Final
Arnott, Rinne help Predators top Ducks
Feb 6, 2009 - 5:30 AM NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- The Nashville Predators relied on their captain and a rookie goaltender to lead them to another win.Jason Arnott scored a goal and set up another and Pekka Rinne made 28 saves Thursday, guiding the Predators to a 4-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks.
Ryan Jones, Martin Erat and Vernon Fiddler also tallied and defenseman Dan Hamhuis notched two assists for the Predators, who have won three straight games.
"Losing is contagious, but so is winning," Jones said. "You win a couple of games and, all of a sudden, the mood in the room changes and the guys really start to believe in each other."
Corey Perry netted a pair of goals and All-Star Jean-Sebastien Giguere turned aside 30 shots for the Ducks, who have lost back-to-back contests.
Arnott snapped a 1-1 tie 68 seconds into the second period, converting the rebound of Hamhuis' slap shot from the left point. Arnott started the play by winning a faceoff to Steve Sullivan, who delivered the pass to Hamhuis.
"We have to go to the front of the net because that is where goals are going in for us right now," Arnott said. "That is just determination, and we have to have that from now until the end of the season."
Erat doubled the advantage with 8:38 remaining in the middle session, when he took a cross-crease pass from Antti Pihlstrom and fired a one-timer past Giguere.
"Down low, when you get those chances, you have to put them in," Erat said. "It's a short season that we have left, and we have to try and get points in all of them."
Perry halved the deficit with 66 seconds left in the period, scoring his team-leading 19th goal of the season. Just after a power play had expired, Perry received a centering pass from Teemu Selanne and unleashed a wrist shot that beat Rinne to the stick side.
"We came back with a big goal - Corey Perry scored a big goal for us and got us back into the hockey game," Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said. "We played hard and played with everything we had. You have to like the effort from our hockey club."
"We just need a couple of games to get our confidence and get rolling," Selanne added. "It's hard when you are not winning and getting points because it's too much to keep grinding."
But Anaheim failed to get the equalizer in the final period, and Fiddler sealed the win for Nashville with an empty-net goal with 71 seconds to play.
"In the third period, we were really good," Predators coach Barry Trotz said. "We had a good forecheck, we had good energy and we were paying attention to detail defensively, which led to the goal by Fiddler which sealed the deal."
Making his first appearance since January 21, Giguere suffered his fourth consecutive loss.
"Obviously, you want to get the win, and I think that the wins are going to come as I, hopefully, keep playing this way," Giguere said. "It's unfortunate. We need to win right now, but for me personally, I need to try to build on some positives."
- NHL
FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
ANAHEIM 1 1 0 2
NASHVILLE 1 2 1 4 FINAL
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: NAS - RYAN JONES 5 (GREG DE VRIES, DAVID LEGWAND) 11:19
ANA - COREY PERRY 18 (CHRIS KUNITZ, RYAN GETZLAF) 18:16
2ND PRD: NAS - JASON ARNOTT 18 (DAN HAMHUIS, STEVE SULLIVAN) 1:08
NAS - MARTIN ERAT 14 (ANTTI PIHLSTROM,
Feb 5 10:27 PM - NHL
ANAHEIM 2
NASHVILLE 4
3RD PRD: NAS - VERNON FIDDLER 8 (JERRED SMITHSON, DAN HAMHUIS) 18:49
Ducks 2, Predators 4 3rd - 1:11Feb 5 10:24 PM - NHL
END OF THE 2ND 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
ANAHEIM 1 1 2
NASHVILLE 1 2 3 END OF THE 2ND
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: NAS - GREG DE VRIES 2 (DAVID LEGWAND, RYAN JONES) 11:19
ANA - COREY PERRY 18 (CHRIS KUNITZ, RYAN GETZLAF) 18:16
2ND PRD: NAS - JASON ARNOTT 18 (DAN HAMHUIS, STEVE SULLIVAN) 1:08
NAS - MARTIN ERAT 14 (ANTT
Feb 5 9:38 PM - NHL
ANAHEIM 2
NASHVILLE 3
2ND PRD: ANA - COREY PERRY 19 (TEEMU SELANNE, STEVE MONTADOR) 18:54
Ducks 2, Predators 3 2nd - 1:06Feb 5 9:33 PM - NHL
ANAHEIM 1
NASHVILLE 3
2ND PRD: NAS - MARTIN ERAT 14 (ANTTI PIHLSTROM, JASON ARNOTT) 11:23
Ducks 1, Predators 3 2nd - 8:37Feb 5 9:18 PM - NHL
ANAHEIM 1
NASHVILLE 2
2ND PRD: NAS - JASON ARNOTT 18 (DAN HAMHUIS, STEVE SULLIVAN) 1:08
Ducks 1, Predators 2 2nd - 18:52Feb 5 9:02 PM - NHL
END OF THE 1ST 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
ANAHEIM 1 1
NASHVILLE 1 1 END OF THE 1ST
GOAL SCORING:
1ST PRD: NAS - GREG DE VRIES 2 (DAVID LEGWAND, RYAN JONES) 11:19
ANA - COREY PERRY 18 (CHRIS KUNITZ, RYAN GETZLAF) 18:16
SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
ANA 11 11
NA
Feb 5 8:42 PM - NHL
ANAHEIM 1
NASHVILLE 1
1ST PRD: ANA - COREY PERRY 18 (CHRIS KUNITZ, RYAN GETZLAF) 18:16
Ducks 1, Predators 1 1st - 1:44Feb 5 8:37 PM - NHL
ANAHEIM 0
NASHVILLE 1
1ST PRD: NAS - GREG DE VRIES 2 (DAVID LEGWAND, RYAN JONES) 11:19
Ducks 0, Predators 1 1st - 8:41Feb 5 8:27 PM
Related News
- Game Thread: Nashville Predators @ Pittsburgh Penguins Mar 30
- Game Preview: Nashville Predators @ Pittsburgh Penguins 3/30/23 - Last Call Mar 30
- Thursday’s Dump & Chase: The final countdown Mar 30
- The On the Forecheck move Mar 29
- Wednesday’s Dump & Chase: Games Mar 29
- Nashville Predators 2, Boston Bruins 1: Saros’s heroics steal another Mar 28
- Game Thread: Nashville Predators @ Boston Bruins 3/28/23 Mar 28
- Milwaukee Musings: Playoffs Imminent for Ads Mar 28
- Tuesday’s Open Thread/Game Reminder Mar 28
- Monday’s Dump & Chase: Until morale improves Mar 27
- Game Thread: Nashville Predators vs Toronto Maple Leafs - 03/26/2023 Mar 26
- Nashville Predators 2, Seattle Kraken 7 - Squid Squad Stymies Saros Mar 25