Preds Storm Back to Take Oilers 6-3

The Nashville Predators were down 2-0 early in the first period, but came back with a vengeance, handing the Edmonton Oilers a 6-3 home ice loss. The win was Nashville's 3rd in a row, while the Oilers slip to a 5-4-1 record over their last 10 games having dropped their last two.

Robert Nilsson opened the scoring with a power play goal 3:05 into the game, splitting the Edmonton defense and putting a shot off the shoulder of Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne and into the net. Just about 2 minutes later, Lubomir Visnovsky tapped in a rebound past Rinne after the netminder had stopped Gilbert Brule. For Visnovsky, it was the defenseman's 8th of the year and 7th point in his last 7 games. At this point, Nashville coach Barry Trotz called a timeout and replaced Rinne with Dan Ellis, which seemed to turn the Predators around as they came back with 3 goals of their own.

Right winger Ryan Jones beat Oilers goalie Jeff Deslauriers with a quick shot on a rebound after Wade Belak had taken 2 shots at Deslauriers from the right of the netminder. Joel Ward tied it 2-2 at 16:09 of the 1st and Marcel Goc gave the Predators the lead 50 seconds later as he recovered the puck at the Oilers' endboards and passed to J.P. Dumont behind the net. Dumont slipped to Deslauriers' right and passed to Goc as he moved to the other side of the net flipping the puck behind the Edmonton netminder for the 3-2 lead.

The 2nd period started with more of the same as right winger Patric Hornqvist got his first of two in the period at 8:18 of the middle period, taking a pass from Predators captain and former Oiler Jason Arnott. Hornqvist had a kinds of time to beat Deslauriers who was down after expecting Arnott's shot. Nilsson got his 2nd power play goal of the game with Nashville's Shea Weber off for a delay of game penalty after the defenseman had shot the puck over the glass in his own end. Nilsson's goal was another highlight goal, as the center flipped the puck past Predator defenseman Dan Hamhuis at the Nashville blue line and corraled the bouncing puck pulling to the left and stuffed the puck behind a sprawling Ellis to make it 4-3.

The Oilers celebration was shortlived as Hornqvist got a power play marker of his own with 4 seconds left in the 2nd, tipping Ryan Suter's point shot and catching the corner behind Deslauriers to restore the Preds 2 goal cushion. Jerred Smithson added to the margin with his 6th late in the 3rd period.

Both teams play on Saturday, with Nashville will be in Calgary, while the Oilers face the red-hot Washington Capitals.