Arvidsson's Hat Trick Leads Preds Past Capitals

For the fifth time this season, Predators fans lost their caps.
Viktor Arvidsson recorded his second-career hat trick and the Nashville Predators scored a season-high seven goals to crush the Washington Capitals by a 7-2 final on Tuesday night at Bridgestone Arena. The result gives the Preds a clean sweep of their season series against the Caps, outscoring them 13-5 in the process.
In addition to the blowout win over the defending champs, Arvidsson's effort set a Preds franchise record with five hat tricks in a single season, joining Filip Forsberg, Colton Sissons, Calle Jarnkrok and Austin Watson on the ledger.
And on Tuesday, it was another classic showing from Arvidsson.

"He was a big difference-maker tonight," Preds Head Coach Peter Laviolette said of Arvidsson. "He plays the same way every night, and tonight he was able to chip in three and his line was good. Viktor is a guy that never stops, and he competed from start to finish."
Not only were the Preds thrilled to be back in their own building after a six-game road trip, but to earn a win of that magnitude, against the defending Stanley Cup champs, well, it meant a little more.
"That road trip was pretty wild, a lot of games, a lot of days and a lot of different cities," Preds center Ryan Johansen said. "We put that loss in Carolina behind us quick and just focused on tonight. We came out excited to be back in this building and it was a fun night, a lot of good things and a lot of things we can build off."
"It's our building, and we haven't been here for a couple weeks, so we wanted to come out with some energy just like they did to us a couple weeks ago," Preds forward Rocco Grimaldi said. "They jumped out to a quick lead against us, so we wanted to do the same to them and then keep the pedal to the metal."
Arvidsson got things started less than four minutes into the contest when he beat Pheonix Copley on a breakaway to give his club a 1-0 lead. At the midway point of the first, Nick Bonino finished off a 2-on-1 with Sissons to hit double-digits on his season goal tally for a 2-0 advantage after 20.

Arvidsson put his club up by three less than two minutes into the second stanza, and after the Capitals cut the lead to two with a power-play marker, the Preds went back to work. First, it was Arvidsson who finished off the hat trick on a shorthanded breakaway, and then Grimaldi added an exclamation point with a spin-o-rama in tight for his fourth of the season.

Before the middle frame was out, Bonino deflected a Mattias Ekholm shot into the twine for his second of the evening while allowing the Nashville defender to attain a career-high with his 36th point of the season.
Calle Jarnkrok joined the party when he scored Nashville's seventh of the evening, and lost in all of the offense was goaltender Juuse Saros who made 26 saves to collect his 11th win of the season and tie his career-high in victories.

The Predators won't have much time to celebrate, however, with the Winnipeg Jets knocking on their door for a meeting in Nashville on Thursday night. But, the Preds don't mind a challenge, especially when the club that has become their most heated rival comes to town.
"We just have to refocus here," Arvidsson said. "We have a big test coming up, a division game against Winnipeg. They're the top of our division, so we have to bring our game."

Hats & Spins:
If Viktor Arvidsson's hat trick was the entrée, Rocco Grimaldi's terrific tally was the tiramisu.
Arvidsson had his three before the second period was even out, the second hat trick of his career.
The energy Arvidsson brings to his club is palpable, and as it feeds from the ice to the bench to the home crowd and back down to ice level again, there's no mistaking the difference when No. 33 is at his best.
"When the rink gets into it - that's huge," Bonino. "The fans love chanting 'Arvi.' We all love it too, it's fun to see. He just plays so hard, throws his body on the line every night. You can always get behind guys like that. He scores so often, so it's fun seeing a smile come down the line. He made some big goals tonight."
"His relentlessness, his tenaciousness, he's always on the puck," Grimaldi said of Arvidsson. "Anytime the puck is on the ice and he's out there, he seems to be around it somehow, so it's really fun to watch. He takes his chances and he buries them when he gets it, but he's a fun player to watch and his work ethic is extremely awesome to watch and be a part of."

Perhaps Grimaldi himself was inspired by Arvidsson's brilliance, because less than three minutes after the hats hit the ice, Nashville's smallest player wracked up a highlight-reel strike of his own.
It started innocently enough in the Nashville end, with Grimaldi breaking up a Washington pass attempt before heading the other way. Going 1-on-1 with a Caps defender, Grimaldi spun from forehand to backhand and sent a puck short side for one of the prettiest goals of the season.
"It was awesome," Bonino said of Grimaldi's goal. "It was, first, a great defensive play. He stops, he doesn't over-back check, he makes a good play on the puck, and then makes a nice move. He catches the goalie before he sets. He's been playing great. It was really nice."
Indeed, just about everyone on the Nashville roster had themselves a night, but the two smallest, scrappiest wingers were the ones who left Preds fans hatless - and speechless - when it was all said and done.
"For both of us being smaller guys, we've been told we can't make it our whole lives, and we know that skill is not going be the thing that gets us through, its work ethic," Grimaldi said of he and Arvidsson. "He's an extremely hard worker, so I try to be a hard worker as well. I think for both of us to get here, we've maybe had to do a little extra than the average person, so it's good to see guys like him succeed."

Notes:
Defenseman Yannick Weber returned to the Preds lineup on Tuesday after missing the previous 10 games due to injury.
The Preds have now won six straight over the Caps, scoring at least five goals in four of those victories.
At home, Nashville has won three in a row versus Washington and has points in eight of its last nine meetings (6-1-2).
Nashville's three-game homestand continues on Thursday night when the Winnipeg Jets come to town before finishing up with the Florida Panthers on Saturday evening.