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Nashville Predators NHL Hockey News and sports betting analysis |
| Blue Jackets-Predators | 21st February 2006, 19:29 |
| The Nashville Predators snapped a three-game losing streak with strong play on both ends of the ice. Marek Zidlicky scored two power-play goals and added an assist to help the Predators to a 5-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night. Nashville scored five goals for just the second time in 11 games, and held Columbus to 25 shots on goal - the first time in six games the Predators allowed fewer than 36. ``We played a good all-around game and it showed on the scoreboard,'' Nashville goalie Tomas Vokoun said. ``We skated well. We had a strong power play. We hit. We did all the right things to win.'' Nashville coach Barry Trotz was also pleased with his team's effort. ``Our defense played really well in terms of moving the puck,'' he said. ``We came our and played a smart game with good energy. I thought we played a real solid game.'' Four of their five goals were scored by players heading to the Olympics. Zidlicky and Martin Erat will play for the Czech Republic along with Vokoun who stopped 23 shots. Kimmo Timonen will play for Finland. ``They really stepped it up,'' Trotz said. ``This was like the last day of school. Everyone is looking at the clock and it's 2:55. But we were able to maintain our focus.'' Zidlicky opened the scoring 2:19 into the game with a one-timer from a few feet inside the blue line. Columbus answered with a pair of goals in a span of 49 seconds. Rick Nash tied the score at 3:40 when he went up high from low inside the left circle. Nikolai Zherdev then got his team-leading 19th goal, scoring from the middle of the right circle on a wrist shot to put the Blue Jackets ahead. ``It's frustrating to get two quick goals and still lose,'' Nash said. ``Nashville capitalized on opportunities and we didn't.'' Zidlicky tied the game at 12:22 of the first period with another one-timer from a few feet inside the blue line. Scottie Upshall, who has split time between Nashville and Milwaukee of the AHL, got the game-winner at 17:35 of the second when he skated in behind Paul Kariya and put the rebound of Kariya's shot past Columbus goalie Marc Denis. ``To be able to come in and contribute is great,'' Upshall said. ``I think my game is at the highest level right now.'' Martin Erat extended the Predators' lead to 4-2 at 16:52 of the second, firing a shot from the right circle that went across the goal mouth and into the left side of the net. Timonen, working 1-on-1 low in the slot, went high over the left shoulder of Denis at 13:27 of the third to close the scoring. ``The teams below us are starting to catch up,'' Timonen said. ``This was a huge game for us since we had lost three in a row.'' Denis stopped 31 shots and lost for just the third time in his last 10 starts. |
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| Avalanche-Predators | 3rd February 2006, 19:37 |
| The Nashville Predators thrive in tight games, even when they create the problems themselves. Steve Sullivan scored on a breakaway 2:09 into overtime, and Nashville beat the Colorado \">Avalanche 4-3 Thursday night to snap a three-game skid. The Predators are tied for the league's best record in one-goal games, improving to 20-10 after tying the \">Avalanche twice in the third period to force overtime. ``We had to fight through a lot of adversities - penalties,'' Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. ``Our goaltender played outstanding for us again. More than anything, we came back three times.'' Scott Walker scored two goals, the second tying the game with 2:39 left in regulation. Mike Sillinger also scored his first goal since being traded to Nashville from St. Louis on Sunday, and the Predators took the season series 3-1 from Colorado. The Predators didn't make it easy on themselves, whistled for six penalties in the first period. But goalie Tomas Vokoun stopped 16 of 17 shots in the first, and the \">Avalanche led only 1-0. Vokoun finished with 43 stops on a season-high 46 shots. ``We basically had the knife to our throat, but our guys came through on the power play,'' Vokoun said. Joe Sakic, Cody McCormick and Brett Clark scored for Colorado, which finished 0-for-8 on the power play. The \">Avalanche have lost three of four, including two in shootouts. Colorado forward Milan Hejduk, who had an assist, hurt his neck in a collision early in the game and did not return. He'll be evaluated Friday. ``It's always tough to lose, and certainly the way it went down there,'' Colorado coach Joel Quenneville said. ``We had so many power plays throughout the game, and you know they're going to get their turn.'' Sullivan, Nashville's leading goal scorer, tied the Predators' mark for goals in a season with his 26th, and he did it in style. He picked up a loose puck near the Nashville blue line, skated in on David Aebischer and beat the goalie by going over his glove. ``We weren't very good the last couple of games, but we had a lot of character tonight and you can't question the heart and desire tonight. We made a couple of mistakes defensively, but there was no lack of effort,'' Sullivan said. Aebischer, who shut out the Predators 3-0 in the teams' last meeting in January, said it was frustrating to lose two points. He had expected Sullivan to go over his glove, then thought late that he might go high to his right. ``He shot it right over my glove. If somebody's going to have a breakaway, it's probably him. He's a really good player and has a lot of speed so he gets a lot of breakaways,'' Aebischer said. The Predators came out very sluggish after a 2-1 loss at Dallas on Wednesday night. But Vokoun didn't allow another goal after Sakic poked the puck across the line from behind the goalie's back in the crease for a 3-2 lead at 11:11 of the third. Colorado had its best opportunities in the first with six power-play chances, including a brief 5-on-3. The \">Avalanche outshot Nashville 17-6 but led only 1-0 after Clark scored his sixth this season at 4:38 from the left circle on a one-timer off a rebound. The crowd of 12,057 wasn't happy with the early rash of penalties and let the officials know it by booing them when they skated onto the ice for both the second and third periods. Nashville got the final three power plays, the last coming with 4:32 left in the third and Colorado leading 3-2. With 7 seconds left in the power play, Walker tied the game when he scored his fifth this season from in front of the net off assists from Yanic Perreault and Paul Kariya. Notes: Colorado defenseman Ossi Vaananen hurt his ankle in the opening minutes when he was checked into the end boards by Nashville forward Darcy Hordichuk. ... Kariya has 17 points in his last 15 games, and Perreault extended his points streak to 13 games. ... Walker went down seconds after Vaananen after taking a stick to the mouth, but he returned later in the first period. ... Left wing Jeremy Stevenson played his 100th game for the Predators. |
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| Predators-Injuries | 13th December 2005, 03:20 |
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Vokoun, Legwand both out with knee injuries Predators center David Legwand will have knee surgery on Monday and goaltender Tomas Vokoun will be out up to two weeks with a knee strain. Both had MRI exams after being hurt in Thursday night's 5-1 loss to the New York Rangers, the team said Friday. Legwand tore cartilage in his knee and is expected be out four weeks. Vokoun stopped a shot by Rangers defenseman Darius Kasparaitis when his leg was caught and twisted in the net in the first period. He felt pain but stayed in the game before giving way to backup Chris Mason. Vokoun had won eight of his last 10 decisions entering his 300th game with the Predators. He was tied with Ottawa's Dominik Hasek for most victories with 15. Legwand hurt his left knee in the second period and had to be helped off the ice. He was the Predators' first draft choice and the first top pick to play for the expansion franchise. He scored 47 points for Nashville during the 2003-04 season and has 13 points this season. |
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| RandyRobitaille | 29th November 2005, 13:45 |
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Calgary (14-8-3) is one point behind Vancouver for the top spot in the Northwest Division. The Flames have won 10 of their last 12 games but dropped their most recent contest 2-1 to the Edmonton Oilers at home Friday night in a shootout. Calgary, having played four more games than Nashville to this point in the season, is 10-2-2 on home ice and 4-6-1 on the road. Captain Jarome Iginla, who tied for the NHL goal-scoring lead in 2003-04, is Calgary's top scorer with 11 goals and 13 assists. Goaltender Mikka Kiprusoff is tied for the league lead in shutouts with three and is in a three-way tie--which includes Nashville's Tomas Vokoun--for the second-highest number of wins with 12. Tonight's match-up between these two clubs is the first since Nashville's 3-1 win in Calgary on March 20, 2004, which ended with 140 combined penalty minutes in game's final three seconds (41 PIMs for Nashville, 99 for Calgary). The Predators won the season series with a 2-1-1-0 record, and lead the all-time series 11-8-4-2. Nashville has lost once in the last seven meetings, posting three wins, a shutout loss and three ties in that span. |
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| Predators Today! | 29th November 2005, 13:44 |
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Nashville (14-4-3) is currently ranked second in the Central Division and seventh overall in the NHL. The Predators defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 in a Thanksgiving night game and lost 3-1 to the Dallas Stars on Saturday to split the first two contests of their current five-game homestand--their longest of the season. Forward Scott Hartnell netted the lone goal against the Stars, who capitalized on 13 Nashville penalties with two power-play goals. Defenseman Marek Zidlicky assisted on Hartnell's goal and carries a four-game points streak (1 goal, 6 assists) into tonight's game. Nashville is 10-2-0 on home ice. |
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