What started out as a terrible, horrible, simply atrocious game for the Predators, ended in absolute insanity as the Predators tied the game with less than 13 seconds left in regulation and then scored in OT to win the game over Columbus. If you watched throughout any point in the game, you definitely had the same thoughts everyone else did; Hooray, another loss for the Predators. We don’t like to be proven wrong, but when it comes to sports and our team winning, we are happy to be wrong in this situation! Though the Blue Jackets did get a point in this, we still came out with the win (and the Predators definitely needed a win). Like we stated before, this should have ended as one of Nashville’s most disgusting games, but within 96 seconds, the Predators woke up and remembered, hey! We’re playing a hockey game!

Nasty as the entire game was, we will accept any win as victory. Last time the Predators met with Columbus was on November 19th, when the Blue Jackets stole the win in OT 4-3 in Nashville. Could this be a form of retaliation from the Preds? Some sort of revenge? We’d like to say that, but the first 58 minutes of regulation looked like a Bumble Bee soccer team. But hey, a win’s a win and we needed it! Here are the few high lights from tonight’s game:

KEY POINTS

• Jon Blum and Chris Mueller took the scratches tonight and Blake Geoffrion is still mending, even though he’s been out way longer than Barry Trotz predicted. He did not make the trip to Columbus, but we hope his injury isn’t more serious than once thought.
• Speaking of injury, Francis Bouillon returned to the ice tonight after a groin injury benched him for a few games. However, Derek Dorsett wasn’t too happy with Frankie and the two ended up putting up the dukes towards the end of the first. Frankie got a few good punches in, but Dorsett took the fight. Both ended up the box with majors for fighting. Here’s the video:

• Columbus took the lead at 12:42 with a goal from Jeff Carter and ended the first with the Predators in the hole. Columbus would score again in the 2nd, but Mike Fisher was quick to put the Predators on the board at 13:10 with assistance from Sergei Kostitsyn and Francis Bouillon.
• Columbus sent the game up by 2 on the Preds early into the third, and, with the rest of what the game looked liked, lead many fans to change the channel or just give up. The Predators, however, were not even close to giving up.
• At 18:24, Patric Hornqvist slipped the puck passed Curtis Sanford to put the Predators down by one. It was clear Horny was a little bewildered by the goal, partially because he was blind-sided by a check from Nikita Nikitin, which the refs never batted an eye at. Obviously they saw it, for one ref had to jump out of the way. Yet another ridiculous move by the refs. Don’t expect to hear anything from Shanahan, either. Anyways, Horny was assisted by Shea Weber and Ryan Suter.
• When it seemed like the Preds would lose their third straight game 3-2, Sergei Kostitsyn tied the game with 12.4 seconds left in regulation on the Predators’ PP. Fans were not only shocked by the tie, they were equally as shocked by the fact it was SK74 who scored. Sergei was assisted by Martin Erat and Ryan Suter, sending the game into OT.
• At 1:45, Colin Wilson scored the winning OT goal to seal the win for the Predators; their first win since playing the Canucks. Wilson was assisted by the one and only Martin Erat.
• The Predators were only out shot by the Blue Jackets 22 to 24, but the majority of those shots were taken during the 3rd. We all know shooting is an issue with the Predators, but about 96% of the time, it helps tremendously. There were also only two penalties for both teams, with only one being an actual PP. The Blue Jackets failed to score on their given PP, but the Predators used theirs successfully. Here is the one guy who ended up in the box for the Preds:

1. Francis Bouillon – 16:04 1st Period – Fighting (5 minutes)
2. Francis Bouillon – 15:52 3rd Period – Hooking

Again, nasty game; awesome win. One of the many reasons we love hockey, of course. Hopefully, the Predators will keep the high from this win and destroy the Ducks on Saturday at home. The Predators head home either tonight or tomorrow and prepare themselves to welcome the Ducks back to Nashville Saturday at 7PM CST. We look forward to a good duck roast two days from now.

Oh, and to leave you with some SMH (Smack My Head) commentary, here’s what ESPN had to say about the Predators win against the Blue Jackets…

Oh, ESPN! You’re the major sports network in the U.S. (oh heck, the whole darn world!) How on Earth do you always seem to screw up with the Predators, let alone practically all of hockey that does not involve Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin? Not sure if the headline gaff is still on their site, but here’s the link to where our good friend Justin Bradford saw this jewel.

GO PREDS.