Goals by Eeli Tolvanen, Ryan Johansen, and Roman Josi were not enough to overcome a four goal second period by the Colorado Avalanche.
It was a game circled on the calendar for many in Nashville after last season's first round playoff sweep by the Avalanche on their way to the Stanley Cup. Not many in Nashville would have thought the Predators would be limping into Ball Arena for this revenge game, but the Preds took the ice tonight at 5-7-1 hoping for a bounce back game after a 5-1 loss in Seattle.
Head coach John Hynes tried a different lineup tonight hoping to spark some offense for the Predators. Cody Glass, Eeli Tolvanen, and Alexandre Carrier returned to the lineup and Kevin Lankinen started in net.
The Avalanche returned to North American ice after playing their Global Series games in Finland over the weekend. The Avs started a slightly less robust roster than usual with Valeri Nichushkin, Gabriel Landeskog, Darren Helm, and Bowen Byram each out with injury. Alexandar Georgiev started in net for the Avalanche.
Game Recap
Eeli Tolvanen and Cody Glass proved they were ready to get back on the ice picking up the first goal of the game on a tic, tac, toe play with Ryan McDonagh at 3:45.
Nashville was pressuring offensively and executing well until a defensive zone turnover resulted in a cross checking call on Ryan McDonagh at 6:29 in front of the net. The Avs top power play in the league made short work of it as Mikkko Rantanen scoring at 7:37 to tie the game up.
The Avs earned another chance on the power play as Forsberg was called for a slash at 1:07 left in the first period, but the buzzer expired before Colorado could capitalize.
The Predators killed off the remainder of Forsberg's penalty as the second period began. The teams exchanged opportunities, but it was Colorado whose extended zone time paid off with a tip in goal by Logan O'Connor at 6:34.
O'Connor made Nashville pay again on a breakaway just over a minute later giving the Avs a 3-1 lead. The Preds thought they had a response goal as Niederreiter got the puck past Georgiev in a heated net front scrum, but the referee had whistled the play dead before the puck crossed the goal line.
Nashville earned a power play on a cross checking call on Mikko Rantanen. While the Preds kept the puck rotating in the offensive zone, they weren't able to capitalize on the man advantage. As Rantanen exited the box, he was hit with a stretch pass and made the break away goal giving Colorado a 4-1 lead at 10:48.
The dangerous Avs power play took the ice again compliments of a Jeremy Lauzon trip at 14:32, and Evan Rodrigues made it 5-1 on a deflected goal at 15:12.
Nashville went back on the power play with less than a minute left, and Ryan Johansen tipped the puck past Georgiev quickly to end the period 5-2.
The Predators came out with energy and a bit of abandon in the third period. Roman Josi threw the puck on net and somehow it got past Georgiev at 2:59 to make it 5-3.
Nashville kept their foot on the pedal through the final period, increasing the offensive pressure on Georgiev and the Avs, but couldn't get a shot in the back of the net. The Predators brought on an extra attacker with three minutes remaining, Nashville threatened in the waning minute, but the final buzzer sounded with the final score 5-3.
Game Notes
1. A few brief bursts in the second period doomed the Preds. Three goals scored against in a little over four minutes created a quick, deep hole for the Predators to climb out of.
2. Nashville's aggressive play in the third period was how they needed to play all throughout this west coast road trip. It ended up being too little too late, but the Predators came out with an intensity in the third period that has been missing in too many of their games this season.
3. This certainly wasn't the outcome Nashville wanted or needed, but this is a performance the team could build off of. Each of the four lines contributed, the team looked better in the first and third periods than they did against the Kraken, and if they can clean up those second period mistakes, the Preds may be able to build on that Saturday night against the New York Rangers.