The Hottest Team in the NHL- the Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators ran their home ice record against the Columbus Blue Jackets to 12 straight wins with a 4-3 shootout victory over their division rivals on Saturday night. With the win, the Predators are now 9-2 in their last 11 contests and have now won five consecutive games.

Columbus took the early lead on a controversial goal by R.J. Umberger when he batted in a puck with a high stick. The referee in back of the net, Tom Kowal, waved off the goal and indicated that it had been played with a high stick. He was overruled by the other three on-ice officials, and the video review was inconclusive, so the goal was awarded.

Nashville tied it at 12:12 in the first as Jason Arnott tallied a power play goal. The once moribund Predator power play has now tallied a goal in the last four games. Early in the season, the Preds were dead last in the NHL on the power play and endured a miserable 1-27 streak. Fortunately for the Predators, that trend has changed for the positive, and it is being reflected in their record. The Preds are 10-0 when they score a power play goal.

Umberger added his second goal 15 seconds after the Preds had tied the game by banking a puck off the skate of Pekka Rinne from a sharp angle. Nashville tied the game at 1:29 in the second period while on the penalty kill as Martin Erat forced a turnover at the Columbus blue line by Jakub Voracek and fed the puck to David Legwand, who was alone in front of goaltender Steve Mason. Legwand flipped a backhander over the right shoulder of Mason for the shorthanded goal to tie the game at 2.

Nashville took a 3-2 lead as Martin Erat redirected a Shea Weber slapshot for a power play tally. Columbus tied the game on a power play goal at 19:02 of the second period by Anton Stralman to set up a scoreless third period and overtime.

In the shootout, Pekka Rinne stopped Kristian Huselius and Jakub Voracek while giving up a goal to Rick Nash. Mike Santorelli and David Legwand scored for the Predators to seal the win. Rinne is now 2-0 this season in shootouts and 7-2 lifetime.

The winning streak that the Predators have put together has been based on simple hockey- shoot the puck, crash the crease, play sound defense, solid goaltending, and don’t take stupid penalties. It is a system that seemed foreign to this team at the beginning of the season; it is a system that they now have bought into and it is producing wins. In an abundance.

A special mention and congratulations to David Legwand. Legwand played an exceptional game with a goal, an assist, and the shootout winner. This effort came while matched up against Rick Nash and the number one Columbus line for much of the night. Oh yes, about an hour and a half before the game, his wife Lindsey delivered their first child. He was not expected to play, but showed up at the rink about ten minutes before warm ups after his wife told him she was fine and that he better get to the rink. My first star of the game goes to Lindsey Legwand. And we have a new hat trick in the NHL- the Legwand hat trick. A goal, an assist, and a baby.

After stumbling out of the gate, the Predators have settled in to playing their style of hockey. Tough, gritty hockey. Winning hockey.