Predators Learning to Keep Pace

The Nashville Predators are realizing just how important every game is in their first true playoff race.

Dan Hamhuis and Steve Sullivan each scored early power-play goals, and Tomas Vokoun stopped 27 shots Thursday night to lead the Nashville Predators over the Minnesota Wild, 4-0, at Nashville. The Predators entered the game ranked eighth in the Western Conference despite having won three of their previous four games.

“We won three in a row and lost one, and I looked at the standings and all of a sudden we were in eighth,” Vokoun said. “Every game is huge.”

Sullivan said: “When you’re in a playoff race, you can’t afford to lose two games in a row.”

The victory pushed the Predators into a tie for fifth with Dallas, which had the night off, and moved the Kings into eighth place. Vladimir Orszagh had a goal and an assist, Andreas Johansson had a short-handed goal and Martin Erat had two assists for Nashville, which won the season series with the Wild, 2-0-2.

Nashville Coach Barry Trotz said he talked with his team about putting some distance between it and a team that reached the conference finals last season. Minnesota now trails Nashville by 11 points with 19 games left.

“You can never say never mathematically, but if we just continue to play good hockey and win our share of games, and I think that might have been enough separation to keep the Wild out of there,” Trotz said.

Vokoun got the 12th shutout of his career, and it was his second this season against a Minnesota team that has not scored against the Predators in Nashville since March 6, 2003. The Wild outshot Nashville, 27-23, but went 0 for 7 on the power play.

St. Louis 2, Colorado 2 -- Dallas Drake and Keith Tkachuk scored second-period goals for the visiting Blues at Denver to offset two goals by Milan Hejduk of the Avalanche.

A minute into overtime, St. Louis had a goal disallowed when it was ruled Pavol Demitra slapped the puck past David Aebischer with his hand. It was the head coaching debut of St. Louis’ Mike Kitchen, who replaced the fired Joel Quenneville.

Colorado is winless in its last six home games (0-3-2-1), scoring only six goals. Avalanche forward Alex Tanguay, the NHL’s fifth-leading scorer, sustained an upper-leg injury in the first period and did not return.

Philadelphia 1, Ottawa 1 -- Sean Burke made 39 saves at Ottawa, and the Flyers remained one point in front of Ottawa in the overall Eastern Conference standings.

Marian Hossa scored his 27th goal on the Senators’ second of three power plays before the midway point of the first period. Simon Gagne had a power-play goal for Philadelphia, which was outshot 40-18.

Senator forward Martin Havlat was given a match penalty in the third period for attempting to injure Philadelphia’s Mark Recchi. The Flyers failed to score on the ensuing five-minute power play.

New York Rangers 6, New York Islanders 3 -- Jaromir Jagr had two and an assist at Uniondale, N.Y., as the visiting Rangers completed their second six-game season series sweep over the Islanders in the debut of Tom Renney as coach.

The Rangers, who figure to miss the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season, are 8-0-2 in their last 10 against the Islanders.

The Islanders hadn’t lost at home since Jan. 10, the last time the Rangers visited.

Vancouver 3, San Jose 2 -- Defenseman Brent Sopel scored his second power-play goal of the game 2:14 into overtime to lead the Canucks at Vancouver, Canada.

The Sharks were whistled for too many men on the ice 35 seconds into overtime. The rebound of Markus Naslund’s shot from the left circle bounced straight to Sopel on the other side, leaving him with an unguarded net.

Tampa Bay 4, Toronto 3 -- Brad Richards had two goals and an assist, and Pavel Kubina and Vincent Lecavalier had the other goals at Tampa, Fla., for the Lightning, which to 13-1-1-4 over its last 19 games.

Lightning goalie Nikolai Khabibulin made 19 saves for his 200th career victory (200-183-57).

Detroit 2, Calgary 1 -- Pavel Datsyuk set up both Red Wing goals, including Steve Thomas’ winner late in the second period at Calgary, Canada.

Thomas scored the only goal of the middle period even though Detroit was outshot 14-5.

Montreal 3, Boston 2 -- Craig Rivet scored with one minute left in overtime, and Jose Theodore made 37 saves at Boston. The Canadiens have won four of their last five.

Rivet scored the winner when he skated past the Bruin defense and put a shot from the slot past goalie Andrew Raycroft.