Preds Reach 100-Point Mark, Hit Top of NHL Standings in Win Over Jets

They've got a view from the top.
Austin Watson and Viktor Arvidsson scored shorthanded and the Nashville Predators defeated the Winnipeg Jets by a 3-1 final on Tuesday night at Bridgestone Arena.
The victory gives Nashville 100 points in a season for the sixth time in franchise history and puts them eight points ahead of the Jets for the Central Division lead. Plus, the Preds not only lead in their division and the Western Conference, but also find themselves first in the NHL with Tuesday's win.
The Predators made a statement from the opening puck drop, pelting Winnipeg with shots, and eventually, goals. And while both teams settled in as the game went on, the early onslaught was more than enough for Nashville to secure another win against one of their fiercest rivals.

"These two points - we marked it as a game that had to go our way," Predators Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. "As we sit here and push toward it late in the season, we're trying to battle for what we need to do in order to better ourselves for the playoffs, and obviously, the division and the conference. Those are things we talk about. So, the two points were very important."
"We knew it was a big game to distance [ourselves from them] a little bit more," Predators Captain Roman Josi said. "They're a tough team to play, and we've had some tough games against them so it's huge for us to get a couple wins."
Kevin Fiala got things started less than three minutes into the contest when he took a Roman Josi feed and fired it past Michael Hutchinson for a 1-0 lead. Then, Nashville scored not once but twice on the same penalty kill, with Watson and Arvidsson combining to give the Predators a 3-0 lead and 20 shots on goal with less than 10 minutes off the clock.

That spelled the end of Hutchinson's night, and after a scoreless second stanza, the Jets finally solved Pekka Rinne with an early power play in the third, but that was as close as they got to tightening the gap in the Central Division.
Sitting atop the NHL standings is gratifying, and while the Predators say there is still plenty to improve on, including a complete effort in a game like the one they faced against a top team like Winnipeg, they also know the wins mean they're doing something right.
As long as they keep ascending in the standings, the confidence will only continue to grow, exactly what the Preds want as springtime nears.
"We'll enjoy [being first] for now, but there's still some games to be played," Watson said. "With the frequency that we play, the standings and the points change every day. It's something that's a point of emphasis for us. We want to be as good as we possibly can be to finish the regular season out, and tonight was a big step in the right direction."
"I feel like even as a team - me, too personally - it's a goal that we can say out loud," Rinne said of being first in the League. "It's something that we haven't done before here. That would mean a lot to all of us and for our fans, too, and for this building-- there's not too many banners in here, and that would be great."

Shorthanded Special:
The Predators start was already impressive enough - one goal and 13 shots just over six minutes into the contest.
And then Mike Fisher took a tripping penalty.
What happened next wasn't a tying goal to get the Jets right back in the mix. Instead, Austin Watson potted his fourth shorthanded goal of the season. Not to be outdone, Viktor Arvidsson got another just 34 seconds later. Time to rewrite the record books.
Not only was it the first time in Nashville franchise history they've tallied twice during the same penalty kill, the goals set another club record for the fastest two shorthanded goals, shattering the mark of 2:40 set back in November of 2008.
How's that for a Tuesday?
"We were buzzing that time of the game," Rinne said. "I might as well have been on the bench just drinking my Gatorade. That was fun to watch."

"That was a lot for sure," Josi said. "Two goals in one power play doesn't happen too often. It was a great kill for us and a great job by Watson and Arvidsson converting on both of those plays."
In particular, Watson, who is second in the NHL with four shorthanded goals on the season, helps to lead the way on the penalty kill. As he says, success in one facet of the game helps to feed the others, and for him, there's nothing better than capitalizing when the opposition least expects it.
"Right now, the team is playing great," Watson said. "Our penalty kill has done a good job of taking away time and space and forcing turnovers. When you get a chance to jump on it, it's nice. Every time you get a chance that helps. It's tough to score, but when you can get a few to go in in a short period of time for you, it definitely helps."

Notes:
The Preds required the fewest games in franchise history to reach 100 points in a season (69 games played), eclipsing the mark of 73 contests set in 2006-07 (47-20-6, 100 points).
With their four-game home stand now concluded with seven out of a possible eight points, the Predators head back out on the road for three, beginning on Thursday night in Arizona against the Coyotes. They'll then stop in Colorado on Friday evening before finishing in Buffalo on Monday.