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Suter, Legwand lead Predators to sixth straight

Jan 16, 2007 - 3:51 AM NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- A quick third-period strike was the difference between two of the hottest teams in the league.

Ryan Suter and David Legwand scored early in the third period to snap a tie as the Nashville Predators extended their winning streak to a season-high six games with a 5-3 triumph over the Calgary Flames.

Tomas Vokun continued his hot hand in goal for Nashville, which has won seven straight against Calgary and snapped the Northwest Division leaders' five-game winning streak.

"I think that Calgary is a top club," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "Down the road, this is a team we could meet in the playoffs. You always expect the playoff-style game from the Flames, and we want to test ourselves a bit, test ourselves against a playoff-style team that plays rugged and checks very well."

The clubs were tied, 2-2, before the Predators scored twice in the first four minutes of the third period. At 2:28 of the period, Ryan Suter took an cross-ice pass from Jerred Smithson at the right point and fired a one-timer that deflected off a defender and through the pads of All-Star goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, who entered allowing just six goals in his last four games.

"The puck went off their defenseman in front of the net, off his shin pad and in," Suter said. "It was a great game, they are a great team, and they come hard every night, that's for sure. It was great for us. We are bearing down and playing good team defense, it is starting to work for us."

David Legwand then doubled the advantage 80 seconds later when he took a feed from Martin Erat in between the circles and rammed a wrister past Kiprusoff.

"Obviously we want to get a lead on a team like that when they are missing (leading scorer) Jarome Iginla and a couple of other guys," Legwand said. "I think that is a big thing when you get a lead on them and make them play from behind.

"They have a great defensive hockey team with a great defensive core. Obviously, they have a great goalie everyone knows about and we got lucky there, getting the two quick goals and making them play from behind."

The Flames rallied on Kristian Huselius' second goal of the game with 2:54 remaining, but Stephane Yelle then hit the post on a point-blank shot with just over a minute remaining.

"There was a pass from behind the net, and (Yelle) came in and it went off of the post," Vokun said.

"I thought we competed hard in some areas, but just did not sustain it long enough to get the win," Calgary coach Jim Playfair said. "We gave up three goals off the rush, and three of the four goals were deflections.

"It's a game where we have to play really responsible hockey, and we make two bad pinches, and they score two more goals off the rush and that's the hockey game."

After surviving that scare, Scott Hartnell tallied an empty-netter with 21 seconds left to ice it.

"It's very frustrating. I thought the first was close enough, and we played well enough to win that period," Flames defenseman Rhett Warrener said. "After that, they kept their work boots on and we took ours off and that was the difference in the game.

Vokun, playing in just his second game since injuring his thumb on November 23, allowed just one goal on 14 shots in the final two periods after allowing first-period goals to Daymond Langkow and Huselius. Vokun finished with 20 saves to improve to 14-2-1 in his last 17 starts.

"Tomas didn't have a particularly strong game, but we still won, so that's a good sign," Trotz said. "He's seeing the puck well, he'll be fine."