The Nashville Predators suffered their worst loss of the season Thursday night as the Dallas Stars defeated the Predators on home ice by a score of 9-2. Matt Duchene scored two goals against his former team and Wyatt Johnston scored in the first and third periods as well. Ty Dellandrea and Tyler Seguin each had a goal and assist in the win for Dallas.
The Predators were outshot 18-1 in the first period. Cole Smith and Tommy Novak scored in the second period, but Dallas kept Nashville off the scoreboard in the third period. The final shot count was 41-29 in favor of the Stars.
The first period started off tough for the Nashville Predators and went downhill through the next twenty minutes. Sam Steel intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and skated it up the ice to score less than a minute into the game. Another turnover resulted in a two on one for Dallas. Jason Robertson passed to Matt Duchene who scored at 4:27 to make it a 2-0 game.
By midway through the period the Stars had outshot the Predators 12-0. Two minutes later, another former Predator Craig Smith scored on a cross ice pass at 12:31. As the period wound down Wyatt Johnston added a fourth goal in the first period at 15:53.
Kevin Lankinen replaced starter Juuse Saros in net for the second period. Nashville recorded four shots on goal in the first minute of the second period and protected the puck better, but it was Miro Heiskanen who scored at 4:40 to put the Stars up 5-0.
Nashville had the first power play chance of the game at 7:35 as Jani Hakanpaa sat for a trip, but the Predators' power play units couldn't convert. Cole Smith finally got the Predators on the board cleaning up a rebound at 9:50. Less than two minutes later, Smith was whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct after taking an uncalled high stick and throwing his glove in frustration. Tyler Seguin cleaned up a loose puck on the man advantage to extend the Stars lead to 6-1.
The Predators got on the scoreboard once more as Tommy Novak backhanded a shot past Oettinger at 11:21. This was his third goal in as many games and made it a 6-2 score. With less than :13 seconds left in the second, Matt Duchene beat Lankinen one on one for make it 7-2 after two periods.
Scott Wedgewood came in for Jake Oettinger to play the third period. Ty Dellandrea received a cross ice pass entering the offensive zone, skated to the circle, and scored at 3:50. A boarding call on Jamie Benn at 4:12 gave Nashville their third power play opportunity of the game but again the Predators couldn't convert.
Michael McCarron was called for a four minute double minor and a ten minute misconduct at 6:21 after a fight with Jamie Benn. Wyatt Johnston scored his second goal of the game on the power play at 8:50 to make it a final score of 9-2.
The Predators postseason hopes are in serious jeopardy after going 2-6-1 in their last nine games. They head out for a five game road trip starting Saturday afternoon against the St Louis Blues.