With just two games upcoming this week for the Nashville Predators, they'll have an opportunity to hone their game in practice and work on some of the issues which have dogged them lately. Can they work out the kinks and bring their best effort against two key divisional opponents?

Let's take a look...

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In a week without a win, the bright spot for the Nashville Predators is that the offense chipped in twice to overcome deficits, force overtime, and at least earn the team points in the standings. Nobody did more on that front than the guy with the cleanest face in Smashville, Patric Hornqvist.

Patric Hornqvist

#27 / Right Wing / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-0

Weight: 188

Born: Jan 01, 1987

In addition to leading the team in scoring, his discipline while taking abuse led directly to the power play on which Shea Weber scored yesterday, too.

After last week's work, Hornqvist now has five goals in his last nine games, a welcome bit of news for a guy who's enjoyed some hot and cold stretches this season. After a 7-goals-in-6-games outburst in late October/early November, Horn Dog scored just one in his next 19. We'll take the hot Hornqvist, please.

Perhaps my favorite goal this week was his marker yesterday at Boston. Why? Because while Sergei Kostitsyn led the rush down the left wing (and did a fine job staying with the play and fighting through the defense to make that centering pass), Hornqvist got to the top of the crease, and stayed there. Too often, you'll see guys get caught up in the moment and go whirring by the net in a flash, and unless that pass is perfectly placed and perfectly timed, the scoring chance is missed. Instead, Hornqvist got himself in good position to bury that sucker even if things weren't set up so nicely.

Here's to hoping that Hornqvist can keep those goals a-coming as the Predators meet the #4 & #5 scoring teams in the NHL this week.

Last night was one of celebration in Toronto and Phoenix, as the jerseys of Mats Sundin and Jeremy Roenick were retired. Interestingly, however, the teams in question followed those ceremonies up with entirely different outcomes.

All that and a TON more after the jump!

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A game like today's 4-3 shootout loss for the Nashville Predators at Boston can provide fodder for both optimists and pessimists alike.

On the one hand, the Predators were dominated consistently, outshot in every period by the up-tempo, physical Bruins leading to a total of 22 Shots For, with 41 Shots Against. Even once they took an improbable third-period lead, another late penalty led to the tying goal by Milan Lucic, scored with just 1:07 left in regulation.

On the other hand, Pekka Rinne kept them in the game despite that lopsided shot total, and gritty efforts by Sergei Kostitsyn, Patric Hornqvist, and Mike Fisher led to those second and third goals, which at least earned the Preds a much-needed point in the standings, if they plan to keep in the hunt for 4th-place in the Western Conference, or the Central Division title.

When you check out the post-game commentary from head coach Barry Trotz and defenseman Ryan Suter, however, the emphasis was clearly on the critical side. The team's 2-2-1 record since the All-Star break clearly isn't what they'd like to see...

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The Nashville Predators fell to the Boston Bruins 4-3 in a shootout in a game that should never have gotten that far.

Nashville was dominated by the physical Bruins from start to finish, but somehow managed to stay in it until eventually losing in a shootout.

It was Nashville's third loss in a row, and its fourth loss in six tries since the all-star break.

Video highlights and post-game reaction after the jump:

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The Nashville Predators will have to rebound from an undisciplined effort at Ottawa Thursday night, as they prepare for an early start today against the Boston Bruins (noon Central on FS-TN). Last season, a game against the Bruins provided the Preds with their first overtime victory of the year, a dramatic moment that was part of the team's late-season surge.

Can the Predators get a similar boost out of the battle with Boston today? Let's find out...

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