Final
Fisher's goal helps Preds edge Jets
Jan 29, 2014 - 5:13 AM Winnipeg, MB (SportsNetwork.com) - Mike Fisher's tie-breaking goal 42 seconds into the third period wound up as the difference as the Nashville Predators came through with a 4-3 decision over the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre."We gave them a couple gifts at the end of the third and that was a good response from us," Nashville head coach Barry Trotz said.
Seth Jones, Nick Spaling and Roman Josi also tallied for the Predators, who squandered a 3-1 lead late in the second period before bouncing back to hand the resurgent Jets only their second loss in eight games since Paul Maurice took over as head coach on Jan. 12.
Carter Hutton made Fisher's score hold up by recording 11 of his 24 saves in the final period.
Mark Scheifele had a goal and an assist to pace the Jets, with Chris Thorburn and Blake Wheeler also lighting the lamp in defeat. Ondrej Pavelec finished with 21 saves in the loss.
Scheifele and Wheeler scored a mere 27 seconds apart with under two minutes to go in the second period to knot the game at 3-3 at the intermission, though Fisher made sure the deadlock didn't last long.
With the Predators skating on a power play courtesy of a slashing call to Devin Setoguchi, Shea Weber had a long drive deflected but the Jets weren't able to clear the puck out of the zone, enabling Fisher to knock the loose disc over the line while left uncovered around the crease.
Nashville was able to kill off a penalty to Rich Clune later in the frame to keep it a 4-3 game, and Hutton came up with four key stops in the final four minutes to help the Preds grab the two points.
The Predators also scored with 42 seconds elapsed in the second period, with Josi finishing an odd-man rush by firing a shot into a wide-open net to snap a 1-1 tie. Spaling made it a two-goal advantage with 2:42 left in the middle session, beating Pavelec with a quick one-timer off a Paul Gaustad feed.
Winnipeg needed only 55 seconds to answer, however, as Scheifele intercepted a clearing attempt from Weber before converting a second-chance opportunity from in close. He then set up Wheeler with the equalizer, a knuckler that Hutton mishandled with his glove hand with 1:20 left in the second, with a cross-ice feed on the subsequent shift.
"We had a good push there in the second period, we responded," Wheeler said.
Jones gave Nashville the early upper hand with an impressive wraparound score just 2:48 into the contest, in which the talented rookie blueliner skated nearly the length of the ice while weaving his way through the defense.
The Jets again had a quick response, though, with Thorburn redirecting Mark Stuart's point shot while setting a screen in front just 22 seconds after Jones' goal.
Game Notes
Prior to the game, the Jets announced forward Evander Kane would be sidelined through the Olympic break with an infection in his right hand ... Predators forward Colton Sissons made his NHL debut and registered an assist on Spaling's goal ... Thorburn had gone 50 games since his last goal, which came against Florida on Apr. 11 of last season ... Forwards Matt Cullen and Viktor Stalberg missed a second straight game for Nashville due to upper-body injuries ... Wheeler has a goal in three consecutive outings and has amassed 11 points (6 goals, 5 assists) over his last eight games.
- NASHVILLE: 4
WINNIPEG: 3
Final
Jan 28 10:28 PM - NASHVILLE: 3
WINNIPEG: 3
End of 2nd
Jan 28 9:37 PM - NASHVILLE: 1
WINNIPEG: 1
End of 1st
Jan 28 8:43 PM - NASHVILLE: 0
WINNIPEG: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Jan 28 8:08 PM
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