• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Nashville Predators

Predators & Pekka Blank the Maple Leafs

By The Canadian Press January 7th, 2019

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

TORONTO — Pekka Rinne made 18 saves for his third shutout of the season and the 54th of his career as the Nashville Predators blanked the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 on Monday.

Kevin Fiala, with a goal and an assist, Mattias Ekholm, P.K. Subban and Colton Sissons scored for Nashville (26-15-3).

Michael Hutchinson stopped 28 shots for Toronto (27-13-2), which hit three posts and also had a goal called back for offside.

The Leafs were coming off one of their most complete performances of the season in Saturday’s 5-0 shutout of the Vancouver Canucks, but have now lost three of their last four after a five-game winning streak.

Monday’s tilt was the third in four nights for the Predators, who opened their season-long six-game road trip with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Friday — a performance that head coach Peter Laviolette described as “awful” — before Saturday’s 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

Rinne is now tied with Marc-Andre Fleury, Bernie Parent and Ed Giacomin for 21st on the all-time shutout list.

Toronto Maple Leafs Connor Brown Nashville Predators Pekka Rinne

Toronto Maple Leafs Connor Brown is stopped by Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette)

After a scoreless opening 20 minutes, the Predators went ahead at 4:08 of the second period when Ekholm’s shot from the point through traffic beat Hutchinson, who made a third consecutive start with No. 1 goalie Frederik Andersen and backup Garret Sparks out injured, past the blocker for his fifth of the season.

Often a forgotten man on a Nashville blue line that includes Subban, Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis, Ekholm now has 29 points in 43 games and is well on his way to smashing the career-high 35 he registered in 2015-16.

Toronto appeared to tie the game 43 seconds later when Auston Matthews connected on a no-look pass from Andreas Johnsson. But the goal was called back after the Predators correctly challenged that William Nylander was just ahead of the play as the Leafs entered the offensive zone 18 seconds before the puck entered the Nashville goal.

After Rinne stopped Johnsson on the doorstep, Subban made it 2-0 with his fourth at 13:11. The Predators won an offensive zone faceoff before the Nashville defenceman, who was playing his seventh game back after missing 19 with an upper-body injury, ripped a one-timer that deflected off Nylander’s stick at the point and sailed past Hutchinson.

Subban, a Toronto native whose parents were on hand at Scotiabank Arena, dropped to one knee and pumped his fist in celebration at centre ice before being congratulated by teammates.

Rinne was there again to rob Mitch Marner late in the period as Toronto mustered just 14 shots through 40 minutes.

Nashville, which came in having won three of its last four on the heels of a six-game skid, got a power play early in the third, but the best chance came on Toronto centre Frederik Gauthier’s partial breakaway that saw him fire over the Predators’ goal.

Toronto got its third opportunity with the man advantage later in the period, but Matthews found iron for the second time with Rinne out of position as the Leafs and their grew increasingly frustrated.

Hutchinson kept his team in it with a glove save on Viktor Arvidsson with six minute left in regulation, but couldn’t control a rebound that Sissons buried for his eighth with 2:37 left in regulation to seal it.

Fiala added his eighth with 37.3 seconds left.

Matthews blasted a shot off the post behind Rinne that stayed out for the game’s first real chance before Filip Forsberg, who returned to the Nashville lineup after missing 17 games with a hand injury, forced a good stop out of Hutchinson at the other end.

Nashville Predators Filip Forsberg

Nashville Predators Filip Forsberg (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette)

With just two goals over his last nine games coming into Monday, Kasperi Kapanen found iron again off a nice feed from Connor Brown on an odd-man rush later in the period, while Matthews couldn’t quite find the range on a rebound effort where he tried to draw the puck between his skates in front of Rinne.

Notes: Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said before the game he doesn’t know when Andersen (groin) or Sparks (concussion) will return to action. Andersen has practised with teammates twice in recent days. … Despite his prolonged absence, Forsberg’s 14 goals still sat tied with Craig Smith for Nashville’s team lead heading into Monday. … Toronto visits New Jersey on Thursday before hosting Boston on Monday. Nashville visits Chicago on Wednesday and Columbus on Thursday.

____

Follow @JClipperton_CP on Twitter

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 16th 12:45 PM
Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets Hope Texier Can Handle Center Ice Now

Jan 16th 12:30 PM
Boston Bruins

Bruins Offering Early Opportunities to Young Players Looking to Flourish

Jan 16th 11:54 AM
Archives

Every NHL Team’s Top Prospect – 2020-21 Season Update

Jan 16th 11:39 AM
Archives

Red Wings’ Top 5 Defensemen of All Time Ranked

Jan 16th 11:13 AM
Archives

NHL TV Blackouts & Why They Happen?

Jan 16th 11:00 AM
Carolina Hurricanes

Jets’ Forsberg Waiver Claim Highlights New Roster-Building Challenges

Jan 16th 10:45 AM
College Hockey

College Hockey Report: Big Upsets on Friday Night

Jan 16th 10:35 AM
St Louis Blues

3 Takeaways from Blues’ First Two Games Versus Avalanche

Jan 16th 10:25 AM
Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche’s Reunited Top Line Erupts to Beat Blues 8-0

Jan 16th 10:15 AM
Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs’ Andersen off to Another Slow Start

Editor’s Picks
World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information