Returning the Favor
The Predators put their foot (or feet) down on the Coyotes this afternoon, evening the series at one apiece with a resounding 4-2 win.
When Filip Forsberg took a tripping penalty a mere five seconds into this afternoon's game, it didn't look like the Predators had learned anything from Sunday's defeat. Arizona came out of the gates heavily outshooting Nashville in the first period, closely resembling their Game One selves.
However, it was the Preds who- with just five shots in the first frame- snuck two goals past Darcy Kuemper and left the Coyotes scrambling for equalizers.
Once Viktor Arvidsson hammered home the Preds' only power play goal of the game in the third period, they had taken a commanding 4-0 lead and were looking to preserve both Juuse Saros' first playoff win and first playoff shutout. But apparently for the Preds, "looking to preserve" those milestones meant completely coasting in the game's final minute, allowing Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse to score easy goals within 10 seconds of each other, ending Saros' goose egg. Blessedly, the Preds didn't allow a full-blown comeback.
In Game One, Arizona's Taylor Hall and Phil Kessel each recorded two assists while Christian Dvorak scored a goal and recorded an assist of his own. This afternoon, the Preds held all three forwards to just four total shots and zero points; Hall also drew one double minor and two minor penalties, finishing the game with a -2 on-ice rating.
Captain Roman Josi notched an assist on Calle Jarnkrok's second period goal, bringing his stats to three points in the Preds' two playoff games thus far.
For 59 minutes of today's game, the Preds were able to stifle Arizona's offense, counter it, and remain mostly disciplined (after the first period). It's a mindset they'll have to plug into tomorrow afternoon as well if they want to push the Coyotes to the brink of elimination.
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