Pekka Rinne hits the ice after sitting a night on the scratched list.
KEY POINTS:
- Jordin Tootoo managed to avoid the scratched list Thursday night, but a few other guys weren’t as lucky. Craig Smith, Colin Wilson, Brian McGrattan, Matt Halischuk, Jack Hillen, and Ryan Ellis topped out the scratched list on Fan Appreciation Night.
- With the first two periods proving scoreless, it was Francis Bouillon who finally got the ball rolling at 4:28 of the 3rd Period, sealing his 4th goal of the season. Patric Hornqvist (16th assist) and Andrei Kostitsyn (19th assist) picked up the assists on Frankie’s goal.
- Patric Hornqvist would put the Predators up by 2 at 18:00 in the third for his 26th goal of the season. Brandon Yip (4th assist) and Mike Fisher (27th assist) picked up the assists on Horny’s 26th goal.
- The Stars pushed the limit during the 3rd period after Frankie’s goal, but it was Pekka’s keen eye that gave the Predators their 5th shutout of the season. The Predators out-shot the Stars 31 to 28, something that normally doesn’t happen for the Predators.
- Like Tuesday, penalties plagued the Predators and caused a bit of lag for the team. Four penalties compared to Dallas’s two could have ended badly for Nashville, but thankfully, Dallas was unable to slip one passed the Finnish Phenom. Here are the four offenders:
- Bradon Yip – 2:44 1st Period – Interference
- Hal Gill – 12:39 2nd Period – Interference
- Andrei Kostitsyn – 9:52 3rd Period – Tripping
- Mike Fisher – 19:05 3rd Period – Delaying Game – Puck Over Glass
On another good note to go along with the shutout, Detroit lost to the New Jersey Devils Thursday night, bumping the Predators back into the 4th playoff position. With Detroit’s loss, the Predators are now guaranteed no worse than 5th position. However, it will be up to Chicago on Saturday to decide if the Predators will keep 4th position and home ice advantage.
So, if you didn’t get one of the jerseys off of the players’ backs, don’t worry – No one else we know did either. But what a great way to end the regular season at home with a shutout.
The Predators are off to Denver to take on the Colorado Avalanche for the last game of the regular season. The puck drops at 8PM CT.
Until then,
GO PREDS
(Photo credit: John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)
Lady Preds 