Predators Overwhelm Stars 5-2
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Sports42 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2016 Predators overwhelm Stars 5-2 NASHVILLE: Pekka Rinne doesn’t want November to end. Filip Forsberg, James Neal and Ryan Johansen each had a goal and an assist to lead the Nashville Predators over the Dallas Stars 5-2 on Wednesday night. Rinne made 33 saves for Nashville, improv- ing to 7-1-2 this November. After he made eight saves in the first, Dallas put 22 on the Finn in the second, and he denied them all. He stopped 3 of 5 in the third. “They came hard that period, they shot the puck a lot,” Rinne said of the second. “For the most part, I was able to see it. I felt good all night, and that was a busy period. Obviously now look- ing back, that was a big period just being able to defend that.” Mike Fisher and Craig Smith also scored for Nashville, winners of three of four. Patrick Sharp and Brett Ritchie scored and Kari Lehtonen made 16 saves for the Stars, who have lost two of three. “There was a lot of good stuff in the game,” Dallas coach Lindy Ruff said. “Our energy was good. I thought the second period on, our break- outs coming out of our own end were good.” Forsberg scored the game’s first goal with 5:08 left in the opening period. With the puck above the right faceoff circle, P.K. Subban sent a pass to Forsberg in the lower part of the left circle. There, Forsberg squeezed the puck in between Lehtonen’s right skate and the right post. “It was a real- ly nice play by Subby to find me back door and I just tried to hit the net,” Forsberg said. It was Forsberg’s second goal of the sea- son. In 2015-16, Forsberg matched a fran- chise record with 33 goals. Subban has points in four consecutive games. Fisher doubled the lead with 3:54 left in the sec- ond. His initial attempt from the left side was blocked by Jason Spezza, but Fisher WASHINGTON: Tom Wilson #43 of the Washington Capitals draws a penalty on David Perron #57 of the St Louis Blues during the first regained control of the puck, skated behind period at Verizon Center on November 23, 2016 in Washington, DC. — AFP the net and beat Lehtonen with a backhand- ed wraparound. A lengthy video review it 6:06 into the second, stopping third win through four games of a five-game at full stride that caromed off goalie Carter determined the puck had completely Vasilevskiy’s shutout streak at 178:02. Weise homestand. “Sometimes you just feel right Hutton’s glove and into the top left corner. crossed the goal line, giving the Nashville has goals in consecutive games after not away when you have an opportunity to “It’s fun to watch when he’s making the shot captain his fourth goal of the season. getting one in his first 15 this season. shoot the puck,” Ovechkin said, “and obvi- and when he’s feeling it,” Kuznetsov said. Sharp got Dallas on the scoreboard at Hedman opened the scoring on a power- ously feel the puck on your stick and just go “It’s tough to stop him.” 5:32 of the third with a short-handed goal. It play goal with 3 seconds left in the first. out there and use the momentum.” was the first of the season for Sharp, who Tampa Bay outshot the Flyers 12-2 during Capitals linemate Evgeny Kuznetsov also Penguins shut down Rangers missed 14 games with concussion-like the first. One of the Philadelphia shots came scored and added an assist for Washington, Sidney Crosby got angry, and then the symptoms before returning Nov. 17. “Yeah, on Weise’s breakaway that Vasilevskiy which held a lead throughout the final two Pittsburgh Penguins got even in a big way disappointing third period,” Sharp said. “We denied with a nice save. periods. “The biggest thing is they were against the division-leading New York kind of put ourselves in a good spot there moving their feet and they were making Rangers. Following a first-period skirmish on the road trailing by one against a tough Wild beat road-weary Jets plays, and they were decisive in what they with Ryan McDonagh, Crosby had two goals team. It’s not a bad spot to be in, but a cou- Alex Ovechkin stretched out his arms in were doing,” Trotz said of the line that also and an assist during a five-goal second peri- ple of mistakes ended up being the differ- celebration, teammates mobbed him along included Andre Burakovsky. Vladimir od and the Penguins shut down the Rangers ence in the game.” the boards and jubilant fans launched their Tarasenko got his eighth and ninth goals of in a 6-1 rout on Wednesday night. The hats onto the ice. This was the performance the season for St. Louis, which scored twice Penguins held New York without a shot on Lightning beat Flyers 4-2 they had waited to see. Ovechkin scored his in the final 75 seconds. Alex Pietrangelo goal over 23:59 spanning the second and Alex Killorn and Ryan Callahan scored 12 first hat trick this season and 16th of his 10- added a late goal for the Blues, who had third periods. Scott Wilson, Conor Sheary, seconds apart in the third period, and the year NHL career to lead the Washington won four straight. The Blues fell behind after Phil Kessel and Matt Cullen also scored for Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Philadelphia Capitals over the St Louis Blues 4-3 on a first period in which they committed four Pittsburgh, and Matt Murray had 16 saves. Flyers 4-2 on Wednesday night. Tampa Bay Wednesday night. In the process, the three- penalties, the last of which led to Ovechkin’s The Penguins moved two points behind also got goals from Victor Hedman and time MVP and six-time goal-scoring champ first goal. New York for first place in the Metropolitan Nikita Kucherov. Andrei Vasilevskiy, coming showed the attitude that echoed his best “When you don’t use your legs, you end Division. “This is as good of a game as we’ve off consecutive shutouts, stopped 29 shots. seasons. “He played with excitement again,” up using your stick, and that’s what’s hap- played all year,” Penguins coach Mike Dale Weise and Ivan Provorov scored for the Capitals coach Barry Trotz said of Ovechkin, pened,” St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said. Sullivan said. The Rangers won at Pittsburgh Flyers, who were coming off a 3-1 win whose 12 goals now tie him for second in “There’s too many of them early in the 5-2 on Monday behind a breakout second Tuesday night at Florida. Philadelphia is 4-1- the league. “I think sometimes we say he’s game. It sends the wrong message to the period, and the Penguins exacted revenge 1 in the second of back-to-back games. not scoring enough and all that. rest of the team.” Ovechkin had already Wednesday in nearly the exact same fashion. Steve Mason made several quality stops I’ve been reducing the minutes a little bit scored twice before Kuznetsov’s goal made “We learned from (the last) game,” Crosby when the Flyers were short-handed three and spreading them out. He’s fresher and I it 3-1 early in the third. And after a replay said. Pittsburgh trailed 1-0 after 20 minutes, times in the first 12 minutes of the third think it will pay off in the long run.” The 31- review found Ovechkin not to be guilty of but then the defending Stanley Cup champi- before Killorn (13:28) and Callahan (13:40) year-old Ovechkin played fewer than 16 being offside, he sent the home crowd into ons took control, chasing Henrik Lundqvist scored to give Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead. minutes but had a goal in each period to a frenzy only 24 seconds later. From a face- after four goals on 17 shots. “It starts with Mason finished with 25 saves. Kucherov move one hat trick ahead of Florida’s off in the Caps’ end, he got the puck near his scoring,” Sheary said. “I think we’ve been made it 4-2 late in the third. Provorov put Jaromir Jagr for the most among active play- own blue line on the left and pushed for- having chances and we’re putting the puck the Flyers up 2-1 with 54.7 seconds to go in ers. Ovechkin’s second multi-goal game this ward quickly. With a man open to his right, in the net the last few games. I think tonight the second on his first NHL goal. Weise tied season also propelled the Capitals to their Ovechkin instead unleashed a ferocious shot we got a little puck luck. — Agencies .