Nashville Predators Matt Duchene talks big season
Nashville Predators Matt Duchene talks big season
Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean
The Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues both dressed for the outdoors Saturday morning, with the former wearing sweaters that read “SMASH VILLE” against a goalie named Ville Husso.
Each team wore its outdoor uniforms for their meeting inside Bridgestone Arena, one with vital implications on the Central Division standings.
The Predators trailed the second-place Blues by three points going into what turned out to be a 7-4 loss by the Predators, whose winning streak ended at three. Robert Thomas’ second goal of the game with 2:38 remaining, proved to be the winner.
The Predators came out pucks a flyin’, recording five shots on goal during the first 75 seconds of the first period. But the Blues scored the first three goals of the game during the first 20 minutes before the Predators answered with three during the second 20 minutes.
David Perron’s power-play goal with 13:25 remaining in the first gave the Blues their first such goal in six games and was Perron’s sixth goal in six games. Forty-eight seconds later Brandon Saad doubled their lead on just their fourth shot on goal.
Emotion got the best of the Predators later in the first, when Roman Josi was called for cross-checking, again putting the Blues on the power play. Again the Blues made good to make it 3-0 on Thomas’ goal with 2:18 left.
Matt Duchene’s 30th goal of the season cut the Predators’ deficit to two with 1:26 remaining in the first, leaving him one shy of his career high. The score provoked quite the reaction from Duchene’s two young children, who were watching from home.
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Ryan Johansen’s power-play score with 16:16 left in the second cut the deficit to 3-2 and was his 15th goal of the season, tying his career high with the Predators.
Filip Forsberg followed with his 29th goal of the season, this one at four-on-four with 11:46 left in the second. It was Forsberg’s 207th career goal, four short of breaking David Legwand’s franchise record. The score came after Alex Carrier broke up a play that could have made it 4-2 the other way.
A Blues shot deflected off Mattias Ekholm and Johansen past Saros with 8:22 left in the second to give St. Louis the lead again. The goal was credited to Torey Krug.
But Duchene scored again 39 seconds later to tie the score again, his eighth multi-goal game, setting a franchise record and tying his career high.
Perron and Justin Faulk added an empty-net goals late for the Blues.
The Predators are 33-21-4. The Blues are 34-17-7.
The Predators face the Minnesota Wild on the road at 6 p.m. Sunday.
Reach Paul Skrbina at pskrbina@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter @PaulSkrbina.
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