Nashville Predators top Atlanta 5-0 in pre-season opener

The veteran top line looked sharp, and the youngsters impressed in a convincing 5-0 victory for the Nashville Predators over the Atlanta Thrashers in their pre-season debut (highlights here).

Colin Wilson was the standout, with two assists to go along with a sensational 3rd-period goal that lifted the fans out of their seats. The Sullivan-Arnott-Dumont line combined for a grand total of two goals and three assists, including a tic-tac-toe 2nd period goal by Dumont that pushed the Nashville lead to 3-0.

Dan Ellis and Mark Dekanich combined for the shutout.

Personally, I thought Ryan Ellis, Nick Spaling, and Teemu Laakso also looked particularly strong. Word on the post-game radio summary was that Ben Eaves suffered a groin injury that might keep him out for a couple days, while Cody Franson should be fine after getting bloodied in a 3rd-period fight.

For the Atlanta perspective on the evening, check out Bird Watchers Anonymous, as the Falconer made the drive up to Nashville to live-blog the game.