Final - 2OT
Legwand does it all as Predators top Bruins
Feb 15, 2009 - 5:42 AM NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- Victories have been elusive of late for the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins. The Nashville Predators have had no such trouble.David Legwand scored twice in regulation before netting the decisive goal in the shootout as the Predators skated to a 3-2 triumph over the Bruins on Saturday.
Pekka Rinne made 23 saves for Nashville, which has won six of its last eight games.
"It's a huge confidence boost," Rinne said. "You just have to look at the standings and realize how big every point is."
"I thought we competed at a pretty high level," Predators coach Barry Trotz said. "I thought the penalty kill was really good in the second period for us, and I thought our team had really good focus."
Rookie Blake Wheeler and captain Zdeno Chara tallied for Boston, which has lost a season-high four in a row (0-2-2).
"You have to work your way out of it," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "Panicking does not make your team better, and we're not even close to that situation."
"It was an up-tempo game, a high-pressure game," Chara said. "I'm very proud of the team that we battled to the end and earned a point. We just have to find a way to finish it."
Still looking to become the first 40-win team this season, the Bruins fell behind in this one as Legwand opened the scoring with 5:36 remaining in the first period.
Jordin Tootoo, who returned to the lineup after missing seven games with a hand injury, unleashed a slap shot from along the left wing boards. With Manny Fernandez screened, Legwand tipped the puck past the goaltender for his 13th goal of the season.
The second overall selection of the 1998 draft, Legwand doubled the lead with 7:36 to go in the second. While teammate Steve Sullivan served a hooking penalty, the 28-year-old Legwand received a pass from the top of the slot by Joel Ward and one-timed it past Fernandez from the right faceoff circle for his third shorthander of the campaign.
"The first one hit me in the foot from Tootoo's shot," Legwand said. "Tootoo did a great job of just throwing it at the net. On the second goal, Joel Ward carried a couple of guys with him through the zone. That was a big goal, the second one, and it was a key one."
Legwand, who has recorded a pair of multi-goal performances in 2008-09, entered the season with four career shorthanded tallies.
Wheeler began Boston's comeback 61 seconds later, grabbing a loose puck in the low slot and backhanding it by Rinne for his 16th goal.
Vlady (Sobotka) made a great play on the forecheck to free the puck and made a great pass out to (David Krejci)," Wheeler said. "I guess by design, he snapped his stick and (the puck) just fumbled right to me. I just turned and put it on net, and somehow it found a hole. Those go in sometimes."
The rookie Rinne maintained the slim advantage by forcing David Krejci to miss the net during a shorthanded breakaway less than eight minutes into the third. But with Fernandez pulled for an extra attacker, the Bruins got the equalizer with 76 seconds remaining.
After defenseman Dennis Wideman prevented Nashville from clearing the puck from its zone, Patrice Bergeron gained possession behind the net. He threw it in front to Chara, who had his first shot stopped but buried the rebound for his 13th of the season.
"We were battling for the puck, and we won the battle," Chara said. "My job was being in front of the net and taking care of that area. Patrice did a great job of putting the puck there, and I finished it."
"With a minute left, we make a mistake on the ice," Nashville's Martin Erat said. "We didn't get the puck out, and it cost us a goal. That can't happen. ... If we lose the point here in the end, it could be what we are missing to make the playoffs."
Neither team was able to end it in overtime, even though the Predators received a power play thanks to a holding infraction on former Nashville defenseman Shane Hnidy. Phil Kessel had a chance on a breakaway with time winding down in the extra session, but Rinne was able to deny him.
"We only had three guys on the ice at the time," the 26-year-old Finn said. "It was a mistake by some of our guys. It was 4-on-3, even though there were no penalties. I was watching the time with 10 seconds left and thought, 'I better make the save.' Luckily, I made the save."
Wheeler gave Boston an early edge in the shootout, deking and sliding the puck under Rinne's right pad with just one hand on his stick. Vernon Fiddler put a backhander off the right goalpost on the Predators' first attempt and Sullivan was denied by Fernandez before Erat fired the puck just under the crossbar in the third round to keep alive Nashville's hopes.
"I watched our first two (attempts), and I made up my mind before I went," Erat said. "He's a butterfly goalie, and I just tried to fake him and make sure he froze before the move. I tried to go a little bit hard. I was lucky."
After Rinne made a glove save on Kessel, Legwand lifted a backhander past Fernandez to clinch the win and help the Predators remain the only unbeaten team in the NHL when leading after one period at 13-0-0.
"Obviously, getting the puck up was key," Legwand said. "I saw Erat go before me, Fiddler hit the post and Sullivan (was) stopped low. My objective was to get it up high over his pads. It got over and in the net, and that was all I was looking for."
"He's skating really well right now," Trotz said of Legwand. "He and Martin Erat are skating tremendously well and they're getting some production. I think when you see them skating the way they are and use their speed taking the puck to the hard areas with a very high compete level, it just enhances and showcases their ability and talent."
Fernandez made 29 saves in just his second start since January 8.
"I don't like the goals," he said. "They were two shots that I didn't see, but when you're playing a lot, you have a better touch for the game."
- NHL
FINAL IN SHOOTOUT 1ST 2ND 3RD OT TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
BOSTON 0 1 1 0 (1) 2
NASHVILLE 1 1 0 0 (2) 3 FINAL IN SHOOTOUT
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: NAS - DAVID LEGWAND 13 (JORDIN TOOTOO, RYAN SUTER) 14:24
2ND PRD: NAS - (SH) DAVID LEGWAND 13 (JOEL WARD) 12:24
BOS - BLAKE WHEELER 16 (DAVID KREJCI, VLADIMIR SOBOTKA)
13
Bruins 2, Predators 3 Final - 2OTFeb 14 10:46 PM - NHL
END OF OT 1ST 2ND 3RD OT TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
BOSTON 0 1 1 0 2
NASHVILLE 1 1 0 0 2 END OF OT
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: NAS - DAVID LEGWAND 13 (JORDIN TOOTOO, RYAN SUTER) 14:24
2ND PRD: NAS - (SH) DAVID LEGWAND 13 (JOEL WARD) 12:24
BOS - BLAKE WHEELER 16 (DAVID KREJCI, VLADIMIR SOBOTKA)
13:25
3RD
Feb 14 10:35 PM - NHL
END OF THE 3RD GOING INTO OT
1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
BOSTON 0 1 1 2
NASHVILLE 1 1 0 2 GOING INTO OT
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: NAS - DAVID LEGWAND 13 (JORDIN TOOTOO, RYAN SUTER) 14:24
2ND PRD: NAS - (SH) DAVID LEGWAND 13 (JOEL WARD) 12:24
BOS - BLAKE WHEELER 16 (DAVID KREJCI, VLADIMIR SOBOTKA)
13:25
3RD PRD: BOS - ZDENO CHARA
Feb 14 10:26 PM - NHL
BOSTON 2
NASHVILLE 2
3RD PRD: BOS - ZDENO CHARA 13 (PATRICE BERGERON, DENNIS WIDEMAN) 18:44
(WITH EXTRA ATTACKER)
Bruins 2, Predators 2 3rd - 1:16Feb 14 10:24 PM - NHL
END OF THE 2ND 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
BOSTON 0 1 1
NASHVILLE 1 1 2 END OF THE 2ND
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: NAS - JORDIN TOOTOO 5 (RYAN SUTER, MARTIN ERAT) 14:24
2ND PRD: NAS - (SH) DAVID LEGWAND 13 (JOEL WARD) 12:24
BOS - BLAKE WHEELER 16 (DAVID KREJCI, VLADIMIR SOBOTKA)
13:25
SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND
Feb 14 9:32 PM - NHL
BOSTON 1
NASHVILLE 2
2ND PRD: BOS - BLAKE WHEELER 16 (DAVID KREJCI, VLADIMIR SOBOTKA) 13:25
Bruins 1, Predators 2 2nd - 6:35Feb 14 9:22 PM - NHL
BOSTON 0
NASHVILLE 2
2ND PRD: NAS - (SH) DAVID LEGWAND 13 (JOEL WARD) 12:24
Bruins 0, Predators 2 2nd - 7:36Feb 14 9:19 PM - NHL
END OF THE 1ST 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
BOSTON 0 0
NASHVILLE 1 1 END OF THE 1ST
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: NAS - JORDIN TOOTOO 5 (RYAN SUTER, MARTIN ERAT) 14:24
SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
BOS 6 6
NAS 11 11
GOALIES: BOS - MANNY FERNANDEZ
NAS
Feb 14 8:39 PM - NHL
BOSTON 0
NASHVILLE 1
1ST PRD: NAS - JORDIN TOOTOO 5 (RYAN SUTER, MARTIN ERAT) 14:24
Bruins 0, Predators 1 1st - 5:36Feb 14 8:29 PM
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