Power Play: Predators overcome early deficit to defeat Brodeur, Blues
Nashville, Tenn. -- The Nashville Predators (17-6-2) may have given up the first goal, but they had the last laugh. Fighting off the St. Louis Blues (16-8-2) in the final seconds of regulation, the Predators were able to walk out with a 4-3 win.
Nashville having to fight from behind more often than not
For the 14th time this season, Nashville allowed the first goal of the game. While the Predators have a winning record of 8-5-1 after allowing the opponent to score first, their record of 9-1-1 when taking the lead first is a much kinder stat line.
Clearly Nashville will have to find some type of answer for their seemingly lackluster starts as of late, but allowing the opponent to get on the board first isn't helping their attempts at staying on top of the Central Division.
"We like to score the first one, but at the same time a game is not defined in the first five minutes of the first period or the first forty. Sometimes they take time to develop and it took us a little bit to get our legs underneath us, but we didn't quit until the end," said Predators forward Eric Nystrom. "That's been the mentality in here all year, we're going to give you everything we have until the final buzzer. I think we've done that in the majority of the games and that's a good staple to have as a team"
Whatever the case was for the Predators on Thursday, a timeout after Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko's opening goal was enough to give Nashville the reset they needed to ignite their brief comeback.
"I don't think it was so much what I said in the timeout. Our guys know that we weren't really playing the way we needed to. Sometimes a timeout can be used for a lot of different reasons for me. In that instant it was just to stop the game, reset it, and start it over. I've seen too many times where that can just change a period," said Predators head coach Peter Laviolette. "Once the timeout broke, we really energized the way we played. We skated much better. We were on the attack and more competitive in the battles."
"Sometimes you just need to start over and that's why every period is different. First period is different from the second period. That was a chance to stop it and start again."
Forsberg, Ribeiro and Neal back to lighting up the scoreboard
Maybe playing a game against a legendary goaltender like Martin Brodeur was exactly what the doctor ordered for Nashville's top line? Only registering a total of three points combined in the previous five games, the top line of Forsberg, Ribeiro and Neal combined for six points against St Louis.
"There are a lot of good teams in this league. Everyone is playing us hard, especially [Neal] and [Ribeiro]. They don't have that much ice out there to work with. It's tough. There are a lot of great defensemen in the league that try to take us out. It's great to be able to contribute to this win, especially the way we played tonight," said Predators forward Filip Forsberg, who notched a goal and an assist.
It's been a true testament for the first quarter of Nashville's season that when their top line has been clicking, the Predators have been winning. They've struggled over the previous handful of games, but sometimes positive play may not always translate onto the scoreboard.
"The game that nobody was really happy with was the one down in Carolina. The games prior to that, we were happy with all of our lines and all of our players. That line, the Ribeiro line, was no different. They played hard. If it didn't show on the scoreboard, that's not as much of a concern for me as the way we play the game," said Laviolette. "We talked about it after the Carolina game. I thought we gave it a much more hard fought effort tonight. We had to against a good hockey club. That line really helped us out with the offense and the contributions."
Tightly contested games deliver sometimes unnecessary theatricalities
It's no secret the Predators seem to be fans of games that end in a difference of one goal. Since their 9-2 thrashing of the Toronto Maple Leafs in mid-November, Nashville has played in seven straight one-goal finishes, including 18 total throughout the year.
"We're not trying to play one goal games, but we are. The good news is our guys are competing until the end and working to the end. I think that can build something inside the team," said Laviolette. "Just the way the division is and the games are, it seems like nobody really gives an inch out there. So you have to fight for all of your inches and those inches are usually won in very small amounts on the scoreboard."
Most of Nashville's games are not short of a fair amount of theatricalities, either. In Brodeur's first start with the Blues, the Predators were able to secure two separate two-goal leads before seeing St. Louis climb back each time.
"We made that one a little tougher than we needed to. That third [St. Louis] goal was kind of a system breakdown that gave them a pretty cut rush that was pretty avoidable. Those things happen in the course of a game," said Nystrom. "They had a couple chances with the goalie pulled and Pekka made a huge save. We found a way to win that against a great team. That's huge for us."
Nashville is now 5-1-1 in one-goal games against the Central Division, three of those coming against St. Louis. They may not be actively trying to deliver heart-stopping finishes every game, but the end result has the Predators walking out on most nights with two points.
"The people for sure get value for their ticket money. It doesn't really matter how it looks. I would take 5-0. I would take 4-3. It doesn't really matter as long as we get the win," said Forsberg
Mike Ribeiro -- Now with five points in his previous three games, Ribeiro is potentially solidifying himself as one of the better comeback stories in the league. Nashville's top center is now second on the team with 22 points in his 25 games.
Vladimir Tarasenko -- There's not much more the Blues could ask from Tarasenko right now. Only 22 years old and tied for the second-most goals in the league with 16, the Russian forward is delivering highlight-reel plays every game.
Filip Forsberg -- With his eighth multi-point game in 24 outings this year, Forsberg is proving why he's deserving of all the Calder Trophy discussions being pointed his way. He currently leads all players in the NHL in plus/minus rating with a +22.
