Panthers 3 - 4 Predators
Final
  for this game

Preds resume homestand against Panthers

Oct 15, 2013 - 3:28 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Nashville's youthful blue line helped it pick up a needed victory last time out.

The Predators try to win two in a row for the first time this season on Tuesday night as they resume their homestand versus the Florida Panthers.

The Preds had lost three of their previous four games prior to a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday. Seth Jones logged his first NHL goal while fellow defenseman Ryan Ellis had the game-winner in the third period.

Jones, the fourth overall pick of the 2013 draft, scored on the power play early in the second period for his second career point. He also joined David Legwand, Scott Hartnell, Scottie Upshall and Filip Forsberg as the only teenagers to score a goal for the Preds.

Jones' assist came on Forsberg's goal.

Ellis, meanwhile, scored on a long slap shot from the blue line on a counter rush and Pekka Rinne held down the fort with 14 saves. Patric Hornqvist also scored.

"Just put the puck on net. I think that is what we have been doing lately, but we weren't getting bounces," Ellis said. "Tonight we did get a few, and that's what we need to win."

Nashville plays the fourth contest of a five-game homestand, which ends on Thursday versus Los Angeles.

The Preds are looking for their seventh victory in their past nine meetings with the Panthers. Rinne is 2-2-0 with a 1.98 goals against average and .944 save percentage in four previous meetings with Florida.

The Panthers will try To rebound from their second shutout loss in the first six games of the season. They were blanked 7-0 in St. Louis back on Oct. 5 and dropped a 3-0 home decision to the Kings on Sunday.

Jacob Markstrom made 26 saves, but the Kings got 20 stops from Ben Scrivens. Florida was coming off a 6-3 win over Pittsburgh in its home opener on Friday.

"They have a very simple system with some big bodies and it was not just a matter of winning the puck battles, but also the secondary ones. As the game wore on, we got worn down," said Panthers head coach Kevin Dineen. "We thought we could play a fancy game against the Kings."

Florida has lost four of six and has allowed its opponent to score first in all four setbacks.

Markstrom has never before faced the Predators, while Scott Clemmensen is 2-2-2 with a 2.49 GAA in six meetings.






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