Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
After being severely outshot 19-7 in the first period, the Nashville Predators righted the ship in the second and scored two goals in the third before winning it in overtime 4-3 against a offensively-powered San Jose Sharks team.
Getting amazing goaltending yet again from Pekka Rinne, Nashville moves up to 7-4-2 on the season, 3 points behind division leader Chicago.
Special Teams:
Powerplay – 1 for 3, 33%
Penalty Kill – 3 for 4, 75%
Best Play of the Game: In what can only be described as a “Football-esque” reverse, Legwand came straight across the ice in the San Jose zone, gave it to a crossing Bouillon, who put it on net, where it was subsequently tipped into the net by the aforementioned Legwand. Legwand to Bouillon to Legwand wins the game in overtime, 4-3.
Worst Play of the Game: During a powerplay for the Sharks, mass confusion in front of Pekka Rinne allows Martin Havlat to find the puck and roof it over Rinne to give the Sharks a 2-1 lead, midway in the second period.
My Three Stars:
#1: - David Legwand – 2 goals on the night, including the game winner, Legwand is absolutely deserving of the first star
#2: - Logan Couture – 1 goal and 2 assists. If Legwand doesn’t get the game winner, Couture gets the first star hands down
#3: - Patric Hornqvist – 1 goal and 1 assist. Hornqvist extends his goal scoring streak to 5 games now.
———————————
A slow start can be the only way to describe the Nashville Predators coming into the first period against the San Jose Sharks. Amazingly, it was still 0-0 after 20 minutes, with Nashville being outshot 19-7. However, coming out into the second period was a different story.
David Legwand got the Predators on the board 1:02 into the second, but the wheels seemed to fall off from there. With Pavelski tieing up the game 4 minutes in and the Predators taking undisciplined penalties later on, the Sharks took the lead at 9:50 from a powerplay goal by Martin Havlat.
The third period didn’t start so well either. San Jose made it a two-goal lead 0:52 into the third with Logan Couture benefiting from a strange bounce off the back boards. However, Nashville didn’t quit. 2 goals in 3 minutes tied up the game from the Predators with Patric Hornqvist scoring at 2:57 and Ryan Suter scoring at 5:58 on the powerplay.
After a little back and forth with Nashville primarily holding the offensive advantage in the entire period, San Jose took charge late in the third including getting a late powerplay with only 1:04 left in regulation. Nashville was able to kill off the penalty in overtime, not without Smithson taking a key block off his wrist with seconds ticking down in the third, and scored a little under 2 minutes later to collect their 9th point out of a possible 10 in their past 5 games.
Stay tuned to The Predatorial on Tuesday morning for the gameday preview of the Los Angeles game!
———————————
Stay frosty, friends.
