Predators shut out Ducks - Nashville, Tennessee - Sunday, 02/04/07 - Tennessean.com
Predators shut out Ducks
West lead grows to five points now
The Predators took a long look in the rearview mirror, didn't like what they saw, and slammed the gas pedal on Saturday night.
In a game that could have seen Nashville's Western Conference points lead trimmed to one, the Predators responded by blanking the Anaheim Ducks 3-0 in front of a sellout crowd at Gaylord Entertainment Center.
The Predators (37-14-3) snapped a two-game losing streak and, more importantly, moved five points ahead of the Ducks and Detroit in the race for the conference's top seed.
"We had a cushion and we let it slide, so tonight was a four-pointer as far as the conference race was concerned,'' defenseman Dan Hamhuis said. "I thought our work ethic was there and we were a lot more disciplined than we were in the last two games.''
Goalie Tomas Vokoun played probably his best game since returning from injury Jan. 9, turning away all 36 shots.
On special teams, the Predators produced a pair of power-play goals and stifled the Ducks' four power-play chances — three of which came in the first period.
"The penalty kill was very good against a very dangerous team,'' Coach Barry Trotz said.
Hamhuis put Nashville up 1-0 with 15:08 left in the first, and Jason Arnott's power-play drive made it 2-0 less than a minute into the second period. Steve Sullivan added a power-play score with 13 seconds left.
"This one felt like a playoff game,'' Trotz said. "It was fast, hard-hitting and there were some great saves. I thought we responded really well.''