[37-29-16]
1
2
12/13/2011
FINAL
[48-26-8]
123T
CGY0101
36SHOTS45
27FACEOFFS32
10HITS14
6PIM2
0/1PP1/3
5GIVEAWAYS9
8TAKEAWAYS15
12BLOCKED SHOTS14
     

Predators edge Flames 2-1

Wednesday, 08.06.2014 / 4:50 AM

The Nashville Predators finally found a way to beat the Calgary Flames at Bridgestone Arena.

Colin Wilson's power-play goal 3:31 into the third period and a 35-save performance by Pekka Rinne gave the Predators a 2-1 victory Tuesday night, ending the Flames' six-game winning streak in Nashville.

Nashville won its third in a row and ended the Flames' three-game winning streak -- as well as beating Calgary at home for the first time since Jan. 15, 2008.

The Predators bombarded Miikka Kiprusoff with 45 shots, but the game was even until Calgary's Brendan Morrison was called for interference 3:01 into the third period, Kiprusoff used his left pad to stop Craig Smith's shot from the low slot, but Wilson skated fired the rebound into an opening on the short side for his eighth goal of the season, breaking a 1-1 tie.

"Smith let a quick shot go and I was on the goal line and the puck came right to me and I got it over his pad," Wilson said. "He has really quick legs and he gets from side to side really well, so if you are not going to beat him with the first shot, you have to get there for the second one."

Nashville extended its streak of scoring at least one power-play goal to six games. Of the Predators' last 29 goals, 13 have come with the extra man.

"You want your power play to score goals and timely goals," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "We adjusted between periods. They had an all-out press against our power play in the second, so we made a slight adjustment and were able to execute it."

Rinne stopped Jay Bouwmeester's shot from the right point with 22.2 seconds remaining in the third to preserve the win.

Matt Halischuk put Nashville ahead at 11:43 of the first period -- the only goal in the Predators' 18-shot barrage in the opening 20 minutes. He picked off Brian McGrattan's pass from the right boards in the Flames' zone and beat Kiprusoff to the short side for his sixth of the season.

Kiprusoff kept the Flames in the game with right pad saves on shots by David Legwand and Martin Erat that appeared to be headed for an open net.

"The first period we were standing around watching," Calgary coach Brent Sutter said. "The plays we made were soft plays. We let them dictate the pace of the game in the first period."

Glencross got the Flames even at 6:12 of the second, lifting a backhander over Rinne's glove.

"We had a pretty good second and third period I think," Glencross said. "Our 5-on-5 play in the first period was obviously what killed us. Obviously we weren't ready to play."

Material from team media and wire services was used in this report.
Back to top