(SportsNetwork.com) – After tying a franchise record for most goals scored the
last time out, the Nashville Predators will try to keep the offense coming
when they visit the Ottawa Senators in Thursday’s clash at Canadian Tire
Centre.
The Predators visited Toronto on Tuesday and destroyed the Maple Leafs 9-2.
Nashville tied the franchise record for most goals in a game set during a 9-4
win in Pittsburgh on March 4, 2004. The Preds also had a 9-4 victory over
Calgary on March 18, 2006.
Taylor Beck had two goals and one assist to help the Predators dismantle
Toronto at Air Canada Centre. Eric Nystrom, Mike Ribeiro, Filip Forsberg,
Calle Jarnkrok, Roman Josi and Colin Wilson also scored for Nashville in the
rout, which included a four-goal flurry in the first 5:14 of the third period
to make it 8-0.
“We got the bounces,” Predators forward Derek Roy said. “We skated well and we
could’ve had more.”
Pekka Rinne made 29 saves and the Predators improved to 5-1 in their last six
games. Nashville is off to a surprising 12-4-2 start and is leading the
Central Division by one point over St. Louis, which is visiting Montreal on
Thursday.
Shea Weber posted three assists, giving him 222 for his career and tying him
with Kimmo Timonen for the most helpers by a defenseman in franchise history.
Only forwards David Legwand (356) and Martin Erat (318) have posted more
assists for Nashville than Weber.
Rinne expects to get a rare break tonight in favor of backup Carter Hutton,
who is in line to make just his third start of the season. Hutton is 0-1-1 in
2014-15 and has never faced the Senators.
Ottawa enters Thursday having lost four of its last five games, going 1-2-2
during the rough patch. The Sens should be well rested for tonight, as they
were last in action on Saturday in a 4-2 loss against Calgary.
The Senators went 1-1-1 on their recent three-game road trip, which ended with
the loss to the Flames. Bobby Ryan and Clarke MacArthur had the goals in the
setback, while Craig Anderson made 21 saves in defeat.
“We just didn’t do enough to get the game going our way,” Ottawa head coach
Paul MacLean said.
Ottawa is home for two games and will complete the brief residency when it
welcomes St. Louis on Saturday. The Sens have lost two straight as the host
and are 4-1-3 in Canada’s capital this season.
Nashville posted a 3-2 home win over the Senators on Oct. 9 and has claimed
two straight and five of the past nine meetings in this series. The Preds have
won three of their last four in Ottawa.
Robin Lehner will get the start for the Sens. His lone appearance versus
Nashville resulted in an overtime loss on March 10 of last season.
