It was winning ugly, but it was a win as the Nashville Predators slogged through a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues and let’s face it… two weeks ago, it was a game this team would’ve lost. Let’s face it… if St. Louis scores again in the first period, the game would’ve been over. However, the win gets the Preds back to .500 at 5-5-3 and gets them within one point of playoff position.
Nashville came out sluggish with very little energy, giving up the first goal to a team that went overtime on the night before. The only reason the team was in position to tie the game late in the second was Pekka Rinne, who was outstanding once again as was the defense in front of him. The Predators ended up with a 5-on 3 that they failed to convert on before a fantastic play from Colin Wilson, finding Calle Jarkrok in position to beat Blues goalie Carter Hutton with a wicked wrister to tie the game in the final two minutes of the second, springboarding the Predators to a 66 second two goal outburst in the third that effectively ended the game.
Seeing the return of Mike Fisher to the lineup was a real positive last night as well as he played his normal, hard working, hard skating game. Pekka Rinne’s performance this season doesn’t always get the credit he deserves, he hasn’t allowed more than two goals in his last four starts and has it dialed in.
You can’t understate the importance of this run that the Predators have been on, five straight games with points has put them right back in the thick of things as US Thanksgiving approaches. But the consistency test gets harder come tomorrow night as the Anaheim Ducks come to town for their first appearance in Smashville since last season’s playoff series.
Since dropping the Preds 6-1 in Anaheim on October 26th, the Ducks have gotten their outstanding contracts taken care of as Hampus Linholm and Rickard Rakeel are back in the Anaheim fold. Since that blowout, the Ducks have 4-2-1, beating LA, Arizona, Calgary and Carolina, dropping two games to Columbus (one in OT) and Pittsburgh. Tomorrow night’s game finishes a three game roadie for Anaheim.
The Predators hit the road after tomorrow night, heading to Canada for games against Toronto and Ottawa before finishing the road trip in St. Louis. Game time tomorrow night is 7pm and it is Hockey Fights Cancer Night, some tickets remain.
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Random Notes
- Pontus Aberg posted his first NHL point last night with his assist on James Neal’s goal.
- Glad to see longtime reporter John Glennon writing for NashvillePredators.com, his first piece is posted on the site.
- Face off win percentage continues to be a bit of a concern… Nashville only took 48% of the face offs last night. Colton Sissons struggled a bit only winning 33% of his.
- To give you an idea of how good Rinne was last night? Nashville handed St. Louis 13 giveaways in the contest
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