Desperate.

No tomorrow.

Pick whatever cliche that you want, this is where the Predators find themselves against the Phoenix Coyotes. The task before them is monumental as they had to win a game at Jobing.com Arena in front of an amped up crowd of Coyote faithful.

The Predators task was simple. Play every shift all out. Play each period for a full 20 minutes. Play Predator hockey.

Once again, Pekka Rinne would duel with Mike Smith, but more importantly for the Predators, the team in front of Rinne had to outplay their Coyote counterparts.

The first period saw both teams play with good jump and both goalies made some good saves. The Predators got the only power play of the period, but could not convert. Both teams were excellent on the forecheck, disrupting the offensive flow. The Predators did a good job of fighting through the forecheck and creating chances, but could not solve Smith. For the period, the Predators out shot the Coyotes 10-5.

This was the kind of period that the Predators had to play in this contest, but for them to be successful, they were going to have to finish some of their chances.

Phoenix nearly scored early in the second off a Shane Doan breakaway that Rinne turned aside with his pads. The Coyotes were pressing the Predators and they capitalized off a shot from the blue line by Derek Morris at 3:54. Rinne was screened in front and the shot appeared to re-directed by Rinne.

Roman Josi was called for interference 4:19 of the second, and the Predators PK was going to have to come up big to keep the game in hand. The Coyotes power play was short circuited by Martin Hanzal as he was called for hooking and the teams skated 4 on 4 for the next 1:27.

In the abbreviated power play, the Predators had some great chances around the Coyotes net, but could not cash in as the puck bounced over the stick of an open Alexander Radulov at the side of the net.

The Predators kept the pressure on the Coyotes , and on the power play, a Shea Weber bomb beat Smith but clanged off the post. The Predators had done everything but score so far in this game.

The Coyotes extended the lead to 2-0 as Martin Hanzal scored on a shot through traffic that Rinne never saw. The score came at 15:09 of the second period, and now the hill was getting incredibly steep for the Predators.

Although the offensive push by the Predators was good, they could not get a puck past Smith. The scoring chances for the Predators saw them unable to finish. Part was just bad puck luck, but much credit had to go to the Coyotes, who were clogging up the prime scoring areas in front of Smith and preventing the Predators from getting to loose pucks.

The Predators out shot the Coyotes 12-7 in the second, but staring a ta 2-0 deficit, the season was coming down to to the final 20 minutes. The Predators had to figure out a way to get a puck past Smith or the season was going to come to a quick end.

You could not fault the effort by the Predators in the third period. They were throwing everything they could at Smith and the Coyotes, but just could not get a puck in the net. They were controlling play in the offensive zone, but the old bugaboo of not being able to finish scoring chances was once again biting this team in the ass.

The Predators finally solved Smith at 14:01 of the third as David Legwand sent a perfect pass from the half boards to Colin Wilson as he was driving the net. Wilson got his stick on the puck and tipped it over the shoulder of Smith to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Predators had life, but the clock was quickly becoming the enemy of the Predators.

Despite a final furious flurry by the Predators, they could not score the game tying goal and fell to the Coyotes 2-1 to end their season.

The Predators effort was solid, but the lack of a scorer that could finish them doomed them in this contest and in this series. Credit has to go to the Coyotes for the solid team game they played in this game and in this series. In a contest between two teams that were fairly evenly matched, they took advantage of the mistakes the Predators made and punished us for them. From start to finish, the Coyotes were the more solid team, and deserved the series.

For the Predators, this is a disappointment. To win this series and compete for the Cup, they had to have their best players be the best. Unfortunately, they were not.

This leaves an off season of questions about the roster and how to get this team over the hump so they can win a tough series.

There will be plenty of time now to ponder those questions.

To say their backs are against the wall is an understatement.

The Predators offense was ineffective and rarely threatened Phoenix netminder Mike Smith. When they did threaten, Smith was equal to the task

The Coyotes Shane Doan scored at 14:25 of the first period as he went into the slot and fired a shot at Rinne that he got with his blocker, but it flipped over his shoulder, off Roman Josi, and into the net. for the only goal of the game.

The Phoenix defense made that goal stand up as they forechecked the life out of the Predators, rarely letting them come through the neutral zone with any speed, and one the Predators got into the offensive zone, choked the life out of them.

The Predators struggled to get any offensive rhythm because of the pressure the Coyotes put on the puck and throughout the game had more energy and jump than the Predators.

The offensive effort was disappointing to say the least, but give credit to the Coyotes for their play, because they ere better than the Predators tonight.

And therein lies the problem for the Predators. Their best offensive players were average and failed to create quality chances. It’s telling that Colin Wilson, Marty Erat, Gabriel Bourque, and nick spaling all mustered just one shot on goal each. Jordin Tootoo, Sergei Kostitsyn, Matt Halischuk, and Paul Gaustad had none.

The Predators were 0-3 on the power play, as the Coyotes did a good job pressuring the puck and not letting the Predators get quality chances on Smith. The Predators did score on a power play late in the third period, but the goal was waved off as the officials struck with the dreaded “intent to blow” call.

The fact is that the Predators were outplayed throughout the contest. Rinne was exceptional, especially in the first period , stoning Mikkel Boedker alone in front of the net on one sequence. Frankly, without the strong play of Rinne, who seemed to be the only Predator ready to play, the score could have been much worse.

The Predators sat Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn for the second straight game after their curfew violations before game 3. While many may second guess that decision, I concur with the call made by Head Coach Barry Trotz. The Predators squad on the ice tonight was the same one that played a dominant game 4 an captured a 2-0 victory. That squad that was so effective in game 4 did not come to play tonight.

The Predators have dug an immense hole. The task before them is monumental.

It is not insurmountable.

It will require each player that puts on the sweater Monday night to commit to win puck battles, to play balls to the wall on every shift.

Do that, and the series will come back to Nashville.

Fail to do so, and your backs will no longer be against the wall.

They will be out of the playoffs.

My three stars:

1: Mike Smith

2. Shane Doan

3. Pekka Rinne

The Predators scored 2 first period goals, and the strong goaltending of Pekka Rinne made those two markers stand up as Rinne recorded his first playoff shutout.

The Predators opened the scoring at 8:10 of the first period on a gift from Coyotes netminder Mike Smith. Smith went to play the puck behind the net and slid the puck toward a Coyotes defenseman.Gabriel Bourque was in hard on the forecheck and wrestled the puck away and passed to David Legwand in the slot. Legwand buried the puck past Smith, who was scrambling to get back in his crease to give the Predators a 1-0 lead and send the partisan crowd into a frenzy.

Just 66 seconds later, Marty Erat fought for the puck along the boards in the Coyote zone and won the puck battle. He got the puck to Sergei Kostitsyn who appeared to have a shot from the inside the face off circle to Smith’s left. He instead passed to Mike Fisher, who was alone at the side of the net, and Fisher chipped the puck over Smith to give the Predators a 2-0 lead at 9:16 of the first period.

Although the Coyotes out shot the Predators 10-8 in the first period, they never really threatened Rinne. The Coyotes did hit a post with one shot, but the Predators did a good job of keeping the front of the net clear and forcing the Coyotes to the outside.

The second period was a scoreless 20 minutes, but it was notable for the Predators aggressive forecheck and their ability to keep the Coyotes back on their heels. The Coyotes possess a group of forwards that can be explosive, but the Predators did a good job of limiting their offensive efforts, keeping the Coyotes on the wall for much of the period. Most of their shots were from the outside and not from the dangerous scoring areas. Although the Coyotes out shot the Predators 12-8 in the second period, the Predators continued to play god defense, blocking shots and forcing the Coyotes to the outside.

In the third period, the Predators continued to forecheck aggressively and put pressure on the Coyotes. Their effort continued to thwart the Coyotes offense and minimize their scoring chances. The Coyotes had a good opportunity to get back into the game as Sergei Kostitsyn was called for hooking at 12:59 and Marty Erat was called for tripping at 14:19. With 41 seconds of a 5 on 3, the Coyotes had a prime opportunity to get back into the game.

Instead, the Predators PK did a good job of getting into the shooting lanes and continued to keep the Coyotes to the outside. When the puck got in on Rinne, he was able to snuff out the scoring chances, and the Predators seized the momentum with an outstanding penalty kill.

The third period ended with Smith out of the net for an extra attacker in the final 2 minutes, but the Coyotes could not generate any serious threats, and as the clock wound down, the Predators had captured a 2-0 win and had energized the team and the fans.

The Predators played this game without Andrei Kostitsyn and Alexander Radulov, who were suspended for this game for a violation of team rules. They are eligible to return for game 4 Friday night.

I do not expect them to play.

The Predators won tonight with grit, determination, and a balls to the wall effort. As Marty Erat said after the game, “We played for 60 minutes and we played with some balls.”

It is going to take that same kind of effort Friday night against a very god Coyotes team. They will not lay down, and they will come back with determination.

To come with any less of an effort will be disappointing for the Predators.

The effort tonight was a total team effort. All lines contributed, and more importantly, everyone wearing a gold sweater played Predator hockey.

One game doesn’t make a series. The Predators trail 2 games to 1.

But the Predators showed tonight that when they play Predator hockey, they are hard to beat.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Mike Fisher

3. David Legwand

Here is the press release from the Predators,

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that forwards Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn will not play Game Three of the team’s Western Conference Semifinals series vs. the Phoenix Coyotes as result of violating team rules.

“The Nashville Predators have a few simple rules centered around doing the right things,” Poile said. “We have always operated with a team-first mentality and philosophy. Violating team rules is not fair to our team and their teammates.”The Predators trail the Coyotes in their semi final series 2-0. Tthe third game of this series is in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena.

While this certainly removes two offensive threats from the Predators line up, I commend GM David Poile and the team for the consistent application of the team rules and not bowing to playoff pressure.

The nature of the violation is unknown at this time. Both Kostitsyn and Radulov are on the ice at the morning practice for the Predators.

The Predators needed to have sense of desperation and intensity in this contest. Going back to Nashville down 2-0 would not bode well for the Predators.

The Predators were once again going to rely on Pekka Rinne in net, while the Coyotes had their stalwart Mike Smith manning the pipes.

Both teams started the game skating well and throwing shots on net, but both goaltenders were able to handle the offensive thrust.

The Coyotes struck first at 8:32 of the first period as Keith Yandle took the puck just outside the right face off circle and found Antoine Vermette streaking to the net. Yandle’s pass across the slot was right on the tape of Vermette’s stick and he had a wide open net in which to deposit the puck. Vermette beat Marty Erat, who was late getting back in coverage and left his man wide open.

Phoenix seized momentum and were peppering Rinne with shots and being much more physical than the Predators. The Predators looked as if they were just holding on and trying to survive the Coyotes pressure and get out of the period.

That changed Kevin Klein took the puck through the neutral zone and went into the Phoenix zone. As Klein was being checked to the ice, he slid a pass to Andrei Kostitsyn. AK46 broke in alone on Smith and buried a forehand to tie the game at 1 at 17:13.

This was a huge goal by the Predators to take back momentum and give them some confidence. Responding as they did shows the fight in this group, and they will need it against the tough Coyotes.

The first period ended tied at 1. The Coyotes out shot the Predators 12-9.

The Coyotes took a 2-1 lead at 3:47 of the second period as Radim Vrbata drove to the net ans was forced wide by the Roman Josi. Vrbata centered the puck from behind the net through the legs of Rinne and onto the stick of Martin Hanzal, who beat Kevin Klein driving to the net. Hanzal had an open net to shoot the puck into as Rinne could not recover after sliding to the post on Vrbata’s drive.

Both Coyotes goals had occurred because the Coyotes beat Predator defenders to the net. This was not the type of hockey that the Predators had typically played, and if they did not correct these mistakes, then this series would end quickly.

The Coyotes stymied the Predators, who had a great flurry in the offensive zone but could not get the puck past Smith. The Coyotes got control of the puck and came in the zone 2 on 2. A shot fluttered over the and the puck came to David Legwand, who inexplicably threw the puck over his own net. Rinne certainly did not expect that, and he was bumped off balance as the puck landed on the tape of Radim Vrbata. Rinne was sprawled on the ice and Vrbata flipped the puck into the top of the net to give the Coyotes a 3-1 lead at 7:05.

There are no words to describe the stupidity of the play by Legwand.

Ray Whitney was called for slashing, and the Predators power play was dominant, controlling the puck for the entire power play in the Phoenix zone. As the power play was winding down, Ryan Suter took a shot from the point and Patric Hornqvist deflected the puck past Smith to make it 3-2 at 11:20.

The Coyotes answered the Predators goal almost immediately as Shane Doan drove down the wing past Roman Josi and put a shot on Rinne that he deflected out into the slot. Taylor Pyatt was able to drive the slot unmolested and he batted the rebound out of mid-air past Rinne to give the Coyotes a 4-2 lead at 11:50.

The inability of the Predators to keep Phoenix from scoring after their tallies was frustrating to say the least. In this game, the Predators defense had been uncharacteristically loose and sloppy, and it had cost them.

Down 4-2 at the end of the period, the Predators were facing a desperate 20 minutes of hockey. They had been out shot 31-24 and had ceded the physical play to the Coyotes. Their defense was woeful to this point, and the hole they had dug was deep.

It would be a blinding flash of the obvious to say that the Predators had to play their best 20 minutes of the season to have a chance to win this game.

The Predators started the third period 4 on 4, but quickly got a power play. With the Predators moving the puck, Ryan Suter got open and blasted a shot off the shoulder of Smith and into the net just 53 seconds into the period.

THAT was certainly the start the Predators needed.

Now they had to play solid defense and play their style of hockey.

That didn’t happen. The Coyotes once again answered the Predators goal as Derek Morris took a shot that was re-directed by Shane Doan to make it 5-3 Coyotes at 3:36. The play was set up by a clean face off win in the Predators zone by Antoine Vermette.

The Predators inability to keep the Coyotes from scoring when they get close is a matter of desire, in my opinion, and effort. To this point in the series, the Coyotes have outworked the Predators and their effort has been rewarded with goals.

As much as the Predators needed offensive push to get back into this game, they were thwarted by the forecheck and the work of the Coyotes. The pressure the Coyotes put on the Predators suffocated any offense the Predators tried to generate. After the initial goal to open the period, the Predators rarely pressured Smith, and appeared to be completely knocked out of kilter by the Coyotes forecheck.

Pekka Rinne was pulled with 2:13 to go in the game, and even with the extra attacker, the Predators were still being outworked by the Coyotes and could not set up their offense. The Coyotes beat Predators to the puck and out manned the Predators on the puck. There was absolutely no offensive flow at all from the Predators.

David Legwand took a penalty with 46 seconds remaining and Boyd Gordon took a coincidental high sticking penalty. Nashville now had a 5 on 4 with Rinne pulled, and still the Predators could not get their offense going.

The Predators could not threaten Smith, much less score, and the game ended with Coyotes dominating the Predators and the scoreboard 5-3.

This game was particularly disappointing for the Predators, as their defense was horrific. The guys in front of Pekka Rinne owe him a big apology for their sloppy play.

Also disappointing is the fact that throughout the game, the Predators were outworked. The Coyotes forecheck dominated the Predators and they had no answer. The Predators have long prided themselves on their work ethic, and tonight, the Coyotes showed the Predators what a real work ethic looks like.

Having dug a 2-0 hole, the Predators now face a gut check. They can come back to Nashville and play Predator hockey and make a commitment to outwork the Coyotes. If they do, they can capture the games on home ice in front of their raucous crowd.

If they do not, then the Predators are looking at embarrassingly getting swept with this kind of play.

The choice is yours, boys.

My three stars:

1. Radim Vrbata

2. Antoine Vermette

3. Ryan Suter

Phoenix was dominated in the third period and in the OT session, but managed to get a puck past Nashville goaltender for the game winner at 14:04 as Ray Whitney slipped a puck in on the backhand for the winner.

How did we get here?

As expected, special teams would play a critical role in the outcome of the game.

Phoenix tallied first in the first period as Radim Vrbata would launch a puck at Rinne that hit his shoulder and caromed under the crossbar to give the Coyotes a 1-0 lead at 7:23. Kevin Klein had put the Predators down a man when he turned the puck over at the Predators blue line and was guilty of tripping to prevent a breakaway. The potent Coyote power play went to work and made the Predators pay for their transgression.

The Predators tied the game up at 1 on a goal that was a fluke. Francis Bouillon dumped the puck into the Phoenix zone, and it appeared that it was going around the glass and behind the net. Phoenix netminder Mike Smith went behind his goal to play the puck, but the puck ricocheted off the glass and back to the slot, where Brandon Yip gathered in the puck and slapped it into the open net at 14:09 of the first period.

In the second period, the Coyotes took a 2-1 lead as Rusty Klesla was able to bury a shot off a puck that was blocked by Roman Josi. Klesla tried to slip the puck across the slot, but it was blocked by a sliding Josi. The puck came right back to Klesla and he had an open net to fire the puck as Rinne had slid across his crease to play the pass. The Coyotes score came at 3:05 of the second period.

Once again, the Predators tied the game as Andrei Kostitsyn corralled a rebound of a Patric Hornqvist shot and slipped the puck past Smith at 11:19 of the second period.

The Coyotes regained the lead at 16:27 of the second period as Mikkel Boedker continued his strong play. Boedker was able to get a puck past Rinne for his third goal of the post season and give the Coyotes a 3-2 lead. Boedker broke in on a 2 on 1 as Andrei Kostitsyn, who had rotated to the blue line for a pinching Francis Bouillon, fell and the Coyotes blue line. Kevin Klein was back on defense, and took away the pass, but Boedker dangled the puck and beat Rinne to the far post.

The third period was all Predators as they out shot the Coyotes 16-1. That offensive pressure finally paid off with Marty Erat tallying on the power play at 15:18. For Erat, this was his first goal of the post season, and it was a result of the pressure that the Predators exerted on Smith and the Coyotes defense. Boyd Gordon was in the box for holding the stick, and the Predators did a good job of moving the puck and were rewarded as Erat was able to tally.

Once again, the Coyotes were heading to overtime, familiar territory for this team. The Predators had a decided territorial advantage, and out shot the Coyotes 9-6, but it was the Coyotes that capitalized as Ray Whitney slid a backhand shot past Rinne for the game winner at 14:04 of the the OT.

For the Predators, this is a disappointing loss. They played well enough to win, but this is a series that will be decided by which team makes the fewest mistakes. Tonight, this was the Coyotes. More importantly, the Coyotes capitalized on the mistakes that the Predators made.

The Coyotes are an opportunistic team, and the Predators gave them the opportunities they needed to win this game. For the Predators, the key to winning game 2 will be eliminating some of the mistakes that victimized them in game 1 and capitalizing on the opportunities they have.

There is no doubt that Mike Smith is a good goalie, but when the Predators put pucks on net and crash, they can create scoring opportunities. They have to do that in game 2, and do it more consistently, to have success.

This will not be an easy series for either team. The first blood was drawn by the Coyotes, as they made the most of their chances.

The Predators put 42 shots on net in this game to 24 for the Coyotes. The difference was that the Coyotes made the most of their chances. The Predators did not.

That has to change for the Predators in game 2.

My three stars:

1. Mike Smith

2. Mikkel Boedker

3. Marty Erat

The Coyotes, winners of the Pacific Division and the third seed, will have home ice advantage over the 4th seed Predators, with the first game of the series on Friday night at Jobing.com Arena.

These two teams are very similar, and this should be a very close series. Let’s examine the key components of this match up:

GOALTENDING

The Predators Pekka Rinne is reasonably considered to be one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL, and his second consecutive Vezina nomination is a testament to his caliber of play. The Coyotes Mike Smith has thrust himself into that conversation with his play this season and in the first round of the playoffs. In the playoffs, a goaltender has to elevate their game if their team is to have a chance to advance, and both netminders have done just that. Rinne finished the regular season with a .923 save %, and after the first round of the playoffs, his save % has increased to .944. Smith finished the regular season with a .930 save %, and that has increased to a .950 save % after the Chicago series. Both goalies are a mirror image of each other: big men that are athletic; track the puck well; and are positionally sound. Both do an excellent job of controlling rebounds. This series may well be decided by which goalie blinks first, and neither have shown a tendency to crack under the pressure their opponents bring. The key for each team will be getting lots of bodies to the net and creating havoc around the crease. Even with this, both Rinne and Smith have shown that they are able to handle this type of pressure.

ADVANTAGE: EVEN

DEFENSE

The Predators are lead by the dynamic duo of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, and they have shown that they are capable of shutting down the other team’s best forwards. The Predators are hoping to get Hal Gill back for this series, and the massive defenseman will be a welcome presence of they can utilize his services. Kevin Klein will look to continue his stellar play from the first round. Rookie Roman Josi has a playoff round under his belt, and that experience will serve him well against the Coyotes. Frankie Buoillon is a solid defender that will log some tough minutes.

While the Coyotes do not have the big name defensemen that the Predators do, they still have some very good talent on the back end. Keith Yandle had 5 points in 6 games against the Blackhawks; Rusty Klesla had 4 points; and the talented Oliver Ekman-Larsson had 3 points. The Coyotes D has the talent to score and are very willing to jump into the play. Derek Morris provides some grit, and Michal Rozsival and Adrian Aucoin add depth and experience.

Yandle, Morris, and Dave Schlemko (who played in game 6 of the Hawks series) were the only three Coyotes defenders that were a positive +/- in the Chicago series. Adrian Aucoin was an even +/-. It will be critical that the Predators forwards challenge the Coyotes defenders for territorial advantage in front of the net.

Look for the Predators defense to exert themselves and make it difficult for the Coyotes forwards to get to the net. Every Predators defenseman was a positive +/- or even in the series with the Wings. The Predators will look to continue to get sound play from the blueliners, and if they do, they should be able to make it difficult for the Coyote forwards to score.

ADVANTAGE: PREDATORS

FORWARDS

Alexander Radulov lead the Predators with 5 points in 5 games against the Wings. Only one of those points came from a goal, and the Predators will need continued offensive contributions from Radulov, especially in finding the back of the net. Surprising rookie Gabriel Bourque led the Predators with 3 goals against the Wings, and this contribution was very welcome. Bourque has been moved to the second line with David Legwand (4 points in the first round) and Radulov, and this line needs to continue to gel and score. The Predators are looking to get their first line of Mike Fisher, Marty Erat, and Sergei Kostitsyn going and finding the back of the net. If they can do this, they will put tremendous pressure on the Coyotes and Smith in net. Once again, the swing factor could be the Predators third line of Nick Spaling, Andrei Kostitsyn, and Patric Hornqvist. This line has the ability and potential to present problems for the Coyotes with their ability to go hard to the net and create scoring chances.

Shane Doan is the heart and soul of the Coyotes, and he will bring maximum effort in every game. The Coyotes are very similar to the Predators in that they get opportunistic scoring from Doan and their forwards. Antoine Vermette has resurrected his career in the desert, as has Gilbert Brule. Mikkel Boedker was a Hawks killer, scoring two OT game winners, and Ray Whitney is a talented and experienced veteran that can create match up problems for the Predators defense.

Looking at both teams, there is a tremendous amount of similarity: good players that can score and have jam to their game. Both groups of forwards do an excellent job of capitalizing on the mistakes of the other team.

This series will be decided by the forwards that capitalize of the infrequent scoring opportunities that they can create.

ADVANTAGE: PREDATORS

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Predators had the number one power play in the NHL’s regular season, but it sputtered in their first round match up, going 2 for 22, a 9.1% success rate. The Coyotes were more successful with the man advantage, going 4 for 19, a 21.1% success rate. It is stating the obvious that for the Predators to have success against the Coyotes, the power play has to improve.

The Predators PK was good but not great against the Wings, giving up 4 power play goals in 23 attempts for an 82.6% success rate. The Coyotes were outstanding on the PK, giving up 1 goal in 19 short handed situations for a 94.7% success rate.

With two evenly matched teams, the play of the special teams can be the deciding factor in this series. The pressure is on the Predators play on special teams to produce in this match up.

ADVANTAGE: COYOTES

COACHING

Both Barry Trotz and Dave Tippet are excellent coaches that get the most out of the players they put on the ice. Trotz has the advantage of taking his team to the second round last season, so this will not be a new experience for Trotz and the staff or the team. Trotz will do a good job of keeping the team focused and on an even keel.

Tippett has done an exceptional job of keeping his team focused on their play in spite of all the off ice distractions that have surrounded the team. The Coyotes respond well to Tippett’s leadership, and he has them playing with confidence. Having home ice advantage and the control of the match ups on the ice works to Tippett’s advantage, and look for him to exploit that to the maximum.

ADVANTAGE: EVEN

INTANGIBLES

The Coyotes are making their first appearance in the second round, and one has to wonder if they will experience an let down after the emotions of winning their first ever playoff series.

The Predators face the weight of the expectations of this team. Trade deadline acquisitions and the return of Radulov have many believing that the Predators are a team that can contend for the Cup. Handling the pressure of those expectations will be critical for the team.

ADVANTAGE: EVEN

So, looking at all these factors, who wins the series?

This will be a hard fought series, and the team that makes the fewest mistakes and can capitalize on their opportunities will emerge victorious. It’s cliche, but your best players have to be your best players in this match up, and I believe the Predators have the best players.

MY PICK: PREDATORS IN 6

For the second straight season, Weber has been nominated for this award, an acknowledgement of the quality and consistency of his game. Weber finished second in the voting last season to Nicklas Lidstrom of Detroit.

Weber was 6th among defensemen in scoring with 49 points (19G-30A). He tied with fellow nominee Erik Karlsson for most gaols by a defenseman. Weber was a team leading +21 and ranked 5th in average ice time with 26:09 per game.

The strength of Weber’s game is that he plays in all situations. His 10 power play goals led all NHL defensemen, and he was third among Predators defensemen in shorthanded time on ice at 2:16 per game (Klein 2:18; Suter 2:20).

Zdeno Chara is a Norris finalist for the fourth time in the past five season. Chara led all NHL defensemen with a +33 rating a nad had 52 points (12G-40A) this season. Chara averaged 25:00 per game in ice time.

Karlsson led all NHL defensemen in scoring with 78 points (19G-59A) and in blocked shots with 261. Karlsson had a +16 rating and averaged 25:19 in ice time.

The award will be presented at the NHL Awards show in Las Vegas on June 20th.

Here are the appearances that each team had in the national prime time spotlight:

Detroit Red Wings 16

New York Rangers 16

Pittsburgh Penguins 16

Boston Bruins 15

Philadelphia Flyers 12

Chicago Blackhawks 12

Washington Capitals 11

Buffalo Sabres 11

Tampa Bay Lightning 11

Minnesota Wild 10

Colorado Avalanche 9

St. Louis Blues 9

L.A. Kings 7

Dallas Stars 7

New Jersey Devils 7

San Jose Sharks 6

Anaheim Ducks 6

Montreal Canadiens 6

Carolina Hurricanes 4

Phoenix Coyotes 4

Vancouver Canucks 2

Toronto Maple Leafs 2

Columbus Blue Jackets 2

Nashville Predators 2

Winnipeg Jets 1

New York Islanders 1

Florida Panthers 1

Ottawa, Edmonton, and Calgary did not have an appearance on a national broadcast in the States.

Notice anything here?

Three of the top four teams in number of appearances are out of the playoffs. Detroit, Boston and Pittsburgh are gone.

Chicago is gone from the playoffs in the first round. Buffalo, Tampa Bay, and Minnesota, all teams with double digit national appearances did not make the playoffs.

And this is a problem.

Not for the fact that these teams are gone from the playoffs- or didn’t even get into the playoffs. No, the problem lies with the parochial nature of the NHL’s television coverage.

It seems that those in charge at NBC think that fans of the game are only interested in watching some teams play. By overexposing some teams, the network is vesting their interest in those particular teams not only making the playoffs, but going deep into the playoffs. The familiarity of those teams to the casual fan will be enough to entice them to watch the coverage the network provides.

There is a concern that with some of the “big name” teams out of the playoffs, viewer interest may wane and there will be fewer eyes on Conference finals or the Stanley Cup Finals.

There is some legitimacy to that concern. Having a team like Nashville in the SCF means that there is a team from the 30th largest U.S. television market, and this obviously means that the viewers in a market like, say New York, will not be as interested as they would be if the Rangers were playing. Every TV in Nashville could be on the game and it would not generate the interest that it would if the local New York team was playing.

Ratings are integral to NBC. They should be.

That fact is undeniable.

Ratings alone should not solely drive the television coverage, though.

Two of the Western Conference semi-finalists combined for 6 national appearances, less than half of the top 4 team, of which 2 have been eliminated. Two of the teams going to a game 7 in the Eastern Conference combined for 1 national appearance.

As a hockey fan, am I to believe that these 4 teams did not play some compelling, interesting, and exciting hockey, especially in the second half of the season as the playoff races were coming into focus? As a fan, was watching a Minnesota or Tampa Bay, well out of the playoffs late in the season, must see hockey?

It would seem that the League,in partnership with NBC, would want to cultivate broad interest in the game. Obviously, that would mean showing the games of the storied franchises. They are good for ratings. It should also mean giving exposure to smaller market teams that are playing good hockey, that have an interesting match up or story line. Those games, too, would be good for ratings and broaden the exposure of the League and its teams. Showing a game that has no bearing on the standings or does not have a compelling story is…boring.

The over exposure of certain teams leaves the network- and the League- vulnerable when those teams are eliminated early, as several have been this playoff season. Vulnerable to suddenly having to generate interest from the casual fan for a team that has had little to no exposure during the course of the regular season.

The serious hockey fan is watching the game even if their team is out of the playoffs.

Broadening the interest in the game from the casual fan involves cultivating interest and story lines in more teams throughout the season, not just in the playoffs.

With the salary cap and parity in the League, the potential for this problem will be with the League for the foreseeable future.

And it needs to change.

Today, Rinne received his second consecutive Vezina nomination, acknowledging the quality of his play.

Joining Rinne as Vezina nominees are Jonathan Quick of the L.A. Kings and Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers.

Rinne lead the NHL in games played with 73 as well as wins, with 43. Rinne was 43-18-8 in the regular season, with 5 shutouts. He finished the year with a .923 save % and a 2.39 GAA. He also lead the NHL in assists by a goaltender, with 5.

Quick accounted for 35 of the Kings 40 wins this season. His record was 35-21-13 with a .929 save % and 1.95 GAA. He lead the NHL with 10 shutouts.

Lundqvist was 39-18-5 with a .930 save% and a 1.97 GAA. He had 8 shutouts during the regular season.

Each goalie was integral to the success of their team and strong case can be made for each to claim the Vezina.

Rinne faced the most shots of any of the nominees (2,153), and often the Predators relied on Rinne to preserve the lead in a low scoring contest.

Quick backstopped the offensively challenged Kings, who were 29th in scoring at 2.29 goals per game. Quick’s 1.95 GAA was the second best in the NHL.

Lundqvist’s 39 wins were a career best, as was his save % and GAA. He is the first goalie to have at least 30 wins in his first 7 seasons in the League.

The winner will be announced at the NHL awards show in Las Vegas on June 20th.

The Predators resident mad scientist, GM David Poile has been very adept at blending all these components into a successful team, not only this season, but throughout the history of the franchise.

This has been acknowledged once again by his peers, the 29 other General Managers in the League, as for the third year in a row, Poile has been nominated as GM of the Year. The award has been in existence for only three years, and this speaks volumes about the job he has done with the Predators, and more so the perception of his fellow General Managers.

Poile has guided the Predators from an expansion franchise to one that is consistently in the playoffs, all in a small market and with a limited budget. Additionally, Poile is the only GM to have served for over 1,000 games for two different teams, having previously served as the GM of the Washington Capitals.

His experience and the hockey lineage in his family (his father, Bud, is in the Hockey Hall of Fame as a Builder) have allowed Poile to maintain a long term perspective about not only the development of the players in Nashville, but the development of the coaching staff as well. Stability has been the hallmark of this franchise, and that characteristic has been vital during some tumultuous stretches in the history of the Predators.

Along with Poile, Dale Tallon of the Florida Panthers and Doug Armstrong of the St. Louis Blues have been nominated. The winner will be announced at the NHL Awards ceremony on June 20th from Las Vegas.

Congratulations to David for the recognition of the work to build an expansion franchise to one that is contending for the Stanley Cup.

Winning this series against the Wings was a big step in the maturation process of the Predators. Ever since the Preds came into the NHL, the Wings have been their measuring stick, the standard against which they measured their performance and their progress. Defeating the Wings in a playoff series is important not only for the fact that the Predators advance to the second round of the playoffs, but important for the psychology of the team, proving that they are measuring up to one of the best teams in the NHL.

Once again, the Predators rode the strong goaltending of Pekka Rinne to the win. Rinne was outstanding, stopping 21 of 22 shots. For the Predators, the play of Rinne was key to winning this series. Rinne had to elevate his game, and he did just that, with a .944 save percentage in the five games.

Detroit was facing elimination and was a desperate team, and they opened the contest with that sense of desperation. They out shot the Predators 6-1 to open the contest, but the Predators responded and got their feet moving and ended the period out shooting the Wings 10-8.

One of those 10 shots found the back of the net. David Legwand battled on the forecheck and won a puck battle behind the net. He backhanded the puck into the slot to Alexander Radulov who fired a quick wrist shot over the shoulder of Detroit netminder Jimmy Howard to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 16:10 of the first period.

The Predators had some scoring chances early in the second period. Craig Smith hit the post. Patric Hornqvist appeared to have an open net, but was stopped by a diving Howard. As it was, the Predators could not get a goal and extend their advantage.

That lead stood up until 13:45 of the second period, when Jiri Hudler took a rebound off the pads of Rinne and slammed home the puck to tie the game at 1.

Going into the third and in a tie game, the Predators had the upper hand in play. They were winning puck battles, limiting the speed of the Wings through the neutral zone, and keeping their offense in check. Yet tied at 1, this game was in the balance, and it had the feel of a game that would go to the team that could get the next goal.

That team would be the Predators, and the ext goal would come just 13 seconds into the third period. David Legwand took a pass from Gabriel Bourque and hammered a shot past Howard to give the Predators a 2-1 lead. Good to see Legwand get his game going after a couple of lackluster games, and Bourque continued to make an impact for the Predators, as he notched his 4th point in 5 games with the assist.

The Predators made that quick strike stand up for the remainder of the period. Unlike game 4, the Predators did not sit back in a defensive shell and continued to press the attack offensively. That effort led to the Wings getting only 8 shots on goal in the third period. Yes, the Predators had only 7 shots on goal, but their ability to control the neutral zone and cycle the puck in the offensive zone were critical to stopping the Wings from getting their potent offense on track.

The Predators held the Wings off the board in the third period, and for the first time in three attempts, and knocked them out of the playoffs.

Consider the Predators measuring up, no exceeding, the standard that the Wings had set.

Winning this game meant that the Predators did not have to return to Detroit. If they had to do so, I would expect this series to go to 7 games. As it is, the Predators now get a chance to rest and get ready for the second round.

Tonight the Predators played Predator hockey. They were aggressive on the forecheck, limited the Wings speed in the neutral zone, and rarely let them get their dangerous cycle going in the offensive zone.

It goes without saying that the Red Wings are a great team and a quality organization. Congratulations to them on a great season.

Defeating the Wings not only moves the Predators to the second round of the playoffs, but gives the team the confidence that they are making progress to being an elite team. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.

Tonight, the Predators did just that.

Now it is time to get ready for the second round and more importantly, move past that round.

The challenge awaits.

Time to measure up.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. David Legwand

3. Alexander Radulov

It seems like a pretty straightforward exercise: run a player into the boards; perpetrate a dangerous hit; intend to harm another player intentionally or recklessly and receive your punishment. And the punishment for a player from one team is the same for a player from a different team for the same kind of infraction.

Uh… not so fast.

There are two little words that carry huge consequences that have muddled this whole process.

Intent and extent.

And they create a no win situation for the League and continue to put player’s safety at risk.

By using a purely subjective standard called “intent”, i.e. what did the player mean to do, and the resulting “extent,” or outcome of the play as determinants the type of punishment, if any, that is doled out to a player that executes a borderline or dangerous hit, it is no wonder that we continue to see these types of hits and dangerous plays.

And for the League to use intent and extent as the standard for meting out justice for dangerous plays is a fool’s errand.

It can’t be done properly.

Let’s look at intent for a moment. Even the most egregious offenders when it come to dangerous hits never say that it was their “intent” to hurt another player. Who is to say, and how is the League to judge, what intent might be in any situation? What happens in that split second on the ice and at top speed is impossible to judge as to intent. When one player has another lined up for what could be a questionable hit, how is the League judging intent? Maybe previous occurrences of reckless behavior? Even that is a poor barometer of intent. Could the player have pulled up? Again, a split second decision in the heat of the moment, and the thought processes are known only to the player.

So how does the League determine intent? I would submit that they cannot, and any attempt to do so is just a wildly speculative guess on their part. Even worse, it establishes such a vague basis for judging these types of hits or plays that it is essentially no standard at all.

Every parent has had the situation with their children where something goes wrong, and one of the first things out their innocent mouths is “I didn’t mean to…” We as parents know that judging intent is next to impossible. More often than not, “I didn’t mean to” translates into “I didn’t think something bad would happen.”

What the League is doing with the non-standard of intent is in essence saying “I hope nothing bad happens.” That is going to lead to a disastrous outcome on the ice, and is just insane.

The other aspect of these types of plays is using the extent of an injury, or outcome of the hit to determine the severity, if any of the punishment. In a word, this is outrageous. We all have witnessed players that were the victims of dangerous hits who, fortunately were able to get back up. In determining the level of discipline, the League has said something to the effect that “the player wasn’t seriously hurt” and that fact mitigated the level of punishment. This standard, in my estimation, continues to invite these types of hits. Run a player and hope he gets up. If he does, you get nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

This is why Shea Weber could skate with a fine and Carl Hagelin got a three game suspension.

Regardless of outcome, a dangerous hit is a dangerous hit. For the League to fail to acknowledge that and let outcome mitigate the punishment due the offender is taking what should be a hard and fast standard and making it is essence non-existent. A five minute boarding major for one player becomes a multi-game suspension for another player, depending on the extent of any injury. The unequal application of the punishment for the types of hits that are dangerous is unacceptable and is an environment rife for inconsistencies.

And it makes player safety secondary.

As long as the NHL persists in using these nebulous and subjective standards, we will continue to have these types of hits and the resulting injuries or potential injuries to players. It is time for the League to get rid of the canard of judging a player’s intent and extent of the damage done before deciding the level of punishment. For these types of hits to be greatly reduced and player safety improved, the League has to adopt clearly defined standards. More importantly, there has to be a consistent application of those standards, regardless of the offender.

Do this, and you will restore a measure of sanity to the game we all love.

And we will end the foolishness of trying to judge intent and punishing a player based on the extent of the injury inflicted

The Predators were once again going to rely on Pekka Rinne in net to hold the dangerous Wings offense in check. The Red Wings Jimmy Howard looked to return to his stellar regular season form.

Little did the Predators know how much they would rely on Rinne in this contest.

The Predators won the game 3-1, but the score was not indicative of the the tenor of this contest.

The first period was a choppy period that saw both teams take several trips to the penalty box. The Predators were tagged for three penalties, while the Wings were called for two. Each team managed to short circuit a power play by taking penalties, and for the Predators, it was fortuitous as they had taken two consecutive penalties and the Wings only had 21 seconds on that second power play.

Neither team established much flow offensively, but the advantage was slightly in the Wings favor. The Predators rarely got into an offensive rhythm, and were out shot by the Wings 11-7.

The choppiness of the game continued in the second period, and this worked in favor of the Wings as the Predators offense was non-existent in the opening minutes. In fact, it took the Predators 8:50 seconds to record their first shot on goal. In fact, the Wings had out shot the Predators 9-1 to open the period.

For whatever reason, the Predators offense was lethargic and without energy. If the Predators were going to win this game, the jump in their offense was going to have to get going.

The Predators offense never did get going in the second period. In fact, the offensive effort by the Preds was miserable. The Predators were out shot 17-3 and frankly were lucky to get out of the first 40 minutes scoreless.

The lack of offense by the Predators was inexplicable. Yes, the Wings are a good defensive team. The Predators made them look great. Shots did not get through, players were not going to the net, and the offense floated.

Inexplicable and inexcusable.

If the Predators wanted to win this game, they were not showing it.

Fortunately, it was scoreless, and going into the third period, it would be decided by which team wanted it more.

Predator fans could only hope their offense would show up in the final 20 minutes.

Both teams got their offense going in the third period, finding the back of the net.

David Legwand scored at 1:28 of the third period, but the refs had lost sight of the puck and had blown the whistle and the goal did not count.

Unbelievable, as the officials had asserted themselves and took away a goal by the Predators.

The Predators did get their goal at 1:55 of the period as Alexander Radulov flipped the puck toward the front of the net from the goal line. The puck went off Justin Abdelkader’s stick right onto the stick of Gabriel Bourque and he buried the puck to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

Bourque continues his strong play with his third goal of the series and it was huge for the Predators.

The Predators were called for too many men on the ice, and this time, the Predators were burnt as Niklas Kronwall blasted a shot from the blue line that was tipped by Jiri Hudler and beat Rinne to tie the game at 1 at 2:14.

The Predators regained the lead as Marty Erat fought for the puck and drove into the Wings zone. He drew 3 Wings defenders to him and found Kevin Klein cruising down the slot all alone and Klein buried the shot into the open net to make it 2-1 at 6:25.

Once again, the Predators were called for a penalty as Andrei Kostitsyn was given a weak interference call. Nevertheless, the Wings were going on the power play, and the Predators needed to come up with a big kill.

The kill was successful and now the Predators needed to settle down and play solid hockey. This game was theirs for the taking.

Yet again, the Predators were called for another penalty as Matt Halischuk was called for interference and the Predators needed another big penalty kill at 14:43.

Once again, the PK unit stopped the Wings, and Rinne made some big stops to keep the Wings off the board. The Predators still held the lead, but repeated trips to the penalty box were dangerous.

A penalty was finally called on the Wings as Henrik Zetterberg took a two handed chop on Shea Weber at 19:04. Off the ensuing face off, the Predators battled for the puck and David Legwand came out of the corner with the puck and went to the front of the net and slipped the puck through the pads of Howard to give the Predators a 3-1 lead.

Legwand got the goal that he should have been awarded early in the third.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Predators had sealed a 3-1 victory and secured a 3-1 series lead. They have an opportunity to close out the series Friday in Nashville.

Once again, the Predators survived the onslaught of the Wings offense and were able to escape with the win. Everyone in the locker room should give Pekka Rinne a big round of applause, as he turned aside shot after shot from the Wings. What has emerged from these games so far is that the Wings can only rarely get the puck past Rinne at even strength. Their scoring has predominantly come off the power play.

Which means the Predators have to stay out of the box. They made this win much more difficult by taking numerous penalties- 7 to be specific. The Wings are too good and too dangerous to keep taking these kind of chances with the dangerous offense they possess.

Oh yeah- play offense for 60 minutes. Being out shot 41-17 is not usually a winning formula.

Now it is time for the Predators to re-group and focus on the task at hand. They have an opportunity to end the series and rest up before the start of the second round. Be assured that the Wings will come out with even more desperation in game five, and it will be important for the Predators to match that intensity and play with passion.

There is one more big step to take, boys. You have always said that the Wings are your measuring stick.

Time to measure up.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Kevin Klein

3. Marty Erat

Cheap and classless are two words that come to mind.

Suspensions and fines have been rampant even though most teams having played only three games in their respective first round matches.

One can only wonder how bad it is going to get.

The nastiness- no- the dirty play started in the first game of the playoffs as Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators went WWF on Henrik Zetterberg, slamming his head into the glass after Zetterberg hit him from behind at the boards at the end of the game. Weber got off light with a $2,500 fine.

He should have been suspended.

That was just the start.

Carl Hagelin of the Rangers elbowed the Senators Daniel Alfredsson in the head and earned a 3 game suspension because Alfredsson was injured on the play.

Matt Carkner of the Senators was suspended for one game for pummeling Brian Boyle of the Rangers, who refused to fight back and was down on the ice.Zenon Konopka was fined $2,500 for verbal abuse of the Rangers during a a pre-game television interview and the Sens were fined $10,000 for his actions.

Craig Adams of the Penguins was suspended for instigating a fight in the late minutes of game 3 of the Penguins/Flyers series. More hearings are pending for James Neal and Aaron Asham for their actions in the same game.

Andrew Shaw of the Chicago Blackhawks has a hearing pending for his violent collision with Phoenix Coyotes netminder Mike Smith.

This type of play has kept Brendan Shanahan busy and left even the most seasoned hockey fan shaking their head.

Much anger has been directed toward Shanahan for his disciplinary decisions and for the perceived inconsistency between the various punishments meted out.

That anger is misdirected.

Instead, fans should look to the ice and the type of play that teams are bringing to their games and to the officials that are charged with keeping the game within the boundaries of the rules.

Each of the aforementioned incidents have a common thread.

A lack of respect.

Not only for the players on the ice but for the game itself.

Throughout the season, the League and the officials sent a message to the players regarding head shots and dangerous plays that there would be zero tolerance, and for the most, did a reasonable job of enforcing that standard. The desire and the effort to protect the players was commendable and generally effective. Violators were punished and players began to adjust their game.

Underlying the effort to protect the players was a message from the League that players had to “respect” each other and not engage in dangerous, borderline types of plays.

That has gone out the window in the playoffs.

There is no doubt that the playoffs are a war of attrition, and that physical play ramps up. There is no problem with that. That is playoff hockey, and that type of play makes the playoffs and the road to the Cup the greatest championship in professional sports.

Part of the ethic of hockey is “sending a message” through physical play. Between the whistles, there is no problem with that. Clean checks, hard hits, and legally aggressive play are all part of sending a message. Want to really send a message? Put the puck into the opponents net.

What has happened in the playoffs so far is that “sending a message” had devolved into cheap shots after the whistle, scrums after every whistle that result in punches and unnecessary extracurricular activity, and questionable hits and fights.

All of which shows a lack of respect for the players by the players and for the game. The type of play that fans have witnessed from some teams and players fails to honor the game of hockey.

Playoff hockey is intense, desperate hockey. Win or go home. What has happened in the first round of the playoffs is that desperation and intensity has crossed the line into nastiness and cheap shots.

If the players on the ice do not respect each other, player safety becomes moot. Unnecessary hits, dangerous hits are the norm. Crossing the line to send a message is accepted.

Culpability does not rest solely with the players. The officiating has been inconsistent, and the tendency of officials to swallow their whistles late in a game doesn’t help. Letting the boys play hockey is an admirable goal, but the officials are letting the boys do more than play hockey. Watch the action after a play. Some of the stuff that goes on after the whistle is, frankly, unacceptable, and it sets the tenor for many of the games. Start handing out penalties for the punches thrown in a scrum or the cross checks delivered in front of the net and see if some of this type of play doesn’t quickly stop.

If the players cannot respect their opponent, then it rests with the officials to clearly define the boundaries of acceptable play and consistently enforce those boundaries. It worked to reduce the number of dangerous hits to the head in the regular season. It will work in the playoffs.

Physical play and hard hits are in the DNA of the game of hockey. Again, there is no problem with that. Illegal hits and dangerous plays to send a message or gain and advantage are a dangerous mutation of that DNA.

The game is at an inflection point in these playoffs. Players have to begin to play with a level of respect that has too often been lacking in some of the contests. Officials have to take control of the game, especially what happens after the whistle. Fail to do so, and the League will be embarrassed on their biggest national stage.

Hockey is a beautiful game, and playoff hockey is the apex of this great sport. The nastiness, the cheap shots, the dangerous hits disrespect the game and the players involved.

And there is no honor in that.

The Nashville Predators faced the Detroit Red Wings at the Joe, a place where they had never won a playoff game, tied at one game apiece in their playoff series, and the two teams engaged in a back and forth contest that went down to the final seconds before the Predators captured a 3-2 victory.

Entering this game, the Predators knew they were going to be in a spirited contest, to be sure.

No, actually, it was going to a war.

The Predators knew they were going to need to come out strong, take the Wings and the crowd out of the game, and play a solid 60 minutes of hockey.

Oh yeah, Pekka Rinne had to be stronger than his counterpart for the Wings, Jimmy Howard.

Getting their dormant power play going was essential for the Predators, and they did that on their second power play opportunity. With Drew Miller in the box for goaltender interference, the Predators swarmed the Detroit net. Shea Weber, crashed the net and gathered in a rebound of an Andrei Kostitsyn shot and slammed the rebound past Howard to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 2:48 of the first period. Finally, the Predators were able to convert on the man advantage, and the 0-12 monkey was off their back.

The first period settled down to playoff hockey, as both teams created some good chances. Both Rinne and Howard turned aside the shots that each team fired. Rinne in particular looked sharp and relaxed in net.

The first period ended with the Wings out shooting the Predators 11-9.

Just after a Jordin Tootoo penalty had expired early in the second period, Kevin Klein split the Wings D with tremendous speed and buried a shot over the shoulder of Howard to give the Predators a 2-0 lead at 3:50. Klein was sent into the zone off a nice pass from Marty Erat, and Klein’s speed into the zone surprised the Wings defense. More importantly, Klein finished the play, and that goal was huge for the Predators to give them some breathing room.

The Predators needed that breathing room as Pavel Datsyuk absolutely undressed Roman Josi and stole the puck from him behind the Predators net. He beat Rinne, who was looking the other way expecting the puck to go to his right. Datsyuk tucked the puck under Rinne’s pad before he could recover to make it 2-1 Predators at 15:03 of the second.

It goes without saying that Josi cannot let that play happen, As it was, the Wings now had life, and it was going to be important for the Predators to respond.

Sergei Kostitsyn took a penalty late in the period, and the Wings were swarming the Predators zone. Rinne fought off a shot by Nick Lidstrom and the rebound kicked out to Johan Franzen, and he made no mistake in depositing the puck into the back of the Predators net.

Just one problem.

The clock had just expired before the puck went into the net.

And the Predators had caught a huge break.

The Wings had out shot the Predators 13-9 in the second period, but they were energized and would have 1:49 of power play time to start the third period. It was going to be critical that the Predators respond, and especially not sit back on their heels in the third.

Detroit opened the third on the power play, and the Predators were able to kill off the penalty, but the Wings were rolling. They opened the third out shooting the Predators 7-0 and were dominant in the Predators zone. Rinne made some huge stops to keep the Wings off the board, but the Predators were going to have to begin to mount some offensive pressure. Sitting back like they were doing was going to be disastrous for the Predators.

The Predators finally got a couple of shots on net, but the Wings held a 13-2 shot advantage with just over 7 minutes remaining in the third period. The Predators tactic of sitting back and playing prevent defense was both frustrating and dangerous.

The Predators once again got some breathing room as Sergei Kostitsyn broke in on a 2 on 1 and instead of passing the puck snapped a shot over the shoulder of Howard to give the Predators a 3-1 lead at 16:30 of the third.

The Predators would need that goal as David Legwand was called for holding and the Wings tallied on the power play as Henrik Zetterberg walked into the zone and rifled a shot over the shoulder of Rinne short side to make it 3-2 with 52 seconds remaining.

Detroit came with the full court…uh, ice press in the remaining seconds, but the Predators did a good job of controlling and clearing the puck, and the Wings could not get a shot on goal.

The final horn had sounded and for the first time ever, the Predators had won a playoff game at the Joe.

It goes without saying that Rinne was magnificent in net. His play is so strong and it has to affect the Wings, leaving them wondering if they can get an even strength goal past him (Datsyuk’s flukey goal not withstanding).

How strong was Rinne? Detroit fired 43 shots on net. By contrast, the Predators managed just 22 for the game.

It is good to see Sergei Kostitsyn get on the board. He had been invisible up to this point, and finally getting on the board will hopefully get his game rolling.

The play of Kevin Klein was outstanding as he scored a beautiful goal and came up with a huge save when Rinne was out of position, stopping Cory Emmerton with a nice block of his shot. A very good game by Klein today.

The significance of this win at the Joe cannot be understated. For the Predators, it lifts that 800 pound gorilla of never winning there off their back. And for the Wings, it cracks their veneer of invincibility at home.

Yes, Detroit is a veteran team, and I expect them to come out flying in game 4. I also expect the Predators to be more calm and composed and their compete level to be extremely high. Now they know they can win at the Joe.

More importantly, they know they can win this series.

The time to take control is Tuesday.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Kevin Klein

3. Sergei Kostitsyn

For the Predators, they found out that matching the intensity of their opponent is essential to winning a critical game. Failing to do so resulted in losing puck battles and failing to finish chances.

And it allowed the Wings the opportunity to even the series heading back to the Joe.

Pekka Rinne got the start in net and he wasn’t sharp. He gave up 2 goals on 8 shots in the first period as the Predators found themselves in a 2-0 deficit at the end of one period.

Ian White opened the scoring for the Wings as his shot through traffic found the back of the net at 8:25 of the first period. Rinne seemed to lose the puck through traffic, and the goal energized the Wings.

They capitalized on that momentum with a goal from Cory Emmerton at 15:33 of the first as his wrist shot beat Rinne cleanly over his shoulder to give the Wings a 2-0 lead.

The Wings did a good job of disrupting the offensive flow of the Predators throughout the first period and for the bulk of the game. The Predators struggled to establish their offense in the zone, and when they did, Jimmy Howard made some good saves to stymie the Predators offense.

The Predators finally broke through and tallied a marker at 9:01 of the second period as Alexander Radulov got the puck to Andrei Kostitsyn and he buried his chance to make it 2-1.

Finally, the Predators had life, the arena was rocking, and the momentum was with the Predators.

That changed just 56 seconds later as Johan Franzen potted a goal that appeared to completely elude Rinne and made the score 3-1 Red Wings.

The Predators cut the deficit to 3-2 as Shea Weber tallied his first goal of the series with a backhand shot from the slot at 15:16 of the third period.

The Predators were not able to find the back of the net in the remaining time, and the Wings had tied the series at 1.

For the Predators, this loss had to be extremely disappointing. Throughout the night, they lost puck battles and were ineffective moving through the neutral zone. In the offensive zone, they could not finish. For the night, the Predators out shot the Wings 26-17, but their inability to finish chances doomed them in this contest.

The Predators power play was once again impotent. The power play went 0-6, and if this is not corrected soon, will spell immense trouble for the Predators. Often, the power play was stagnant, with players not moving to the open lanes and shots not getting on net.

Detroit’s designated thug, Todd Bertuzzi, fought Shea Weber early in the game as retribution for Weber’s hit on Henrik Zetterberg in game one. Bertuzzi was busy grabbing at Weber and hoping he did not get hit. A meaningless fight that served no purpose in the game, but one that the Wings felt they needed to engage in to respond to Weber’s hit.

Several concerns are present for the Predators. Their power play has to start clicking for them to capture this series. Presently, the power play is not a plus for the Predators, and after the effectiveness of the regular season, this is troubling. The man advantage unit has to simplify their game and get shots on net rather than waiting for the pretty play. Through two games, the power play is 0-12.

The Predators need to finish their chances. They had them tonight and failed to capitalize. Finish the chances and Detroit is looking a t a 2-0 deficit.

It is imperative that the line of Mike Fisher, Sergei Kostitsyn, and Marty Erat start tot step up their game. They have been invisible in the first two games, and for the Predators to have success, they must produce. Through two games, they have combined for 10 shots and no points. This has to change for the Predators to have success. And the change needs to occur immediately.

The Predators have and opportunity to rebound and take the series lead with the next game on Sunday at Joe Louis Arena.

It is a simple task.

Be strong on the puck and get shots on net. Finish your chances.

And take control of the series.

My three stars:

1. Jimmy Howard

2. Johan Franzen

3. Shea Weber

As the Detroit Red Wings were desperately trying to rally to tie the first game in their playoff series with the Nashville Predators, Shea Weber attempted to do just that- break glass- with Henrik Zetterberg’s face as he was trying to steal the puck from Weber behind the Nashville goal.

Here is the video of the final moments of the game from CBSSports Eye on Hockey blog:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Earlier today, the NHL announced that Weber would not be suspended for this incident, but fined the maximum amount allowed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which is $2,500.00

Red Wings fans already had their knickers in a knot over the play, and after the announcement that Weber would not be suspended, went absolutely apoplectic.

And I don’t blame them.

If the situation had been reversed, and the Wings resident thug Todd Bertuzzi had done this to one of the Predators players, I would feel the same sense of outrage and anger that Wings fans feel. And I would have been on the phone to Greg Williams to discover the finer points of a bounty system.

Yes Weber plays on the edge, and what he did certainly stepped over the line. It was a type of play that we- the Predators and the NHL- did not need. When the casual fan starts to compare the play on the ice to the WWE, at the least the game has a perception problem.

Watch the video closely. Yes Weber was cross checked, but what really set him off was the knee on knee hit from behind by Zetterberg. That is when Weber lost it and retaliated.

Understand by pointing this out, I am not excusing his behavior. But there was a match to his fuse.

The focus in the hockey world has been on the act in the heat of the moment, and what mitigated Weber’s punishment is that Zetterberg is okay and will play in the next game.

Until the NHL changes the extent of injury as a criteria for punishment of players that commit egregious acts, we will continue to see those kinds of plays and continue to have the discussion about how to restore respect among the players and get those plays out of the game.

And the League is flirting with disaster.

Using the extent of an injury to determine the punishment of a player that engages in a dangerous play is ludicrous. The League runs the risk of seeing a player wheeled off on a stretcher with a career ending and possibly life altering injury because the standard for punishing those types of plays floats with the extent of the injury. In some respects, this gives the players who “play on the edge” license to continue taking these risks.

If the League is serious about taking these types of hits out of the game- and not just the hit that Weber delivered but the head shots and dangerous boarding plays- the punishment has to be consistent and had to be delivered regardless of the extent of injury or lack thereof. Only then will the players begin to consider their actions and limit those dangerous plays.

Consistent punishment that does not take into account the extent of an injury will not completely eliminate these plays. Some occur in a split second and are unavoidable. Consistent punishment regardless of injury will help to remove the retaliatory hits and the the dangerous hits along the board. Players will hopefully get the message that even if an opponent is not injured, engaging in a dangerous hit will have consequences that are not arbitrary or related to the injury suffered.

Maybe then Brendan Shanahan will not have so many pane in the glass plays to consider.

It wasn’t easy.

The Predators committed 8 penalties and the Red Wings capitalized on 2 of their power plays. The Predators scored all their goals at even strength, and were 0-6 on their man advantage opportunities.

The Wings out shot the Predators 37-26, and Pekka Rinne made some huge saves for the Predators for the win. Jimmy Howard was in net for the Wings, and mad e some good stops as well, but not enough for the Wings to capture the win.

The Predators were the more physical team, and they punished the Wings throughout the game. Their physical play may come back to haunt them however, as Henrik Zetterberg hit Shea Weber from behind into the boards at the final horn and Weber responded by slamming Zetterberg’s head into the glass. Zetterberg was not hurt on the play, but acted as if he had been shot. It remains to be seen whether Weber will face any disciplinary action.

The Predators opened the scoring at 6:59 of the first period as Paul Gaustad retrieved the puck in the corner and walked out toward the net. He threw the puck at the net and it caromed off the skate of Brad Stuart and past Howard to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

The Wings answered at 2:29 of the second period on the power play as Rinne gave up a rebound and Henrik Zetterberg beat Nick Spaling to the puck and banged it past Rinne to tie the game at 1.

The Predators regained the lead at 12:29 of the second period as Matt Halishcuk skated in over the blue line and fired a puck toward the net. The puck was re-directed off the stick of Gabriel Bourque and over the shoulder of Howard to give the Predators a 2-1 lead.

The Predators stretched their lead to 3-1 as Patric Hornqvist battled for a puck behind the net. Hornqvist won that battle and fed the puck to Bourque who was cruising down the slot. Bourque’s one timer beat Howard to give the Predators a cushion that they would need.

Once again, the Predators lack of discipline cost them as the Wings tallied their second power play goal. This score came with 2:07 remaining in the game as Tomas Holmstrom would bang home a shot to make the score 3-2.

The wings pulled Howard with 1:29 remaining for the extra attacker. The Predators made the final seconds more challenging as they committed their 8th penalty. Marty Erat was called for a weak holding call, but nevertheless the Wings were skating 6 on 4. The Predators were able kill off the power play and claimed a 1-0 lead in what will be a contentious series.

The Predators were extremely strong at even strength. In fact, I will venture to say that the Wings cannot beat the Predators at even strength. There is that matter of penalties, though.

Committing 8 penalties against the Wings is not a formula for success in this series. In is incumbent that the Predators play with more discipline and stop the march to the penalty box. The Predators were fortunate that they gave up only 2 power play goals. Sitting in the box against the Wings in the remaining games will bite the Predators.

The Predators did what they needed to do in game one, and that is get the win. The way they did it was, frankly, lucky.

They are the better team, top to bottom. But allowing the Wings the ability to play with the man advantage for much of the game will lead to problems- and losses- for the Predators over the course of a long series.

It is time for the Predators to evaluate their game and stop the unnecessary penalties. None of the penalties tonight were “good” penalties, that is, preventing a scoring opportunity. They were undisciplined penalties. Limit those, and this series is there for the Predators to capture.

The play of the third line, which I said would be pivotal, was just that tonight. Gabriel Bourque was outstanding, and played with a maturity and jump that belied his rookie status. I look for Bourque and his line mates to continue to have a positive impact in this series.

It will be important for the Predators to get their top two lines going in this series. They were for the most invisible tonight. They have too much talent not to produce quality scoring chances.

This will not be an easy series by any stretch, but it is a series that the Predators have for the taking.

It is up to the Predators to seize the opportunity.

My three stars:

1. Gabriel Bourque

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Paul Gaustad

The regular season series saw the teams finish with a 3-3 record, indicative of how evenly matched the two teams were.

Two evenly matched teams set to do battle.

How will it play out?

To get an idea of the answer to that question, let’s break down the components of the two teams.

GOALTENDING

Pekka Rinne was the workhorse in net for the Predators, and he led the NHL in wins with 43. Rinne had a 2.39 GAA and a .923 save %. The Red Wings will have Jimmy Howard in net, and he finished the year with 35 wins and a 2.13 GAA and a .920 save %.

Pretty evenly matched, eh?

Rinne faced 2,153 shots during the regular season, while Howard faced substantially less rubber, seeing 1,496 shots. That difference would be notable if the two netminders had played the same number of games, but Howard was limited due to injuries and played in 57 games to 73 for Rinne. On a per game basis, Rinne faced an average of 29.5 shots per game, while Howard faced 26.5, a negligible difference.

Rinne is athletic and uses his athletic ability to snuff out scoring chances. Howard plays much the same way. Both goalies are positionally sound players, but Rinne’s athleticism gives him the ability to cover a lot of territory and recover quickly on rebound chances.

The compete level for both goalies is without question. The real question both goalies face is can they elevate their game in this series? Rinne has had more work throughout the season, and one wonders if that workload will affect his stamina. Howard has battled injuries, most recently a wonky groin. Will this affect him in this series is a question that Detroit fans are asking.

Two evenly matched goalies that carry their team. Because of his athletic ability and health, I lean toward Rinne.

EDGE: NASHVILLE

FORWARDS

The Wings bring a cast of wily and talented veterans to this match up. Henrik Zetterberg led the Wings with 69 points, closely followed by Pavel Datsyuk with 67 points and Valyteri Filppula with 66. The Wings augment that potent line with Johan Franzen (56 points); Jiri Hudler (50 points); and Todd Bertuzzi (38 points). Danny Cleary and Darren Helm, both nicked up with injuries, are dangerous and solid contributors. The Wings have gotten good contributions as well from Justin Abdelkader, Cory Emmerton, and newcomer Gustav Nyquist.

The Predators have been led by Marty Erat with 58 points; David Legwand with 53 points; and Mike Fisher with 51 points. This season, the Predators have enjoyed balanced scoring throughout the line up, with Sergei Kostitsyn and Patric Hornqvist with 43 points; Craig Smith with 36 points; Colin Wilson with 35 points; and Jordin Tootoo with 30 points. Significant scoring contributions have come from Matt Halischuk, Nick Spaling, and trade deadline acquisition Andrei Kostitsyn.

Oh yeah, there is that Radulov guy.

The Predators have the services of one of the most dynamic players in the playoffs in Radulov, and in his one game against the Wings, he has shown that he can command the attention of the opponents best defensive players and can contribute offensively in a dramatic way.

Radulov is the wild card in this series, and if he produces like he is capable, then the Wings are going to have difficulty in this series. I think he will rise to the occasion on the big stage. This is why he came back to the Predators and the NHL. This is his stage.

There is no doubt the Wings possess players up front that can be dangerous and are experienced in the pressure cooker of the playoffs. The Predators have to respect the ability of the Wings up front, and containing them will be critical for playoff success.

For the Predators, they must continue to get the balanced scoring that they have enjoyed throughout the season. It is critical that all lines contribute, and no line is going to be able to take a shift off. In this series, the Predators third line could be a difference maker. The line of Nick Spaling, Gabriel Bourque, and Patric Hornqvist have the potential to do some damage to the Wings. This line in particular has to be productive.

The Predators also have a size differential that is in their favor. In a long series, this can swing games to the Predators if they can use their size to wear down the Wings.

The Wings are certainly talented and experienced, and they are dangerous up front. The Predators have better depth and more balanced scoring.

EDGE: PREDATORS

DEFENSE

For the Predators, the defense starts with Norris trophy candidates Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. They will consistently be matched up against the Wings top forwards, and they are going to have to keep Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Filppula in check for the Predators to have success. Hal Gill provides experience, solid play, and an incredible shot blocking ability. Roman Josi has emerged as a calm, puck moving defenseman that is rarely out of position and possesses a surprisingly good shot. Kevin Klein and Francis Bouillon are solid third pairing.

The Wings defense is built around Nicklas Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall, both excellent blueliners that bring a wealth of experience and talent to the back end for the Wings. Lidstrom is a veteran that has seen it all in the playoffs and his play steadies the Wings on the blue line. Kronwall is an immensely talented defender that is capable of delivering the the big hit that can swing momentum and slow down play through the neutral zone.

Ian White and Brad Stuart are sound, but once you get past the top four, the Wings rear guard are average if unspectacular. Trade deadline acquisition Kyle Quincey has been a healthy scratch for much of his tenure. Jakub Kindl, Cory Emmerton, and Jonathan Ericsson are serviceable but not outstanding.

It is imperative that the Predators exploit the third defensive pairing of the Wings, and that they wear down the top four defensemen. If the can do this, they can exploit the Wings blue line.By the same token, the Wings will attempt to do the same thing to the Predators. The team that wins this battle will have a decided edge in the series.

EDGE: EVEN

COACHING

The Predators Barry Trotz will match wits with Mike Babcock, and this is a contest between two of the best coaches in the NHL.Both coaches are experienced in the playoffs, and both coaches will get the best out of their players.

For Trotz, part of his task will be managing the expectations of the players. The Predators have been picked by some pundits to win the Cup, and those are lofty expectations, especially for this young team. Trotz will have to keep the youngsters on this team focused, and he will have to guide them through the inevitable rough patches that occur in a playoff series. Managing expectations and adversity will be critical.

Babcock, like many of his players, is a veteran of the playoff wars. There are very few things that he hasn’t seen, and I expect Babcock to be at his best and get the best from his players. His steady, veteran leadership is a plus for the Wings.

EDGE: EVEN

INTANGIBLES

Nashville finished the regular season with the number one power play in the NHL, with a 21.6% success rate. Detroit’s PK came in at 81.8%. Conversely, the Predators PK was successful 83.6% of the time, while the Wings PP connected at a 16.1%. Staying out of the box is going to be critical for the Predators, because the Wings can be deadly on the power play, and exhausting the forwards and defense in killing penalties is not a formula for success for the Predators. The Predators will benefit from drawing penalties from the Wings if they can continue to be effective on the power play.

Home ice advantage will be huge for the Predators. The Bridgestone Arena can be an intimidating place for any opponent to come into, even more so in the playoffs when the Nashville fans are in full playoff mode. Look for the home ice advantage to be a factor in this series.

EDGE: PREDATORS

There is no doubt that the series between these two teams is going to be hard fought and each contest will be tight. The Predators know they can win a playoff series- that monkey came off their back last season- and they know they can beat the Red Wings in a playoff series.

It comes down to poise and execution.

The team that plays with poise and plays their game and their system like they are capable will capture this series.

The Predators have the talent advantage.

I think they will execute and capture this series.

MY PREDICTION: PREDATORS IN 5

With that in mind, Head Coach Barry Trotz decided to rest some of his starters, giving the night off to Pekka Rinne, Mike Fisher, Marty Erat, Hal Gill, and Francis Bouillon.

Anders Lindback got the start in net, and the Avalanche went with J.S. Giguere.

Regardless of the fact they had clinched the 4th seed, the Predators still wanted to play a solid game and they knew the Avalanche, who had missed the playoffs, would want to give their home crowd something to cheer about in their last game of the season.

The Predators opened the scoring at 3:39 of the first period as Gabriel Bourque worked hard in the Avs zone on the boards and was able to control the puck in spite of the defensive pressure. He spun and found David Legwand in the slot, and Legwand’s wrist shot beat Giguere to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

The Avs tied the game at 8:09 of the first period as they swarmed the Predators net on a 3 on 2 rush. Lindback made 2 stops but Matt Duchene buried the third attempt, lifting the puck over a sprawled Lindback and under the crossbar.

The Predators had a glorious scoring chance with a 2 on 1 rush by Craig Smith and Matt Halischuk, but Smith’s pass to Halsichuk was tipped away at the last second. Halsichuk did not give up on the play, and retrieved the puck in the corner and got it to Smith, who ripped a slap shot off Giguere and into the net for his 14th goal of the season. The score came at 12:10, and it is good to see the Honey Badger contributing when he is getting ice time.

The Predators stretched their lead to 3-1 when Kevin Klein took a shot from the blue line that deflected off the stick of Patric Hornqvist and past Giguere with just 1.2 seconds remaining on the clock in the first period.This was Hornqvist’s 27th goal of the season.

Solid start?

Check.

The Avs out shot the Predators 14-12 in the first period, and Lindback had some big saves to thwart some good scoring chances by Colorado.

The second period saw the Avs take it to the Predators. They dominated play and fired numerous shots on the Predators net. Lindback had to make some big saves to keep the Avs from tallying a score that would have put them back in the game. The Avs dominance was such that they out shot the Predators 16-3 through the first 16 minutes of the second.

The Predators opportunistically struck at 16:09 of the second as Craig Smith found Roman Josi pinching in from his defensive position and fed a great pass to him at the side of the net. Josi made no mistake, finding the back of the net on just the Predators 4th shot of the period.

With 14 seconds to go in the period, Craig Smith saved a goal by hooking Matt Duchene, who was looking at a wide open net off a rebound given up by Lindback.

The second period ended with the Predators being out shot 17-9, and they would be on the penalty kill to begin the third. For the Predators, it was important to come out and play a solid 20 minutes of hockey and put this game in the books.

The Predators killed off the penalty to open the third period, and as the power play ended, Lindback kicked out a long rebound that sent Brandon Yip on a breakaway. Yip was stopped by Giguere, but the Predators kept control of the puck. Patric Hornqvist battled for the puck and got it back to Yip, who banked the puck off Giguere and into the net off the wrap around to make it 5-1 Predators at 1:57 of the third period.

How sweet this goal must have been for the Yipper.

Shortly thereafter, Lindback collided with both Jack Hillen and Ryan Ellis as well as Cody McLeod of the Avs and was injured on the play. Pekka Rinne had to come into the game as Lindback was taken back to the dressing room.

Matt Halischuk stole the puck and broke in on a 2 on 1 and rather that pass (!) picked the short side over the shoulder and buried the shot to give the Predators a 6-1 lead at 6:20 of the third period. For Halischuk, this was his 15th goal of the season.

The remainder of the period was spent playing some wide open shinny as both teams went up and down the ice, but neither could find the back of the net, and the 6-1 score was a final.

The Predators were out shot by a wide margin, 45-29, but the count that mattered was the goals scored.

For the Predators, this was a good tune up for the playoffs. More importantly, the young guys that were inserted into the line up played with jump and determination, a good sign that they have a lot of fight in them for those coveted- and limited- roster spots with the playoffs upcoming.

The Predators finish the regular season with a 48-26-8 record, good for 104 points and cleanly in 4th place in the West. Pekka Rinne had more wins than any other goaltender in the NHL.

Those accolades are great.

Now the real season starts.

My three stars:

1. Craig Smith

2. Anders Lindback

3. Roman Josi

The Stars were eliminated from the playoffs with the loss.

Pekka Rinne got the start for the Predators, and with his 5th shutout of the season sits atop the NHL with 43 wins.

Kari Lehtonen was in net for the Stars, and held the Predators off the board for the first two periods with a solid effort.

The first period was scoreless and took on the tenor of a heavyweight fight as both teams probed the others defense, looking for an opening. The Stars were trapping and the Predators had a difficult time getting their offensive flow established. The Predators defense responded by keeping the Stars to the outside and allowing very few quality chances.

The period ended with the Predators outshooting the Stars 9-8.

The second period was more of the same, with the best scoring chance coming from the Stars, as a shot from the face off circle got through Rinne and trickled toward the goal line. Fortunately, the puck dribbled into the post, and Rinne was able to recover.

Shots were 8-8 in the second period, but the Predators defense continued to force the Stars to the outside and did not allow room in the prime scoring areas. The Stars were desperate, playing for their post season lives, and the Predators matched their desperation and intensity, which was critical in this game.

The Predators finally broke through in then third period as Patric Hornqvist fired a shot that Lehtonen kicked out with his pad. Francis Bouillon and Andrei Kostitsyn converged on the puck, and it was Bouillon that got it on his stick and stuffed a backhand shot past Lehtonen to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 4:28 of the third period.

With the lead, the Stars ramped up their push to get back in the game. The Predators defense was equal to the task and kept the Stars from getting good scoring opportunities.

This was the kind of game where the Predators could not get comfortable with a 1 goal lead, and another goal would all but seal the win for the Predators.

That goal would come at the 18 minute mark as Brandon Yip took a shot and Lehtonen kicked a rebound out into the low slot. The puck was lying between 3 Stars defenders, but it was Patric Hornqvist who swooped in and chipped the puck over the shoulder of Lehtonen to give the Predators a 2-0 lead.

It got interesting late in the game as the Stars pulled Lehtonen for the extra attacker and Mike Fisher was penalized for delay of game at 19:05.

The Predators PK unit came up big as they had done all night with another kill. Hal Gill and Paul Gaustad both blocked shots and the Stars never really threatened the Predators with the 2 man advantage.

This was a solid win by the Predators against a team that was fighting for their playoff destiny. The Predators matched their intensity and effort. The Stars played full tilt, and the Predators matched their effort.

Kudos to the Predators PK unit. They killed all 4 of the Stars power plays, and continue their solid effort. The Predators also blocked 23 shots by the Stars in the game.

The 2 goals tonight bring the Predators season total to 230 with one game remaining. This ties the team record for third most goals scored in a season. Quietly, the Predators have put together a very solid offensive effort with balanced scoring throughout the line up.

The Predators can wrap up home ice with a win in Colorado or loss or an overtime loss by the Wings in their game on Saturday.

The goal of home ice is in sight.

Time to take control of your destiny.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Patric Hornqvist

3. Francis Bouillon

The Predators accomplished their mission by defeating the Wild in a shootout for a 2-1 win.

It wasn’t pretty, but fortunately, they do not give style points for a win.

Anders Lindback got the start for the Predators, giving Pekka Rinne a night off. Niklas Backstrom got the start for the Wild.

The first period was scoreless, with Minnesota holding a 12-10 shot advantage. Both teams struggled at times trying to establish some offensive flow. The effort by both teams was not helped by a bouncing puck on ice that was less than ideal.

Troubling for the Predators was the three penalties that they took in the first period. The Predators PK was stellar, and Lindback made some good saves. For the Predators, this spate of penalties does not bode well, and they are going to have to play with more discipline.

In the second period, the Predators got on the board first as Gabriel Bourque tallied his 7th goal of the season off a nice pass from Nick Spaling at 12:31. The line of Spaling, Bourque, and Patric Hornqvist was the best line for the Predators tonight, playing with lots of jump and creating some chances. Bourque continues his strong play, with 7 points (4G-3A) in his last 9 games.

The Wild tied the game at 17:53 of the second as Nate Prosser fired a puck toward the net. Dany Heatley got his stick on the shot and re-directed the puck past Lindback.

The third period was scoreless, but the Predators resumed their march to the penalty box, taking three penalties in the period. The last came from Andrei Kostitsyn at 19:48. Heading into OT, the Wild would have a 4 on 3 advantage.

The Predators PK once again came up with a big kill in OT to preserve the tie. Neither team could find the net, with the Wild mustering only 2 shots on net. The Predators were even more anemic in the OT, with only 1 shot.

In the shootout, Lindback stopped Erik Christensen and Backstrom stopped Marty Erat in the first round.

In the second round, Lindback stoned Mikko Koivu, while Alexander Radulov beat Backstrom with a forehand.

With the game on the line, Lindback stopped Devin Setoguchi, and the Predators had captured the precious second point.

For Lindback, this was his first shootout of his career, and he came up big in a pressure situation.

This win was obviously important, and it was good to get the victory and the points. For the Predators, there is still fine tuning that is needed in their game. This team appears to need to get their lines in sync and rolling as they head to the playoffs.

The top line of Mike Fisher, Sergei Kostitsyn, and Marty Erat were held to 3 shots on goal and never threatened Backstrom. The second line of Radulov, Andrei Kostitsyn, and David Legwand were not much better, mustering 4 shots on goal. Legwand had 3 and Radulov 1. For the Predators, these top two lines need to get rolling heading into the playoffs.

Yes, the Wild play a trap that can smother their opponents offensive efforts, but these players are the ones that the Predators count on to generate chances. In the next two games, these lines have to develop a nose for the net and create some chances. Tonight, they were not doing that.

Kudos to the Predators PK. The undisciplined play of the Predators could have hurt against a dangerous team like the Wild. The PK unit managed to kill off all 6 penalties, but paramount for the Predators is to limit the march to the box that they have done in their last 2 games.

I have to also single out Lindback for his play tonight. He did and excellent job of being positionally sound and controlling rebounds. He was solid in net tonight, and it is a plus for the Predators having his play elevate in these critical games.

With the win, the Predators go to 100 points. They control their destiny with 2 regular season games remaining. Win and potentially secure home ice.

The task starts Thursday against the Stars.

My three stars:

1. Anders Lindback

2. Gabriel Bourque

3. Dany Heatley

They got it courtesy of some sloppy play by the Predators.

Chicago won the game 5-4 in a wild contest that saw the Hawks jump out to a 4-0 lead only to see the Predators claw their way back and tie the game at 4 in the third period.

Some observations from the game:

Pekka Rinne was in net for the Predators, and he was victimized by the play of the defense in front of him. The Hawks scored the first goal of the game when a centering pass across the top of the crease went off the skate of Hal Gill and past Rinne with the Hawks on the power play.

Chicago had a lead of 1-0 at the end of the first period. The Predators would open the second period a man down as David Legwand was in the box for hooking. The Hawks tallied again on the power play as the Predators defense lost Dave Bolland. Bolland was left alone to take a pass from Marian Hossa and his one timer gave the Hawks a 2-0 lead.

Patrick Kane beat Francis Buillon down the ice and beat Rinne five hole on a breakaway. Another defensive breakdown and another Hawks goal.

Viktor Stalberg once again beat Buillon down the ice and scored off the rebound of his shot to give the Hawks a 4-0 lead.

At this point, the wheels had come off for the Predators and it looked like the Hawks were going to exact a measure of revenge for the 6-1 drubbing the Predators had put on the Hawks in their last meeting.

Up to this point, the Predators had not been able to rattle Corey Crawford, although their had been a good deal of traffic and activity by the Predators in front of Crawford. Crawford even got some punches in on Paul Gaustad when he was checked into Crawford in the first period. Crawford still looked in control, and the Predators were having a difficult time solving him.

That changed when the Predators kept firing pucks at the net and getting traffic in front of Crawford.

The Predators made it 4-1 at 9:29 of the second period when Marty Erat tallied on the power play. It was a simple play, as Erat took a shot from the slot with traffic in front and the screened Crawford never saw the shot.

Just under a minute later, Shea Weber notched the first of his two goals on the night with a wrist shot from the blue line that beat Crawford. Once again, there was traffic in front and Crawford could not pick up the puck.

In the third period, the Predators pulled within one as Alexander Radulov split Brent Seabrook and Sean O’Donnell and beat Crawford with a sweet backhand move at 4:38.

Shea Weber tied the game on the power play at 7:19 of the third with a blast from the blue line that Crawford never saw. Patric Hornqvist was screening in front and did a great job of taking away Crawford’s eyes on the play.

Tied at 4, this was a game the Predators could take. Crawford and more than a few of the Hawks had a deer in the headlights look. Now the Predators needed to score that next goal.

Instead, it was the Hawks that tallied when Brent Seabrook scored to give the Hawks the final margin of victory. On the play, David Legwand got beat coming back and Seabrook took a nice pass from Andrew Shaw and beat Rinne with a one timer.

The Hawks are too good of a team to spot 4 goals. The fact that the Predators fought back and had a chance to win the game speaks volumes about their heart, but their play through the first 30 minutes of the contest caused them to expend an enormous amount of energy getting back into the game.

Their undisciplined play, taking 5 penalties and giving up 2 power play goals certainly did not help the effort.

The game winning goal was particularly galling. Legwand did not hustle back and left Seabrook open for the game winner. For a veteran, this play by Legwand was extremely disappointing.

The Predators finished the season series with the Hawks at 4-1-1. With 98 points, they sit one point in front of Detroit and Chicago, who tied the Detroit Red Wings with this win.

This game proved that the Predators can come back against any team. It also proved that they cannot play loose in the defensive zone and expect to win any game.

The Predators have 3 games remaining, and those 6 points are going to be important for the final seeding in the West. The Predators have to go out and capture those points.

And not hand any games to their opponents.

My three stars:

1. Shea Weber

2. Brent Seabrook

3. Ryan Suter

The Predators faced a daunting task in their attempt to win at the Joe, where Detroit was 30-5-2 going into this game.

Consider the jinx at the Joe broken as the Predators dominated the Wings en route to a 4-1 victory.

The Predators had Pekka Rinne in net, while the Wings welcomed back Jimmy Howard, who had missed the last 4 games with a groin injury.

The first period was scoreless, but both teams had some quality scoring chances. The Predators out shot the Wings 9-7 in the first, but the real story of this period was that the Predators did a great job on the forecheck and pressured the Wings in their zone. The Predators used their forecheck to stymie the speed of the Wings through the neutral zone and did not allow them to enter the offensive zone with speed.

That level of play would continue throughout the game, as the Predators controlled the neutral zone. In addition, the Predators did a good job in the defensive zone of disrupting the Wings in the offensive zone, intercepting passes and thwarting the offensive flow that the Wings tried to establish.

The second period continued just as the first had played out, with both teams probing and trying to establish offensive zone presence.

It was the Predators that would break through first.

Gabriel Bourque would take a pass from Jordin Tootoo in the slot and slip a wrist shot past Howard to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 13:05 of the second period. Bourque continues his solid play, as he goes to the tough areas and is strong on the puck, and he was rewarded for his efforts with a big goal.

The Predators tempted fate as they gave the Wings consecutive power plays. Nick Spaling was called for hooking at 14:04, and the Predators PK killed off the Wings power play.

Just 20 seconds later, the Predators were called for too many men on the ice, and once again, the PK unit came up big, killing off the Wings power play. The highlight of that kill was Rinne absolutely robbing Henrik Zetterberg with a glove save at the side of the net.

Just 23 seconds after that kill, the Predators put a dagger into the heart of the Red Wings.

With Alexander Radulov being mugged in front of the net- actually being tackled by Todd Bertuzzi- the puck squirted out of traffic onto the stick of Francis Buillon. Frankie buried the puck past Howard at 19:27 of the second period to give the Predators a 2-0 lead.

Detroit out shot the Predators 17-8 in the second period, but many of those shots were from the outside and were shots that Rinne easily handled.

The third period was one that everyone knew would have a push by the Wings. For the Predators, it was going to be important not to sit back and let the Wings take the play to them.

The Predators did anything but sit back, as they kept the pressure up on the Wings. Alexander Radulov took a very sweet pass from Andrei Kostitsyn, who moved up to the second line in the third period, and was alone in the slot. Radulov hammered the shot past Howard, who had no chance on the play, to give the Predators a 3-0 lead at 2:40 of the third period.

The Predators continued to limit the quality chances by the Wings through their forecheck and their play in the neutral zone. This was evidenced by the Predators holding the Wings to 8 shots in the third period, while the Predators had 10.

The Wings finally cracked the scoreboard at 16:57 of the third period, as Jiri Hudler took a pass from Henrik Zetterberg and found the open side of the net past an out of position Rinne.

The Predators iced the win with an empty net goal by Shea Weber at 19:20 of the third period.

For the Predators, this win allows them to take possession of 4th place in the West. With 4 games remaining, it is going to be imperative that the Predators take care of business. They have the advantage of 3 of those 4 games being in the friendly confines of Bridgestone Arena.

This game was also a milestone game for Barry Trotz and David Poile. This was Head Coach Barry Trotz’s 500th win, all with the Predators. Trotz becomes just the fifth coach to win 500 games with one team. General Manager David Poile becomes the first General Manager to have 500 wins with two different teams, the Washington Capitals and the Predators.

Congratulations to both of these gentlemen for this significant accomplishment.

Obviously this win feels good, but there is work left to do in the regular season, starting tomorrow night against Chicago.

Play like you did tonight, and home ice is yours for the taking.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Alexander Radulov

3. Francis Buillon