Written by Teresa M. Walker at ABCNews.com
The Nashville Predators finally figured out how to shut down the NHL’s best road team and a pretty potent power play. As a result, they have given themselves a chance to tie their second-round series.
Weber scored the go-ahead goal and had an assist and the Predators beat the San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Tuesday night to cut the series deficit to 2-1.
James Neal and Filip Forsberg each scored on the power play, Colin Wilson had a goal, and Pekka Rinne made 26 saves for Nashville. The Predators killed four penalties after the Sharks went 3 of 5 on the man-advantage in the first two games. Nashville also went 2 of 5 on the power play after being 2 of 31 this postseason.
“It’s something we definitely need to be better at,” Neal said of both the penalty kill and power play. “I thought we had some decent looks, but ultimately it changes games when you score on the PP and you get big kills. We did that tonight and got a big win.”
Patrick Marleau scored for the Sharks, who lost for the first time away from San Jose this postseason and first since a loss at Arizona on March 17.
Game 4 is Thursday night.
The Predators not only lost the first two in San Jose, but were facing the NHL’s best regular-season road team. The Sharks also went 4-2 in Nashville in winning first-round series in both 2006 and 2007.
Nashville has not lost a game in regulation on home ice to San Jose since Feb. 25, 2012, with the lone defeat in seven games a shootout loss April 2.
“You’re not going to win every game,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. “It’s the Stanley Cup playoffs. This might take seven games. It’s that time of year. They’re a good team. You have to give them credit. I thought we came out and played a pretty good game. They won the special teams battle tonight. We won it the other night. That’s how this works this time of year.”
To continue reading this article, click here.
