NHL Update: Nashville Predators down Minnesota Wild 4-1, snap 5-game skid
At last, Nashville Predators were honoured for playing well.
Pekka Rinne turned aside 22-of-23 shots as Nashville Predators downed Minnesota Wild 4-1 at Xcel Energy Centre on Friday to stop their losing streak at 5 play-offs.
Patric Hornqvist, Joel Ward, Sergei Kostitsyn and Cody Franson lit the lamp for Nashville, which got its first road victory in exactly two weeks. Fighting offensively, Nashville made 9 goals in its previous 6 matches.
“It was a solid game and everybody worked hard for each other. When we do that it’s going to be hard to beat us,” said Hornqvist. “It’s a great feeling in the locker room, and was all the time on the bench.”
For the first time in their last seven games, Predators got on the board first just 4:37 into the game. Franson took a pass from Shane O'Brien and defeated the screened Niklas Backstrom with a successful slap shot from the blue line.
Hornqvist increased the lead to 2-0 for Nashville in the middle of second period. He deflected Shea Weber’s right-point shot in front and tipped it behind Backstrom while fighting off a defensive attempt by Jared Spurgeon.
Wild cut its deficit to 2-1 with 1:54 to play in the period when Chuck Kobasew received Martin Havlat's floater from the point and he redirected it home. It was his 3rd goal in as many games. Kobasew provided the only offense for Minnesota.
Ward and Kostitsyn each made empty-net goal for Nashville.
In last 90 seconds, Backstrom went to the bench, and soon when Mikko Koivu's opportunity in traffic was batted down, the Predators clear went to Ward, who scored alone to the empty net.
Sergei Kostitsyn then striked the empty net with 6 seconds remaining and thus put the final score 4-1.
"I think the spirit's changing in here. Guys really don't realize how we have to play night in and night out to be a successful team," said Wild's defenseman Greg Zanon. "It's disappointing when you can't complete your goals. We need wins; we need points
to stay in the mix."
Rinne was successful in his play for the first time in 4 starts. He stopped two of the best shots in a third-period penalty kill. He also stopped Martin Havlat from in close by holding the post and then squared up to stop Matt Cullen’s slap shot from the
left circle.
“It’s hard to say when you’re losing games that you feel like your old self, but I feel like I’ve been playing well, I’m just not getting the results,” said Rinne.
Wild has now lost 2-of-3 games and the side was hooted off the ice after the second period. Minnesota is 3-6-1 in their last 10 home games.
“We weren’t executing. We weren’t sharp. They were sharper than we were and that was the difference in the game,” commented Minnesota centre John Madden on his side's defeat. “I’m not going to sit here like I have all the answers.”
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