Sharks at Predators
The San Jose Sharks will look to rebound from their first road loss of the postseason when they visit the Nashville Predators on Thursday night in Game 4 of their second-round series. The Predators bounced back from a pair of losses in San Jose with a 4-1 victory in Game 3, handing the Sharks their first defeat on the road since March 17.
"You're not going to win every game," San Jose coach Peter DeBoer told reporters after Tuesday's loss. "It's the Stanley Cup playoffs. This might take seven games." The Sharks posted an NHL-best 28-10-3 record away from home in the regular season and had won all three road games in Los Angeles in the first round. Nashville erupted for its highest output of the postseason by cranking up a power play that was 2-for-31 through nine playoff games before converting on 2-of-5 opportunities in Game 3. "The biggest thing for us is staying out of the box and staying disciplined, but when we do get called upon, we've got to make a difference," Predators captain Shea Weber told reporters.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, CNBC, Sportsnet, TVAS 2
ABOUT THE SHARKS: San Jose has been dominant with the man advantage, scoring eight power-play goals in its first seven playoff games and burning Nashville on 3-of-5 chances in Games 1 and 2 before it failed on four chances in Tuesday's setback. "We had a couple different looks, but it definitely could have been better," said captain Joe Pavelski, who has six goals in the postseason. "They were better on their penalty kill, which we expected, and we need to step up our game." Veteran Patrick Marleau tallied in Game 3, his 11th goal in 13 playoff games versus Nashville.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS: One of the huge storylines for Nashville entering Game 3 was coach Peter Laviolette's decision to hold out veteran Mike Ribeiro, who had accounted for only one assist in the playoffs following a 50-point regular season. “He’s been a great player for us the last couple of years, and it’s just a signal for all of us,” Predators goalie Pekka Rinne said of Ribeiro, who sat in favor of rookie Pontus Aberg. “We all have to step up.” One of the players who continues to step up is forward Colin Wilson, who established a franchise record with five goals in a playoff series a year ago and has dimmed the memory of his dismal six-goal regular season with three tallies and five assists in the postseason.
OVERTIME
1. The Predators improved to 3-10 all time in the postseason against San Jose with Tuesday's victory.
2. San Jose hasn't lost back-to-back road games since Dec. 18-20.
3. Nashville F Filip Forsberg, the team's leading scorer in the regular season, halted a seven-game point drought with his second goal of the playoffs.