NASHVILLE, Tenn – The Predators are moving on to the second round.
David Legwand scored what proved to be the game winner just 13 seconds into the third period.
Off the opening face-off of the third period the Predators controlled the puck off a scramble in the neutral zone. Gabriel Bourque finally controlled the puck along the far boards near the point after Alexander Radulov had wrested the puck from Detroit near the red line. Bourque took the initial shot. The rebound off Jimmy Howard’s pads came to the right of the cage and Legwand who was streaking to the net picked up the puck and slapped it home.
Goals were hard to come by in the entire series and credit is due to the goalies including Howard and Pekka Rinne in the Nashville net. Neither netminder was willing to give an inch to the other.
The Predators had taken an early 1-0 lead in the first on a goal from Radulov at 16:10 of the period. Legwand had stripped the puck from the Wings defense behind the goal line and fed Radulov who was breaking to the net. His goal was a simple redirect from the low slot for the lead.
Jiri Hudler tied the score at 1 in the second on a backhand. But the goal never seemed to give much life to the Wings and the Predators continued to play their strong defensive scheme and limited Detroit’s chances.
Nashville deserved the series win after playing strong at home and on the road. They won games three and four in Detroit and put the Wings on the ropes. They never let up in game five and the Red Wings now head home with a long off season to ponder the 2-12-13 season and prepare for the Winter Classic.
Contact Lou.Lafrado@prohockeynews.com
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