Predators look to stay alive tonight in Phoenix

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The Nashville Predators stare elimination straight in the face tonight as they take on the Phoenix Coyotes in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Phoenix took a 3-1 series lead on Friday night when they got a 1-0 shutout victory over the Predators at Bridgestone Arena.

Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn are expected to be back in the lineup for Game 5 tonight. Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn were suspended by the team for Game 3 after violating a team rule. Barry Trotz also held them out of the lineup for Game 4 on Friday night as well.

Nashville's team defense in the first two games of the series wasn't good. However, they drastically improved in that area in Games 3 and 4 of the series. The Predators only allowed one goal in the two games in Nashville, but were only able to come away with one win.

Phoenix goaltender Mike Smith was sensational in Game 4 on Friday night and is perhaps the biggest reason that the Coyotes were able to walk away with a 3-1 series lead. He will have to be sharp again tonight for the Coyotes. Nashville will be pulling out all the stops in order to try to avoid being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

There is no tomorrow for the Predators if they don't win tonight. Expect them to come out with their best effort of the series. If that effort is enough to extend this series to a Game 6, then anything can happen.

 

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Andrei Kostitsyn guarantees better offense



Andrei Kostitsyn vowed to play better when he returns to the lineup for Game 5 against the Coyotes, the Predators forward told The Tennessean on Sunday.

Kostitsyn and Alexander Radulov were suspended for Game 3 and were held out of the lineup for Game 4. Because the Predators split those two games to trail 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, Coach Barry Trotz is going to put the duo back on the ice tonight.

?I?m happy to go back to the lineup,? Kostitsyn said after Sunday?s practice. ?I?ll try to do the best for my team and help my team tomorrow night.

?We?ll try to play better, me and Rads, when we come back to the team, try to help and win the game, then come back to Nashville and win the next game.?

The Predators, who haven?t scored since midway through the first period of Game 3, could use Kostitsyn?s offense. He scored a goal in both games in Phoenix. He joined Radulov and Nick Spaling on the second line at Sunday?s practice.

?It?s tough to watch. You want to help your team, but you can?t help. You just watch the game,? Kostitsyn said. ?Now when we come back, it?s more exciting.?

Through a team spokesman Radulov declined to comment about his expected return.

Trotz said his decision to bring back Kostitsyn and Radulov for Game 5 was part of an evaluation of player performances since the one-game suspensions.

?We got ?em to be a part of this team. I made my decision for them not to be in Game (4) based on the performance of the group in Game (3),? Trotz said. ?Some guys didn?t perform as well in Game (4) as they needed to so therefore (Kostitsyn and Radulov) go back in. There?s really no decision there.?

?They?re good players. They want to be good players. They?re good players and they can help us. I look at them as they?re going to help us.?

The Predators won Game 3 without the duo, but lost Game 4.

?I think they?re obviously going to add that scoring element for us,? veteran forward Mike Fisher said. ?I think in light of everything, you know, they?ll be ready and bring some passion to the game. We all know it?s not fun sitting out, so I think they?re going to come back fired up and be real big for us.?

Halischuk keeps focus: Forward Matt Halischuk said he was not concerning himself with the result of Coyotes defenseman Rostislav Klesla?s NHL hearing on Sunday afternoon.

The NHL suspended Klesla for one game after a hearing on Sunday. Klesla was penalized in the first period of Game 4 for boarding on Halischuk. Replays appeared to show Klesla grabbing Halischuk?s jersey before pushing him into the boards.

Halischuk went to the locker room after the play but returned quickly.

?Yeah, it was just a hard hit, but that?s about it. I haven?t really watched it,? Halischuk said. ?You know, it?s a physical game. Stuff happens really quick out there. It?s in the past. I haven?t really thought about it. I?m just trying to get ready for the next game here.?

Winners score first: In all nine of Nashville?s playoff games, the team that scored first won. The Predators said a quick start is crucial in Game 5.

?It plays, always, a big role,? goalie Pekka Rinne said. ?I feel like when we get our first goal it?s a pretty big momentum change for our team. It kind of calms the nerves for everybody. It?s a pretty big deal.?

Said forward Patric Hornqvist: ?Yeah, just one good bounce in front of the net to get the first goal and we?re going to keep going there. I?ve got a good feeling about tomorrow.?

Been there, done that: While it may be no simple task for the Predators to come back from a 3-1 series deficit, past Nashville teams found ways to dodge elimination on the road.

The Predators have never been eliminated away from Bridgestone Arena in a playoff series.

?We went into Vancouver and I don?t think anybody thought we would win but we came through there. We went into Anaheim and won game five, so we?ve done that a few times,? Trotz said. ?The perception is that we?re not going to be able to dig ourselves out. Well, perception doesn?t really matter to us right now.

?We just know that we?ve got to go to Phoenix and win a hockey game and go from there. It?s baby steps. The first step is Phoenix.?