Predators 3, Ducks 2
Associated Press

Photos: Predators 3, Ducks 2
Video:  Game Highlights
Video: Tootoo - Josi - Trotz
Mully's Musings: vs. Anaheim
Statistics: Game Summary
Tickets: Preds vs. Flames - 12/13

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A two-game suspension was not enough to slow down Jordin Tootoo's offensive run.

Tootoo had a goal and an assist to lead the Nashville Predators to a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night.

Nashville has won consecutive games for the first time in nearly a month, while the Ducks have dropped three of four.

Nick Spaling and Roman Josi also scored for Nashville.

Andrew Gordon and Francois Beauchemin scored for Anaheim.

Josi's power-play goal at 2:33 of the third gave Nashville its first lead of the game.

Nashville captain Shea Weber found Josi at the center of the blue line, and Josi fired a slap shot over the glove of screened Anaheim goaltender Dan Ellis.

"I saw the direction that he was looking at, but once it came off of his stick, I had no idea where it went," Ellis said. "I just tried to push into a space. (Patric) Hornqvist was in front doing a good screen and I just couldn't see through our guys who were trying to block it. It just found its way through."

It was the Swiss defenseman's first career NHL goal.

"We were on the PP and I just got on the ice," Josi said. "(Weber) had the puck on the half wall and passed it to me. I saw there was a lot of traffic in front of the net, so I just shot it."

Just under three minutes later, Tootoo drove in from the left side, cut toward the Anaheim goal and beat Ellis high to the glove side.

Saturday night was Tootoo's first game back in the Nashville lineup after sitting out for a two-game suspension for charging Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller last Saturday night.

"(Kevin) Klein made a tremendous play," Tootoo said of the defenseman's pass.

"I was slicing through the ice and when we made eye contact, we both knew what the situation was going to be, and I got it and pulled the puck to my forehand and went top shelf."

Tootoo has four goals and four assists in his past eight games.

Anaheim drew within one on Beauchemin's goal at 13:24 of the third.

Coming down from the point, Beauchemin took a pass from Teemu Selanne and beat Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne for his fourth goal of the season.

"I thought it was an outstanding team game," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "It got a little closer than I wanted it to be, but other than that, they have some outstanding players. They are well-coached and we knew they were going to be really tough and hang in there until the end."

Rinne is 9-2-2 in 13 career regular-season games against Anaheim.

"Nashville was hungry, and they're good in their building," Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said. "It was hard to get through. They had the puck in our zone it seemed like the whole night. It's hard to score when that's the case."

Gordon scored the game's first goal at 38 seconds of the second period.

From below the goal line in the Nashville zone, Brandon McMillan found Gordon on the right side, where he had a step on Josi. Gordon's tough angle wrist shot beat Rinne just inside the far post.

Spaling tied the game at 1 at 12:03 of the second.

Colin Wilson carried the puck into the Anaheim zone on the left side. Spaling was trailing the play and Wilson found him in the low slot where he beat Ellis high to the stick side.

Notes: Selanne's assist on Beauchemin's goal was his 900th point scored as a Duck. Selanne also extended his point-scoring streak to five games. ... Nashville is 6-1-1 in its past eight regular-season home games against Anaheim. Nashville coach Barry Trotz coached his 1,013th game Saturday, third among games coached with one team behind the New York Islanders' Al Arbour and Buffalo's Lindy Ruff.


Three star selections
1st:   JORDIN TOOTOO
2nd:   NICK SPALING
3rd:   ROMAN JOSI
Winning Goaltender
Pekka Rinne

Losing Goaltender
Dan Ellis

SCHEDULE

HOME
AWAY
PROMOTIONAL

STANDINGS

WESTERN CONFERENCE
  TEAM GP W L OT GF GA PTS
1 p - CHI 48 36 7 5 155 102 77
2 y - ANA 48 30 12 6 140 118 66
3 y - VAN 48 26 15 7 127 121 59
4 x - STL 48 29 17 2 129 115 60
5 x - LAK 48 27 16 5 133 118 59
6 x - SJS 48 25 16 7 124 116 57
7 x - DET 48 24 16 8 124 115 56
8 x - MIN 48 26 19 3 122 127 55
9 CBJ 48 24 17 7 120 119 55
10 PHX 48 21 18 9 125 131 51
11 DAL 48 22 22 4 130 142 48
12 EDM 48 19 22 7 125 134 45
13 CGY 48 19 25 4 128 160 42
14 NSH 48 16 23 9 111 139 41
15 COL 48 16 25 7 116 152 39

STATS

2012-2013 REGULAR SEASON
SKATERS: GP G A +/- Pts
S. Weber 48 9 19 -2 28
D. Legwand 48 12 13 -6 25
M. Fisher 38 10 11 6 21
C. Wilson 25 7 12 1 19
R. Josi 48 5 13 -7 18
G. Bourque 34 11 5 6 16
S. Kostitsyn 46 3 12 -5 15
P. Hornqvist 24 4 10 -1 14
K. Klein 47 3 11 -1 14
N. Spaling 47 9 4 -10 13
 
GOALIES: W L OT Sv% GAA
P. Rinne 15 16 8 .910 2.43
C. Mason 1 7 1 .873 3.73

 


nashvillepredators.com is the official Web site of the Nashville Predators and nashvillepredators.com are trademarks of the Nashville Predators.  NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Copyright © 1999-2013 Nashville Predators and the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.

NHL Ticket Exchange | Bridgestone Arena | Contact Us | Employment | NHL.com Terms of Use | Site Map | AdChoices