Pete Weber’s Postgame Report
Nashville Predators captain Shea Weber
A perfect four-game road trip has Nashville back in a playoff spot as they enter the All-Star break.
Shea Weber’s power-play goal in the second period stood up as the winner, helping the Predators to a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.
The Predators, who opened the night one point out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference, finished a four-game trip 4-0-0, having also beaten Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver.
”It’s not easy to come out here and beat these teams in their own buildings,” Weber said. ”We’re battling our way back into the playoff picture here. The last four games have really helped.”
Mike Ribeiro also scored for Nashville, and Mattias Ekholm had an assist to extend his points streak to a career-high five games.
The Predators moved from sixth to fourth in the Central Division and into the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference with their four wins.
The Flames were back at home after a 1-3-1 road trip that saw them fall eight points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Calgary mounted a furious rally late in the third period, but could not get the tying goal past Carter Hutton.
With Pekka Rinne getting the night off after facing the Canucks on Tuesday, Hutton made 26 saves, including 15 in the final 20 minutes, to improve to 5-2-1.
”It wasn’t the prettiest finish, but it was back to back, and the end of a road trip,” Hutton said. ”It was a huge two points any way we look at it.”
Nashville extended its lead to 2-0 on Weber’s one-timer at 17:37 of the second. The power-play goal against the Flames’ 29th-ranked penalty kill came after Calgary’s 30th-ranked power play had squandered three straight man advantages in the first period.
Nashville opened the scoring 6:21 into the game when Craig Smith burst into the Flames’ end and dropped a pass into the slot to Ribeiro, whose shot squeaked through Ramo.
The Predators are off until Tuesday, February 7th for the 2016 NHL All-Star Game to be held Sunday at the Bridgestone Arena.
