Juuse Saros stopped 27 of 29 shots and Matt Duchene scored for the Preds, but Nashville's offensive and special team woes continue to cost them games.
It's been a rough stretch for the Nashville Predators and tonight they faced the 15-11-2 Colorado Avalanche. Nashville has struggled to generate offense in recent games and the power play has been nonexistent. Add injuries to the defensive corps, and the Preds have limped through the last two weeks. Jeremy Lauzon returned to the blu Eline tonight, teaming up with Kevin Gravel on the third pairing. All things considered, a bounce back game against Central Division rival Colorado felt like a big ask tonight.
Head coach John Hynes did more line shifting for tonight's game.
The Avalanche haven't had an easy time of it this season either. Injuries have piled up, but they have been able to rely on Mikko Rantanen and the Avs' depth players to carry the team offensively. 2021-2022 Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar had anchored the defense while contributing 26 points along the way. Tonight Alexandar Georgiev started in net for Colorado.
Game Recap
Nashville came out quickly and matched Colorado's pace well as the game began. Nashville had several stretches of offensive zone time through the first half of the opening period, but only got three shots on goal. Ryan Johansen found himself open in the slot at one point, but his shot went off the post.
Jordan Gross headed to the penalty box for a hooking call at 13:59. The first half of the power play ran the Preds' penalty kill ragged, but Nashville survived and killed the penalty.
With :15 remaining in the opening period, Nashville's struggling power play got a brief chance, but the period ended and the opportunity carried over into the second.
The second period began with much of the Preds' power play remaining. Nashville struggled to get set up, and the best chance of the man advantage belonged to Colorado on a shorthanded opportunity.
Nashville got another try on the power play for a tripping call at 1:30. The Preds had some time in front of Georgiev, but again the team couldn't find a way to capitalize on the power play. Colorado got their opportunity on the man advantage at 7:52. Mikko Rantanen scored at 8:38 to give the Avs a 1-0 lead.
A turnover by Mark Jankowski right in front of the net required the save of the game up to that point from Saros, and then Ryan Johansen headed to the penalty box for a hooking call at 14:01. The Preds escaped the two minutes and the extended pressure by the Avs, and the teams returned to five a side.
Nashville pressured as the period wound down, but a Preds turnover resulted in a goal by Alex Newhook at 19:44, and the teams headed into the second intermission with the Avs up 2-0.
The third period saw line adjustments for the Preds forwards trying to get something going offensively. Nashville finally got on the board at 3:25 as Matt Duchene collected his own rebound and sent the puck past Georgiev.
Saros came up big again for Nashville as Evan Rodrigues streaked up the ice on a breakaway, but Saros handled the shot to keep it a one goal game. Ryan Johansen sat out through the halfway point in the game, but returned to his line mates Duchene and Forsberg.
The Predators couldn't get the puck in the offensive zone to free Saros to go to the bench until there was just two minutes remaining. The Avs pressured and cost Nashville more precious time. Forsberg was robbed by Georgiev with less than a minute left as he shot it from the circle.
Colorado won the face off after Georgiev's save, and Cal Makar sent the puck down for an insurance empty net goal. Nashville fell to the Avalanche 3-1.
Game Notes
1. Nashville dropped the ball in the second period. Nashville committed two penalties, allowed a power play goal, and gave up a second goal with just :15 remaining. This team doesn't appear able to keep their foot on the gas for a full sixty minutes.
2. The power play...what can you even say at this point? The Preds power play just cannot get it done. Messy zone entry attempts, giving up shorthanded chances, and an inability to pressure the goaltender continue to plague this team.
3. One goal won't win games or a playoff spot. Nashville only took 26 shots and scored once. The big players aren't getting it done, and secondary scoring isn't going to get this team into the playoffs without Forsberg, Duchene, and Josi scoring more goals.