Predators hold off Flames
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- In a game that pitted two teams looking to better their Western Conference playoff seeding, it was the Nashville Predators who took a step in the right direction.
The Predators, despite posting a season-low 17 shots on goal, held off the Calgary Flames 3-1 in front of a sellout crowd at Bridgestone Arena.
With the victory, the Predators climbed within one point of Calgary, which currently holds seventh place in the Western Conference standings. Nashville also -- at least temporarily -- moved into third place in the Central Division, two points ahead of St. Louis.
Defenseman Ryan Ellis clinched the contest for the Predators, beating Chad Johnson with a wrist shot from the high slot with eight minutes left in the third period. It was the third goal in two games for Ellis, who also has five points in his last three contests.
Calgary lost for the second straight game after winning 12 of its previous 13 contests. The Flames had hoped to leapfrog Edmonton into third place in the Pacific Division.
The Predators had scored twice within three minutes in the second period to grab a 2-0 lead.
Nashville took a 1-0 lead with 14:58 left in the second period, when Calle Jarnkrok scored his 15th goal of the season. Standing all alone in the slot, Jarnkrok took Craig Smith's pass from behind the Calgary net and pinpointed a wrist shot over the left shoulder of Johnson.
Just 2:05 later, the Predators doubled their advantage when Colton Sissons scored for the first time since Jan. 5. Playing in his 100th career NHL game, Sissons slid a tough-angle wrist shot behind Johnson (14 saves) and jumped for joy afterward.
But the Flames bounced back in a hurry.
Calgary defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who had hit the post twice in the first period, finally found a way to beat goalie Pekka Rinne (24 saves) with 9:31 left in the second. Activating from the blue line, Hamilton knocked home a one-timer from the slot to cut Nashville's lead to 2-1.
The contest featured two teams who have been heating up as the playoffs get closer.
Calgary entered the game with a 10-2 record in its last 12 games, while the Predators were 4-1 in their last five contests.
NOTES: The Predators played without captain Mike Fisher, who is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Fisher missed his first contest since Nov. 3. ... Predators C Vern Fiddler returned to the lineup, playing for the first time since March 7 after recovering from an upper-body injury. ... Predators D Mattias Ekholm played in his 300th career NHL game. ... Calgary played without LW Matthew Tkachuk, who served the second of his two-game suspension. ... The Flames entered the contest with a 12-6-0 record against the Central Division. Calgary had won four straight against the Central.