\Patric Hornqvist tormented his old club with a pair of goals. His back-to-back tallies turned a 2-1 lead into a 4-1 cushion and Pittsburgh crusied to a comfortable victory.
For more on Hornqvist's night, check out Michelle Crechiolo's report.
\Hornqvist now has 14 goals on the season. He has scored 13 of the 14 within 15 feet of the net. He knows where his office is located. Both of his goals tonight were scored in the typical Hornqvist fashion, blue-collar and blue-creased.
\The Preds entered tonight's contest as the best 2nd-period team in the NHL with a plus-29 goal differential. But it was the Pens who dominated the middle frame and blew the door off of this contest. Pittsburgh notched 3 tallies with a lopsided advantage in zone time.
\The Preds opened the scoring on Calle Jarnkrok's goal. Nashville hadn't lost a game in regulation this season when scoring the game's first goal. Now they are 15-1-5.
\Hornqvist's second goal of the contest occurred on the man-advantage. Pittsburgh has scored at least 1 power-play goal in 16 of its last 22 games (23 for 78, 29.5%).
\Defenseman Kris Letang returned to the lineup after missing the previous 6 games with a lower-body injury. On his first shift he spun in the defensive zone with the puck and then jumped up on the rush. Needless to say, Letang is officially back.
*It was a long-time coming, but 27-year-old centerman Carter Rowney made his NHL debut. He pivoted Carl Hagelin and Bryan Rust. Rowney also saw some action on the penalty kill.
