Many people wondered if the Nashville Predators overpaid in a trade that brought Mike Fisher closer to his wife Carrie Underwood, but the two-way center is belting out some big hits so far. He might not be more than Mr. Carrie Underwood to many mainstream media members, but the Predators won’t complain if they manage to make it to the second round for the first time in franchise history.
Nashville 4, Anaheim 3; Predators lead series 2-1.
Fisher scored Nashville’s game-winner to cap a wacky and wide-open Game 3 against the Anaheim Ducks, giving him three goals and two assists for five points in three playoff games with the Predators. If that wasn’t enough, he also dropped the gloves with Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf during the game, despite how nervous it made his wife.
It wasn’t all about Fisher, though, not in a game as rambunctious as this one.
Most of the scoring came in short, shocking bursts. Martin Erat and Jordin Tootoo scored just 38 seconds apart late in the first period to give the Predators a 2-0 lead. Teemu Selanne scored twice in 30 seconds late in the middle frame to stun Nashville and tie things up at 2-2. David Legwand and Matt Beleskey traded goals in the third period before Fisher connected on a sweet Sergei Kostitsyn pass to give the Preds a 4-3 win.
Nashville is happy to have a 2-1 series lead, but this game probably shouldn’t have been this close. The Predators out-shot Anaheim 37-16, putting more pucks on net than the Ducks in all three periods. That being said, they earned style points in a different way, as the team showed they can win a shooting gallery match too.
The game also included a rather inspiring moment, as Jordin Tootoo scored a goal on Ray Emery. It’s amazing that such a thing happened in the 2011 playoffs with Tootoo coming off a stint in the NHL’s substance abuse program and Emery fighting back from a career-threatening injury.
Emery kept the Ducks in the game by stopping 33 out of 37 shots, while Pekka Rinne will hope to play better in Game 4 after giving up three goals on just 16 shots. Rinne is glad to get the win, but surely the world-class goalie must be a little miffed that he had a statistically questionable night.
With Bobby Ryan forced out of the action for one more contest, the Predators have a great opportunity to take a commanding 3-1 series lead with a victory in Game 4. They shouldn’t count out the plucky Ducks, though, being that Anaheim has been one of the league’s most resilient teams this season.