Pete Weber’s Postgame Report
Mattias Ekholm #42 of the Nashville Predators (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)
Defenseman Mattias Ekholm made contributions at both ends of the ice to help the Nashville Predators win their second consecutive game.
Ekholm scored two goals for the first time in his NHL career and goaltender Pekka Rinne made 23 saves for the Predators in a 4-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place on Saturday.
The Predators (22-18-8) have won the first two games of a four-game road trip that continues Tuesday at the Vancouver Canucks.
“Goals are always nice to score,” Ekholm said. “It’s not my No. 1 priority maybe; the two points that’s what counts. On the road trip, to start 2-0 is huge for us in the position we’re in. But it’s always nice to contribute both offensively and defensively. It wasn’t pretty, both my goals weren’t really how we drew it up, but we’ll take it.”
Mike Fisher and Filip Forsberg also scored for the Predators.
“It was a really good road win for us,” Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. “We got a big goal to answer their goal in the first period and Mattias had a heck of a game. I thought our guys played hard. They played hard, they played smart and we were able to chip in some timely goals. It wasn’t going to be an easy game; they are playing hard but I thought we were a bit more consistent tonight than we have been recently.”
Leon Draisaitl scored and goaltender Cam Talbot made 21 saves for the Oilers (19-26-5), who have lost three straight.
Draisaitl scored 11:54 into the first period to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead. Draisaitl took the puck wide against Predators defenseman Shea Weber down the left wing, cut to the front of the net and lifted a backhand over Rinne’s shoulder for his 12th goal of the season.
Ekholm tied the game at 13:36 on a scramble in front of the Oilers’ net. He was able to squeeze a shot through traffic past Talbot after collecting the puck in the slot.
“I thought when we got behind, we responded with that first goal and I thought we played smart and got some good offensive zone time,” Fisher said. “Offensively, it was a solid game for us and our PK was timely and we got some big kills. We knew it was going to be tight and it was nice to get that extra one in the third period. But I didn’t think we sat back too much after that, we still got some chances and played a good, solid third.”
Ekholm gave the Predators a 2-1 lead at 1:47 of the second period with a strange power-play goal. His shot hit Oilers defenseman Andrej Sekera in the head, then fell into Talbot’s equipment. Not knowing where the puck was, Talbot dropped to his knees and the puck rolled out of his left pad and bounced into the net.
Sekera came close to tying the game late in the second period when he controlled the puck in the slot on a scramble in front of the Predators’ net. He got his shot over a sprawling Rinne but hit the crossbar.
“It was a tough game for us, but I thought we battled hard,” Oilers left wing Taylor Hall said. “They’re a good team that comes hard and they have a healthy lineup and quite frankly we don’t. Not only do we not have a healthy lineup, but our schedule has been terrible. So all things considered, I think it was a pretty good effort.”
Fisher extended the Predators’ lead to 3-1 at 52 seconds of the third period, converting a centering pass out of the corner from Weber. Forsberg scored into an empty net with 36 seconds remaining.
The Predators visit Vancouver on Tuesday to take on the Canucks. That game will get underway at 9 PM and Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast on the Fifth Third Bank/Nashville Predators Radio Network
