Predators at Sharks
The San Jose Sharks need to have short memories as they return home to face the Nashville Predators on Saturday night in Game 5 of their Western Conference second-round series. The Sharks were inches from taking a commanding 3-1 series lead over Nashville in Thursday's Game 4, only to have an apparent goal waved off before the Predators prevailed 4-3 in three overtimes.
"That rule has been as clear as mud to every coach in the league all year, so why should it be different now?" San Jose coach Peter DeBoer vented to reporters after captain Joe Pavelski's overtime goal was negated due to goaltender interference. The Sharks owned the league's best road record, but dropped both games in Nashville to turn it into a best-of-three series. Mike Fisher delivered the game-winning goal to end Thurday's marathon for the Predators, who won three times in Anaheim in the first round. "To win a game like that is big," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. "If you think about the other scenario, you're 3-1 the other way. This ties it up 2-2; it shortens the series. Our guys played like champs (on Thursday)."
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVAS
ABOUT THE PREDATORS: The bold move by Laviolette to scratch veteran Mike Ribeiro in Game 3 and elevate Fisher to a line with Colin Wilson and James Neal has paid huge dividends for Nashville, as the unit combined for all four goals in Thursday's victory - including Neal's tying tally with just over four minutes left in regulation. Wilson continued his postseason heroics with another tally, giving him three goals and four assists during a five-game point streak after scoring only six times during the regular season. Pekka Rinne continues to be immense in net for the Predators, turning aside 44 shots Thursday and surrendering only six goals in the past three contests.
ABOUT THE SHARKS: Lost in the hullabaloo over Pavelski's non-goal was another superlative performance by defenseman Brent Burns, who scored a pair of goals in Game 4 and has registered multiple points in five of the nine postseason contests. Logan Couture was denied a goal on a highlight-reel move, but he still collected a pair of assists to boost his point total to nine over the past five games. “It’s just fun hockey,” Couture said. “If you’re not having a great time out there playing in overtime, you’re doing the wrong thing. It was a blast."
OVERTIME
1. Wilson has 10 postseason goals for Nashville, second behind captain Shea Weber in franchise history.
2. Sharks C Joe Thornton is tied with Patrik Elias for fourth place among active players with 80 assists in the playoffs.
3. Winning the longest game in franchise history lifted Nashville's record to 4-10 versus San Jose in the postseason.