The Nashville Predators took on the Vegas Golden Knights at Bridgestone Arena on Filbruary 1, 2020. Pekka Rinne and Marc-Andre Fleury were in net for their respective teams. Ryan Ellis, who was injured by noted goon Corey Perry during the Winter Classic, remained on injured reserve, while Colton Sissons started his second game since returning from injury. Calle Jarnkrok remained out due to illness.
After Vegas kept the ice tilted in regards to offensive zone time, the first period ended after five penalties between each team that resulted in no goals, with a score of 0-0.
The second period was much more of the same, however, Chandler Stephenson got loose and fired one past Rinne, making it 1-0. The Predators finished the second period with only 8 shots on goal. It would be nice to say that many of them were high-danger chances, but the slot has been clogged for 40 minutes.
The third period was also uneventful, but goals from Nicolas Roy and Reilly Smith put the game out of reach at 3-0.
What Happened?
- Jonathan Marchessault had a vendetta against Yannick Weber’s stick and broke it. Then he hacked at Weber before heading to the box. I guess it’s gonna be like that, huh?
- Power play is sloppy through the first minute, better for the next 45 seconds, and then fizzles out.
- Viktor Arvidsson headed to the box for slashing Brayden McNabb. McNabb appeared to drop his stick from my perch, but I’m sure the referees can see better from on the ice.
- Mattias Ekholm is doing some great penalty killing.
- A visorless Ryan Reaves appeared to take a puck to the face…got up and continued fighting for possession. However, it wasn’t enough and the penalty was killed.
- Didn’t see what happened to Mikael Granlund to make him wince on his way back to the bench, but they checked him out and he put his helmet back on. He’s on the ice again.
- Ten minutes in and the Predators have one shot on goal. Quality over quantity, right?
- Vegas called for too many men on the ice. Predators head to the power play for the second time. Things were starting look good toward the end of the last one, let’s see if they can capitalize on it this time.
- They did not.
- DEAR GOD WHY IS WATSON’S LINE AND THE THIRD PAIRING DEFENDING AGAINST MARK STONE?
- Colton Sissons to the box for tripping…had to do something to stop the offensive onslaught.
- Please kill this penalty.
- THANK YOU!/
Rinne has been fantastic tonight.
Rinne kills the PP
— Just South Hockey (@JustSouthHockey) February 2, 2020
- Yannick knows how to draw penalties. William Carrier to the box for interference with one minute left in the first. /
Preds on pace for 6 shots. Is that good?
— ᴀɴɢʀʏ ᴀʀᴠʏ (@AngryArvy) February 2, 2020
- One minute of power play to start the second…amounts to nothing.
- The Predators have been in their offensive zone so infrequently this game, when they finally enter, it’s like they get so excited to be there, they don’t know what to do with themselves.
- Jon Merrill, who is from Oklahoma, high-sticked himself a trip to the penalty box.
- This power play looks like a bad penalty kill.
- Well, that was a nice pass. Chandler Stephenson, the six-foot Saskatoonian, breaks free for a wrister and puts Vegas up 1-0.
- I think the goal made the Predators realize they’re getting manhandled. In response, Ekholm heads to the box for cross-checking.
- The penalty was killed, but it was a house of horrors every second of the way.
- Rocco Grimaldi just received a beautifully wrapped gift in the form of an empty net and just couldn’t get the angle right…but, man, it would have been a pretty goal.
- Dante Fabbro takes a seat in the box for hooking.
- The second period, aside from the lone Vegas goal, was fairly uneventful. /
Well they tripled their first period shots in the second. So, if they keep that trend, they’ll have 26 shots for the game and people who only look at the box score won’t realize how awful they were.
— Katherine T. (@i24predsfan) February 2, 2020
- Almost caught Fleury out of place…missed opportunity.
- Pekka Rinne is the only one keeping this thing close. He needs goal support. /
I raise you the puck being a bomb
— Gin & Juuse (@GinandJuuse) February 2, 2020
- The offensive zone appears to be lava, as well.
- Well, Nicolas Roy redirects a shot from Ryan Reaves into the net. Vegas up 2-0.
- There really isn’t much to say right now. The Predators are trying very hard, but they are simply getting outplayed.
- Predators to the power play for the fifth time. SOMETHING NEEDS TO HAPPEN!
- Nothing happened.
- Rinne to the bench!
- Reilly Smith – ENG. 3-0./
Shaun’s Star of the Evening
1. Pekka Rinne – he showed up to play and got ZERO support from his teammates.