Predators Stay Alive in Playoff Race, Defeat Sharks 3-2

The San Jose Sharks entered Thursday night hoping for a point, as they were playing their game in hand over Detroit.  Nashville needed the full 2 points to put themselves back in a tie for 8th place in the air tight playoff race in the West.  In a game where the Sharks looked to be rolling to get a 2 point lead in the NHL, the Nashville Predators changed the outcome in a hurry, scoring 3 unanswered goals in a span of 2:38 in the second period, and held off a late San Jose power play to win the game 3-2.

San Jose got off to a great start thanks to their specialty teams.  Christian Ehrhoff took the puck on the point and passed it to Joe Pavelski in the high slot, who turned around and wristed it past Pekka Rinne on the power play to give the Sharks the 1-0 lead.  Then a little over 3 minutes into the second period, Devin Setoguchi added a power play marker of his own, scoring his 30th goal of the season as a Dan Boyle shot bounced off Rinne and across the other side of the crease to Setoguchi's stick for a wide open shot.  But after a Jody Shelley penalty gave Nashville their 3rd power play of the night, the momentum shifted in a hurry.  Radek Bonk scored on the power play, as Shea Weber and Bonk drove the net on opposite sides, and Weber slid a hard pass across the front of Evgeni Nabokov for a tap in goal by Bonk.  Then two minutes later, Steve Sullivan took the puck behind San Jose's net, faked a wrap around, and instead centered a pass to Martin Erat who squeezed the puck under Nabokov's arm to tie the game.  Just over 30 seconds later, Greg Zanon blasted a shot from the point that Nabokov never saw due to a screen set up by Nashville, and the Predators completely turned the game around, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to lead 3-2.  Rinne then took over the game, making 13 of his 29 saves in the third period, including several good chances on a late power play in the final 3 minutes of the game, and the Predators defeated the Sharks.

In their last 10 road games, the Sharks are 3-4-3.  After a road shutout in Anaheim, San Jose has allowed at least 3 goals in their last 3 road games: all of which were losses.  With the win, the Predators snapped a 3 game overtime losing streak.  San Jose killed off 12 straight power plays before allowing in Radek Bonk's power play goal.  Nashville went 1-4 with the man advantage while San Jose scored on their first two opportunities but failed to capitalize on the last two.  With the loss, the Sharks remain tied with the Red Wings for first place in the league at 107 points, with 8 games remaining in the season for both teams.  The win puts Nashville back in a tie with Anaheim for 7th place in the West, bumping down Edmonton to 9th, but the Oilers play the Coyotes late Thursday night.  The Predators were playing without David Legwand, who took a puck to the face in their last practice and could not skate due to swelling.  The Sharks were still full of injuries, but they welcome backed Patrick Marleau, who missed Wednesday's game due to the birth of his second child.  San Jose's next game will be a one game home stand against the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday night.  The season series between the two teams is tied at 3 wins each, with the Coyotes the most recent victors on a 4-3 win at home off a late Shane Doan power play goal.