Rinne, Predators shut out Avalanche
The official game recap Colorado Avalanche vs Nashville Predators.Rookie forward Filip Forsberg scored early in the first period, goalie Pekka Rinne made 25 saves and the Nashville Predators opened a three-game road trip with a 3-0 win against the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center on Tuesday.
Gabriel Bourque and James Neal scored empty-net goals to secure the win; Bourque scored with 1:50 remaining in the third period and Neal followed with 57.7 seconds to play.
Avalanche rookie goalie Calvin Pickard made 33 saves one day after he was recalled from Lake Erie in the American Hockey League.
The Avalanche killed off a double-minor to Jarome Iginla for high-sticking Neal with 22.2 seconds remaining in the second period. The Predators had four shots during what amounted to a four-minute power play. They went 0-for-6 with the man advantage and are in a 0-for-27 slump in an eight-game stretch.
Pickard made a save against Seth Jones cutting to the net at 10:15 of the third period to prevent the Predators from taking a two-goal lead. He also made a sprawling save against Olli Jokinen's stab at a rebound with 4:15 to play after Jones took a shot from the point.
The Predators held the Avalanche without a shot on goal during a 10-minute stretch of the second period. Colorado's best scoring chance came at 16:30 when Gabriel Landeskog corralled a rebound outside the crease and shot the puck off the right goal post.
Nashville's best chance in the period came from Matt Cullen skating to the net after a Colorado turnover. Pickard made the save.
Forsberg gave the Predators a 1-0 lead in the first period on a breakaway at 2:23. Jones passed from his own corner to Bourque, who fed Forsberg racing down right wing with Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie in pursuit. Forsberg cut to the net and put a wrist shot by Pickard's left arm for his 12th goal.
Forsberg had another breakaway at 12:59 after accepting a pass from Ryan Ellis, but Pickard made a pad save. Alex Tanguay was assessed a hooking penalty, but the Avalanche killed off the ensuing power play.
Nashville fourth-line center Paul Gaustad left because of a lower-body injury after two shifts in the first period. He missed the two previous games because of a similar injury.
Colorado rookie right wing Borna Rendulic made his NHL debut and became the first Croatian-born player to play in the League. He arrived from Cleveland earlier Tuesday after being recalled from Lake Erie.
-- by Rick Sadowski for NHL.com --
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10/12/2014 - 05:59
