Facing a must-win situation and a 3-1 deficit in the 2nd period, the Nashville Predators stormed back in dramatic fashion to defeat Columbus 5-4 in a shootout, lifting them back into playoff position in the Western Conference.
In the end, it was the much-maligned Ville Koistinen, a healthy scratch for most of the season, who stepped in on defense and ultimately scored the game-winning goal in overtime. Once again, a little used piece was utilized by Barry Trotz to its best effect. He began the game on a forward line, then moved back to pair with Kevin Klein after Greg de Vries was held out after only 3:05 of work (no word as to the cause).
The other amazing story in this game involved Jason Arnott, who surprisingly returned to the lineup after missing three weeks with a concussion; he came through with 2 goals and an assist to carry the offensive attack for Nashville, just as the Blue Jackets captain, Rick Nash (2 goals), did for his team.
I’ll have more to say on this tomorrow, but for now, just savor a great night of hockey in Nashville. The crowd was energetic, the game was a nail-biter, and in the end, the Good Guys earned the two points and breathed fresh life into their playoff chances.
One last note, it was great to meet up with Bethany of Bethany’s Hockey Rants (who made the drive down from Ohio to cheer on her Blue Jackets), and Rachel of What The Puck, during the first intermission.