At the midpoint of their five-game road trip, and the beginning of their three-game Canadian tour, the Nashville Predators took on the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre and continued their winning streak, coming out on top 3-0.
FIRST
The first period started out with both teams looking well-matched as they got into the groove of the game. Nashville had the first power play with a penalty on Claude Giroux for holding the stick of Alex Carrier. But the Sens have had a great penalty kill, stopping 17 of the previous 18, and they kept the Predators from scoring.
At 12:33, the Sens got their own threatening power play, with an interference call on Jeremy Lauzon, but the Preds’ PK prevailed.
Juuse Saros continued the period with several of his characteristic major saves, including one where he lost his stick, which was returned to him by Mikael Granlund.
The lamp was finally lit by a backcheck by Filip Forsberg, resulting in a Nino Neiderreiter steal, pass to Roman Josi, and Josi’s 10th goal of the season at 14:29.
Just 32 seconds later, a Tanner Jeannot wraparound to Lauzon got past Senators goalie Cam Talbot for a 2-0 Predators lead.
Tkachuk took two chances to get in for Ottawa’s first goal. But Nashville challenged it from the booth, and Tim Stützle was determined to be offside, no goal.
There were a flurry of shots by Ottawa in the last two minutes, but the Predators held them to zero.
Brady Tkachuk and Juuso Pärssinen got into it a bit after the horn as they headed to the locker rooms, and each was handed a penalty to start the second period.
SECOND
The Predators started the second period off quick and aggressive, and Mikael Granlund sent a smart pass to Matt Duchene, who scored. But this goal was challenged, and called back due to offsides.
Nashville went on the power play after Thomas Chabot was called for holding against Yakov Trenin. Ottawa’s strong special teams defense held up to kill the penalty. Tanner Jeannot and Mark Kastelic dropped the gloves immediately after, and both went to the box for 5.
Both teams had lots of chances, but nothing converted to goals.
Ottawa went on the power play with a call on Trenin for tripping Giroux. The Preds showed good defensive pressure and, of course, Saros’s goaltending let the Preds kill the penalty.
With 2:54 left in the period, the Preds went on the power play after Drake Batherson tripped Josi, and Forsberg, Josi, Duchene, and Neiderreiter all had good looks, but no goals.
Nashville continued some good defense after the power play to the end of the scoreless second period.
THIRD
An interference call on Lauzon against Stützle put Ottawa on the power play early in the period.
In the last seconds of the Sens’ power play, Derick Brassard cross-checked Alexandre Carrier, giving the Predators a 5 on 4 chance. The Predators showed good offensive pressure, but Ottawa killed the penalty.
Nevertheless, shortly after Brassard returned to play, Forsberg made it to the net and scored with an assist from Pärssinen, making it 3-0 at 7:29.
After a pileup battle behind the net, Lauzon was called with holding against Parker Kelly and went to the penalty box. The penalty was killed easily, but Lauzon was called again immediately after for roughing against Kelly. This penalty, too, was killed by the Predators’ defense despite a couple of net-front scrambles.
Ottawa emptied their net with 2:30 left, but the extra attacker proved fruitless as Thomas Chabot went to the penalty box and Saros and the Predators held strong until the end.