Predators Beat Stars In Physical Contest

2. 119. Final. 3. 151

The Southern rivalry between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars lived on, and then some, on Thursday night.

The first period held back and forth play with a few scoring chances managed by each team. The only team that was able to make one of those scoring chances count however was Nashville.

Shea Weber sent a blast from the blue line that made its way through Kari Lehtonen at the 4:33 mark of the opening period to give the Preds a 1-0 lead. Mike Ribeiro and Roman Josi were the helpers on what was Weber’s ninth goal of the season.

Nashville killed off the only penalty of the first period and the Predators held the advantage in the shots on goal category after the first 20 minutes of play by the count of 8-6.

Just moments into the second period Nashville received its first power play chance of the night following an Ales Hemsky hooking penalty. The Predators managed only one shot on net with the man advantage and couldn’t cushion their lead.

Following the penalty the Predators found themselves with a handful of good scoring chances including a slight breakaway by Colin Wilson and company but Lehtonen managed to make the stop on Wilson to keep the Stars within one goal.

The Stars received their second power play of the night moments after killing off the Predators power play chance. During the penalty kill Ryan Ellis tried to make a cut on the ice and his right knee seemed to give out on him. He very slowly made his way to the bench and down the tunnel and did not return.

Just seconds after Nashville killed off the penalty Jason Spezza received a pass from Shawn Horcoff and somehow sent the puck between the near post and Rinne who was hugging the post to tie the game up at one goal a piece with 7:09 remaining in the middle frame.

Nashville would regain the lead less than four minutes later. Miikka Salomaki received a pass from Victor Bartley that lead to a breakaway. Salomaki was stopped on his first attempt but poked home his own rebound for his first NHL goal in his first NHL game.

Just 22 seconds after the Salomaki goal the Predators went to the power play for the second time of the night. The Predators may have had the man advantage but it didn’t seem like it. In the opening minute of the man advantage Nashville could hardly get the puck out of their zone and it nearly cost them. Vernon Fiddler stole the puck and while streaking past the Nashville defensemen he dropped a pass to Jamie Benn who saw an empty net with only Weber in his way. Weber saw the puck the entire way and made the left leg save to keep the puck out of the net.