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From my blog on Wednesday…
I have seen some crazy hockey games in my life and last night’s bizarre 7-5 Predators win over the Senators at Bridgestone Arena certainly ranks up there. Three lead changes, crazy up and down action and an offensive explosion from both teams that left this blogger/radio host/PA Announcer with shredded vocal chords
Last night’s 7-0 thrashing of the reeling Winnipeg Jets was another bizarre evening of hockey against a Canadian opponent. Seven goals, multiple fights, a yard sale that saw everyone on the ice pairing up, noogies from Pekka Rinne, an insanely crowded penalty box and a thoroughly frustrated visiting team, it was the fitting capper to a bizarre week of hockey at Bridgestone Arena.
For the second time in the week, the Preds put up a touchdown, complete with extra point, last night finally seeing Craig Smith get back on the scoresheet, potting a goal and setting up two more in the first period, at long last seeing the reward for hard solid play. The Preds posted four goals in the first, delivering a first period Frosty and chased starting netminder Michael Hutchinson after the first three.
The Jets frustration continued to grow as the game proceeded and after James Neal scored his 8th of the season to put the Preds up 5-0 early in the second period, Winnipeg completely lost their cool, and the referees lost control of the game. A nasty hit from a clearly frustrated Mark Stuart on Seth Jones was the first spark, leading to a donnybrook that saw a couple of fights. Colton Sissions stood up well in his match with Adam Lowry… and here is where the officials clearly lost control of the game… the fight between Barrett Jackman and Chris Thornburn. Thornburn had been going at Jackman since the beginning of the game. After the Jets went down 0-4, Thornburn was trying to get Jackman to go and the veteran blueliner was not going to give the Jets a chance to get an emotional lift. After the Sissons fight began, Thornburn dropped the gloves and threw at least 3 or 4 punches at Jackman’s head, leaving him no choice but to defend himself.
If you are going to have an instigator penalty… here is where you use it. Unfortunately, the officials called it differently, assessing fighting majors and game misconducts to both. Sending a clear message… and providing the spark for the ugliness that happened in the third period.
You don’t even have to watch the highlights to know what happened next. After an offisides call, Jets forward Mark Scheifele finally figured out a way to get the puck past Pekka Rinne, breaking the code and sliding the puck into the net well after the play was blown dead… the Preds took exception… and we had ourselves a nice little “mid-70’s at the Spectrum… yard sale. By the time the smoke had cleared, there were six players in the Preds box, five in the Jets box and a lot of space on the benches.
To give the officials credit, that series drove them to take control of the game… they began tossing out misconducts like candy and things settled down a bit, until Tyler Myers clipped Miikka Salomaki with a high stick, drawing blood and a a double minor that the Predators took full advantage of… scoring two power play goals and mercifully finished off the Jets, sending them to their fifth straight loss.
The Predators finish their homestand with a matchup against the resurgent Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday... face off at 7pm
Highlights from nhl.com
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Random Notes
- The top six got some tweeks going into last night’s game, and it paid off handsomely, goals from James Neal, Craig Smith and Mike Ribiero… Assists from Smith, Ribiero, Neal, Filip Forsberg and Colin Wilson.
- That was Pekka Rinne’s second shutout of the season.
- Key stat from last night, even without Paul Gaustad, the Preds won 56% of the faceoffs last night.
- The blueline also had a strong offensive game last night, getting goald from Mattias Ekholm, and Seth Jones… assists from Ekholm, Jones (2),Ryan Ellis (2), and Roiman Josi.
- Carter Hutton has been reactivated from IR and Marek Mazanec has been sent back to Milwaukee.
- The Jets have now given up ten unanswered goals in their last two games… and the St. Louis Blues are up next.
- Jets goaltender Michael Hutcinhson was pulled for the second time in three games after giving up three goals on seven shots.
- Chicago posted a fine win last night over St. Louis.
-What is the deal with the New Jersey Devils? They are on a serious roll, taking down the Pens last night for their tenth win in the last thirteen games.
- Only two games tonight, but Calgary / Chicago could be an interesting one to watch. - Of all the tributes to Paris last night this one may have been the best…
#PrayersForParis 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/d3hgfsMz3a
— New Jersey Devils (@NHLDevils) November 14, 2015------------------------------------
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