The Nashville Predators are making noise in the Western Conference and Central Division with a 21-7-4 record and 46 points (tied with the St Louis Blues for the top spot in the Central).
On Saturday, Pekka Rinne made 32 saves to get a 2-0 shutout win over the Flames in Calgary.
Pekka Rinne made 32 saves to pick up the Preds’ 2nd straight shutout Saturday, 2-0, over the Calgary Flames – file photo by Lewis Bleiman
“I think when you win games your confidence level gets higher, but it’s a good combination of confidence and still being hungry,” Rinne said. “We know we’re a good team, one of the top teams in the League, but we still want to get better. We know that we can play better.”
The offense came from Ryan Johansen and Kevin Fiala.
“We feel really confident,” Rinne said. “Even tonight we got off to not the greatest start. We’ve been able to win games many different ways. Some games I feel like we have to defend a little more, but we still have so much skill up front. We have a lot of guys who can put the puck in the back of the net. That’s a strength for our team.”
It was the second straight shutout for the Preds who beat the Edmonton Oilers, 4-0 on Thursday.
“We’re having fun,” Kyle Turris said. “We’re gaining chemistry and just having a good time at the rink. We’re understanding that every game night we have a job to do and we’re making sure we get things done.”
Nashville is 11-1-2 in their last 14 games.
“They’re a good team,” Mark Giordano said. “Obviously, they are one of the best in the League coming in, but I thought we played well. For whatever reason, the puck didn’t go in tonight.”
Calgary’s offense has sputtered with its failed power play unit which is on an 0-for-19 skid.
“We had a 5-on-3 for a long period of time, and you’ve got to find a way to score in this league,” Giordano said. “That hurt, and obviously the late goal in the second. We were really chasing it in the third, and they are a good team.”
[WATCH: All Predators vs. Flames highlights]
Mike Smith made 26 saves in the loss as the Flames dropped to 16-14-3 and are just 2-4-2 in their last eight games.
“We’re generating chances. We out-chanced them tonight. We’ve out-chanced most of our opponents through the last seven games, eight games, so there’s not a lack of chances. It’s a lack of it going in, so maybe there is a little bit of a squeeze. Most teams go through that,” Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan said after the loss.
You must be logged in to post a comment.