Nashville Predators smell blood as they travel to face slumping Ottawa Senators - NHL Preview
Facing a second Canadian team in two days the Nashville Predators will hope that this time the result turns out completely different when they travel to the Scotiabank Place to face Ottawa Senators on Thursday.
Nashville is currently fifth in the Western Conference table with a 32-17-5 record and just five points behind the conference leading Detroit Red Wings.
The Predators will be looking to bounce back from their 4-3 shootout defeat against Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. The Predators went down 3-1 in the first period but clawed their way back into the game with two quick goals in the second period to tie the
scores.
The game remained equal throughout the third period and in overtime. In a shootout though the Canucks were always the favourite and goaltender Pekka Rinne’s efforts were not enough to give Nashville a brilliant come from behind victory.
"We were down 3-1 against Vancouver and came back and I think we were the better team over 60 minutes," Predators forward Patric Hornqvist said. "But they came out a little better than us in the shootout."
The Predators will hope to bounce back from that defeat and continue to push up the Western Conference table when they face a slumping Ottawa Senators.
Ottawa have slumped considerably near the end of January and their miserable run of form is showing no signs of abating. The Senators entered the All-Star weekend on a three game losing streak and after the break lost four more to bring their losing run
to seven games.
The Senators offence has seemingly run out of steam scoring just a single goal over their last two games which includes a 5-0 defeat at home against fierce rivals Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, February 4th while following it up with a 3-1 defeat
on Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues.
Ottawa Coach Paul MacLean felt that his side is regressing after the defeat to St. Louis and their level is not on par with the rest of the teams.
"I think our team has come out of the break and stayed the same while the league has gone to another level," MacLean said.
"We may even have gone backward, but we certainly haven't gone to the same level as the rest of the league."
The lack of confidence in Ottawa may well turn the game in the favour of Nashville but one can never count out a team with four All-Star players and the Senators might just end their miserable run against Nashville.
Recommendation: Confidence is key and Nashville Predators should be comfortable winners against a team struggling to score.
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