Now that was more of the start Nashville was looking for. The finish? Not as much.
Filip Forsberg scored another creative goal J.J. Watt Jersey Red , Pekka Rinne rebounded from a rocky performance with 31 saves, and the Predators withstood a furious rally by the Colorado Avalanche for a 3-2 win in Game 4 on Wednesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round series.
”I guess probably some teams, every once in a while, can say everything is perfect. Everything is awesome,” Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. ”But most times you’re trying to work on something, trying to get better at something.”
For the first time all series, the Avs were held scoreless in the opening period and the Predators built a 3-0 cushion heading into the final period.
Colton Sissons and Craig Smith also scored for the Predators, who can close out the series Friday when it shifts back to Nashville for Game 5.
”We don’t want it to end at all,” Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon said. ”We’re still in it. It’s not over yet.”
Rinne was solid early after being pulled from the last game. Cruising along and up 3-0, the Vezina Trophy finalist allowed Gabriel Landeskog’s 5-on-3 power-play goal in the third and another on Alexander Kerfoot’s tap-in off a rebound with 8:59 remaining.
Colin Wilson nearly tied with about 2 minutes left when his shot appeared to hit the post. The Avalanche pulled backup goalie Andrew Hammond late, but couldn’t get the tying goal. Tyson Jost sent a shot over the net at the buzzer.
”It was a good push by them,” Forsberg said.
Forsberg worked his puck-handling magic in the first period by dancing around defenseman Duncan Siemens and juking Jonathan Bernier for his third goal of the series. The ever-creative Forsberg had an artistic goal in Game 1 as well, when he sent the puck through the defenseman’s legs before scoring.
”Just tried to use my speed wide and use that speed all the way around the net Deshaun Watson Jersey Red ,” Forsberg said.
Bernier allowed three goals on 26 shots before being replaced by Hammond to start the third period due to a lower body injury. Hammond had eight saves.
Forsberg and his crew came out with a little more spring in their skates for Game 4. This may have played a role: The team went through an up-tempo practice the day before. It was a way to avoid a sluggish start like Monday when Colorado scored three times in the first period of Game 3.
The strategy worked. Nashville controlled the tempo except for a frenzied stretch in the third.
”We knew we weren’t going to go 16-0,” Forsberg said. ”We were going to lose a game throughout these playoffs and obviously we were just looking to bounce back.”
Now, the Avs are looking to regroup.
”I’m obviously upset at the result, but I loved our third, there’s no question,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. ”But we need to find that urgency earlier.”
There was a scary moment in the second period when MacKinnon’s stick caught teammate Mikko Rantanen near the eye. Rantanen left with a towel pressed against his face, only to return a few minutes later.
But not before the Predators scored another goal as Smith zoomed out of the penalty box and beat Bernier with a wrist shot to make it 3-0.
From there, things turned a little testy. Landeskog hit a tumbling Ryan Johansen, who headed to the dressing room. He returned in the third period.
P.K. Subban got the crowd fired up early by shooting a puck into Colorado’s net in the pregame warmups. He’s stepped into the villain’s role after delivering a blow to the side of MacKinnon’s helmet during Game 3. Subban was booed each time he touched the puck.
The Predators came out firing on all cylinders, even going on an early 5-on-3 power play for 1:20. They but couldn’t get anything past Bernier, but they did knock Bernier’s mask momentarily out of commission when Viktor Arvidsson’s slap shot caught him square him in the cage. Bernier skated over to the bench to grab his backup one. He later returned to his original one.
NOTES: Predators F Calle Jarnkrok returned after missing the last 16 games with an upper-body injury. … Rinne felt honored to be a finalist for the award that goes to the league’s top goaltender. ”Even though it’s an individual award, I couldn’t do it without my teammates,” he said. … Avs D Samuel Girard missed a third straight game with an upper-body injury. … Avs F Carl Soderberg took a bit hit from RW Ryan Hartman in the third that drew a charging penalty.
“I told you this a long time ago,” he said after the Arizona Cardinals practiced Thursday. “There’s never going to be a farewell tour. It’s not about me. There’s 53 guys on this roster. There’s 53 guys who are giving their all to compete and make this team better, and coaches. It’s so much bigger than any one individual.”
It’s pretty much the same thing Fitzgerald has said each of the past few years when questions are raised about the inevitable end to one of the greatest careers of any wide receiver in NFL history.
“No game was ever won by one man and no game was ever lost by one man,” he said. “When you start thinking that it’s bigger than that and it’s about you, that’s when you’ve lost touch with what this game is all about and what the spirit of this game is about.”
Make no mistake about it. Fitzgerald knows all about where he stands statistically on the NFL career lists. The numbers do mean a lot to him. But he spends very little time talking about them. Maybe there will come a time, perhaps at that Hall of Fame induction ceremony. But for now, Fitzgerald is insisting he’s just one guy on a team.
When Sam Bradford tosses one in a regular-season game to Fitzgerald, he will become the 18th quarterback to complete a pass to No. 11 in the receiver’s years with Arizona. That is a lot of quarterbacks, to be sure.
“It’s a privilege,” Fitzgerald said. “Most guys don’t get a chance to play long enough to be able to catch the ball from that many quarterbacks. I look at it as a blessing and a testament to my longevity. Hopefully, we can go a whole season and not have to make any changes.”
Some of the quarterbacks are well known — including Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and recently retired Carson Palmer. There also was Brian St. Pierre, Max Hall and John Skelton Leonard Fournette Jersey Black , among many others.
Injuries led to in-season quarterback changes. So did poor quarterback play. But through it all, Fitzgerald usually catches whatever comes his way. He has caught a pass in 211 consecutive games, the second-longest such streak in NFL history behind Jerry Rice’s 274. Only once in his 218 career games did he not catch a pass.
Fitzgerald, who turns 35 on Aug. 31, is within striking distance of the No. 2 spot on two other significant career lists — receptions and yards receiving. He has 15,545 yards receiving and needs 390 to pass Terrell Owens into second (behind Rice’s 22,895) and, with 1,234 catches, needs 92 to pass Tony Gonzalez into second, behind Rice’s formidable 1,549.
If those numbers seem a stretch, consider that Fitzgerald was second in the NFL last season with 109 catches (tying his franchise record) for 1 Bradley Chubb Jersey Navy Blue ,156 yards. The past three years, between the ages of 32 and 34, Fitzgerald caught 325 passes.
Five years ago, with the hiring of coach Bruce Arians, Fitzgerald was moved from his customary wideout position to play in the slot, where blocking was a major part of his duties and he was among the best doing so at his position.
Now comes another new offense under coordinator Mike McCoy, an attack that looks to combine power running with a ball control game. In the first preseason game, Fitzgerald’s block was critical in springing David Johnson for a 14-yard gain.
Fitzgerald said he’s excited to see what this new system will do. He just wants to get started. First, there is Sunday night’s preseason game at Dallas.
“I’m ready for the preseason to be over with,” he said.
Like the other starters, Fitzgerald won’t play in the preseason finale against Denver. Now it’s all about staying healthy Sunday.
“I feel great. I just want to keep it that way,” he said. “That’s why I want the preseason to be over and the real season starts coming and the real checks start coming.”
Notes: Rookie QB Josh Rosen slammed the thumb on his throwing hand against a helmet in practice this week but coach Steve Wilks said that he still expects Rosen to play.
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26.09.2018 11:19
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