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Rinne solid as Predators top struggling Oilers

Oct 31, 2008 - 4:55 AM By Jim Diamond PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- Making just his third career start, Pekka Rinne made 27 saves as the Nashville Predators defeated the slumping Edmonton Oilers, 3-1, on Thursday.

Defenseman Shea Weber had a goal and an assist and rookie Patric Hornqvist and Martin Erat also tallied for the Predators, who have defeated the Oilers nine straight times. Edmonton's last win against Nashville came on March 5, 2006.

The appearance was Rinne's second of the season, and this one went much better than the first. Rinne was pulled just 14:26 into the first period of Nashville's 5-3 loss at Columbus on October 17, allowing three goals on just eight shots.

"I don't have too many NHL games under my belt, so it feels good to have a good game and get a win," Rinne said. "It was a big game for my team and for me, so it feels really good."

Hornqvist scored the game's first goal at 9:59 of the opening period. Skating through the slot, Hornqvist was able to tip Weber's slap shot from the blue line past goaltender Mathieu Garon for his second tally of the season.

Weber doubled the lead just 88 seconds into the middle period with a slapper from the left point that beat Garon low to the glove side. The goal was Weber's fourth of the campaign and ninth by a Predators defenseman.

Weber gave credit to defensive partner Ryan Suter, who assisted on the goal.

"Ryan is a great passer," Weber said. "I love it when he passes it over to me and I can step into one."

Edmonton halved the deficit when Sheldon Souray scored a power-play goal at 3:18 of the second. With the Oilers on a 5-on-3 power play, the defenseman's slap shot from the right point deflected off the glove of Rinne and into the net for his second of the season.

"We had a lot of good looks tonight for just one goal," Edmonton coach Craig MacTavish said. "It's that simple - we're not producing offensively, and that largely falls on the forwards to be more productive."

Erat restored Nashville's two-goal bulge at 9:57 of the third as David Legwand slid a pass from the left faceoff dot to the high slot for Erat, whose one-timer beat Garon to the glove side for his fifth tally.

"I just came off of the wall and saw Marty there in the slot," Legwand said. "It was big for us to get that goal."

"When we got that third goal, we pretty much locked it down," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "We seem to match up pretty well with Edmonton."

Garon finished with 22 saves for the Oilers, who lost their fifth straight game after beginning the season with four consecutive wins.

Edmonton has scored just five goals during its skid.

"We're just having some difficulties creating offense right now," Oilers captain Ethan Moreau said. "Our effort was there, but offensively, we're just not where we need to be right now."