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Flyers-Predators Preview

Mar 15, 2010 - 10:24 PM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Philadelphia (36-28-4) at Nashville (38-26-5), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The Nashville Predators are trying to create momentum to get back to the playoffs, and they may have found some with a third-period rally. The Philadelphia Flyers couldn't sustain any following their own stirring comeback.

The Predators begin a home-heavy schedule to conclude the regular season Tuesday night when they try to hand the Flyers a fourth straight road loss.

Nashville (38-26-5) capped a 3-1-0 road trip with a 3-2 win over Los Angeles on Sunday. Patric Hornqvist scored the deciding goal with 3:31 remaining, less than 10 minutes after teammate Colin Wilson tied it with his third goal in four games.

"Right now it's playoff hockey," coach Barry Trotz said. "You gotta be willing to fight for those inches and right now we've got a lot of guys trying to fight for those inches and that's really important."

The Predators are seventh in the Western Conference, trying to hold off Detroit and Calgary for one of the last two playoff positions. Playing nine of their remaining 13 games at home, where they're 18-12-2, could help them return to the postseason after failing to qualify last season to end a four-year playoff run.

"I think we play the same way home and away," Trotz said. "At home we gotta do the same thing, play our game night in and night out here and be responsible on both sides of the puck. If we do that we have a chance at picking up some points.

"Your character and your backbone is going to get tested a lot in the last go of it. We'll see what we're made of at the end here."

The Flyers (36-28-4) showed plenty of character Saturday by scoring twice in the final 2:04 against Chicago, winning 3-2 on Chris Pronger's goal with 2.1 seconds remaining to beat the Central Division leader. The next day, however, they were handed a third consecutive road loss, 3-1 to the New York Rangers.

It was a poor way to open a four-game road trip for Philadelphia, which remained in a tie with Montreal for sixth in the East - five points clear of the ninth-place Rangers.

"It's always tough when you're on such a high to try to reproduce the same emotion the next day. But there is no excuse," right wing Danny Briere said. "We have to realize that we haven't clinched anything yet.

"This time of the season games are too crucial. We can be tired when the season is over and the playoffs are over. Not at this point."

Michael Leighton will likely be in net for his first start against Nashville. He's 0-1-1 with a 3.91 goals-against average in starting the Flyers' last three road games, getting pulled once.

Unlike Philadelphia, the Predators are getting consistent goaltending. Pekka Rinne is 4-1-0 with a 2.01 GAA and a shutout in his last five starts.

He lost his only start against the Flyers, however, making 22 saves in a 4-1 road defeat in the most recent matchup March 7, 2009.

The Predators won the last meeting at home, 4-3 in a shootout Dec. 3, 2005.