Nashville sneak past Dallas, 2-1

In Nashville, the Predators celebrated Pekka Rinne with a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.

Rinne’s number was retired and Juuse Saros made 27 saves in the Nashville win.

“You have to play your best in high-stakes games,” Nashville head coach John Hynes said. “Whether they are hyped-up games, or highly competitive games, or rivalry games, nationally televised games, whatever it is. If you are going to be a team that’s going to be able to do anything, you have to play your best when the stakes are the highest and the stage is high.”

Mikael Granlund had the only goal in the skills competition for the Nashville win.

“It’s been a special day obviously for [Rinne], and we all love him so much,” Granlund said. “It was a special day for all of us and especially for [Rinne] and his family. But we were able to get those two points and that’s all that matters. I’m just happy for tonight and I’m really happy for [Rinne].”

The Stars dropped to 28-20-3.

“It’s a good point,” Dallas head coach Rick Bowness said. “We deserved two. We outplayed them. Their goalie was the difference in the game. I thought we played our hearts out tonight. I was very happy with everything.

“The power play could have won us the game clearly, but our penalty killers were great tonight (5-for-5). Five-on-5 we were very good. We didn’t give them any opportunities.”

The Predators took a 1-0 lead off a strike by Philip Tomasino.

“[Colton Sissons] drove the net there in the middle and kind of took that [defenseman] with him,” Tomasino said. “I don’t think without him doing that play, I don’t think that goal happens.

“It worked out. It was kind of a flutterball shot a little bit, but I think I placed it pretty well. It was definitely a nice goal for me, and I think it was a nice goal for our team to get started.”

Dallas’ Jason Robertson  tied the game, 1-1, in the middle frame.

The Predators improved to 30-18-4.

“I think if you keep competing and you keep going to those hard areas, they’re going to come,” the Stars’ Ryan Suter said. “[Roope Hintz] probably had three good looks in the first period. We’re getting chances and we’re getting some looks, so stay with it. It will come. It’s hard to score this time of the year because everyone is bearing down.”

Jake Oettinger made 19 saves in the Stars loss.