The Nashville Predators (9-13-4) had one of their best games of the season on Tuesday, winning 5-0 against the Calgary Flames (9-15-4). Goaltender Juuse Saros almost had his first shutout of the season in net, stopping 27 of 28 shots, while the Predators used three goals in the second period to run away with a much-needed victory.
Game Recap
The first period included a Predator scoring his first career goal. At 6:24 in the first, left winger Reid Schaefer, who made his NHL debut against the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 28, finished a shot from Fedor Svechkov up close. Nashville was leading 1-0 in the first period, but the Flames were definitely still in the game.
That was until the second period came around. The Predators scored three goals: one from Steven Stamkos on a two-on-one at 5:04, one from Jonathan Marchessault at the left point at 14:25, and one from Ozzy Wiesblatt from up close at 15:32. It was Wiesblatt’s first goal as well, and he pointed up at the sky, paying tribute to his late brother Orca, who passed away in a car crash on Sept. 14.
The third period featured goals between both teams. Nashville made it 5-0 from a Michael Bunting rebound at 2:59, but at 12:30, Nashville defenseman Nicholas Hague was given a minor penalty for roughing, giving Calgary a chance to attack on the power play. They capitalized, with Morgan Frost burying it from the slot after a wickedly good find from Nazem Kadri at 13:39. Unfortunately, the Flames couldn’t generate any more offensive momentum, and the final score stayed at 5-1.
Keys to Victory
The Predators’ fourth line of Bunting, Wiesblatt, and Tyson Jost was phenomenal. Both Bunting and Wiesblatt had a goal, while Jost picked up an assist. The top pairing of the Predators was rejuvenated with Roman Josi coming back from his upper-body injury on Nov. 22. He earned an assist, and his partner Nicolas Hague, had two assists as well.
Related: Predators’ Roman Josi: From Under-the-Radar Prospect to Franchise Games Record-Holder
That is why despite the Flames having more shot attempts (29-28), faceoff wins (33/23), and hits (24-18), the Predators won the game. Saros was close to having his first shutout of the season, too, saving 27 of 28 shots, while backup Flames goaltender Devin Cooley stopped just 12 of his 16 shots. He was replaced by starter Dustin Wolf midway through the game, with Wolf saving 11 of 12.
Nashville and Calgary are now tied for the worst point total in the Western Conference and six points out of a playoff spot (the Seattle Kraken hold the final wild card spot), but this was a much-needed win for a Predators team that has won three of their last four games. The Flames, meanwhile, have gone backwards from a three-game winning streak, losing three of their last four games.
Schedule
The Predators travel to play the Florida Panthers (Dec. 4) and Carolina Hurricanes (Dec. 6) before returning home versus the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, Dec. 9. The Flames get to start a four-game homestand against the Minnesota Wild (Dec. 4), Utah Mammoth (Dec. 6), Buffalo Sabres (Dec. 8) and Detroit Red Wings (Dec. 10).
