Preds Fall to Avalanche in Colorado

The Colorado Avalanche scored six goals in the second period on their way to a 9-4 win over the Nashville Predators on Thursday night in Denver. The result moves the Preds to 9-5-2 on the season and 1-1-0 at the halfway point of their four-game road trip.
The Predators trailed the Avalanche by one goal through the game's first 20 minutes, and the visitors took a 3-2 lead early in the second. But shortly after Nashville tallied twice in the middle frame, Colorado proceeded to score six goals in a span of eight minutes as the game unraveled.
"We obviously didn't play well at all," Preds Captain Roman Josi said. "We lost every battle. We didn't compete. I mean, we got embarrassed out there."
"It's embarrassing," Preds forward Filip Forsberg said. "We're letting [a team score] nine goals. Doesn't matter what team we're playing, nobody should be able to do that. It's our fault. We have to learn from it and just be ready to bounce back next game."

Ryan Ellis had the Nashville tally in the opening period, and that was followed in the second with goals from Forsberg and Matt Duchene, the latter of which came on the power play.
But Colorado took over from there, and Juuse Saros replaced Pekka Rinne in net after Colorado's fifth goal of the night, and the second period ended with an 8-3 score in favor of the Avs.
Craig Smith scored Nashville's fourth of the night, and the Preds controlled play for a majority of the third period, but Joonas Donskoi scored his third of the night for Colorado to give them goal No. 9 before the final horn.
Nashville's road trip continues in San Jose on Saturday night (9:30 p.m. CT), and the Predators will be eager to erase the memory of this one as quickly as possible.
"Like every other game you have to learn, you have to learn some things, and probably a lot more from this game," Josi said. "This is a proud locker room, and we got embarrassed out there tonight. We have to show a reaction next game."
"We're a veteran team in here, and we know how to play the game the right way. Tonight wasn't it," Duchene said. "We'll bounce back. We'll have a short memory… It's probably a good lesson if you're going to look for a silver lining. Not a great effort, top to bottom, but we'll get ready for San Jose."

Notes:
Forsberg and Roman Josi extended their point streaks to three games apiece.
Miikka Salomaki and Matt Irwin were scratched for the Preds on Thursday.
The Predators will face the Sharks in San Jose on Saturday night, before concluding their four-game trip on Tuesday in Vancouver.