x

Already member? Login first!

Comments / New

Nashville Predators 5, New York Rangers 2: Preds put on a Broadway show

Posted on by Chris Brooks

Things got a little chippy thanks to the New York Rangers, but that didn’t stop the momentum the Nashville Predators are currently riding.

A couple of quick answers following Ranger power play goals helped the Predators to a 5-2 victory on Saturday evening, Nashville’s eighth win in 10 games.

P.K. Subban scored 19 seconds into the second period after a scoreless first.

Lots of stuff happened in the second period of the physical variety. Alexei Emelin knocked Marc Staal down with a hard hit into the boards, then Filip Forsberg leveled Jimmy Vesey at the other end a few moments later. Neither Staal nor Vesey returned to the game.

Brady Skjei went after Ryan Johansen after that second collision, and Joey took down Skjei.

Peter Holland appeared to have tied the game for the Rangers, but the Predators challenged for offside and the goal was disallowed.

Kevin Fiala picked a corner on Lundquist for a 2-0 lead with 2:26 left in the second period, getting a feed from Craig Smith, who created a neutral zone turnover seconds earlier.

A delay-of-game penalty 14 seconds into the third period lead to a J.T. Miller goal, ending Pekka Rinne’s shutout streak at 171:47, the second-longest in franchise history.

Colton Sissons put the Preds back up two by tipping in Subban’s blast a little more than two minutes later.

The Rangers added another power play goal with 5:25 left in regulation, but the gap didn’t stay that way long as Viktor Arvidsson beat Lundquist from the top of the right faceoff circle just 16 seconds later.

Random Observations

  • I love the crowd yelling “dilly dilly” as somebody goes to the box. Disagree with me and I’ll send you to the pit of misery.
  • Also, puck over glass is still a dumb penalty.
  • Craig Smith trying to cause havoc sans stick on the power play was entertaining, but that was the only good thing about the Preds’ first power play.
  • Cody McLeod got a tribute video. Discuss.
  • Tom Fitzgerald in the house tonight. Ahh, memories.
  • Arvy does his best Stretch Armstrong impression to avoid an offside call.
  • Preds are getting some pretty good chances in the first. Lundquist looking like his old self so far.
  • I mean, really looking like his old self so far.
  • Filip got hit in the face. The Angry Prince may be taking his place for the remainder of the contest.
  • P.K. didn’t have to throw a glove by Lundquist to get that one by. A straight-up missile from the right point finds twine early in the second. One more for #SubbanForNorris.
  • Colton Sissons came thisclose to making it 2-0. The Preds are swarming, however.
  • Huge hit by Emelin on Marc Staal. Didn’t look good at the time, but Staal gets up and skates off on under his own power and get this – no penalty.
  • Forsberg plasters Vesey with a patented #buttcheck and Smashville goes nuts. Brady Skjei (yeah, that’s gonna be a nope for me) goes after Joey and gets it handed to him as a result. Things are getting hot in here, and no, Nelly is not in the building to my knowledge.
  • Emelin dives to break up a 2-on-1 and initially does, but the puck goes right back to Peter Holland and the game is somehow tied. Except…
  • Grabner’s offside. No goal. Lawrence Feloney’s video crew strikes again.
  • More cheating going on as Zuccarello gets a tripping call, on an odd-man rush. Third time’s the charm on the PP? Nah.
  • Beautiful finish by Fiala – great defensive work in the neutral zone by Craig Smith to start that play forward.
  • Puck over glass, Ekholm? 14 seconds into the third? Great start to the third. Seven freaking seconds later, it’s a one-goal game.
  • Sissons is a good tipper.
  • McLeod said something to Watson that might make a sailor blush with shame.
  • What, exactly, did Craig Smith hold to get that penalty?
  • Nice play by Joey to beat two Rangers to a loose puck and set up Arvy for a sneaky-sharp shot. /

Postgame Reaction

Sissons on scoring goals in consecutive games:

“It always feels good. I felt like no matter what I tried to do, I couldn’t find a goal for a while there, so hopefully this thing keeps rolling.”

Forsberg on the hit that injured Vesey:

“I just saw him on the ice after (the hit), so I hope that nothing happened to him. It was unfortunate that he got hurt.”

Peter Laviolette on Colton Sissons’ recent scoring:

“It’s probably good for Colton that he’s scoring some goals. It’s good for our team that he’s scoring some goals. I think he maybe can grab some confidence off of that … Colton gives us everything every night. He fills a lot of different roles from faceoffs to physicality, to smart two-way player to penalty killer to net-front on the power play. The goals – it’s great that they came and if they keep coming, that’s great too. But there’s no disappointment in Colton’s game.”

Super Duper Three Stars of the Game

  1. Subban. He really is having a fantastic season.
  2. Fiala. Pick an adjective to describe his emergence, it’s probably accurate.
  3. Sissons. Knowing Fisher’s returning soon, he’s stepping up.

Tweets of the Night

Game Extras

Talking Points