Nashville Predators get first win in five games over Edmonton Oilers 2-1 -NHL Update
The Nashville team had problems keeping their head high after losing four straight, including a 6-2 loss to Edmonton, but the Predators were determined to get revenge and bounced back against the Oilers, 2-1, on Monday, November 28, 2011, at the sold-out
Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
"We haven't done well at all against them this year," Nashville’s top defender, Shea Weber said. "So we wanted to come out and shut their offense down. I think we did a pretty good job of that."
Edmonton could not manage to score after their first goal in the opening period with Jordan Eberle potting his eighth of the 2011-2012 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season nearly midway through, but it was their goalie, veteran Nikolai Khabibulin,
who kept them in the match and safe from being outshot by blocking 29 of 31 shots.
The Oilers only had 18 attempts on Nashville’s, Anders Lindback, who diverted 17 of those shots for a near shutout.
"We played with a lot more of the things that you need to have to win," Predators coach, Barry Trotz said. "We played with a lot more intensity and structure. It was getting a little nerve-racking because we had numerous chances, 14 or 15 in the second period,
and were tied 1-1. That was a big goal by the Smith line with Spaling and Tootoo."
Shea Weber levelled the game with his fourth goal of the season a little over midway through the second period on a power play opportunity with Ryan Jones out with a five minute major for elbowing, which could be reviewed by the NHL in upcoming days and
potentially cause a suspension.
Nick Spaling made his third and the game winning goal of the night with less than eight minutes left to play in the contest as the Predators kept Edmonton out of their defensive end to win the match.
Nashville hope to continue with the same momentum when they face the Calgary Flames on Tuesday while the Edmonton Oilers will be hosting the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday, a day later in the second day of their six-game home stand.
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