Weber Scores Twice In 3rd As Predators Top Detroit
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nashville's red-hot power-play unit got only one chance against the Detroit Red Wings and made the most of it.
Shea Weber scored two goals late in the third period, including one with the man advantage, to give the Predators a 4-3 win over the Red Wings on Thursday night.
Detroit native David Legwand and Jordin Tootoo also scored for Nashville in its fourth straight victory.
Tomas Holmstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, and Nicklas Lidstrom scored for the Red Wings, who snapped a three-game win streak.
"In big moments, you need your top players to step up, and Shea stepped up in a huge way today," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said of his captain. "The Detroit Red Wings, the way they have been playing, they have been the top team in the league the last month anyways. They are hard to play against."
Nashville got its only power play of the game with 4:46 remaining in the third when Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard was assessed a hooking penalty on Tootoo. Only 22 seconds after the penalty was called, Weber's blast from above the left faceoff circle beat a screened Howard on the glove side.
"When we got that power play, we knew we were going to have to score because we weren't going to get another one," Weber said. "We were fortunate enough to get one and then we used the momentum from the crowd after that."
The Predators have scored a power-play goal in seven consecutive games and are 14 for 43 over their last 13 games.
Weber's wrist shot from the right point just under 3 minutes later bounced in front of the net and slipped by Howard for the eventual winner.
"They got a great bounce there at the end," Howard said. "Weber just threw a knuckle-puck on net, it bounced right in front of me and went over my shoulder."
Holmstrom scored the game's first goal at 5:15 of the opening period.
With the Red Wings on a power play, White's shot from the right point deflected off two Predators before landing on the blade of Holmstrom's stick just to the left of Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne. Holmstrom had an easy tap-in for his sixth goal of the season.
Legwand drew the Predators even midway through the first when he collected his own rebound to the right of the Detroit goal and put it past a diving Howard.
"We want to play with the lead a little more," Legwand said. "We don't want to have to come back in every game we play."
Detroit regained the lead with 9:57 to go in the second on Zetterberg's power-play goal. In the low slot, Todd Bertuzzi found Jiri Hudler in the left circle. Hudler quickly found Zetterberg on the right side, where he sent a wrist shot into a virtually open net.
Prior to Thursday night, Nashville had not allowed a power-play goal in its last five games.
Lidstrom gave Detroit a 3-1 lead with 8:30 left in the second when his slap shot from the left point beat Rinne high to the glove side.
"It's disappointing, especially having the lead going into the third and taking the penalty with less than five minutes left," Lidstrom said. "It always stings when you are losing, especially when you play a division rival that we want to beat."
Nashville answered with 2:38 remaining in the period on a goal by Tootoo, who converted the rebound of Kevin Klein's shot from the left side.
Tootoo has ten points in his last ten games.
Notes: Nashville is 6-1-3 in its last ten home games against Detroit. . Pavel Datsyuk has 16 goals and 40 assists in 54 career games played against Nashville. . The Predators' last nine games have been one-goal games and they are 6-3-0 in those contests.
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