Predators Refuse to Lose, Defeat the Blues 3-2

Relentless.

That was the Nashville Predators in their contest at the Bridgestone Arena against the St. Louis Blues in front of a raucous standing room only crowd.

The Predators overcame a talented and feisty Blues team and a blown goal call that negated a Predators score to defeat the Blues 3-2 and maintain their lead over their Central Division rival.

Shea Weber had two goals, including the game winner while the Predators were shorthanded. Gabriel Bourque had a stellar game, picking up a goal and an assist. Bourque scored just 5 seconds after a goal by Filip Forsberg was ruled no goal.

Olli Jokinen had his first multi point game as a Predator, picking up two assists.

Both teams played the night before, with the Predators game going to a shootout while the Blues won in regulation. Yet it was the Blues that looked like the more tired team as the Predators dominated stretches of play and out shot the Blues 47-28.

Weber gave the Predators a 1-0 lead with a wrist shot that beat Blues netminder Brian Elliot over the glove at 18:05 of the first period.

The Blues tied the game as Chris Butler beat Pekka Rinne through traffic and off the leg of Weber 50 seconds into the second period.

The Blues made it 2-1 on a 3 on 1 down low, passing the puck around until T. J. Oshie was able to bury a shot past Rinne, who had no chance on the shot.

The Predators looked to have tied the game as a Filip Forsberg shot tumbled over the pads of Elliot and just across the goal line. It was ruled no goal on the ice, and after a lengthy review, the War Room in Toronto ruled there was inconclusive evidence that the puck had crossed the goal line.

Guess they didn't have that angle to look at when they were making their review.

Gabriel Bourque tied the game at at 16:06 of the second period as he kicked the puck from his skate to his stick at the top of the crease and beat Elliott with a low shot to the stick side.

Weber got the game winning goal with the Predators on the penalty kill. Roman Josi started a 2 on 1 and slid a pass to Weber, who rifled a shot over the shoulder of Elliott at 9:02 of the third period.

The Predators were able to hold off the Blues for the remainder of the period, including 1:40 with Elliott pulled for the extra attacker for the critical 3-2 win.

Some observations:

• Can't say enough good things about Gabriel Bourque and his play of late. He has made the most of his time settling into the fourth line. He has played with jump and has been a demon on the forecheck. Tonight, he created several turnovers off the forecheck. He absolutely abused Jay Bouwmeester on his goal, driving through the Blues defender and straight to the net for his score. I like his energy, his hustle, and his compete level, and it was good to see him rewarded for his efforts by getting on the score sheet tonight.
• When was the last time you saw two defensemen on a 2 on 1 rush? On the penalty kill? I have mentioned roman Josi's skating ability before, and his speed and ability to handle the puck set up the game winner. But how about Shea Weber jumping into the rush from in front of his own net and flying down the ice? I have said that I think Weber is skating better this season than he has in any of his professional seasons and it showed tonight. 
• Weber's shorthanded goal was the first shorthanded goal the Blues have allowed this season.
• Speaking of Weber, his shot placement on his two goals was perfect. Under the crossbar for his first and wired over the blocker and shoulder of Elliott for his second.
• Weber's shorthanded goal was the first shorty for the Predators this season.
• Balanced scoring has been the hallmark of this team this season. The fourth line of Bourque, Jokinen, and Paul Gaustad combined for 5 points (1G-4A) and were a +7 tonight.
• The Predators are 14-2-1 on home ice this season. Protecting home ice is critical and the Predators have done a great job of doing that. And kudos to the home crowd for bringing it once again tonight. The noise and support for the team are noticed by not only the Predators but by their opponents as well.
• Anton Volchenkov returned to the line up after missing five game dues to an injury. Matt Cullen was scratched due to an upper body injury.
• Brian Elliott returned to action for the Blues after missing 14 games due to an injury.
• The Predators kept their foot on the gas all game, and despite the great work in net by Elliott, they just kept firing shots on goal. They had 12, 18, and 17 shots in each period. They were relentless in getting the puck on net and creating chances.
• By contrast, they held the Blues to 28 total shots: 8; 8; and 12 for each period.
• 36 games into the season and the Predators have not lost back to back games.
• The Predators are 24-9-3, good for 51 points. They are 1 point behind the Blackhawks, who were idle tonight, and 4 points in front of the Blues.

This was a great bounce back after the disappointing loss the night before. And it was against a good St. Louis squad that is challenging the Predators for second place in the Central.

This was a total team effort, the kind the Predators are going to need as they prepare for a grueling stretch in the month of January.

My three stars:

1. Shea Weber

2. Gabriel Bourque

3. Olli Jokinen

Predators Give Away a Point, Fall in SO to the Blackhawks

The Nashville Predators traveled to Chicago to face the Blackhawks in their last regular season meeting. The game would also determine first place in the Central Division where the Blackhawks currently lead the Predators by two points. The Predators are 1-1-1 against the Hawks in their previous matchups.

Pekka Rinne was in net for the Predators while the Hawks had Corey Crawford between the pipes.

The Predators jumped on the Hawks in the first period, outshooting them 18-12 and carrying the play for much of the period.

Roman Josi staked the Predators to a 1-0 lead at 11:50 with a blast from the face off circle just after the Predators had killed of a Blackhawks penalty.

Colin Wilson battled in front of the net and got a shot from close in that Crawford could not control. Craig Smith followed Wilson's shot a put a wrister inside the post to make it 2-0 at 17:12.

James Neal made it 3-0 off a pass from Wilson that bounced off his leg and past Crawford at 7:28 of the second period. Neal drove to the net and created traffic in front of Crawford and put himself in perfect position to deflect the shot from Wilson.

The Hawks cut the lead to 3-1 as Brad Richards scored just after the Predators had killed off a penalty at 10:33.

The Blackhawks pulled to within 1 at 15:38 as the puck was slid in under Rinne by Andrew Shaw in a scramble around the goal crease.

The Predators saw their lead evaporate as Marian Hossa tied the game on the power play at 17:43. Hossa wired a shot over the shoulder of Rinne into the top corner.

Just as the Predators had jumped on the Hawks in the first period, the Hawks responded with the significant push back of their own. The Predators were dominated after their third goal, registering just one shot on goal in 11 minutes of the second period.

James Neal scored on the power play with just under a minute to play in the second period as Filip Forsberg took a shot that was kicked out by Crawford and on to the stick of Neal, who buried the puck into the open net at 19:04 of the second.

A good response by the Predators, but one that should not have been necessary.

Chicago tied the game with 1:13 left in the game as a shot through traffic could not be controlled by Rinne and Brian Bickell slammed home the rebound.

In the overtime, both teams had some chances and Rinne in particular had to come up with some big saves. Neither team could find the back of the net and the game would be decided in a shootout.

In the shootout, Jonathan Toews tallied the only goal and the Blackhawks won the game 5-4.

Some observations:

• Colin Wilson continues his strong play. I have spoken about his speed and puck handling, but the Predators second goal was a result of Wilson going to the hard area in front of the net and battling to get the shot off. Wilson has shown that he is not afraid to battle in front of the net, and that is a dimension that the Predators need.
•  Roman Josi is just smooth. He is a solid defender that has great speed, deft puck handling skills, and a deceptively good shot. When he carries the puck and joins the rush, it's like having another highly skilled forward on the ice.
• James Neal elevates his game against elite competition. He has 5 goals in 4 games against the Blackhawks this season. I really like the chemistry that is developing between Neal and Wilson.
• Up 3-0 and seemingly in control of this game, the Predators got back on their heels and let the Blackhawks take the play to them for the bulk of the second period. This type of play- going into a shell and letting the opponent dictate the play- is not the way you can play against an elite team like the Hawks. When the Predators are attacking and playing their game, they are the equal of any team in the League. When they sit back as they did for a majority of the second, they can get blown out of the barn.
• The Hawks have a very potent power play. The Predators did a good job on the penalty kill tonight, killing 4 of 5 Hawks power plays in regulation.
• Rinne gave up some goals with a lot of traffic in front of him. I can't fault him for those goals as the Hawks had a lot of traffic and a lot of whacks at the puck from in close. The defense has to do a better job of clearing the front of the net and helping him out. That said, Hossa did beat Rinne cleanly with a blast on the power play.

The Predators gave away a point tonight. this was a game that they should have locked down and put away but didn't.

Learn from it.

My three stars:

1. James Neal

2. Colin Wilson

3. Jonathan Toews

Power Play Propels Predators Past Philly 4-1

Yes, you read that headline right.

After struggling on the power play all year, especially on home ice, the Predators used three power play goals and an empty netter to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 at the Bridgestone Arena.

Filip Forsberg opened the scoring on the power play, skating off the wall and sniping a shot over the pad of flyers goalie Ray Emery at 9:41 of the first period.

The Flyers tied the game at 1 at 6:50 of the second period as the Predators turned the puck over and the Flyers had a 2 on 1 break. Claude Giroux snapped a shot over the glove of Pekka Rinne.

The Predators had 1:15 of 5 on 3 in the second period, and Mike Fisher was able to tap a puck past Emery in a scramble in front of the crease. The play was set up by a shot from Forsberg that Emery could not control, and Fisher did a good job of fighting for the puck.

With the Predators still on the man advantage, Colin Wilson skated the puck off the half wall and snapped a perfectly placed shot over the shoulder of Emery and inside the far post to make it 3-1.

Wilson sealed the win with an empty net goal at 16:42 of the third period. Wilson was able to steal the puck at center ice and used his speed to separate from a Flyers defenseman to bury the puck in the open net.

Some observations:

• The Predators have not lost back to back games this season.
• This is just the second time this season that the Predators have won on home ice by more than one goal. The only other time was a 4-1 win over Dallas in the season opener.
• Colin Wilson has really been playing well and tonight set a career high by scoring a goal in three straight games. His power play goal was a beauty, a perfectly placed shot that sailed over the shoulder of Emery inside the far post. Wilson is using his speed and puck handling ability to create scoring chances and more importantly is playing with confidence. His play has been integral to the Predators success this season.
• Shea Weber had an assist and set a career high with an assist in five straight games.
• The Predators were much better in the face off circle tonight, winning 57% of their draws. This obviously was beneficial to their puck possession numbers.
• The Predators penalty kill came up big tonight, killing all three of the Flyers power plays including 58 seconds of a 5 on 3 to open the second period.
• The power play finally showed some life, going 3 for 4. Mike Fisher did a good job of screening in front of the goal and the puck movement was better. Hopefully this gives this unit more confidence in the games ahead. Until this game, the Predators had only scored two power play goals on home ice all season.
• Forsberg's 14th goal of the season ties him with Craig Smith for third for goals scored by a Predators rookie. He is just 4 points behind Alexander Radulov for most points by a Predators rookie. Forsberg continues to impress with his hockey sense and his nose for the net.
• The tandem of Shea Weber and Roman Josi is quickly developing into an elite defensive pairing. They are complimentary players that play to each others strengths. Tonight, they did a superb job of shutting down the top line of the Flyers and contributing in the offensive end with 3 points (Weber 1A; Josi 2A). Think the Flyers wish they had Weber?
• Pekka Rinne had a solid outing, stopping 26 of 27 shots and making some quality saves to keep the Flyers off the board.
• The Predators out shot the Flyers 38-27, including a 17-9 advantage in the second period that was aided by the Flyers penalties.

A solid win after the Christmas break for the Predators and it is encouraging to see this team focused and continuing to play at a high level.

They will need to continue to do so as the schedule is going to get a lot tougher in the coming 4 weeks with 4 sets of back to backs.

My three stars:

1. Filip Forsberg

2. Colin Wilson

3. Pekka Rinne

Christmas day is almost here, and for many, the anticipation is building. Children eagerly await the delivery of presents on Christmas morning, while many families look forward to visits with loved ones. Christmas is both joyful and hectic as we try to make memories with loved ones, find the perfect gift, and get everything just right.


The Christmas story calls us to remember that a perfect gift was delivered to mankind. Yet that perfect gift, though highly anticipated by a people longing for a king, was not easily recognized or appreciated. And he was delivered in less than ideal circumstances.


Born to a scared and perplexed couple, he came into the world alone and among the farm animals in a manger. This heavenly gift was birthed homeless and in squalor, wrapped in rags, and laid in a feed trough. And he was born with a price on his head.



That is the paradox of Christmas.

That first Christmas was messy, certainly didn't meet expectations, and happened in less than ideal circumstances.


The Light of the world, the Hope of mankind was not the gift of the king his people desired. He was a helpless baby. The Almighty had put on flesh and had become one of us, but not as a liberating warrior king. God had become man.


Instead, this perfect gift was totally dependent on the care of others. He got cold; he was hungry; he cried; and he felt what we feel.


As we celebrate Christmas, recall that the perfect gift has been given to us. We have a gift of hope, of light that has pierced the darkness, and of love.


May the joy and peace of this Christmas season be yours throughout the coming year.

Bruins Stop the Predators Win Streak With a 5-3 Victory

The Nashville Predators traveled to TD Garden to take on the Boston Bruins in their final meeting of the year. The Predators captured a 3-2 shootout win in their first meeting in Nashville.

Pekka Rinne got a rest and Carter Hutton got his fourth start of the season for the Predators, while the Bruins had Tuukka Rask in net. Hutton was looking for his first win of the season.

The Predators came into the contest having gone 7-3 in their last 10 games and winning three straight. The Bruins are 3-5-2 in their last ten games.

The Predators were looking for a fast start to take the home crowd out of the game.

They didn't get it

Brad Marchand roofed a shot from the slot over the shoulder of Hutton to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead at 2:01 of the first period.

But this is the Predators and they answered back at 7:35 of the first as Colin Wilson took a pass from James Neal and put a backhand top shelf to tie the game at 1.

David Krejci blew a puck past Hutton from the face off circle on the power play to make it 2-1 at 9:35 of the first period.

Calle Jarnkrok stole the puck from Gregory Campbell at the Bruins blue line and whipped a puck through the legs of Dennis Seidenberg and past Rask to tie the game at 2 at 11:31 of the first.

A back and forth first period that saw both teams play to a draw degenerated into a second period controlled by the Bruins

The Bruins took a 3-2 lead at 5:52 of the second as Loui Eriksson took a pass and was all alone at the side of the net and roofed a shot over Hutton, who had no chance on the play.

Brad Marchand scored his second goal off a pass that was deflected across the slot and he had a wide open net into which to shoot the puck. His goal came at 10:51 of the second period.

The third period opened with the Predators on the power play, and as usual, they di nothing with the man advantage.

The Predators did not help their cause as the power play ended and James Neal took a penalty for slashing and an extra two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The Predators did a good job on the penalty kill and were able to snuff out the Bruins scoring chances and managed two shorthanded shots on goal.

The Predators got to within one goal as Taylor Beck beat Rask over the shoulder at 6:48 of the third period.

That was all the Predators could muster and Loui Eriksson sealed the win with an empty net goal with 33 seconds remaining for a 5-3 win.


Some observations:

• Craig Smith remained on the top line with Mike Ribeiro and Filip Forsberg. Smith has shown a lot of jump in his game while on that line and has tallied three goals in two contests on the top line.
• Goodness, I like the play of Colin Wilson this season. he is playing smart hockey and taking the puck to the net. he is using his physical skills to create scoring chances and more importantly, he is finishing those chances this season. He just looks more confident on the ice and is playing his best hockey since he has been in the League.
• Mattias Ekholm assisted on the first two Predator goals and has been playing some solid hockey of late. His defensive game is sound and he has shown some offensive flair. He has settled in with Ryan Ellis to form a solid second D pairing.
• The Predators offense did not have a lot of jump. Just 10 shots on goal through two periods, and the Bruins did a great job of forechecking and disrupting their offensive flow. I know they played the night before and may have been a bit leg weary, but the Predators are going to have several back to backs after the Christmas break and they are going to have to play through that fatigue.
• I like Carter Hutton, but he just doesn't look confident in net. His play all night was scrambly, and he was almost caught out of position a couple of times. I know he didn't have a chance on two of the Bruins goals, but he has to make some stops when the team needs them. The fact is that Hutton is going to have to get some wins for this team.
• James Neal lost control in the third period. Not only did he take a selfish unsportsmanlike conduct penalty but he also got tagged with a 10 minute misconduct that effectively eliminated his services in the third period. He cannot commit those kinds of out of control plays and be a leader that this team needs. Neal had 14 of the 18 penalty minutes the Predators collected in the game.
• The Bruins have a good young defenseman in Dougie Hamilton. I really like the way he plays the game. He is smart and physical and will be a fixture on the blue line for the Bruins for a long time.
• Taylor Beck and Calle Jarnkrok continue to play some solid hockey. They are both strong on the puck and play full tilt when they are on the ice. It's fun to watch these young players grow in their roles.
• The Predators power play is just horrid. That unit looks disorganized and just doesn't have any flow once they get in the zone. I know that I continually harp on this, but it is apparent that this unit has not come close to developing any chemistry, and that is going to be a problem for this team.
• As flat as the Predators were in the first two periods and especially in the second, they were dominant in the third. They controlled the puck for long stretches in the offensive zone and created some great scoring chances with their speed and puck possession. Unfortunately, they waited until the third period to begin playing this way.
• The Predators were a woeful 24 of 64 in the faceoff circle.

The Predators certainly didn't have their best game, but they did show some fight, especially in the third period.

Now they get some much needed time off for the holidays.

Time to get back to their winning ways on Saturday against the Flyers.

My three stars:

1. Brad Marchand

2.Patrice Bergeron

3. Calle Jarnkrok

Predators Blast the Blue Jackets 5-1

The Nashville Predators traveled to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets, one of the hottest teams in the NHL at the moment. The Jackets entered the contest 8-0-1 for the month of December, while the Predators have been solid at 6-2 for the month.

Pekka Rinne was in net for the Predators and Sergei Bobrovsky was between the pipes for the Jackets.

The first period was scoreless only because of some good fortune for the Predators. The net came off the moorings as Rinne pushed off the post just as Nick Foligno slid the puck into the net. After review, the goal was disallowed.

Whew!

The first legitimate goal of the game came at 7:47 of the second period as Victor Bartley sprung Colin Wilson with a long lead pass. Wilson beat Bobrovsky short side to make it 1-0.

The Predators made it 2-0 at 9:25 as Mike Ribeiro corralled a pass from Shea Weber at the Jackets blue line and started a 2 on 1 rush with Craig Smith. Ribeiro faked the shot and passed to Smith who buried the puck in the open net.

The Predators made it 3-0 on Seth Jones first goal of the season. Jones drove the puck in on net and slid it between the pads of Bobrovsky at 6:31 of the third period.

The Predators extended the lead to 4-0 just 44 seconds later as Filip Forsberg worked hard in the corner to control the puck. He was able to do so and found Craig Smith alone in the face off circle. Smith blasted a puck past Bobrovsky for his second goal of the night.

That was it for Bobrovsky as Curtis McElhinney came into the game for the Jackets.

The first shot that McElhinney faced found the back of the net as Mike Fisher blew a shot over his shoulder off a 2 on 1 rush at 8:43 of the third.

Rinne lost his shutout as Alex Wennberg scored for the Jackets on the power play at 15:38 of the third.

That was it for the scoring as the Predators closed out a dominant game by a 5-1 score.

Some observations:

• James Neal returned to the line up and dropped down to a line with Calle Jarnkrok and Taylor Beck. Craig Smith remained on the top line with Filip Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro.
• Victor Bartley had a strong game and has stepped into the line up in the absence of Anton Volchenkov. He was sound in the defensive zone and drove the net when the opportunity presented itself in the offensive zone. This quite a luxury for the Predators to have a 7th defenseman that can step into the line up and play a solid game.
• Colin Wilson has been playing exceptionally well. His puck possession ability has helped the Predators control games and his speed and puck handling ability have created some quality scoring chances. Good to see him rewarded tonight with the goal.
• Mike Ribeiro is such a smart player. His fake shot allowed Smith to deposit an easy goal in the second period. That experience and hockey savvy has been an underrated part of his game and has undoubtedly been beneficial to some of the younger forwards on the roster.
• Goodness, I like the killer instinct of this team. Rather than sitting back and trying to protect a 2 goal lead in the third, the Predators kept attacking and were rewarded in the third period. Quite a change from years past.
• The last Blue Jacket regulation loss was against the Predators on November 29th.
• This was the last of the two meetings this season between the former division rivals.
• As solid as this game was, the power play continues to be worrisome. They did not register a shot on two of their power play opportunities and were 0-4 tonight.

The Predators played a complete game. They were much better defensively and were dynamic in the offensive zone, capitalizing on their scoring chances. They took on a red hot Jackets team and easily defeated them with a solid game in all zones.

A final game against the Boston Bruins awaits before the Christmas break.

My three stars:

1. Craig Smith

2. Colin Wilson

3. Pekka Rinne

Predators Overcome Phantom Goal, Defeat Wild In OT 6-5

After three days off, the Nashville Predators were back in action, traveling to Minnesota for their first meeting of the season with the Wild. The Predators are currently third in the Central Division with 42 points, while Minnesota is 5th with 34 points.

The Predators would be missing James Neal off the top line as he did not make the trip due to illness. Craig Smith moved to the top line line to replace Neal.

The Predators have won 4 of their last 5 contests. The Wild have dropped 4 of their past 6 games.

Pekka Rinne manned the crease for the Predators, while the Wild had Darcy Kuemper between the pipes.

The Wild got off to the start they wanted as Jason Zucker cruised unmolested down the slotand lifted a shot over the shoulder of Rinne to make it 1-0 just 1:10 into the contest. Zucker took a nice pass from Jason Pominville and beat Ryan Ellis right down the middle of the slot for the easy score.

Calle Jarnkrok answered for the Predators with his third goal of the year as he forced a turnover and drove the net. He faked kuemper to ice ice danced around him to deposit the puck into the empty net at 4:37 of the first period.

The Wild took a 2-1 lead at 6:37 as Rinne made a save off a Charlie Coyle shot but the puck went off the skate of Zach Parise and past Rinne.

The Predators tied the game at 13:58 as Victor Bartley threw the puck from behind the goal line and Matt Cullen deflected it short side over the shoulder of Kuemper. Bartley had joined the rush and although he lost the puck had the presence of mind to spot Cullen and flip it back toward the net.

The Predators took their first lead of the game as Craig Smith controlled a face off won by Mike Ribeiro and lifted a backhand shot that hit Kuemper in the shoulder and fluttered into the net at 18:14.

What a Wild (pardon the pun) first period. The Predators out shot the Wild 14-6.

The second period opened with the Wild making a change in net as they brought in Niklas Backstrom.

The Wild tied the game on a power goal, but review showed the puck never crossed the goal line. A further replay seemed to show Derek Roy fishing the puck out from under Rinne when it was across the goal line. The goal was awarded to Marco Scandella.

That would be the only scoring in a bizarre second period. The Predators needed to get their mojo back and take the game in the third period.

That mojo came in the form of Filip Forsberg as he drove into the zone, fired a shot wide and gathered his own rebound and banged the puck into the net for a 4-3 Predator lead at 1:48 of the third period.


The Predators made it a 2 goal lead on the power play (A POWER PLAY GOAL!!) as Roman Josi blasted a shot from the blue line over the shoulder of Backstrom at 9:05 of the third period.

That two goal lead was short lived as Zach Parise redirected a shot on the power play to make it 5-4 at 10:46 of the third period.

The Wild tied the game with the extra attacker on the ice and just 48 seconds remaining. thomas Vanek knocked home a rebound of a Rinne save to tie it a 5.

In the overtime, Mattias Ekholm worked from behind the net to a soft spot in front of the net and fired a wrist shot over the shoulder of Backstrom for the game winner.

Some observations:

• Taylor Beck returned to the line up after missing 4 games with a concussion.
• Paul Gaustad was placed on injured reserve with a lower body injury. Viktor Stalberg has been added to the roster but was not active tonight.
• Victor Bartley was in the line up due to Anton Volchenkov being scratched. Although not as physical as Volchenkov, he plays a solid game and was responsible for the primary assist on the Predators second goal.
• The Predators were guilty of allowing the Wild to drive the slot too many times in the first period. Leaky defense cost them the two goals that they gave up. That leaky defense cost them a regulation win as well as the Predators left too many Wild forwards alone in front of the net throughout the game.
• The bounce back ability of this team continues to impress. Giving up the first goal or falling behind doesn't seem to faze this team as they just keep pushing back in the face of adversity. This is a remarkable turnaround from last season, and while it points to a different mindset, I also believe it points to the confidence these players have in their talent and in one another.
• Mike Fisher was called for a double minor for hooking, a call I have never seen before. The explanation was that he committed two different penalties so both were called. Again, a call I have never seen before.
• The Wild's third goal was specious at best. Called no goal on the ice, there was no video evidence that the puck crossed the goal line, just an inference that it had. This may sound like sour grapes, but if the League wants to keep any credibility that it has, it must do a better job on these kind of calls. This one was a total cluster.
• Filip Forsberg continues his strong play. His 13th goal of the season was a heady play, essentially passing the puck to himself before banging it into the open net. He shows no signs of slowing down and continues his torrid play.
• Olli Jokinen played in his 1200th game tonight.
• Scary moment in the second period as Mike Ribeiro was plowed into the boards by Eric haula. No call on the play, and Ribeiro retreated to the locker room for a brief period but returned to the game.
• Mattias Ekholm showed great patience in scoring the game winner, finding a soft spot a placing the shot in high for the game winner. One of the noticeable differences in the Predators game this season is how active the defense is in the offensive zone, and Ekholm's game winner was the result of his play down low in the offensive zone.
• One could look at the score and say Rinne didn't have a great game. Undoubtedly, it was not his best game, but he didn't get a lot of help in front of the net as the Wild had, for the most, a free reign in front of the net.

The Predators showed some character in winning this game. They kept coming back, overcame adversity and horrible officiating, and just would not quit.

That is the mark of a team that can do great things.

My three stars:

1. Mattias Ekholm

2. Zach Parise

3.Craig Smith