Category: Sports

Filip Forsberg scored a short-handed goal 6:02 into the third period and the Nashville Predators rallied from a three-goal deficit to beat the Dallas Stars 5-3 on Sunday night.

Roman Josi scored twice, Calle Jarnkrok got the tying goal 4:40 into the third and Mike Fisher added an empty-netter with 1:38 left. James Neal and P.K. Subban each had two assists, and Nashville snapped a two-game skid.

The Predators can breathe a little easier during their upcoming five-day break after avoiding a second loss in two days on home ice. Embarrassed in a 7-4 defeat to Florida on Saturday, they came out feisty from the opening faceoff, only to give up the first three goals.

Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist, Patrick Sharp and Devin Shore had a goal apiece and Tyler Seguin had three assists. Dallas has lost five of six.

With the win, Nashville evened up the season series between the Central Division teams at 2-2. The Predators will visit Dallas on April 6.

The Predators came out very chippy against another team that likes to fight. The result was a pair of fights within the first minute and a third midway through the period. Dallas got a full two minutes of 5-on-3 off the second fight that also featuring penalties on Subban and forward Austin Watson just 45 seconds into the game.

With the Predators racking up eight penalties in the period, the Stars got plenty more chances. Benn scored his 18th this season on the man advantage at 12:24 of the first with a wrist shot from the left circle. Dallas took advantage of its second 5-on-3 late in the period when Sharp beat goalie Pekka Rinne with a wrist shot from the left side at 15:46 for a 2-0 lead.

Shore gave Dallas a 3-0 lead with the Stars’ third power-play goal at 12:02 with a snap shot from the right on a nice pass from Brett Ritchie.

Nashville finally got on the board at 15:25 when Josi scored his eighth this season on a wrist shot unassisted. Then Craig Smith had a chance off the ensuing faceoff, earning his first career penalty shot. But Kari Lehtonen, playing for the second straight night, easily stopped Smith’s shot off his pad.

Josi scored his second of the game on a 5-on-3 45 seconds into the third period, but the Predators failed to score on the remaining 1:37 of the man advantage. It didn’t matter as Jarnkrok skated up the right side and beat Lehtonen stick-side for his 11th, and Forsberg gave Nashville its first lead with his goal off a breakaway. Forsberg beat Lehtonen’s glove with a wrist shot at 6:02.

NOTES: Subban reached 300 career points with his two assists. … Before the game, Nashville put F Cody McLeod on injured reserve and activated F Harry Zolnierczyk. … Josi now has a goal in three straight games for the first time in his career. … Stars D Jamie Oleksiak played his 100th NHL career game. … Seguin has 10 points (four goals, six assists) over his last 10 games. … Predators F Viktor Arvidsson had an assist and now has nine points (six goals, three assists) in his last six games.

Pete Weber’s Postgame Report

Viktor Arvidsson recorded his first career hat trick, but it wasn’t enough for the Nashville Predators as they fell, 7-4, to the Florida Panthers at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday afternoon.

After the first period ended 1-1, Nashville allowed four goals in the second period, including three in less than three minutes, an effort that Preds Head Coach Peter Laviolette called “gross.”

“We didn’t play with any purpose,” Laviolette said. “No passion. No effort. You’re never going to win a hockey game [like that]. The actions that we gave are going to give us the results that we got. It’s that simple.”

“That was a huge game for us, and we just didn’t come out,” Captain Mike Fisher said. “We have to be a lot better.”

Jaromir Jagr tipped in a puck to give Florida a 1-0 lead early in the first, but that was followed by a floating shot from Roman Josi on the power play to even the score before the intermission.

The teams traded tallies in the second, first from the Panthers, before Viktor Arvidsson deflected a puck past Roberto Luongo to tie the game once more. But two more quick goals from the Panthers led to the end of Pekka Rinne’s afternoon, and the visitors notched their fifth tally minutes later after Juuse Saros took over in net.

Before the stanza was out, Arvidsson tallied his second of the game and 17th of the season, this time shorthanded, to give the Preds their third goal and a boost of life.

In the third, Jonathan Huberdeau gave the Panthers the three-goal lead once more before Arvidsson tallied on the power play for his third of the afternoon.

Arvidsson’s efforts were the lone bright spot on an afternoon that didn’t play out the way Nashville wanted it to, and Laviolette made that clear.

“Big time [inconsistency],” Laviolette said. “Performance inconsistency, period inconsistency, game inconsistency; the first half of the game, we weren’t ready to play. The second half we played [the game] the wrong way. All we did was retaliate to their aggressiveness. That’s not going to get you the results either. Our mindset has to be right from the start, and it wasn’t tonight. They won a hockey game. We didn’t show up. And we need to show up tomorrow.”

That game tomorrow comes against the Dallas Stars, a team that also finds themselves playing desperate hockey trying to stay in the playoff picture, helped with a 5-2 win over Carolina on Saturday afternoon.

“The only good thing right now is that we play tomorrow,” Laviolette said. “[We] get a chance to move forward and take something that was ugly and try to learn from it and be better prepared. A lot of times, they say you should put [a game like that] in the trashcan and forget about it. I think we should take it home and wrestle with it all night.”

Notes:

With a power-play goal on Saturday, Roman Josi has scored with the man advantage in consecutive games for the first time in his career.

Viktor Arvidsson is tied for the League lead in shorthanded goals with three.

The Predators are right back at Bridgestone Arena tomorrow evening for a 5 p.m. CT start against the Dallas Stars, Nashville’s final game before their mandatory five-day break begins on Monday.

Four members of the Coffee County Swim team travel to Knoxville on Friday to take part in the 2017 Tennessee Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association state meet this weekend in Knoxville.  The 2017 Tennessee High School Swimming and Diving Championship will be held on February 10-11, at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center on the campus of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.  Ryan Farless, Jack Beachboard, Anna O’Connor and Kaylee Williams will represent the Red and Black in the 2 day event.  You can keep up with live results by visiting the website at: http://results.teamunify.com/sepac/

Thunder Radio will give you an update on their progress on Saturday morning during the Coffee Coaches Show and a full rundown on their results in Monday’s sportscast.

High school wrestlers from 15 schools descend on Tullahoma this weekend for the 2017 Region 5AAA Individual Tournament on Friday and Saturday.  Included in that number will be 7 wrestlers from Coffee County CHS as they attempt to qualify the TSSAA State Individual Meet to be held next weekend in Franklin.  The Red Raider grapplers will be vying for 4 state berths in each weight class which will be on the line at the Regional meet.

Thunder Radio will give you an update on their progress on Saturday morning during the Coffee Coaches Show and a full rundown on their results in Monday’s sportscast.

The Nashville Predators jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but the New York Rangers stormed back on Thursday night to collect a 4-3 victory at Madison Square Garden.

After the Rangers scored four straight, Roman Josi brought the Preds back to within one with two minutes to play in regulation when he finished off a slick passing play, but that was as close as the Preds came to forcing overtime.

“They have a lot of team speed. They’re constantly making sure you have them in check,” Preds Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “I actually think it takes a bit away from you offensively because the more you press and something turns over, the more they’re willing to fly, so it’s a dangerous group they have.”

A P.K. Subban slapper generated a low rebound that Cody McLeod spun and deposited into a gaping cage for a 1-0 Nashville lead in the first period. New York seemed to own the lionshare of quality chances in the opening 20 minutes, but it was the Preds who emerged with the advantage.

Calle Jarnkrok stretched the visitors’ advantage to two goals with his 10th at 3:50 of the second, but the Rangers would not fade away quietly.

First, Matt Irwin’s clearing attempt deflected off an official to Kevin Hayes, who dished to Michael Grabner for an in-tight bid that cut Nashville’s lead in half. Roughly six minutes later, a New York 2-on-1 with Hayes and J.T. Miller resulted in an all-square contest through two periods.

“They got some fortuitous bounces tonight,” Laviolette said of the Rangers. “One of the goals was off the referee’s skate, comes out to the middle and it’s in the back of the net… they got some bounces that went their way. I thought after the first seven or eight minutes, we were working, generating chances, but they’re going to get chances, they’re a good hockey club.”

At 5:36 of the final frame, Chris Kreider zipped in front of the net as a shot arrived and deflected the puck in for his 22nd of the campaign. Nashville challenged to see if the play was offside, but the goal was upheld. Miller added New York’s fourth of the night before they hung on to hand the Preds just their second regulation loss after scoring the game’s first goal this season.

“They’re a fast team, and they have some fast players,” center Ryan Johansen said. “I think it took a little while to adjust to it, and we got a two-goal lead, exactly what we wanted, but [they had a] couple lucky bounces on their goals, too. And myself, I had three chances right in front and I have to find ways to get those in the net because I miss my chance they come right back down and score.”

The Predators now return to Nashville for a weekend doubleheader, with four more huge points available for the taking, before a mandatory five-day break beginning Monday.

Pete Weber’s Postgame Report

The Nashville Sounds Baseball Club has announced its weekly promotions for the 2017 season. The 71-game home schedule at First Tennessee Park includes giveaways, fireworks shows, ticket discounts, musical guests, theme nights, special jerseys, military appreciation and family days.

The Sounds’ home opener is scheduled for Tuesday, April 11 when they host the Oklahoma City Dodgers at 6:35 p.m. at First Tennessee Park.

Music City Mondays and Kroger Plus Mondays (11 Occurrences): Every Monday, the Sounds wear their black ‘Music City’ jerseys and celebrate 40 years as Nashville’s first professional sports team with special giveaways featuring current and past players. Additionally, the Sounds and Kroger have teamed to offer fans the opportunity to purchase a “Family 4-Pack” which includes 4 Select section tickets, 4 hot dogs and 4 fountain sodas for just $44 when they show their Kroger Plus card at the Sounds Box Office. The “Family 4-Pack” is available for advanced purchase only – subject to availability.

Tuesday Night Live (11): Live from Music City, it’s Tuesday Night Live presented by The Tennessean. Enjoy special ballpark guest entertainers and fun theme nights at First Tennessee Park.

Wednesday College Nights (6): Every Wednesday is College Night presented by First Tennessee. Local universities take over the ballpark and fans enjoy a special hat giveaway of the featured university. Additionally, all seniors (60 and older) receive discounted Corner or Select tickets – subject to availability.

Throwback Thursdays (9): Go retro every Thursday as the Sounds wear their 1978 throwback uniforms to commemorate the team’s original uniform style. Fans can purchase Coca-Cola fountain soda and Budweiser products at a discounted rate.

FOX 17 Friday Fireworks (10): We light up the Nashville sky every Friday night with FOX17 Fireworks presented by Koorsen Fire & Security.

Saturdays at the Park (12): First Tennessee Park is the place to be on a Saturday night in Nashville. Enjoy the roar of the crowd and the numerous entertainment options of The Band Box located in right field.

Military Sundays and Family Fun Days (12): Bring the family to celebrate Military Sundays presented by Piedmont Natural Gas and Tennessee 811 as the Sounds extend their military appreciation with special military green jerseys and discounted Corner or General Admission tickets for active and veteran men, women and families – subject to availability. In addition, fans can enjoy a pre-game autograph session with select Sounds players and kids 12 and under run the bases post-game, presented by First Tennessee.

A full promotions schedule will be announced in late February.

The 2017 season will be the Sounds’ 40^th in franchise history and their third as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Opening Day is scheduled for Tuesday, April 11 as the Sounds host the Oklahoma City Dodgers at 6:35 p.m. at First Tennessee Park. Season ticket memberships are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.

Looking for a pair of milestone wins, Coffee County welcomed Grundy County to the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym on Tuesday night for a non-district basketball doubleheader.  The Lady Raiders captured their 4^th straight win with a 68 to 36 decision over the Lady Jackets.  The Red Raiders snapped a 3 game losing streak as they grabbed their 20th win of the year 82 to 57 over Grundy County.

The Lady Raiders held the Lady Jackets without a field goal in the first period as they used 7 turnovers to build a 13 point lead.  Grundy County could not get the margin any closer in the blowout win.  The win improves the Lady Raiders record to 18 and 6 on the season and is the first 18 win season for Coffee County since 20111.

The Lady Raiders were led in scoring by Alliyah Williams and Abby Morgan who each netted 10 points as 14 different Lady Raiders scored on the night.  Aerial Williams added 9 points and Jacey Vaughn finished with 8.  Alliyah Williams was named the Crazy Daisies player of the game.

In the boys’ game, a hot shooting Yellow Jackets team raced out to a 12 to 5 lead in the first quarter before Coffee County could get their offense on track.  Coffee County closed out the first half on a 14 to 6 run to take an 8 point lead into the second half.  In the second half, the Raiders dominated the pace of play to capture the 25 point win.  The win improves the Red Raiders record to 20 and 7 on the season which marks the first 20 win season for Coffee County basketball since 1977.

The Red Raiders were led in scoring by De’Aaron Rozier and Tyrese McGee who each put up 12 points.  Grant Sadler and Garrett Eldridge added 11 points apiece as 4 Red Raiders finished in double figures.  De’Aaron Rozier was named the Crazy Daisies player of the game.

Coffee County concludes the regular season on Friday night when they welcome Tullahoma to The Patch.  Friday night will also be Senior Night as the senior basketball players, cheerleaders and dance team members will be honored.  Thunder Radio will be on hand to bring you all the action as the girls’ game will tip off at 6 PM; we begin our broadcast with the Powers Storage pregame show at 5:50.

It took a call to video review, but Filip Forsberg got the game winner and the Nashville Predators topped the Vancouver Canucks by a 4-2 final on Tuesday night at Bridgestone Arena. The victory gives the Preds 60 points overall with at least a point in 10 of their last 13 outings.

“We know how important all of these games are and this one is no exception,” Captain Mike Fisher said. “We definitely had a good first and fell back a bit there in the second, but we found a way to gut it out. Pekka [Rinne] made some unbelievable saves. That was a huge win for us, and the guys played well.”

After the Canucks took an early 1-0 lead, it was Viktor Arvidsson who ripped home his 14th of the season with a laser over the shoulder of Jacob Markstrom to even the score. Nashville then took the lead before the period was out, courtesy of a net-mouth scramble finished off by Calle Jarnkrok for a 2-1 advantage.

That score held through the second stanza until Forsberg converted with the man advantage in the final period for Nashville’s third tally of the evening, and it proved to be the game-winner with the Canucks getting a second goal before Fisher iced it with an empty net.

“To be honest, I thought we played better Saturday [a 1-0 loss to Detroit],” Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “Tonight was an ugly win for us. We played a desperate team tonight. They talked about this being a real big game for them, the start of a trip, and meaning a lot toward the playoffs and they played hard. Again, it was another game where there wasn’t a lot of room, it was tight out here. They fought hard for 60 minutes. We found a way to win it and move on from here.”

Fans of the Predators will remember what happened the last time the two clubs got together in Vancouver. On Tuesday, that misfortune was reversed, in a way.

Filip Forsberg’s power-play tally in the third period was initially waved off by referee Tim Peel, but after further review, the call on the ice was reversed, giving Forsberg his 16th of the season and his team a crucial third goal of the night.

“Luckily they had good evidence that it went in,” Fisher said. “It was definitely close, but you could see it through the glove. We were watching it on the bench and it was a huge goal.”

“A lot of times those situations happen, and you think it might be behind the goal line, but you actually don’t have a view on it,” Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “To actually be able to see it through the mesh and see that it was behind the goal line, I think it was the right call. Usually, if it’s just part of the glove that’s over it you don’t get the opportunity to look down through the mesh, but it worked in our favor tonight.”

Forsberg is now one tally away from tying James Neal for the team lead and has been one of Nashville’s best players over a recent stretch that has seen the team go 9-3-1 in their last 13 games.

It didn’t take long for the new-look third line of Calle Jarnkrok, Colin Wilson and Viktor Arvidsson to find some chemistry.

The trio combined for Nashville’s first two goals, including a slick feed from Wilson to Arvidsson for the first tally, followed by a Jarnkrok chip-in for the second. Both Jarnkrok and Arvidsson recorded multi-point games on the night, with Arvidsson collecting his eighth multipoint contest of the season.

“It was a great play, [Wilson] really drew the defenders down low, and I hung out in a higher position,” Arvidsson said of his goal. “He put it right in my wheelhouse, and I just tried to shoot it as quickly as I could.

“We’ve played together before, all three of us, and I feel like we find each other well. We worked hard and got rewarded.”

Notes:

Vernon Fiddler made his Nashville debut – for the second time in his career – on Tuesday night against Vancouver, logging 9:43 of ice time and two blocked shots.

The Predators have earned at least one point in five consecutive home games against the Canucks (4-0-1) and at least one point in seven of the last nine games against the Canucks (6-2-1).

The Preds head to New York City to face the Rangers on Thursday night before returning home for a weekend doubleheader at Bridgestone Arena – Florida on Saturday and Dallas on Sunday.

Pete Weber’s Postgame Report