There have been tough losses this season, and
then there were losses like the one in Nashville on Tuesday night. Holding a
5-1 lead at the midway mark of the game, San Jose turned in one of the more
impressive implosions of the season, allowing Nashville to score 6 unanswered
goals to take a 7-5 victory at Bridgestone Arena.
The patented Sharks
3rd period meltdown started early. After giving up a pair of goals to end the
2nd period, San Jose gave up a 4-spot in the 3rd to cough up what should have
been a sure victory.
Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky talked about his
team's immaturity after their 3rd period letdown in Boston 24 hours earlier.
This was more than just a team with the yips. It has more to do with the
personnel and the absence of players that can simply get the job done.
The Sharks jumped out to the early 1-0 lead when rookie Macklin Celebrini
collected a long Cody Ceci feed, gained the Nashville zone, then snapped a shot
off the rush from the right side. Celebrini's shot sailed over goaltender Juuse
Saros' glove, catching the upper right corner of the net. The goal was
Celebrini's 14th of the season.
San Jose went on the power play right
off the ensuing faceoff after Vinnie Hinostroza lofted a puck over the glass to
earn a delay of game penalty. The Sharks power play missed on an opportunity to
jump on the Predators early with a second goal.
They would use a pair of even strength situations to
scores goals 14 seconds apart to push their lead to 3-0.
Luke Kunin
scored a goal with a shot from the high slot at 11:42 after Cody Ceci fed him
the puck following a faceoff win in the zone. Kunin's shot eluded everyone on
the ice except for referee Ghislain Hebert who saw it catch the top of the net
then tuck under the padding in the back of the goal.
The Predators
took exception to a stoppage that wasn't called on what they believed was a
hand pass by Henry Thrun after the puck wound around the glass and hit the
Sharks defenseman near the blueline.
Former Predator Mikael Granlund
added his 13th goal of the season right after Kunin's tally with a shot from
the right dot off a one-time feed from Will Smith. Saros tried clearing the
puck by winding it around the right wing boards, but Fabian Zetterlund
intercepted it and sent the puck to Smith at the left dot.
Nashville
got one back when Tommy Novak lifted a puck past Alexandar Georgiev after a
Fedor Sveckov shot from the blueline hit Thrun in the skate and kicking right
to the Predators centerman.
The ice began to tilt toward the Sharks
net later in the period as the Predators tried to respond to the three Sharks
goals. They put 8 shots on Georgiev in the period, but they would only pot
Novak's tally.
With the period coming to a close the Sharks could have
been content with their 3 goal output, but Celebrini forced a turnover with a
big forecheck hit on Justin Barron. Alexander Wennberg scooped up the loose
puck then slid to this right where Jake Walman raced in on net and lifted a
backhand chance past Saros for his 6th of the season and a 4-1 lead.
Predators head coach decided to pull Saros to start the 2nd period and
replaced him with Justus Annunen.
Steven Stamkos opened the period by
cross checking Jan Rutta into Georgiev to earn an interference penalty 23
seconds in. The Sharks capitalized when Granlund potted his 2nd of the game on
a feed from Eklund.
Credit to the Predators who didn't throw in the
towel. That would earn them a pair of goals that made it a 2-goal game.
Svechkov bagged his 5th of the season at 12:40 on a power play after
Will Smith was sent off for holding. Colton Sissons fired a shot on goal from
the left side, but the puck hit Georgiev and kicked back out to the slot where
Svechkov was waiting.
Barron tacked on his 3rd goal of the season 53
seconds later.
Whatever motivational speech Warsofsky gave his team at
the 2nd intermission, it didn't work. Nashville converted just 28 seconds into
the 3rd period when Jonathan Marchessault walked the puck down the slot and
snapped a shot past Georgiev for his 15th goal of the season.
William
Eklund continued the head scratching decisions by hauling down Nick
Blankenburg, which then led to Roman Josi power play goal at 5:23 to tie the
game.
The implosion came full circle after a would be delay of game
penalty to Nashville was challenged and overturned after it was ruled that
Blakenburg clearing attempt hit the boards before it sailed over the glass.
That allowed the Predators to keep their defenseman on the ice to fire a shot
that squeezed through Georgiev at 8:09 to give Nashville the 6-5 lead.
Filip Forsberg added an empty net goal to cap the game's scoring.
Game Notes: * Nico Sturm was scratched for an undisclosed
injury. He joined Tyler Toffoli and Marc-Edouard Vlasic on the scratch list.
* Nikolai Kovalenko made his return from the injured reserve. The
young winger missed 6 games while dealing with a lower body injury.
*
The win was Nashville's 11th in a row over San Jose. They can make it 12 on
Thursday as both teams go at it in San Jose in 48 hours.
* Jonathan
Marchessault recorded his 3rd career 4-point game. All of them have come
against the Sharks.
* Henry Thrun played in his 100th NHL game.