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Carolina Hurricanes 5, Nashville Predators 2: Jeff Skinner Hat Trick Dooms Preds

The Nashville Predators lost their fourth straight game on home ice tonight, as Jeff Skinner recorded his first career hat trick in a 5-2 win for the Carolina Hurricanes.

After taking a 2-1 lead early in the second period on goals by Mike Fisher and Viktor Stalberg, things turned decidedly sour from that point on. After Skinner scored to tie the game, one high-sticking penalty by Stalberg led to a Carolina goal shortly after their power play had expired, and another Stalberg high-stick resulted in a PP score by Skinner to make it 4-2 after two periods. The only scoring in the third was an empty netter for Skinner to complete his hatty.

Next up, the Preds (now 13-13-3, last in the Central Division) head east for road games against the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers Saturday and Tuesday. Might the captain return to the lineup and help turn things around?

Random Observations

  • For one night the magic pixie dust was blown off Marek Mazanec, who gave up four goals on 13 shots.
  • Go figure – I complain about the Gaustad line starting games, and tonight it’s Fisher’s line that gives up an early goal instead.
  • Something has to change soon, right? I’m not sure exactly what will happen, but there’s little reason to believe that the current cast of characters will suddenly gel into a winning team.
  • Eric Nystrom through 26 games – 4 goals, 2 assists. Brandon Yip through 26 games last season – 3 goals, 4 assists. I know he’s a great quote (and a Michigan man to boot), but ugh. I’m not singling him out tonight for any particular reason, but that signing was perhaps the biggest head-scratcher to me last summer.

BoxscoreGame SummaryEvent SummaryFancy Stats

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