Filip Forsberg, Mattias Ekholm, Cody Glass, and Colton SIssons scored in back to back games, but the hero of the night for the Nashville Predators was hands down goaltender Juuse Saros.
Tonight the Nashville Predators opened an important five game road trip in Raleigh, NC facing off against the 25-7-6 Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes sit at the top of the Metropolitan Division and are one of the best teams right now in the entire league. Andrei Svechnikov, Martin Necas, and Sebastian Aho lead the Hurricanes in goals, but perhaps the biggest story tonight is the season debut of Max Pacioretty after recovering from an Achilles injury in August.
This five game road trip marks an important point in Nashville's season. The team has improved recently especially when it comes to offensive production, but without a consistent and significant turnaround, the improvements may be too little too late. As Nashville's playoff hopes hang in the balance, the trade deadline looms large for a handful of Predators players. Before the Preds face those big decisions, the team needed to put their best product on the ice against one of the hottest teams in the league tonight.
Game Recap
The game opened with a fast and physical pace typical of a Carolina/Nashville game in recent seasons. The Hurricanes earned the man advantage at 6:10 as Mikael Granlund headed to the penalty box for an interference call. The power play peppered Saros early in the two minute penalty, and a bounce off of Paul Stastny's leg gave Carolina the lead at 7:41.
Juuse Saros faced continued pressure as the Hurricanes gained momentum from their power play goal. A penalty call against Teuvo Teravainen at 9:22 finally interrupted the barrage, and Filip Forsberg evened the score at 10:27 with his fourth power play goal of the season.
At 13:25 Nashville got another chance on the man advantage as Jordan Martinook committed a slash. Carolina's penalty kill managed the two minutes, and the teams returned to five a side with no serious scoring threat from Nashville.
Mattias Ekholm and Martin Necas got a little saucy after Ekholm shoved Necas onto the Preds bench. That tension built and finally spilled over, sending Ekholm and Jersperi Kotkaniemi to the penalty box with 1:00 left in the first - Ekholm for roughing and Kotkaniemi for embellishment. The teams finished the period with a minute of four on four play and headed to the locker rooms with the game tied 1-1.
The second period began with the remaining minute of four on four play, and a quick pass from Brett Pesce to Brady Skjei resulted in a goal at :35. Mattias Ekholm responded with a wicked shot for the high slot at 2:47.
Carolina continued their offensive pressure and Saros had to stretch to make the save on a "Michigan" chance from Svechnikov. Saros was under pressure from the fast transition game and extended offensive zone time the Hurricanes earned but was able to hold them off.
At 7:13, Jeremy Lauzon headed to the box for interference, and Saros faced the Canes' power play again. This time Nashville's penalty kill worked hard in front of Saros and didn't give up a single shot for the two minutes. Immediately after the penalty was over, a turnover in the neutral zone resulted in a goal by Jordan Staal to give Carolina the lead once again.
The line of Glass, Niederreiter, and Granlund created a terrific scoring chance, but Niederreiter's shot was saved by Kochetkov. The three kept pressuring, and Granlund found Glass net front for a goal at 11:55 to tie the game once more.
Nashville briefly enjoyed offensive zone time, but Carolina's dogged puck pursuit moved the game back in front of Saros once again. The Finnish net minder held his ground against the top shot generating team in the league.
A trip by Brent Burns at 17:54 gave Nashville another chance on the power play, but the Preds again couldn't capitalize, and the period ended tied again 3-3.
The final period started as much of the game had gone - with Carolina pressuring and Nashville working to push back. The Preds caught the Canes in transition, and Mark Jankowski tipped in a shot by Ryan Johansen to give Nashville their first lead of the game at 5:06.
Carolina didn't let the Nashville lead interrupt their game plan, and they continued on the attack. The Canes got a break at 6:35 as Alexandre Carrier committed a trip. Nashville's penalty kill ran ragged and Saros protected the net under another barrage, and the Preds somehow survived the two minutes.
Saros spent the middle of the period as a sitting duck against the Carolina shots, but somehow he held on. With five minutes left, theHurricanes somehow found another level of offensive pressure. At 16:20 Tanner Jeannot was called for a hooking penalty, giving the Hurricanes a late power play opportunity. A big faceoff win and clear by Colton Sissons and a tenacious clearing effort by Trenin helped kill off the two minutes.
As soon as the penalty ended, the Canes went empty net. The Predators tried to score an insurance empty net goal, but the puck bounced off the pipe. After more pressure in the final minute by Carolina, Colton Sissons scooped up a loose puck and with :03 seconds to go, carried it down the ice and scored to give Nashville the two goal win.
Game Notes
1. Juuse Saros kept the Predators in this game. Saros faced 67 shots, a career high and a new record for a Predators goaltender. It is no surprise that Saros was named to the All Star team once again this season.
2. Juuse Saros deserves a vacation. Send that Finn somewhere really warm and serve him an endless supply of drinks with little umbrellas in them.
3. Juuse Saros should be the name of any future children this Predators team spawns. For heavens sake, there is no honor bigger and no one more deserving after what the Preds goaltender did for this team tonight.
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