Tag: Wings

The Shutouts Continue; Preds Fall to Canucks 1-0, Wings 4-0

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Source: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Yikes. The past two days have been brutal on the Predators; heck, this whole week has. Back-to-back games Monday and Tuesday and back-to-back games Friday and tonight. The Predators fell to Colorado five to six on Monday and barely snuck by Detroit 4-3 in OT on Tuesday. Last night’s game against Vancouver was a heartbreaker with the Canucks nabbing a goal late in the third period to seal the 1-0 victory. And tonight… Well, the Predators just weren’t offensively on ball to get any goals tonight and Peks, who is fighting the flu, just wasn’t at his best tonight.

Normally, we have a the game summarized in bullet points (we like to keep it plan and simple). But tonight, we are going to keep it short and simple, rather.

For Nashville, this has to be disheartening. Five shutouts in only nineteen games when the team was only shutout three times during a full season last year.

The Predators did just about everything right tonight, they took to the net, out-shot the Red Wings in the first two periods (tied with nine shots in the third), found some offensive initiative, but Jimmy Howard had what we’d like to call a “Pekka” night. He was everywhere the Predators needed to be and then some. Those games happen and unfortunately, they will happen to the Predators.

But you will have to agree, no matter how much we’d rather not talk down the team, tonight’s game was just plain lousy.

Injury update: Hal Gill was deemed unworthy to return to the game tonight before the third period, sustaining a lower-body injury.

Like I said, keeping it short and simple tonight. All that must be said is if the Predators want to see the playoffs this season, the cannot afford to have another two-in-a-row shutouts. With this shortened season, Nashville will have to be more prepared for back-to-back games. The Predators will actually see another back-to-back with both the Canucks and Red Wings on April 14th and 15th.

Nashville flies back home tonight with disheveled dreams and will take on the Dallas Stars on Monday at Bridgestone Arena. Maybe a nice Sunday off will clear the team’s heads and power back onto the Road to the Stanley Cup.

Until then,
GO PREDS

Predators Advance to Next Round, Eliminate Detroit 2-1

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The Predators exit the bench after eliminating the Detroit Red Wings.

The Nashville Predators and the Detroit Red Wings faced off in Game 5 last night in Smashville, with the Red Wings hanging at the mercy of the Predators in what could have been their final game in the playoffs. The Predators took Game 1  with ease, lost Game 2 at home, then pummeled the Wings back-to-back in the Joe. With Nashville holding the series 3-1, Detroit needed a “Pittsburgh/Vancouver” miracle to keep the series going, but Nashville was already looking forward to Round 2. Here are the highlights from last night’s history making game:

"All Night Long"

KEY POINTS:

  • Although day-to-day at this point, Hal Gill placed it safe and sat out yet again on the scratched list. Colin Wilson, Brian McGrattan, Chet Pickard, Jack Hillen, Matt Halischuk, and Jordin Tootoo topped out the scratched list. After making a good impression in Detroit, Ryan Ellis got another chance at playoff time, along with Craig Smith.
  • After expressing much frustration, Alexander Radulov finally sealed a playoff goal at 16:10 in the 1st Period, thanks to a nice pick from David Legwand. Leggy’s 2nd assist was the only one on Rad’s first playoff goal.
  • The 2nd Period belonged solely to the Red Wings, with Jiri Hudler slipping a backhander passed Pekka Rinne at 13:45. Hudler’s goal was his second of the playoffs.
  • After helping Radulov seal his first goal, David Legwand reminded Detroit of how well he plays against them by scoring his 2nd playoff goal just 13 seconds into the 3rd Period. Gabriel Bourque (1st assist) and Alexander Radulov (4th assist) picked up the assists on Leggy’s goal. With this goal, David Legwand has clinched the 1st Round game-winning goal two years in a row.
  • Although Leggy scored only seconds into the third period, giving Detroit plenty of opportunities to tie or even surpass the Predators, Nashville’s extraordinary defense held the desperate Red Wings back, sealing the series in Nashville’s favor and sending Detroit into an early retirement.
  • Although the Predators do better when out-shot, the Predators surpassed the Red Wings in shots on goal 25 to 22, with Pekka blocking all but one. Detroit attempted to stay under the Predators on shots, only surpassing them in the 3rd Period 8 to 7. If there was an MVP per Round, it’s clear Pekka Rinne would be the winner, hands down. Detroit had many a chance to take the lead and perhaps take the series, but Pekka Rinne and Nashville’s defense (A.K.A. Kevin Klein) thwarted any chance for advancement for the Red Wings.
  • The Predators only faced two of five penalties, with neither team able to score on the given power plays. Here are the two penalty offenders of Game 5 for Nashville:
  1. Mike Fisher – 31 seconds 1st Period – Interference
  2. Brandon Yip – 18:26 1st Period – Goalkeeper Interference

Reaching an outstanding 112 decibels, it was clear the fans were happy with the end result last night in the Bridgestone Arena as the Nashville Predators knocked off the Detroit Red Wings in the Quarterfinal Round of the 2012 NHL Playoffs. This is the third time in the past sixteen post-seasons the Detroit Red Wings have failed to reach the second round of the playoffs, even more reason for the Predators to celebrate.

As they say, third time’s the charm, as this is the third meeting between these two teams during the post-season, with Detroit knocking out Nashville in both 2004 and 2008. Last night was little brother’s turn to finally surpass big brother and how sweet it was.

The Predators will now take a nice hiatus while the rest of the league continues to knock one another out, but Nashville will ultimately face the winner of the Chicago/Phoenix game.

Until then,
GO PREDS.

(Photo courtesy of John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)

GO PREDS

Predators take the Joe 3-1 despite being Out-Shot 41 to 17

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Pekka Rinne blocks 40 of 41 shots on goal against Detroit.

The Nashville Predators had already claimed one victory in the Joe Louis Arena on Sunday, their first post-season win in Detroit in franchise history, meaning the Detroit Red Wings would come out swinging in the next round. However, Nashville had a relatively good season against the Red Wings in Detroit, so the pesky Predators weren’t just going hand the Wings the victory without a price. Here are the highlights from last night’s game in the Detroit/Nashville series:

KEY POINTS:

  • Jordin Tootoo, Hal Gill, Colin Wilson, Brian McGrattan, Jack Hillen, and Chet Pickard were the scratches for the night, giving Ryan Ellis another chance at playoff hockey. Along with Ellis returned Matt Halischuk, who was feared to have broken a few ribs against Detroit on Friday night.
  • Both the first and second periods proved goal-less, but that doesn’t mean neither team was given prime scoring chances. Thanks to a stellar performance from the Finnish phenom, Pekka blocked 11 shots during the first (Nashville only shot 7) and 17 in the second (Nashville only got 3 shots).
  • After David Legwand’s first goal was waved off due to an “intent to blow the whistle” call, Gabriel Bourque made sure his goal was seen around the arena at 1:55 into the third period. Bourque’s snap shot passed Jimmy Howard was his third of the playoffs and Alexander Radulov (3rd assist) picked up the lone assist on the goal.
  • Jiri Hudler would score a few minutes later on the power play at 3:14 with a tip-in passed Pekka Rinne, his first goal of the post season.
  • Kevin Klein would shine yet again against Detroit, sinking his 2nd post season goal at 6:25. Klein’s wrist shot was assisted by Martin Erat (2nd assist) and Mike Fisher (2nd assist). While the Detroit line followed Martin Erat, Kevin Klein was left wide open, cleaning tapping the puck into the net while Jimmy Howard and the rest of the team tried desperately to adjust.
  • Nashville would hold off Detroit until 19:21 when David Legwand made certain Detroit acknowledged his goal. Leggy was unassisted on his tip-in goal.
  • As stated in the headline, Nashville was out-shot 41 to 17 overall, but if you’ve followed the Predators at all this past season, you’ll agree this isn’t surprising that Nashville was able to pull out the win. During this series, Nashville has been out-shot all but once, and that was last Friday when they lost. It’s clear Nashville does much better when they aren’t constantly taking shot after shot, despite the fan base wishing they would.
  • The Predators were plaque with penalties, yet again, but only allowed one power play goal out of seven chances for the Red Wings. Nashville was only given three power play chances, with David Legwand capitalizing on the last one. Though the refs seemed to favor Detroit, it was clear the penalties called for both teams were over the top. Here are the seven penalty offenders:
  1. Roman Josi – 7:38 1st Period – Interference
  2. Alexander Radulov – 12:18 1st Period – Tripping
  3. Roman Josi – 14:27 1st Period – Cross Checking
  4. Francis Bouillon – 14:01 2nd Period – Hooking
  5. Andrei Kostitsyn – 2:44 3rd Period – Too Many Men/Ice
  6. Andrei Kostitsyn – 7:15 3rd Period – Interference
  7. Matt Halischuk – 13:41 3rd Period – Interference

If there is one thing Detroit needs to realize, it’s that Nashville does better both on the road and when out-shot. After last night’s game, we’re pretty sure the team has come to that realization. With this win in Detroit, Nashville has now pushed themselves up 3-1 on the series, meaning one more win and they clinch the series. The Predators returned home last night at 12:45AM to a sea of adoring fans, who stood out in the cold and rain to welcome their boys home. The Predators could end the series with a win on Friday in Nashville, so be prepared for both teams to come out with passion.

Until then,
GO PREDS.

(Photo courtesy of Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Nashville finds Strength in Detroit; Predators Win 3-2

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Take that, Klein haters!

Game 3 of the Detroit/Nashville series started bright and early today with the puck dropping at 11AM; the first game scheduled for the day.

Nashville struggled Friday night on home ice, losing to Detroit 3-2 in regulation and tying the series 1-1. With two games down in Nashville, it was time for the Predators to head north to the Motor City to throw-down in the Joe. However, the Predators last visit in Detroit bounced in their favor, wiping out the Red Wings 4-1. Needless to say, the Predators aren’t afraid of Detroit and its fans, but would it be enough to erase the power play issues from Friday? Here are the highlights from today’s game in Detroit:

KEY POINTS:

  • Colin Wilson, Craig Smith, Jack Hillen, Chet Pickard, Brian McGrattan, and Hal Gill rounded up the scratched list for Game 3, but one surprise was the scratch of Matt Halischuk. In replace of Hali, Jordin Tootoo hit the ice, along with rookie Ryan Ellis.
  • Good thing Shea Weber feeds positively off of negativity, for he sealed the first goal of the game at 2:48 on the power play for his 2nd goal of the playoffs. Every time Weber’s stick would touch the puck, a cascade of “boos” would float amongst the crowd, but Weber quickly silenced them. Andrei Kostitsyn (1st assist) and Alexander Radulov (2nd assist) picked up the assists on Weber’s silencer.
  • Kevin Klein would pick up a goal of his own at 3:50 in the 2nd Period, his first of the playoffs after scoring only four during the season. Martin Erat picked up his first assist of the playoffs, also the first point acquired by the top line of SK74-Marty-Fisher.
  • Pavel Datsyuk would finally get Detroit’s ball rolling at 15:03 with a wrap-around goal passed Pekka Rinne. This was Datsyuk’s first goal of the playoffs.
  • Johan Franzen stopped the hearts of millions watching when he was able to slip the puck by Pekka Rinne, essentially tying the game with under a second left in the 2nd Period. The goal was reviewed and it was clear the clock had run out just milliseconds before passing Pekka, rendering it no good. Whew!
  • Sergei Kostitsyn would sink the third goal for the Predators at 16:30 with a clean snap shot passed Jimmy Howard. Mike Fisher picked up his first assist and point of the playoffs along with Kevin Klein (1st assist) on SK74’s first goal of the playoffs.
  • Henrik Zetterberg would leave fans biting their nails at 19:06 when he was able to put the Red Wings within one of tying the game with Nashville on the power play, but the Predators defense would prove impenetrable, holding the Wings at bay until the final horn sounded to end the game.
  • Call this the Series of the Penalties! Twelve penalties in all, with six penalties for each team, giving both Detroit and Nashville equal power play opportunities. Unlike Friday, Nashville was finally able to snag a power play goal, but Detroit was able to snag one as well. Pointless penalty of the day came from Jordin Tootoo, who was called for roughing after pushing on Henrik Zetterberg. If you’re going to take a penalty, at least get a few swings in first! Here are the other Predators who took some time to reflect in the box:
  1.  David Legwand – 12:53 1st Period – Tripping
  2. Jordin Tootoo – 1:21 2nd Period – Roughing
  3. David Legwand (served by Patric Hornqvist) – 14:33 2nd Period – Interference
  4. Mike Fisher – 17:46 2nd Period – Roughing
  5. Sergei Kostitsyn – 19:49 2nd Period – Hi-Sticking
  6. David Legwand – 18:23 3rd Period – Holding
  • Pekka Rinne blew Detroit away in usual fashion, blocking 41 of 43 shots on goal. Nashville lacked on the shots on net, only attempting 22, but the accuracy was much better and Howard just wasn’t expecting to be taken out on his own ice.
  • Kevin Klein stepped up today, gaining an assist and a goal, only his 2nd playoff goal of his career. Both Kostitsyn brothers picked up points, with Andrei gaining an assist and Sergei collecting a goal. The top line all finally found a groove, with Fisher and Erat both gaining assists and, again, SK74 with a goal. 
The Predators came out swinging in the first period, but the second and third periods left us biting our nails down to the quick. However, a win’s a win and we will take it, especially when it is up in Motown. This win was actually Nashville’s first post-season win in Detroit in franchise history. As “Not Paul Gaustad” said on Twitter:

Follow @PaulsStick on Twitter

The Predators stay in Detroit until Tuesday, taking on the sea of Red at 6:30PM. Although the defense has been doing pretty well thus far, if Hal Gill can return by Tuesday, we believe there’s no stopping Nashville from taking this series.

Until then,
GO PREDS.

(Photo credit: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Penalties Eat Away at Game 1, Predators snag Win 3-2

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Alexander Radulov prepares during pre-game practice.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year…” – No, it’s not Christmas; It’s NHL Playoff time! The Nashville Predators hosted the Detroit Red Wings to Game 1 at the Bridgestone Arena last night in the heart of Smashville amongst a sea of pure gold. For the first game of Round 1 set on the schedule, a lot of eyes were on Nashville and it’s arena. It was clear that the “Keep the Red Out” memo got around town, for there were only a handful a Wings fans floating amongst the gold and blue.

For the first time in franchise history, the Predators topped the Red Wings in points, thus giving Nashville home ice advantage. This isn’t, however, the first time Nashville and Detroit have faced one another in the first round of the playoffs. Nashville and Detroit met in both 2004 and 2008, but Detroit powered through both times, ending the Predators from the get-go. This year is different. Nashville has been predicted over Detroit in almost all circumstances, and for once, the Red Wings find themselves on the underdog side of the fence.

KEY POINTS:

  • Ryan Ellis, Brian McGrattan, Colin Wilson, Craig Smith, Jordin Tootoo, and Jeremy Smith (called up from Milwaukee to back up Peks in case Lindback was still iffy) topped out the scratched list for Game 1. However, one name that surprised many fans was leading penalty killer, Hal Gill. Gill was expected to be scratched and due to that fact, the rest of the defense would have to step up.
  • Paul Gaustad sent the crowd in an uproar at 6:59, his first goal of the playoffs and as a Nashville Predator. Brandon Yip (1st assist) and Francis Bouillon (1st assist) picked up assists on Goose’s goal.
  • Detroit’s Darren Helm left the game during the 1st Period after sustaining an injury after coming in contact with Alexander Radulov. Helm knocked Radulov to the ice, and, in a freak accident, Radulov’s skate flew up and slashed Helm across the arm. Helm left the ice immediately and would end up not returning the rest of the game. Helm’s gash across his arm was deemed surgery worthy, as Radulov’s skate hit some major tendons. Helm’s playoff run is more than likely over for now.
  • Henrik Zetterberg would tie the game at one with a wrist shot passed Pekka Rinne at 2:29 of the 2nd Period on the power play, his first goal of the playoffs.
  • Gabriel Bourque would put the Predators up 2-1 ten minutes later at 12:29 for his 1st goal of the playoffs. Matt Halischuk, who was originally awarded the goal, picked up the assist.
  • Gabriel Bourque would nail his second goal of the night at 11:35 of the 3rd Period, putting the Predators up 3-1 over the Red Wings. Nick Spaling (1st assist) and Patric Hornqvist (1st assist) picked up the assists.
  • Tomas Holmstrom would give Detroit its second goal of the night at 17:53 with Detroit’s second power play goal, but the Predators would run the clock down, sealing the win in their favor 3-2.
  • Although the First Star of the Game was awarded to Gabriel Bourque, Pekka Rinne shined through out the game, blocking 35 of 37 shots on goal, including this one that got him the #2 spot on ESPN’s Top 10:

    Isn’t that chanting of “Pekka” just music to your ears?
  • As stated in the headline, penalties plagued the entire game, with a total of 17 penalties called amongst both teams. Many would say the refs were being extra cautious due to the fact the Big Wigs like Gary Bettman was there, but best believe there won’t be nearly as many penalties on Friday night. The Predators faced ten penalties in Game 1 alone, with Detroit scoring their two goals on two of them. Here are the ten penalty box bummers:
  1.  Brandon Yip – 1:59 1st Period – Roughing
  2. Gabriel Bourque – 8:50 1st Period – Boarding
  3. Roman Josi – 1:10 2nd Period – Cross Checking
  4. Martin Erat – 13:50 2nd Period – Roughing
  5. Patric Hornqvist – 19:54 2nd Period – Hi-Sticking
  6. Roman Josi – 5:06 3rd Period – Hooking
  7. Jack Hillen – 14:52 3rd Period – Interference
  8. Ryan Suter – 16:08 3rd Period – Slashing
  9. Martin Erat – 19:37 3rd Period – Holding
  10. Shea Weber – 20:00 3rd Period – Roughing
  • See that last penalty? If you saw or read any of the highlights from last night, the biggest story was not of the Predators winning or Pekka Rinne’s amazing blocks, but of an incident between Shea Weber and Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg. After the whistle had blown, Shea Weber grabbed Zetterberg’s head and slammed it into the glass, thus putting him the box for the remaining seconds. Wings fans called for suspension, but instead the league fined Shea $2,500, which is A-Okay with us. Of course, Weber better be on his best behavior, for the league probably won’t be as lenient if he were to do something of the sort again. However, the league also has a more level head than fans. Brendan Shanahan, the head of disciplinary actions (who is also a former Red Wing), chose to fine Weber instead of suspending him, clearly since Zetterberg was not injury by the hit. Yes, Weber was in the wrong, but Shanahan is aware that Weber is in no way a malicious player and would not have done this without being provoked. You can clearly see where Zetterberg provoked Shea in this video:

Game 1 is in the books and favored the Predators 3-2, but Friday looms quickly and the Red Wings tempers are rising. Friday will prove to be a little more difficult for the Predators, even if they are at home. Detroit doesn’t want to get swept, and we doubt the will, but they also known that Nashville is clearly the favored team in this match up.

The puck drops thirty minutes early tomorrow, starting at 6:30 rather than 7PM. Be prepared to lose your voice, Preds fans. We’re going to run this town.

Until then,
GO PREDS.

(Photo courtesy of Kristen Jerkins Photography)