Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – Jakub Voracek scored the winning goal
in the shootout to lead the Philadelphia Flyers in a 3-2 win over the
Nashville Predators on Saturday.
Voracek opened the shootout by lifting a backhand over Pekka Rinne, and Rob
Zepp followed that with a stop on Matt Cullen. After Wayne Simmonds snapped a
shot between the pads of Rinne, Zepp dramatically gloved a Craig Smith shot
for the win.
Simmonds and Ryan White scored in regulation, while Zepp turned aside 20 shots
for the Flyers, who had dropped four of five coming into the game.
“I think we played a good game today, one of our best of the season,” said
Flyers captain Claude Giroux. “They’re a really good team and we were able to
handle them today.”
Smith and Colin Wilson scored for the NHL-leading Predators, who have lost
their last two. Rinne made 31 stops in his club’s first shootout loss since
Jan. 29.
“I thought the second half of the game we showed up and played pretty well,”
said Nashville head coach Peter Laviolette. “There were a lot of chances and
could’ve scored in the third period and overtime, but like I said just a
little slow getting out of the gate, but Pekka was good.”
The hosts, who held their opponents to three shots in the opening 20 minutes,
drew first blood at 8:59 of the first period when Michael Del Zotto
threw a shot on net that Simmonds deflected in for his 23rd of the season.
Nashville, though, tied the game with 1:02 to play in the opening frame as
Wilson’s wrister from the left wing on the fly beat Zepp cleanly.
Philly scored the only goal of the second period. A turnover deep in the
Nashville zone was picked up by Brayden Schenn, who was able to get the puck
to R.J. Umberger. The disc wasn’t controlled by Umberger, but it slid out to
the slot and White snapped it home for his second goal in as many games at
11:21.
The Predators tied the game just 23 seconds into the third, as a rush play saw
a backhand pass from the left boards by Mike Fisher come all the way to the
right circle where Smith one-timed the rolling puck between the right arm and
body of Zepp.
Game Notes
Zepp, who had gone 3-1 in shootouts with Lehigh Valley of the AHL, improved to
4-1-0 in seven NHL appearances … Nashville wraps up its three-game road trip
in Buffalo on Sunday … Philadelphia completes its four-game residency
against Washington tomorrow afternoon … Both teams were 0-for-2 on the
power play … The Flyers have registered at least one point in 11 of their
last 12 games (7-1-4) … Simmonds improved his shootout ledger to four goals
on five chances this season.
