Nov 18 Recap: Colorado 2 – Nashville 5
Ohhhh…..A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer in your pants! The Predators return to the friendly confines after a disappointing loss in the Twin Cities to pull down the Candypants, 5-2 last night in Smashville.
Despite the lob-sided final count, there was actually much adversity to overcome in the form of a constant march to the sin bin. The Preds had to stop 7 Mountain Man-advantages, including 11 minutes worth in the first period alone. It’s rare that you can point to the Penalty Kill as the energizer for a game, but that unit put on an inspired clinic, especially during a 5 minute major to Watson for boarding, to keep the game at zeroes.
The Smash Cats rode that momentum to open the scoring with a P.P. of their own, as Crazy Legs shoveled in a Subban rebound as time wound down in the opening stanza…and there was much celebration in the Quarrytorium.
In the second period Sissons made it 2-0 on a tic-tac-toe tip of a beautiful Josi feed to the edge of the blue ice. Then we were all treated to some Bitetto Salad as Tony lasered one low glove side for his first marker of the campaign.
In the final act, the Eks-Factor got his 3rd goal in 3 games on another power play, and finally Arvy redirected another Subban blast for his 8th of the young season. The Snowflakes managed a couple of meaningless scores as the clock wound down, but it was all over but the cryin’ for the Coloradans.
The Men in Gold had another premier night on face-offs, winning 57% overall (led by Bonino with 88%, Sissons at 71%, and C.J. with 60%). Their 18 blocks were key as well–many of them coming shorthanded, led by K.T. and Salty with 3 each).
Smith earned the #1 Star with his goal and an assist. Fiala, Josi, and Subban had 2 apples apiece in a balanced attack that had 11 guys on the scoresheet.
And Pekka stood very tall in net, especially when a man down, proving that your goalie absolutely needs to be your best penalty killer. A handful of very timely saves turned the tide. In stopping 29 of 31 shots, he improves to 10-3-2 on the campaign.
With the W, the M.C. Sabre Cats are now 11-6-2, good for 24 points and 3rd place in the Central. They can close the gap on the 2nd place Winterpig Pets when they come to the Big House on Broadway Monday night. Should be a crankin’ affair. Let’s go Preds!
About Mark Hollingsworth
A life-long hockey aficionado even before the Preds arrival in '98, Mark has attended over 700 games in person in over 50 hockey arenas from coast to coast. With a handful of fellow kooks that had attended Nashville Knight games in the early-mid 90's, they bought season tix for the Preds, and vowed to start some traditions that would make the Predators' game experience fun and memorable. Now, 13 years later, many of these chants are known throughout the hockey world, and anyone who attends a game in Smashville knows they have been part of a very unique sporting experience due to the shenanigans of Cellblock 303. Mark has been described as a Renaissance man, and considers himself a citizen of the world. He has traveled to forty-nine countries as a manager of rock bands and advocate for the poor in developing nations. He has been published in two dozen magazines ranging from Billboard to National Lampoon, and his blog has had over 50,000 readers in the past four years. His first book, "Embracing the Gray: A Wing, A Prayer, and A Doubter's Resolve" (Wheatmark Press) has been garnering international attention. You can find out more at MarkAHollingsworth.com.
