Filip Forsberg and Yakov Trenin scored for the Preds, but it wasn't enough to get the win tonight at Bridgestone Arena.
The Nashville Predators faced off against the top team in the Central Division tonight at Bridgestone Arena as they welcomed the Dallas Stars to town. The 20-9-6 Stars entered tonight's game after a comeback win Friday night against the Montreal Canadiens, a game in which the Stars capitalized on three of their five power play chances. Stars forward Jason Robertson has scored a team leading 24 goals, and Rope Hintz, Joe Pavelski, Jamie Benn, and rookie Wyatt Johnston have contributed to an offense that ranks fourth in the league for goals scored.
Nashville's offensive production has improved of late, but it has been a struggle at times this season to get goals. Last year's superstars Matt Duchene and Filip Forsberg started slow and have combined for only 19 goals so far this season. Duchene's four game goal streak was interrupted tonight for a very good reason - the birth of his newest child, and Mark Jankowski slotted in the lineup after being a healthy scratch the last three games.
Goaltending would be key tonight in the game. Juuse Saros got the start in net for the Predators and Jake Oettinger started for the Stars.
Game Recap
An early turnover in the defensive zone gave the Stars a lead at 1:19 as Jamie Benn took the loose puck down the slot and sent it past Saros. Nashville had several bobbles trying to clear the zone resulting in an 8-2 shot count in favor of the Stars through the first half of the period.
Dante Fabbro headed to the penalty box for a delay of game call at 14:39 interrupting any momentum the Preds worked to build. The Predators were able to survive the two minutes, but immediately Colton Sissons headed to the still warm seat in the sin bin for an exact replica of Fabbro's infraction. Again, the Preds penalty kill held off the fifth best power play team in the league right now.
Nashville got a late chance on the man advantage when Jani Hakanpaa was called for interference, but the period ended before the Preds could capitalize on the chance in the first. The shot count favored the Stars, 12-8.
The Preds started the second period with 1:45 remaining in the Hakanpaa penalty. Just :39 seconds into the power play, Tommy Novak was called for a trip and the teams went to four on four play. Filip Forsberg evened the score quickly with a rebound shot at :56.
The Stars answered right back when their time for the man advantage came around when Roope Hintz tapped a Robertson shot past Saros at 2:15.
At 2:48 Radek Faksa was called for a holding penalty, and the Preds got their second chance on the man advantage. It took much of the two minutes for the Preds to get into the zone and get a shot on net which was handled easily by Oettinger.
The Stars' forecheck continued to give the Predators trouble. During the ruckus, Roman Josi was whistled for a hold at 6:41. During the penalty kill it was Nashville's pressure that made the difference, and Yakov Trenin scored shorthanded at 9:15 to tie the game.
A slashing call on Nils Lindkvist gave Nashville another chance on the power play at 12:15. The Preds generated chances, but couldn't capitalize on the opportunity ad the teams returned to five a side. Nashville turned up the offensive pressure as the period wound down, but a slash committed by Filip Forsberg gave the Stars a power play with :13 remaining in the period.
The final period began with 1:48 remaining on the Stars' power play, but the Preds were able to kill off the penalty. Both teams worked to generate offensive chances, but Saros and Oettinger held their ground in the crease.
Again, Nashville had a stretch partway through the period when they struggled to cleanly exit the defensive zone, and Dallas generated offensive chances off the turnovers. Saros, however, kept a repeat of the first goal from happening.
A hit by Jeremy Lauzon on Tyler Seguin resulted in a Preds' penalty at 14:20 and a dust up between the teams when the whistle blew. Nashville's penalty kill buckled down and prevented a late power play goal.
With just :53 left in the third period a net front scramble led to a goal by Roope Hintz to give the Stars the late lead. Saros vacated the net in favor of an extra Nashville attacker, but the Preds ran out of time. Dallas headed home with the 3-2 victory and two valuable Central Division points.
Game Notes
1. Small mistakes can have large consequences. The Predators gave up the first goal of the game after a sloppy pass on the zone exit was intercepted. Solid execution on things like exiting the defensive zone change games.
2. Saros kept the Predators in this game. The Predators' giveaways especially in the defensive zone kept Saros very busy, but Nashville's netminder stayed cool under the pressure.
3. The Predators need to play a sixty minute game. Nashville struggled in the first period, but limited the Stars to just four shots on goal in the second. The final period tilted Dallas' way, but if Nashville can get more consistency to their game they can pull out wins in these close contests.
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