monahan. The Predators managed to keep the Flames off the board and secured a wild 6-5 victory.


Some observations:

• Congratulations to Victor Bartley, who got his first NHL goal. Bartley has been a perma scratch this season but has maintained a good attitude and I think can be a solid contributor for the Predators blue line.

• Calle Jarnkrok picked up his first NHL point with an assist on Stalberg's goal. Jarnkrok looked good in his NHL debut, playing with poise and good jump. He showed some good puck handling skills and vision on the ice and has a lot of promise. He played on a line with Craig Smith and Gabriel Bourque and they looked good all night.

• Rinne had a brutal night. Those games happen, but tonight Rinne just didn't look comfortable in net.

• Shea Weber continues to have a stellar season. His two goals tonight give him 18 for the season to lead all NHL defensemen. He has played solid all season long and has to be in consideration for the Norris Trophy.

• This Predators team cannot seem to develop a killer instinct. Twice they surrendered two goal leads, and against most opponents that does not bode well. Kudos to the Predators, though, for battling back and eventually winning this game.

• Several players for the Predators had big nights. Matt Cullen had 4 points (1G-3A); Patric Hornqvist had 3 points (1G-2A); and Shea Weber had 2 points (2G). It was also good to see Viktor Stalberg get a goal. he has been working hard and is more productive off the 4th line.

This was a game the Predators did not need to lose, and congratulations to them for staying with it and capturing the win.

Hopefully the offense that showed up tonight will stick around for the rest of the season.

My three stars:

1. Matt Cullen

2. Patric Hornqvist

3. Mike Cammalleri

Predators Shoot Blanks in 1-0 Loss to the Jackets

The Nashville Predators were attempting to launch themselves into playoff contention after the Olympic break, and a 5 game home stand seemed the perfect way to do that.

Instead, the Predators crashed and burned, going 1-4 in those five games, the last of which was a 1-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Bridgestone Arena in front of a sellout crowd.

Pekka Rinne was superb, making some high quality saves until Artem Anisimov finally poked a puck past Rinne with 6:25 left in the contest.

Rinne watched his mates come out flying in the first period as the Predators used their speed to create space and offensive chances. They rang a puck off the post and had one nearly dribble past Jackets netminder Sergei Bobrovsky before being swept off the goal line by a Columbus defender.

The Predators out shot the Jackets 14-5 in the first period, and Predator fans must have felt that effort would yield results in the final 40 minutes.

Instead, the Jackets dominated the Predators in the second period, out shooting them 15-4.

The third period saw the Jackets continue their domination until a very late flurry from the Predators. The Predators came close to tying the game when Mike Fisher hit a post with 30 seconds left in the game.

The Jackets still out shot the Predators 16-10 in the final frame.

Some observations:

• The Predators offense completely disappeared after the first period. The Jackets elevated their game and the Predators did not, and if not for the solid effort by Rinne, the score could have been embarrassing for the Predators.

• The chemistry among the lines seems to have completely disappeared. Passes are missing targets and the Predators inability to skate the puck into the offensive zone is killing this team. Resorting to a dump and chase game means the forwards have to win battles and control the puck, and the Predators are rarely doing that during the course of a game.

• The Predators are still skating hard and competing, but it is a lot of effort that is yielding sparse results. The Predators scored just 6 goals in this five game home stand, and this anemic level of production means that Rinne has to be perfect. As hard as he competes, he is not that, and the lack of offensive support has to be incredibly frustrating.

• With the lack of production and the playoffs not happening, it would seem to make sense to bring up some of the young guys like Forsberg and Jarnkrok from Milwaukee. They certainly could not be any less productive than what is on the ice right now. Remember that the classic definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

• The Predators killed off all 5 penalties, including a 4 minute double minor on Viktor Stalberg. The Predators once potent power play again shot blanks, going 0-3.

Not much that one can say about this game or this team that hasn't already been said. management must take a hard look at this roster in the offseason and commit to getting some consistent, high level scoring in here.

Fail to do that and the Predators will continue to frustrate their fans.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Sergei Bobrovsky

3. Artem Anisimov

Predators Battle But Can't Defeat the Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks defeated the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena 5-2.

If one just looked at the score, you might conclude that the Ducks dominated the Predators. And while the Ducks prevailed on the scoreboard, the game was anything but a dominating contest.

It was a game of crazy bounces, as the first three goals of the game were...weird. Or lucky, depending on your perspective.

The Predators opened the scoring as Viktor Stalberg, returning to the line up after being out five games with an upper body injury, got his stick on a rebound of a Victor Bartley shot and slapped the puck toward the net, A sprawling Jonas Hiller stopped the puck with his body but the puck crawled over his chest and landed on the ice behind him. Hiller reached back and tried to control the puck but knocked it into the net to get the Predators on the board at 11:35 of the first period.

The Ducks tied it at 18:49 of the first period as Ryan Getzlaf threw the puck at the net and it glanced off the backside of Mike Fisher and re-directed past Carter Hutton.

The Ducks took a 2-1 lead as Corey Perry tried to backhand a pass from below the goal line that deflected off Bartley and over the shoulder of Hutton at 11:45 of the second period.

The third period opened with the Predators on the power play and Mike Fisher tallied with a slap shot from the slot over the shoulder of Hiller at 1:05 to tie the game at 2.

The Ducks regained the lead as Hampas Lindholm took a shot from the blue line that was re-directed by Emerson Etam in traffic at 4:51 of the third period.

The Ducks made it 4-2 as Mathieu Perreault was left alone at the front of the net while both teams battled for control of the puck on the boards. Daniel Winnick got control of the puck and quickly got the pass to Perreault who beat Hutton with a quick snap shot at 8:04 of the third.

Getzlaf sealed it with an empty net goal at 19:24 of the the third.

Some observations:

• I thought Hutton played a solid game. The first two goals by the Ducks were flukes and the next two were quality goals that would be difficult for most any goalie to stop. Hutton is 6-2-2 in his last 10 games.

• I liked the line of Stalberg, Simon Moser, and Colin Wilson. They has good chemistry and used their speed to create chances. Moving Stalberg off the fourth line has been a move that should have been made a long time ago, and tonight, this line was one of the best for the Predators. Moser picked up his first NHL point with an assist on Stalberg's goal.

• Fisher's power play goal was the first power play tally for the Predators in three games.

• The effort by the Predators tonight was outstanding. They were physical, moved the puck well, and out shot the Ducks 38-24. This game points out the dilemma that the Predators face; a hard working, gritty team faced a hard working, gritty team with exceptional offensive talent. And that offensive talent was the deciding factor in this game. Obviously, grit and effort are important, but it helps to have offensive talent to go along with those traits.

• The Ducks have now defeated the Predators in five straight games.

The Predators now have 19 days off to rest and regroup.

They will need the time to recharge for the final push after the Olympic break.

My three stars:

1. Ryan Getzlaf

2. Jonas Hiller

3. Viktor Stalberg

Predators Can't Overcome First Period Hole, Fall to Avs 5-4

The Colorado Avalanche are a very skilled team. The Nashville Predators are not. So if the Predators were going to capture a win at Bridgestone Arena, they were going to have to play a full 60 minute game and bring the effort in all zones.

Forget all zones.

The Predators didn't bother to show up and embarrassed themselves in the first period as they dug a 3-0 hole. Their furious comeback could not overcome this deficit as the Predators fell 5-4 leaving a sellout crowd disappointed and frustrated.

The Avs controlled the first period and cycled the puck at will. All three of their first period goals came off strong puck possession and the cycle.

The Predators tallied a 5 on 3 power play goal in the second period to cut the deficit to 3-1 as Patric Hornqvist took a sweet pass from Mike Fisher at the top of the crease and buried the shot for his 10th goal of the season.

The Predators needed a strong start to the third period to get back into the game. Instead, they gave up 2 goals to the Avalanche to make it 5-1 and send fans scurrying to the exits.

Finally, the Predators woke up and got back into the game. Craig Smith, Ryan Ellis, and Roman Josi all scored to make it 5-4, but the Predators could not get the tying goal as Semyon Varlamov and the Avs held the Predators off the board.

Some observations:

• GM David Poile should take a close look at the Avalanche. They are a team that has been built with skilled offensive players. That skill dominated the will of the Predators for most of the game. The Predators are built in such a way that they have to play a nearly perfect game to win against quality, skilled teams, and more often than not their will is not sufficient nor is their game close enough to perfection to beat skilled teams.

• That said, kudos to the Predators for battling back. Down 5-1, they could have folded, but continued to fight. The deficit was too great to overcome and the team lacks the dangerous offensive threat to consistently put the puck in the net.

• The Predators have the annoying habit of making average players look great. Tonight, Avs journeyman defenseman Nick Holden looked like the second coming of Ray Bourque, notching 2 goals.

• Can we agree that Viktor Stalberg playing on the 4th line is a failed experiment? Stalberg didn't have the start that he wanted to this season, but he is defensively responsible and possesses great speed that his current line mates cannot match. While Stalberg languishes on the 4th line, Colin Wilson continues to get top line minutes while doing absolutely nothing. Perhaps the coaching staff needs to look at some line changes. As it is, the lack of productivity from Wilson does not justify his current role. tonight, Wilson had no shots on goal and was a -1.

• Devan Dubnyk got his first start tonight. He wasn't great and wasn't altogether bad. There are a couple of goals that he would like to have back, but most were the result of the dominance of the Avs in the Predators offensive zone.

• Craig Smith tallied his team leading 15th goal. This is a career high for the Honey Badger and he continues to play a solid game. He leads the team in scoring and continues to play a high tempo game and is creative offensively.

• I had my doubts about mini-me, uh, Ryan Ellis. I was unsure as to whether he could handle the rigors of a full time role as a blueliner, but he is proving me wrong. he has played a more physical game and continues to produce offensively.

The start was brutal and the Predators could not overcome their ineptitude and lack of energy to begin the game and at the start of the third period.

The lack of consistency from this team will cost them a playoff spot. The lack of skill on this squad cannot overcome the grit or Predator "hard" or whatever we call it now.

The task for the Predators is just to try to gain consistency- hopefully good, positive consistency- every night.

My three stars:

1. Nick Holden

2. Nathan Mackinnon

3. Roman Josi

Predators Snuff the Flames 4-2

The Nashville Predators were looking to end their three game losing streak and their five game on a positive note. They needed a complete game in all zones and to especially regain confidence in their ability to score.

The visiting Calgary Flames were just what the doctor ordered.

The Predators downed the Flames 4-2 at Bridgestone Arena, employing their magical formula of winning most of their games when they score first. The Predators are 17-2-4 when scoring the first goal.

That first goal came courtesy of Shea Weber, who blew a puck past Flames netminder Karri Ramo at 15:52 of the first period and with the Predators on the power play.

The Flames tied the game at 18:56 of the first period as Jiri Hudler took a backhand that Predator goaltender Carter Hutton deflected with his pad. The puck came to Lee Stempniak in the slot and he buried a shot into the open net.

After a second period that was scoreless, both teams found the net in the third period.

Just 55 seconds into the third period, Ryan Ellis carried the puck into the offensive zone. He showed great patience to wait for an open shooting lane that appeared as no Calgary player challenged the puck. Once Ellis had that lane, he blasted a slap shot past Ramo for a 2-1 lead.

The Predators tallied again on the power play as Seth Jones took a shot from the blue line that bounced around in the traffic in front of the net. Ramo could not locate the puck but Craig Smith could. He drove the net and beat Ramo glove side to give the Predators a 3-1 lead at 2:40 of the third period.

Viktor Stalberg got his 6th goal of the season as he went to the front of the net and re-directed a  Ryan Ellis slap shot to make it 4-1 at 10:52.

The Flames would cut the deficit to 4-2 at 13:07 when Mikael Backlund  came off the wall and beat Hutton with a wrist shot.

The Predators would shut down the Flames for the rest of the period, including the final two minutes with Ramo pulled for an extra attacker and snapped their losing streak with a much needed 4-2 win.

Some observations:

• The Predators power play had been 1 for 13 in their previous four games. tonight, they were 2 for 5 (the fifth was a 55 second man advantage at the end of the game). They showed much better movement without the puck to set up shots and managed the puck well. Weber's goal was an absolute bomb that came as he worked his way open to the left of Ramo. Smith's goal came from basic Predators hockey: shoot the puck and get traffic to the net. On that play, Nick Spaling was creating havoc in front to give Smith a chance to control the puck and get the shot.

• The Predators power play is connecting at 21% after tonight's game, good for 7th in the NHL.

• Weber's goal tonight gives him 11 for the year, best among NHL defensemen.

• Craig Smith's goal was his 14th of the season and leads the team.

• David Legwand picked up three assists tonight. Obviously, Legwand read my blog chastising him for being disinterested in the Minnesota game and it lit a fire under him.

• Carter Hutton had a solid game and made some good saves. He stopped 22 of 24 shots and picked up his first win since December 14.

• Seth Jones picked up an assist on the Predators second power play. With that point, he is tied for second in points for rookie defensemen with Eric Gelinas of New Jersey with 18 points..

• Ryan Ellis had a strong game, picking up a goal and an assist and was a +2 for the game.

This was a solid win for the Predators as they were sound in all phases of the game.

The challenge for this team will be to play consistently and bring this effort every night.

My three stars:

1. Ryan Ellis

2. Shea Weber

3. David Legwand

Predators Scoring and Shootout Struggles Continue in Loss to the Senators

The Nashville Predators were exactly where they did not want to be: in another shootout.

The Predators were 0-4 in the shootout coming in to the game at Bridgestone Arena against the Ottawa Senators. After tonight, they are 0-5.

How we got there is interesting.

Mattias Ekholm attempted a back pass behind his net to Kevin Klein. Rather than slide around the dasher board, the puck hit at an angle and caromed out in the slot to Kyle Turris. Turris calmly deposited the puck past Nashville netminder Marek Mazanec, who was watching Ekholm carry the puck and was as surprised as anyone in the building at the crazy play. Turris scored his goal at 6:23 of the second period.

Mike Fisher tied the game at 16:59 of the second period. Ryan Ellis took a shot that was deflected onto the stick of Fisher, who buried the puck over the shoulder of Anderson.

Both teams traded some scoring chances in the remainder of regulation but could not get the go ahead goal.

In overtime, the Predators dominated, out shooting the Senators 6-0. They had the final 1:34 on the power play but could not get a puck past Anderson. The Senators penalty killers did a good job of clogging the lanes and clearing the puck to keep the Predators from getting the winning goal.

In the shoot out, Anderson stopped Craig Smith and David Legwand, while Mika Zibenejad and Jason Spezza tallied in their attempts.

Some observations:

• Viktor Stalberg was awarded a penalty shot in the first period, which Anderson stopped easily. The penalty shot was awarded after Stalberg used his speed to blow past Joe Corvo, who was forced to haul down Stalberg.

• Speaking of Stalberg, he recorded three shots on net and used his speed to create space and set up plays. Again, I am looking for a reasonable explanation as to why he is playing on the fourth line.

• Eric Nystrom and Colin Greening traded some bombs in a second period scrap. They went skate to skate and neither refused to back down in a spirited tilt.

• Colin Wilson played 17:40 and David Legwand played 18:59. They each recorded one shot on net and were absolute non-factors. Legwand in particular seemed disinterested and unwilling to battle for position or the puck. to give these players these kind of minutes and have zero production is baffling and detrimental to the team.

• As mentioned, the Predators are now 0-5 in the shootout. How bad have they been? In 19 shot attempts, they have made 1. Only New Jersey is worse.

• The Predators out shot the Senators 33-21 and had some good scoring chances. Credit Craig Anderson with making some good saves, but this also points out that the Predators continue to struggle finishing their scoring chances.

• And this points out once again that the lack of offensive skill is killing this team.

The Predators have now lost 3 of their last 4 games, and the prospects for this team righting the ship are faint.

The best to hope for now is for this team to work to improve their game and get some of the players on the roster to step up their play.

Fail to do that and this ugly season will get uglier.

My three stars:

1. Craig Anderson

2. Jason Spezza

3. Mike Fisher

Predators Can't Finish, Fall to the Canes

The Nashville Predators traveled to Raleigh to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the concluding contest of their three game road trip. The first two games had seen the Predators fall in overtime and in the shootout.

The Predators were looking for a full 60 minute game to try to get back into the win column.

That full 60 minute effort got off to a sputtering start.

Alexander Semin gathered in a puck behind the net and shoveled the puck at Predators netminder Carter Hutton. Hutton had not gotten back to the post and the shot hit him on the backside and caromed into the net at 4:28 of the first period.

This is the kind of slow start and horrific goal that has victimized the Predators all season.

The Predators got some good scoring chances and challenged Hurricanes goaltender Anton Khudobin but could not find the back of the net in the period. They out shot the Canes 11-9.

The Predators had a few scoring chances in the second period, as did the Hurricanes, but neither team could score. The best chance came when Eric Nystrom got behind the defense and broke in on Khubodin, but the puck rolled off his stick. The Predators out shot the Canes 12-10 in the period.

The Predators finally tied the game at 6:46 of the third period on the power play as Shea Weber blasted a shot that Khodubin got a piece of. The rebound came to Mike Fisher behind the net and he threw it back into the crease. The puck hit Patric Hornqvist and then was kicked in by Ron Hainsey. the goal was credited to Hornqvist for his 8th goal of the season.

The Hurricanes took the lead at 16:29 as they controlled the puck for a lengthy stretch in the Predators zone. Their cycle game moved the puck well and finally Jeff Skinner unleashed a shot from the face off circle that beat Hutton through the five hole.

The Predators pulled Hutton for an extra attacker but could not score, and the Predators went down to defeat 2-1.

Some observations:

• Hutton made some good saves tonight, but that first goal was brutal, and there is no way that any goalie should allow a player to score from behind the net.

• The Predators out shot the Canes 32-25, but the old bugaboo of not being able to finish scoring chances came back to once again haunt this team. They did a good job of getting shots to the net and had some good scoring chances, but could not get the puck in the net. make no mistake, Khudobin played a strong game, but the Predators had chances that they could not finish. This speaks volumes about the lack of elite offensive talent on this team.

• Viktor Stalberg started the game on the fourth line. Again this makes no sense. In the third period, he moved up on a line with Matt Cullen and Nick Spaling. Using Stalberg on the fourth line is, to me, an inexplicable waste of his offensive potential.

• Can someone please wake up David Legwand? Once again, he has reverted to invisibility mode, floating in the offensive zone and his defensive lapse left Skinner alone for the game winning goal.

The Predators return home for 5 straight games, and they desperately need to notch some wins.

My three stars:

1. Jeff Skinner

2. Patric Hornqvist

3. Anton Khudobin

Bruins Outlast the Predators in OT 3-2

The Nashville Predators traveled to TD Garden looking to have a better showing against the Boston Bruins than their first meeting, a 6-2 Bruins win in Nashville on December 23rd.

The Bruins had rookie Niklas Svedberg in net, making his first NHL start, while the Predators went with Marek Mazanec.

With a rookie making his first start, the mission for the Predators was to get pucks on net and challenge Svedberg.

A scoreless first period saw the Predators get 8 shots on net, while the Bruins had 11. Mazanec made some good saves, especially on a Bruins power play to keep the game scoreless. The best Bruins save came not from Svedberg, but from Matt Bartkowski as the defenseman sprawled across an open net and used his helmet to block a shot from Matt Hendricks.

The Predators had some great scoring chances in the second period, but a combination of good saves by Svedberg and the inability to finish kept the Predators off the board.

That changed at 18:04 of the period as the Bruins got caught in a bad change. Mike Fisher carried the puck into the zone and fired a shot that Svedberg kicked out to the tape of Viktor Stalberg. Stalberg buried the shot into the open net to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

The second period ended with the Predators on the penalty kill, which would carry over into the third period for 1:48.

As for that imperative to get shots on Svedberg...

The Predators had 16 shots in the second period to 3 for the Bruins.

The Bruins tied the game a 4:55 of the third period as Johnny Boychuk was left alone in the high slot and he blew a shot past Mazanec. The third period opened with the Bruins putting pressure on the Predators, and their jump and effort paid off with the tying goal.

That goal energized the Bruins and the Predators were back on their heels. The dominance and momentum of the Predators in the second period was now securely on the side of the Bruins and the Predators were going to have to step up and wrest it back.

The Bruins took a 2-1 lead at 12:29 as Jerome Iginla beat roman Josi driving to the net. he took a pass off the boards from Milam Lucic and tapped it past Mazanec. Iginla got inside of Josi and just overpowered him on the drive to the net.

The Predators responded at 14:35 as Svedberg gave up a long rebound of a Mike Fisher shot. The puck came to Shea Weber and he hammered a shot through traffic that beat Svedberg between his arm and his body to tie the game at 2.

In the remaining time, both teams created some scoring opportunities, but could not find the back of the net.

The Bruins won the game just 54  seconds into overtime as Brad Marchand beat a screened Mazanec from just outside the face off circle.

Some observations:

• The second period was a solid period of hockey for the Predators, one of the best they have played this season. They out skated the Bruins, won puck battles, and got the puck to the net to challenge Svedberg.

• As good as the second period was, the Predators were back on their heels for most of the third period. The talented Bruins had more jump and won the puck battles for most of the period.
• It was good to see the Predators respond, however. The Garden was rocking and the Bruins had all the momentum. Tying the game with just over 5 minutes to go gave the Predators life and they started skating, winning puck battles, and attacking the net.

• The Predators had 35 shots on net for the game including 16 in the second period. Their old nemesis- not finishing their chances- came back to bite the Preds in this game.

• Mazanec made some good saves and looked poised in the face of the pressure from the Bruins. while neither he nor Carter Hutton have firmly established themselves as the starter, Mazanec seems to have an edge.

• This was a much better effort by the Predators than their last outing against the Bruins, where they stunk it up and did not compete.

This team has shown that they can compete and win against some of the best teams in the NHL. They need to consistently apply that effort every night.

My three stars:

1. Brad Marchand

2. Shea Weber

3. Mike Fisher

Predators Slow Start Costs Them In OT Loss to the Habs

The Nashville Predators stumbled out of the gate at the Bridgestone Arena, falling behind 3-0 in the first period to the Montreal Canadiens and looking as if they were going to be embarrassed in front of the home crowd.

After waiting 20 minutes to begin playing hockey, the Predators clawed their way back into the contest, tying the game at 3 and forcing overtime.

How did we get there?

It was all Habs in the first period. P.K. Subban got loose in the high slot and blistered a shot past Marek Mazanec to make it 1-0 at 11:30 of the first period.

Max Pacioretty drove around Kevin Klein like he was anchored to the ice and beat Mazanec with a backhand at 13:20.

Tomas Plekanec re-directed a Brain Gionta shot at 14:37 to make it 3-0 Habs.

The Predators had given up only 5 shots to this point in the game. The problem was that the Canadiens had scored on 3 of those shots. That meant that Mazanec was done and Carter Hutton entered the game.

Hutton was solid in regulation, stopping all 17 shots he faced.

The Predators began to work and skate in the second period, and their efforts were rewarded as Gabriel Bourque to a pass from Matt Cullen and roofed a shot over Canadiens netminder Carey Price to make it 3-1 at 11:51 of the second.

Nick Spaling tallied on the power play at 18:09 of the second. Spaling was alone at the side of the net when he re-directed a slap pass from Shea Weber.

In the third period, the Predators tied the game at 3 on the power play as Shea Weber snuck into the low slot. Mike Fisher found him with a nice pass through the box and Weber buried a quick wrist shot at 13:40 of the third period.

The effort by the Predators over the final two periods of regulation was solid. They out shot the Canadiens 26-14, including a 20-6 shot advantage in the second period.

That effort was for naught, however, as in overtime Mattias Ekholm had the puck stripped away from him by David Desharnais in the defensive zone. Desharnais blew a shot from the face off circle past Hutton for the game winning goal on the Habs only shot in over time for the 4-3 victory.

Some observations:

• Brutal. That is the only way to describe the outing by Mazanec. While the re-directed shot by Plekanec was unstoppable, Mazanec has to make the save on the first two goals he allowed. The stoppable goals that are allowed makes the hill that much steeper for this team, and the play of both Mazanec and Hutton has to be more consistent.

• Brutal, part II. Ekholm cannot turn the puck over in the defensive zone. Desharnais is quick, but Ekholm just needed to use the boards and clear the puck out of the zone. He was guilty of over handling the puck, and it cost the team.

• Seth Jones took a puck to the side of his face in the second period. A hard shot from the point hit a stick and ramped up and caught Jones. This didn't look good at all and he did not return to the game.

• The power play has started to become more productive. There is more movement and players are getting into better shooting position. The power play needs to continue to score goals for the Predators to have success.

• Five on five is another story. The Predators had some good scoring chances and could not finish. In the first period, Viktor Stalberg hit the post twice. Often, Predator forwards had good scoring chances and shot the puck into the logo on Price's sweater.

• I liked the play of Viktor Stalberg. As mentioned, he created some scoring opportunities and hit the post twice. He showed good jump and puck possession all night. Say it with me... he has to finish.

• The Predators are not good enough to take a period off. Coming out and playing poorly in the opening period created a huge hole from which the team had to overcome. This team has to play a full 60 minutes or more often than not, they will wind up on the short end of the score.

The Predators continue to struggle to find consistency. After winning three straight, they have now dropped three straight.

Realistically, this is a team that will not make the playoffs. Their goal now should be to improve their play in all phases of the game.

And try to be consistently better.

My three stars:

1. David Desharnais

2. Shea Weber

3. Carey Price

Predators Extend Win Streak, Defeat the Sharks 3-2

The Nashville Predators looked to continue their win streak, but faced quite a task with the San Jose Sharks visiting Bridgestone Arena. The Sharks are one of the better teams in the NHL, while the Predators are just above .500.

The Predators were going to have to play a complete game if they were going to take down the Sharks.

And that is what the Predators did.

The Predators extended their win streak to three games with a 3-2 victory over the Sharks.

The Predators opened the scoring at 16:04 of the first period as Victor Bartley took a shot from the point that ricocheted off the leg of Eric Nystrom and past Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi.

The Predators extended their lead to 2-0 in the second period on the power play. Craig Smith controlled the puck behind the Sharks net and saucered a pass to Roman Josi, who was moving off the blue line into the high slot. Josi picked the top corner past a screened Niemi at 18:08.

The third period saw the Sharks attack the Predators net and the Predators just trying to survive. The Sharks made it 2-1 as Dan Boyle tipped a shot from the point by Matt Irwin that went through the pads of Predators netminder Carter Hutton at 7:28.

The Predators got some breathing room as Viktor Stalberg used his speed to separate from a Sharks defenseman and fire a shot from the face off circle that beat Niemi to the far post to make it 3-1 at 17:21 of the third period.

The Sharks pulled Niemi for an extra attacker with over two minutes remaining in the game. That strategy paid off as Dan Boyle found Patrick Marleau at the side of the net and he beat Hutton to make it 3-2 at 19:05 of the third period.

The Predators were able to hold off the Sharks over the final 55 seconds for the victory.

Some observations:

• Hutton had an exceptional game. He tracked the puck well and his rebound control, was exceptional. The Sharks were flying, especially in the third period and he handled the pressure well. The poise and calmness that Hutton has shown over the past three games has been critical to his success. Hutton has also shown a very good ability to play the puck and help the defense.

• The Predators have shown a disturbing and annoying tendency to sit back with a lead. While they were able to capture the win tonight, this puts tremendous pressure on the defense and goaltending. Tonight, the Sharks out shot the Predators 20-7 in the third period. The Predators need to keep their offensive mindset with a lead, and more often than not, playing a "prevent defense" will not be successful.

• Victor Bartley continues his strong play. He picked up an assist, delivered a big hit, and is physical in front of the net.

• The Sharks have often been the more physical team when they play the Predators. Tonight, the Predators had 28 hits to 12 for the Sharks. The Predators generally did a good job of moving the Sharks out of the front of the net and protecting Hutton. The Predators have to continue to play with a physical edge to be successful.

• The line of matt Cullen, Colin Wilson, and Craig Smith have blazing speed, and they used this speed to their advantage to back off the Sharks defense and create space. This line has potential to be dangerous, but they need to get the puck in the net.

• Stalberg's goal was set up by his speed. He separated from the Sharks defense and whipped a shot past Niemi. Stalberg has shown that he has offensive skill, and now he needs to consistently utilize that talent.

The Predators did enough to win tonight. And that victory is sweet.

With Chicago coming to town, they are going to have to bring another complete game effort.

My three stars:

1. Carter Hutton

2. Viktor Stalberg

3. Dan Boyle

Predators Shoot Down the Stars 3-1

The Nashville Predators desperately need to string together wins. They also need to start playing well on home ice.

They accomplished both those objectives tonight as they won their second straight game and their first in the last five home games by defeating the Dallas Stars 3-1 at Bridgestone Arena.

Down 1-0 on an Eric Cole goal at 18:07 of the first period, the Predators answered with two power play goals to take a 2-1 lead at the end of the first period.

The Predators went on the power play at 18:45 of the first period as Shawn Horcoff was called for high sticking. Just 7 seconds into the power play, Brenden Dillon was called for delay of game for clearing the puck over the glass.

On the ensuing 5 on 3 power play, David Legwand found Patric Hornqvist in the low slot and Hornqvist blistered a wrist shot over the shoulder of Stars netminder Kari Lehtonen to tie the game at 19:02.

The Predators continued on a 5 on 4 power play, and David Legwand gathered in a rebound of a Roman Josi shot and his shot caromed off Lehtonen and into the net at 19:30.

The Predators extended the lead to 3-1 in the second period as Paul Gaustad took a pass from Colin Wilson and showed great patience as he held the puck and faked Lehtonen to the ice before firing the puck into the open net at 9:14 of the period.

The Predators played good defense, keeping the Stars to the outside for much of the game. The Predators had 22 blocked shots for the game. When the puck did get through, Hutton was solid in net and did a good job of controlling the puck and limiting rebounds.

Some observations:

• Hutton had a second strong outing, making 33 saves on 34 shots. Hutton tracked the puck well through traffic, limited rebounds, and was positionally sound. Hutton has looked poised and calm in his two starts, and is playing with confidence. This is the kind of play that the Predators need to consistently get into the win column.

• The Predators have struggled to win when giving up the first goal. Tonight's win was just the third victory of this season when the opponent scores first.

• The Predators response after the Stars score was critical. The power play was just 1-21 before tonight, and getting the power play on track and productive is essential for the Predators.Tonight, they had good spacing and puck movement, something that had been lacking. When they do that, the power play can be a very effective weapon.

• I was impressed with the play of Victor Bartley. He logged 22 minutes of ice time and played a very sound game. He was physical and battled down low, moving Stars forwards out of prime scoring areas.

• Mike Fisher seems to be developing some good chemistry with Viktor Stalberg. They created some scoring chances tonight and have the speed and offensive capability to be dangerous. Hopefully, they will continue to develop that chemistry and produce offensively.

• Goal-den Goose: Paul Gaustad continues to chip in offensively with his second goal in as many games. Good to see Goose getting his offensive mojo going.

The Predators responded well to the Stars first score and played a solid, 60 minute game. This is the kind of effort that the Predators have to have every night.

With 9 of the next 11 games at home, the Predators need to pile up wins and bring the energy back to the barn.

My three stars:

1. Carter Hutton

2. David Legwand

3. Shea Weber

Predators Poor Play Continues Against the Hurricanes

At best, the Nashville Predators are an average team. Couple that reality with a stretch of bad hockey, and you have a deadly combination for the Predators playoff chances.

The Predators dropped their 4th straight game- all at home- against the Carolina Hurricanes by a 5-2 margin.

You can read the damage, uh, box score here.

It was not a pretty sight at the Bridgestone Arena.

Some observations:

• Marek Mazanec has performed admirably, but tonight was not his best effort. He gave up 4 goals on 13 shots, including the first shot of the game, which seemed to take him by surprise. Three of the goals he allowed were questionable, and he gave up a goal after Roman Josi turned the puck over leading to a 3 on 1 rush. This was not a good effort by Mazanec tonight, and those kind of games happen. Unfortunately, the team in front of him is not good enough to overcome a bad outing by our netminders.

• The Predators lost puck battles all night. this is particularly disappointing as teams have been out hustling and out working the Predators in all zones. This team has to win those battles, and win they do not, the opponent has a decided advantage in puck possession. This has been characteristic of the Predators during the losing streak.

• Puck support in the offensive zone is atrocious. Often, a Predator forward will control the puck down low and get overwhelmed by the defensive pressure. This results in turnovers and stymies the offensive attack. The consistency and cycle game in the offensive zone for the Predators has been spotty at best, and this is major contributor to this losing streak.

• The Predators actually had a lead on goals by Mike Fisher and Viktor Stalberg early in the second period. Stalberg's goal was a pure effort goal as he followed his shot, took it behind the net, and beat Justin Peters on a nice backhand. Unfortunately, that was the last of the Predators scoring for the night.

• Kevin Klein returned to the line up after missing two games and his return was much quicker than expected. He logged 18:46 of ice time tonight.

• This team is wildly inconsistent. They have struggled to play a solid 60 minute game in quite a while. The Predators do not have the talent to play such inconsistent games- they cannot overcome deficits with elite scoring. Until the team decides that they will play a full 60 minute game, they will continue to struggle to get into the win column.

• The Predators have been dominated in puck possession time in this losing streak, especially as the game goes on. They have been forced into numerous turnovers in their defensive zone and have allowed teams to cycle and control the puck for long stretches. This is not a formula for success for this team.

• This team has lost their identity. There is no grit and push back when challenged by opponents. Right now, the identity of this team is to dump the puck out of the defensive zone and try to survive the offensive push by opponents.

The Predators travel to Washington and face a big task in trying to right a rapidly sinking ship.

Fail to get back to Predator hockey and this season will be another miserable season for this team.

My three stars:

1. Jeff Skinner

2. Justin Faulk

3. Viktor Stalberg

Canucks Cruise Past the Predators 3-1

The Nashville Predators faced off against the Vancouver Canucks at Bridgestone Arena looking to get back on a winning streak. The Predators had dropped two straight games and needed to pick up points to keep within striking distance of a playoff spot.

The Predators are going to have to wait another game to try to get on track.

Marek Mazanec was in net for the Predators, while the Canucks went with Roberto Luongo between the pipes.

Throughout the game, the Predators pressured Loungo and created some quality scoring chances, but were only able to finish one time. Patric Hornqvist fed Colin Wilson from the low slot and Wilson buried his shot past an out of position Luongo.

That score came just 30 seconds after the Canucks scored in the second period. Brad Richardson caught Mazanec cheating off the post and banked a shot off the Predators goaltender into the net to give the Canucks a short lived lead.

The Canucks took control in the third period as Ryan Kessler scored twice for the margin of victory.

His first goal came off a rebound of a Jason Garrison shot that ricocheted into the low slot. Kessler outmuscled David Legwand to the puck and beat Mazanec in close at 7:37 of the third.

Kessler tallied his second goal on a power play from the low slot off a rebound of another Garrison shot. Kessler lifted the shot over the pads of Mazanec with Ryan Ellis trying to defend.

The Predators pulled Mazanec with over two minutes to go for the extra attacker. They were further aided by a penalty to Kevin Bieksa with a minute to go in the game, but the Canucks swarmed the Predators and they were unable to get a shot off.

Some observations:

• The Predators gave up their first power play goal in 8 games.

• The Predators power play was 0-2, continuing their string of futility. The power play continues to have trouble entering the zone and establishing itself. Once inside the zone, there is still a lack of movement and puck support. Frankly, this is hard to explain.

• Ryan Ellis struggled with the physical play of the Canucks forwards. I am still unconvinced that Ellis is capable of logging regular minutes against forwards with size and strength.

• Colin Wilson tallied a goal for the second game in a row. The Predators need Wilson to heat up and begin scoring consistently. Hopefully this is the beginning of such a streak.

• I am not sure what is goalie interference after tonight. Dan Hamuis bumped Matt Hendricks into Luongo, and Hendricks was called for interference. Later, Patric Hornqvist jostled with Hanuis and Hamuis ran into Luongo. Hornqvist was called for goalie interference, even though he had no contact with Luongo. Referee Kelly Sutherland made both calls.

• The line of David Legwand, Viktor Stalberg, and Gabriel Bourque has gone cold. This line has tremendous potential, but has failed to produce consistently and it is hurting the team. This line desperately needs to get their game going again.

• The normally reliable Paul Gaustad was 3 for 11 in the face off circle. Mike Fisher was the only Predator that was even for the night, winning 7 of 14. The Canucks owned the face off circle, and this hurt the Predators and their puck possession all night.

• The Predators had some very good scoring chances, but could not finish. This has been a problem for this team and will continue to be a problem the way it is constructed.

The Predators have dropped 3 straight games and desperately need to turn this around. The team is dealing with injuries to their blue line, but every team is dealing with injuries.

The effort and work ethic is going to have to continue to get back in the win column.

And finish their chances.

My three stars:

1. Ryan Kessler

2. Roberto Luongo

3. Colin Wilson

Predators Cruise Past Columbus 4-0

The Nashville Predators traveled to Nationwide Arena to face their former Central Division rival Columbus Blue Jackets. What had been a heated and testy division rivalry has been dampened somewhat by the Jackets move to the Eastern Conference.

Marek Mazanec was in net for the Predators, while the Jackets had their workhorse Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes.

The Predators were once again without the services of Patric Hornqvist, who was out with an upper body injury. The Jackets were dealing with a myriad of injuries on their roster that caused Head Coach Todd Richards to juggle his lines.

The Predators opened the scoring at 9:58 of the first period. Matt Cullen skated the puck into the offensive zone and passed to Ryan Ellis on the opposite point. Ellis drew the defense to him and zipped a diagonal pass back to Cullen, who beat Bobrovsky with a one timer from just inside the face off circle. Ellis showed great patience and vision on the play and put the pass through the defense on to the tape of Cullen.

That would be the only scoring in the period. The Predators put a lot of pressure on Bobrovsky and the Jackets defense in the period, outshooting them 14-4. Bobrovsky was called upon to make some good saves to keep the Predators from extending their lead.

The Predators started the second period on the power play with 1:30 of man advantage time. A shot from the point by Roman Josi deflected off Gabriel Bourque into the slot. Mike Fisher gathered in the rebound and banged a shot over the shoulder of Bobrovsky to give the Predators a 2-0 lead 54 seconds into the period.

The Predators forecheck forced a Jackets turnover in their defensive zone. Viktor Stalberg was able to create the turnover and got a pass from Gabriel Bourque while driving the front of the net. Stalberg's shot got through to Bobrovsky, who made the initial save, but David Legwand tipped the puck into the open net to make 3-0 at 8:56 of the period.

The latter stages of the second period saw the Jackets attempt to mount an offensive push, but the Predators defense was up to the task.

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

The Predators made it 4-0 at 2:02 of the third period as they won a face off in the offensive zone. Matt Cullen slipped a pass from his knees to Nick Spaling, and he let go a wicked wrist shot that beat Bobrovsky over the shoulder.

The Predators spent the rest of the third period shutting down the Jackets offensive push and Mazanec picked up his second career shut out with the 4-0 win.

Some observations:

• The Predators have been playing some disciplined hockey of late. Tonight, they took one penalty until Craig Smith was called for delay of game for shooting the puck over the glass with 26 seconds left in the contest. This discipline has helped to keep the Predators fresher since they are not spending an inordinate amount of time killing penalties.

• The line of Cullen, Smith, and Spaling has shown some very good chemistry and has become an offensive force. Cullen is playing some very good hockey right now and is the catalyst that gets this line going.

• The Predators defensive effort, especially in the first 40 minutes, was exceptional. They limited the Jackets to 12 shots through 2 periods and did not allow the Jackets many quality scoring chances.

• The Predators have shot the puck well and have been going strong to the net. This is a winning formula and the Predators have to continue to consistently do this to have success.

• Mazanec continues his strong play. He tracked the puck well and gave up few rebounds. The team in front of him seems to be developing a confidence in his abilities in net, and this has helped their play.

This was a solid road win by the Predators. They shut down the Jackets and did not allow the fans at Nationwide to get into the game.

Now the Predators have to continue this kind of play to climb aback into the playoff race.

My three stars:

1. Marek Mazanec

2. Matt Cullen

3. Gabriel Bourque

Predators Fast Start Leads to Win Over the Coyotes

Just like in their first meeting with the Phoenix Coyotes, the Nashville Predators jumped out to a big early lead.

Unlike that contest, which resulted in a shootout loss, the Predators made that lead hold up on the way to a 4-2 victory.

The Predators have now won 4 of their last 5 games. The Coyotes have dropped 3 in a row.

The Predators did their damage in the first period, jumping on the Coyotes for 3 goals. Nick Spaling opened the scoring, driving the slot and banging home a rebound of a Matt Cullen shot over the shoulder of Coyotes netminder Mike Smith at 1:02 of the period.

Mike Fisher took a pass from Colin Wilson and fired a shot from below the face off circle to give the Predators a 2-0 lead at 8:22 of the first period. Wilson controlled the puck in the corner and made a nice pass to Fisher, who did a good job of getting the shot off in traffic.

The Predators extended the lead to 3-0 as Viktor Stalberg used his exceptional speed to drive wide and force the Coyotes defense to turn and chase him. Stalberg put a nice pass through the legs of the defenseman onto the tape of Gabriel Bourque. Bourque made a nice fake to put Smith out of position and buried a backhand into the open net.

It was a good thing the Predators had a strong first period.

The Coyotes answered with a strong second period to make it a game.

Mikkel Boedker beat Predators goaltender Marek Mazanec five hole with a shot through traffic to get the Coyotes on the board at 9:34 of the second period.

That goal energized the Coyotes, and they began to control the puck and put pressure on the Predators. That pressure paid off as Tim Kennedy was able to gather in a rebound at the top of the crease and slide a backhand past Mazanec to make it 3-2 at 13:00 of the second period.

In the third period, the Coyotes spent a majority of the time in the Predators zone. They out shot the Predators 12-5 in the period, and Mazanec had to make some good saves to keep the Coyotes off the board. The Predators seemed content to play defense and just clear the puck, as they rarely established any offensive presence and zone time.

With Smith on the bench for an extra attacker, Shea Weber got the puck in the defensive zone behind the face off circle and banged the puck off the glass. The puck caromed off the glass and landed in the neutral zone and rolled into the open net to seal the win for the Predators at 19:25 of the third period.

I don't know if Shea called "bank" on the shot.

Some observations:

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

• The Coyotes lost the services of Shane Doan, who was injured and did not play in the third period.

• Gabriel Bourque's goal was a thing of beauty. The goal was set up by the speed of Stalberg, who made a sweet pass through the legs of a Coyote defender onto the tape of Bourque. Bourque showed great hands in controlling the puck, faking to the forehand, and pulling the puck to his backhand and lifting it into the net.

• David Legwand has reverted to form. He has been a non- factor the past several games, and was again tonight. Among the forwards, only Rich Clune had less ice time than Legwand. This team needs Legwand to step up his game and begin to contribute offensively.

• The Predators flirted with disaster in the third period. Content to sit back and play defense, the Coyotes dominated in offensive zone time and in shots. The Predators didn't seriously threaten Smith and establish offensive zone presence. More often than not, this is not a winning formula.

• Mazanec made some very good saves tonight and tracked the puck well through traffic. The Coyotes first goal came through traffic, and Mazanec didn't see the puck until the last instance, getting beat five hole. Mazanec has looked calm and has been positionally sound and has seemed to grow in confidence with each start.

The Predators are now 12-10-2 for 26 points, and sit 10th in the West. They are 6 points out of the 8th playoff spot, held by the Coyotes.

The Predators are going to have to continue to string together wins to climb back into playoff contention.

This means they are going to have to develop some consistency in their game and their effort every night.

And play a solid 60 minutes of hockey.

My three stars:

1. Gabriel Bourque

2. Mike Fisher

3. Marek Mazanec