Jets at Predators
The Nashville Predators return home for Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets with a renewed sense of hope, after a gritty defensive performance helped them even the series at two games apiece. Nashville made an early lead hold up in Thursday’s Game 4, grinding down the speedy Jets with relentless defensive pressure in a 2-1 victory that gives the Predators home-ice advantage again and turns the series into a best-of-three sprint.
“I think the biggest thing is we had full commitment through our lineup to play defense,” Predators defenseman P.K. Subban told reporters after Nashville outhit Winnipeg 27-23 and blocked more shots (9-6), two nights after the Jets scored seven times in the final 40 minutes. There would be no such outburst in Game 5 thanks also to Pekka Rinne, who carried a shutout into the final minute and finished with 32 saves in his best game of the series. The Jets, who won Game 1 on the road, will have to win at least one more away from home in order to advance to the conference finals, and have to find a way to get their high-octane offense back on track after their lowest output of the postseason. “We’ve responded incredibly well all year,” Jets forward Blake Wheeler told the media afterward. “It has not been an easy year - a lot of adversity all year - and we’ve answered the bell every single time, so I’m excited about Game 5.”
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, CBC, TVA Sports
ABOUT THE JETS: Winnipeg struggled to crack the neutral zone in Game 4, avoiding the shutout on Patrik Laine’s power-play goal with 51 seconds to play to give the Jets tallies with the extra man in each of the past three games. Center Paul Stastny extended his points streak to five games (two goals, six assists) by assisting on Laine’s goal, but the Jets were unable to generate sustained offense until the final minutes. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 27 saves but only faced seven shots in the final period.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS: The defense-first approach paid big dividends in Game 4 as Nashville held the Jets to 33 shots on goal, after Winnipeg peppered Rinne with 95 shots in the previous two games. Subban scored a goal for the third consecutive game and finished with four shots on goal and three hits in a team-leading 25:44 of ice time. Forwards Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen each picked up assists on Subban’s goal, extending their points streaks to three games.
OVERTIME
1. Nashville D Yannick Weber made his playoff debut after missing time with an upper-body injury, finishing plus-1 in 8:32.
2. Jets C Matt Hendricks drew into the lineup, finishing minus-1 in playing only 6:42.
3. All three of Subban’s goals in the series have come on the power play.