Game 1 : DET vs NSH – Rinne Shines as Preds Draw First Blood

One of the most even matchups in the first round kicked off in Music City, as the Predators hosted the Red Wings and used secondary scoring to defeat the Wings.  Rookie Gabriel Bourque scored his first two career playoff goals, including the game winner as the Predators held off the Wings by a 3-2 score.  Paul Guastad had the opening goal for Nashville, as his centring pass from behind the goal line went in off Wings defenseman Brad Stuart past Jimmy Howard.

Detroit used 8 power play opportunites to stay in the game, as Henrik Zetterberg

tied the game at 1 early in the second with the Wings on the man advantage.  Bourque then scored consecutive goals, later in the second and then past the midway point of the third to give the Predators a 2 goal lead.  Tomas Holmstrom gave the Wings a glimmer of hope, as faint as it was, with a power play goal with just over 2 minutes remaining, but Nashville shut the door the rest of the way for the 3-2 victory.

Pekka Rinne was outstanding, facing 37 Wings shots in the Nashville net.  It was the Predators grinders that made the difference, as the likes of Radulov, Fisher and the Kostitsyns were held off the scoresheet.  Those players will have plenty of chances before this series is over to make their mark, but it was a good night for the role players.

Game 2 goes Friday night in Nashville.