Predators Take Shootout Loss in Grudge Match With San Jose
By CJ Wodushek
It was paramount that the Nashville Predators got the taste out of their mouth from the previous game. Did they do that last night?
Coming off of a bone-shattering 9-4 loss to Colorado, the Nashville Predators had to get back on the right track. Although they played much better, they still took the shooutout loss to the San Jose Sharks for a 2-1 final score.
When a goalie is on his game, the excitement level raises for that fanbase and the game becomes more exhilarating to watch. When you have two goalies that are on their game, those games tend to be the “edge of your seat”, unforgettable games by each fanbase. Juuse Saros and Martin Jones made highlight after highlight save in this one.
San Jose would come into this game on a two-game winning streak, so they had some confidence in their back pocket. The Sharks penalty kill ranks top in the league at over 91 percent. While they don’t have a flashy record, the Sharks are still a team to not take lightly. The Predators’ mentality for this game would be to forget what happened last game against the Avalanche and get back to playing their style of hockey, which is full of speed and aggression.
Eb and Flow
The game had a back and forth feel for the opening period. The Predators would get their shots on net for a couple minutes then it would go back the other way and the Sharks would get theirs. Both goaltenders were not tested heavily, but managed to keep the score knotted at zero. Shots on goal were kept low with the Sharks having the slight edge.
The second period would start to tell a different story as it felt like the Sharks were gaining control. Near the end of the period, the flow would go back the Predators way. Filip Forsberg would finally put a tally in the score column by basically putting Erik Karlsson on the wrong end of a highlight reel.
Goal came over halfway through the second period, and Fabbro was registered the assist. Minutes later, Fabbro would take a puck off his right-side chin after it deflected off his stick. He wouldn’t return until the final minutes of the third period.
Let’s take a look at that Forsberg goal, which was a vintage Forsberg wrister for his 8th goal of the season:
Third period was pretty much the same as the second. Sharks dominated most of the period, but stellar defense at key points by
and
kept the Sharks off the board. At 5:22,
would take a shot that was incredibly saved by Saros. Unfortunately, the puck dropped right in front of Saros and onto Hertl’s stick and he would net the last regular time goal.
The game would go into overtime where Saros and Jones couldn’t be beat. The two goaltenders would make one miraculous save after another to force a shootout. Its not very often it happens but the game would be decided in the seventh round of the shootout with Timo Meier scoring. Your three stars for the game are Jones, Saros and Meier. Predators get the point but fall to the Sharks 2 to 1.
On the Bright Side and other notes
The Predators came out and played an offensively dull game, but phenomenal goaltending by Saros and the defense overall shined throughout. This was Saros’ best game by this year as he would track pucks and be in position with confidence on each save. It’s something we have missed seeing all year.
While Saros didn’t get the win, he played at a level that should get his confidence back under him. We hope to see more of this moving forward, but unfortunately his record sinks to 1-5. This strong outing should help restore some confidence in him.
Fabbro’s injury looks like he should be able to recover. He came out near the end of the third period with stitches and a chin guard. At this point in time, he should be fine to play in Vancouver unless the doctors say otherwise. It’s worth monitoring though in the coming days as that would be a huge blow to an already scrutinized defense.
If you want to come out of this game with any confidence, you should point to the fact that the Predators did respond well after giving up nine goals. This was a game that both teams could’ve won. It came down to which goaltender flinched last. Now San Jose isn’t on Colorado’s level offensively, but this is a game you can build off of, and they did manage a point at least.
The Predators will take on the Vancouver Canucks on their last game this road trip. The Canucks are another team that has high offensive potential, but currently have lost their last two games. Hopefully the Predators can steal a win and get back home to figure out their perplexing ups and downs.