Another entertaining rivalry tilt between the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators lived up to the billing. For the 3rd time this year it was a 4-3 final as well. This time, 16,007 at the Sommet Center watched Dany Heatley put on quite the performance as the Sharks took the win 4-3. Heatley's power play goal in the 3rd period was the lone tally in the final frame and secured San Jose another 2 points in the Western Conference.
Felder’s Focal Points:
* I'm going to mix it up a bit for this one because I really wasn't as frustrated with the loss as I normally would be. I thought the Preds played well, but just weren't solid enough on special teams to win. So here's some quick thoughts about the game.
* Team Canada is going to have one heck of a line loaned to them by San Jose. Heatley was an absolute beast tonight and earned every penny he'll be paid for this game. It's incredible to think that an Olympic line resides on one team, but tonight was yet another showcase for Heatley, Thornton, and Marleau.
* Far too undisciplined in Nashville's case tonight. The Sharks PP unit on the road clicks at 29.3% before tonight. They very well may be at 30% now. That is an incredible conversion rate that ranks 2nd in the NHL for road PP success. The Hamhuis boarding penalty (the only penalty called in the 3rd period mind you) was so unnecessary, and Preds head coach Barry Trotz had some strained frustration in his voice when talking about it in his post game presser. That lone penalty ruined what was an otherwise solid night for Hammer. I tweeted mid-way through the 1st period that the undisciplined penalties had to stop or it would cost the Preds. Sometimes it's not fun to be so right.
* A solid game for J.P. Dumont who seemed to respond to the criticism tossed his way by Trotz in the Tennessean the other day. Maybe this will convince Barry to call out some other Vets as well.
* I'm not sure what Jones or Smithson did wrong tonight but their TOI was pitiful. Smithson had 7:51 while Jones had just 4:35. Jonesy is shooting the puck yet not getting the TOI to get one past a netminder. The best example I can give is tonight at the 1st intermission Ryan was one of just three Preds with more than one shot on goal. At that point his TOI was just 1:35. End of the 2nd period and there's Jonesy with 3 SOG, equaling Dumont's SOG total at the time and just one behind the team leading 4 SOG by Jason Arnott at the 2nd INT. Ice times then read 4:35 for Jones, 9:34 for Dumont, and 14:19 for Arnott. So this means Jones may as well have gone to the locker room, changed, and watched from the press box for the 3rd period since he rode the pine the whole time. You have to wonder if having someone other than just Hornqvist trying to screen Nabokov could've made a difference. We'll never know.
* The PK has to get better as we head down the stretch. Before tonight's game they were 26th in the NHL with a 76.5% successful kill rate. San Jose tallying on 2 out of 3 PP chances will hurt that number. The PK just wasn't where it needed to be to beat a team like San Jose, and the Sharks properly took care of that and took the 2 points out the door with them.
* Although he doesn't show up in the 3 Stars of the Game, I would be a fool not to point out the stellar play of Evgeni Nabokov tonight. He was sensational at times and kept the Sharks even with the Preds in the 2nd period. There may be no other goalie with as much success against Nashville as Nabby. He just owns the Preds at times. 35 saves on 38 shots against with at least 3 brilliant stops that are likely goals any other night.
Other Notes:
* Tonight’s scratches were Cody Franson and Marcel Goc. San Jose scratched Manny Malhotra and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.
* 1ST PERIOD
* GOAL for NASHVILLE - 18:21 to go. Martin Erat gets almost all the credit on this goal. He took the puck with speed along the right boards, found a seam directly to the net, and took the puck right to Evgeni Nabokov. Nabby makes the initial stop low glove side, but the rebound pops out to the slot. J.P. Dumont receives a rebound gift and quickly shovels the puck home into the empty right half of the net. Nabokov had no chance on this since he lost the rebound in traffic and was unable to track it until the puck was in the cage. Dumont (10) from Erat (16) and Cal O'Reilly (5). Preds take a 1-0 lead.
* 17:56 to go and Wade Belak drops the gloves with Jody Shelley. A really good scrap and I give Belak the edge in this one due to landing a really solid upper cut mid-fight that took the steam out of Shelley. Guess Wade has been saving that one up since his last game on January 26th.
* GOAL for SAN JOSE - 17:48 to go. How's that for a quick response to a goal and a fight? Joe Pavelski wins a faceoff that broke Jerred Smithson's stick in the process. As Smithers went for a new twig the Sharks used that moment to put a couple pucks on net. Kent Huskins fired a slap shot from the point that Rinne stopped, but the rebound went right to Brad Staubitz on the low stick side. He took the puck and lifted it right over the now sprawling Rinne high glove side. Staubitz (3) from Huskins (14) and Pavelski (20). We have a tied game early, 1-1.
* END OF THE 1ST PERIOD – NSH: 1 SJ: 1Positives - A strong start to the game as far as the first five minutes go. Out shot the Sharks 12-11. Negatives - A few too many penalties taken by Nashville. San Jose is winning 57% of the faceoffs.
* 2ND PERIOD
* POWER PLAY GOAL for NASHVILLE - 11:13 to go. Cal O'Reilly sets up J.P. Dumont for a shot that was not to be stopped. A one timer that rockets high glove past Nabokov. That is one of the examples of why people say J.P. should shoot more instead of passing first as often as he does. I guess a certain vet doesn't like his coach calling him out in the media. Dumont (11) from O'Reilly (6) and Suter (24). Preds take a 2-1 lead.
* 10:35 to go and chaos ensues. Jordin Tootoo and another Pred hit a Shark along the boards just before the Nashville bench. Then Ryan Clowe hits Tootoo and drags him down from behind. This sparks all sorts of pushing and shoving. In the end, we had Clowe jawing at Tootoo, but then Belak and Shelley drop the gloves again. This fight was underwhelming at best. Just not much to it so I'll call it a draw.
* 9:28 to go. The Preds captain Jason Arnott just missed on a glorious back door chance while on the man advantage. Hornqvist got the puck at the right post, held it as Nabokov committed to him, and then passed it to Arny's stick on the back door. Arnott pushes it towards the mostly open net, but puts towards the middle which is where Nabby was able to get back to. Incredible save that is helped by Arnott's miscue as well.
* POWER PLAY GOAL for SAN JOSE - 5:03 to go. Dany Heatley walks the blueline from the right point to just inside the left slot. He waits till Peks peeks his head around Patrick Marleau to look for the puck on the glove side. Heater uses this perfect opportunity to wire the puck high stick side and catches Peks out of position for the power play tally. That's just sick execution boys and girls. Heatley (31) from Setoguchi (9) and Thornton (57). We are now all square at 2 apiece.
* GOAL for NASHVILLE - 2:25 to go. Wardo with the breakaway goal. He fake going glove side and then wrested it in mid-stick side on Nabokov. A miscue as the Shark blueline causes the Joel Ward dash. Wardo getting a goal is usually a good sign for the Preds. Let's just say he has a solid record when recording a point this season. Nice execution on the breakaway as well. Got Nabby to move just enough to open up the stick side to him. Ward (11) from O'Reilly (7). Preds take a momentum swinging 3-2 lead.
* GOAL for SAN JOSE - 23.5 to go. A puck goes off the end boards and forces a desperate dive from glove side to stick side for Rinne. Heatley puts the puck high but Peks makes an amazing arm save and knocks the puck away before it goes it. The problem is that he's diving mid-air and this allows Rob Blake to take the rebound and slip it under the falling Rinne. Too bad such an incredible save goes wasted. Blake (5) from Heatley (33) and Marleau (25). Another tied game, now at 3.
* END OF THE 2ND PERIOD – NSH: 3 SJ: 3Positves - Took advantage of the rare breakaway chance. Man advantage got on the board. Negatives - Allowed the Sharks a late goal in the period. Out shot 11-10 that period. Being DOMINATED in the faceoff circle with San Jose winning 66% so far.
* 3RD PERIOD
* POWER PLAY GOAL for SAN JOSE - 8:03 to go. Dany Heatley shovels home a back door power play goal. No chance on this one for Peks as it would've been physically impossible to get back low stick side in time to stop such a quick 1-2. Just fantastic execution that shows just what a power play unit can do to take over games. Heatley (32) from Marleau (26) and Thornton (58). Sharks take the 4-3 lead on the man advantage.
* :45 seconds to go and Preds goaltender Pekka Rinne reaches the bench for the extra attacker to go onto the ice.
* FINAL SCORE – NSH - 3 SJ - 4.
My Three Stars:
1. Heatley - 2 PP goals, 1 assist, 7 shots on goal, and 1 blocked shot.
2. Dumont - 2 goals, +1 rating, 4 shots on goal, and 2 hits.
3. Marleau - 2assists, 2 shots on goal, 1 hit, and 2 blocked shots.
Goalie Grade:B – The starting goaltender tonight was Pekka Rinne. I you look at the goals against it is again hard to find fault in Rinne's effort. Some of those markers are just unpreventable. For me, the amount of impressive saves that Peks made outnumbered the goals against. Peks played well enough for the team to win. The special teams just didn't have it in the end to match Rinne's performance. Peks finished the night with 25 saves on 29 shots against.
Quotes:
Brandon Felder - "How tough is it to try and stop a line like Heatley, Thornton, Marleau?"
Joel Ward - "5 on 5 they are good hockey players. Obviously they are all 3 Olympians and it's a tough job but special teams is really where you gotta stick it to them a little bit and we came up a bit short in that end. As you could see once they got a few momentum plays they capitalized on some chances."
*
Felder - "It appeared that you had some growing chemistry going with Cal out there. Talk about that power play goal."
J.P. Dumont - "It was just a great play from Cal. That's something that we've been working on after practice, those little plays with a good screen in front from Jonesy. Usually it'd go the other way around but we have to be able to switch and it was just a great play from him. He's got great vision, great hands, and he makes some great plays. It was a big game for our line and we just have to make sure we do that every night."
*
Felder - "When a guy like Dany Heatley is on his game it seems almost impossible to stop him."
Barry Trotz - "The thing with Dany is he's such a great player, he's got those great hands, but he can get the shot on from anywhere. He's very accurate. Some guys have a 6 inch sweet spot where they can really nail the puck. His is about 6 FEET. He just contorts. That's a great line. Team Canada is going to have a great line at the Olympics. I thought we did a pretty good job against them most of the night five on five, but they got two of their goals on the power play. One thing is you can't load their gun taking penalties. The one in the 3rd period to me was just very unnecessary and wasn't a very good thought."
Final Thoughts:
Considering the opponent I thought Nashville played well, but were simply beat by a better team. The special teams units for the Sharks are superior and that's all it took to win this one tonight. It really may be as simple as that.
The Predators next game is Tuesday night in New York where they will get a rare game with the Islanders. Here is the perfect chance to start the four game roadie heading into the Olympic break just right. Game time will be 6 pm CST and it will be shown on FS-TN.
Till the next time, take care.
Questions, comments, and criticisms can be sent to [email protected] if you wish to contact me personally.
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