Predators defense is best offense in win against Canucks

The Nashville Predators are having a December to remember, and their defense is a big reason why.
P.K. Subban scored two goals as part of a four-point game for Nashville defensemen
in a 7-1 win
at the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday that improved their record this month to 4-0-1. The seven goals were a season high for Nashville.

The Predators lead the NHL with a combined 77 points from their defensemen, with the Toronto Maple Leafs (74), Tampa Bay Lightning (73), Los Angeles Kings (73) and New York Islanders (72) rounding out the top five.
The Predators (19-7-4) have 42 points, two behind the St. Louis Blues for first place in the Central Division. They are 9-1-2 in their past 12 games and 14-2-2 in their past 18 games, dating back to Nov. 3.

Amazing race

Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin
got behind the wheel of a couple of Zambonis
and raced to a photo finish.

Long shot

One lucky Vancouver Canucks fan
won a car with his last shot from center ice
into a tiny opening during a second-intermission contest at Rogers Arena.

Wild about Minnesota

The Minnesota Wild have cracked
NHL.com's Super 16 power rankings
for the first time since they were No. 14 in the preseason. The Tampa Bay Lightning remain in the top spot for the ninth consecutive week.

Top tips

Longtime NHL goaltending coach Jim Corsi
addresses the growing trend of activating defensemen and making them part of the attack, and what teams can do to beat collapsing defenses.

Leader of the pack

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid
leads in fan voting through Wednesday
for captains in the 2018 Honda NHL All-Star Game at Amalie Arena in Tampa on Jan. 28. The top player in fan voting in each division through Jan. 1 will be named an All-Star captain.