The Canadian Press
Bill Beacon
MONTREAL—Craig Smith missed what looked like a certain goal in overtime.
But the Nashville Predators’ right-winger made no mistake in the shootout.
Smith beat Mike Condon for the only goal of the shootout to lift the Predators to a 2-1 victory over the struggling Montreal Canadiens last night.
But he might have been the goat as, in the final minute of the five-minute overtime, he misfired from point-blank range while alone at the edge of the crease.
“At the moment I couldn’t believe it,” Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne said of Smith’s miss.
“But it’s hockey.
“It’s probably not an easy situation when he was the third shooter in the shootout and was able to make that move,” Rinne added. “It was huge.
“I was so happy for him after what happened in OT.”
The Predators are 1-10 in games decided in overtime this season, but they are 3-1 when it goes to a shootout.
However, it was the first shootout they’ve been in since a loss to Toronto back on Nov. 12.
Nashville will face the Maple Leafs again tonight in Toronto.
The Preds had three overtime losses in the last two weeks and are 3-0-3 in their last six games.
“It’s been a while,” conceded Rinne. “You go through shootout situations in practice, but it’s been three months and that’s a long time during a season.
“But it’s a huge win,” he added. “[Max] Pacioretty had me big time [with Montreal’s third shot of the shootout] and it’s a good thing the puck was bouncing.
“I got a little lucky there.”
Viktor Arvidsson scored in regulation time for the Predators (28-21-11), who are in playoff position at fourth in the Central Division—one point ahead of Colorado with two games in hand.
Brendan Gallagher scored for Montreal (28-27-5), who have won only four of their last 12 games but have points from their last five at home (4-0-1).
“It was a one-bounce game,” noted Pacioretty.
“It was tougher when this [slump] first started to happen, trying to find answers and block out the outside noise,” he admitted.
“But I think we got better at it and started just worrying about the process each day.
“Since we’ve taken that mindset, we’ve had some better results,” Pacioretty added. “We have to keep at it.”
Elsewhere in the NHL, Columbus beat Boston 6-4, Washington edged Arizona 3-2, and San Jose doubled St. Louis 6-3.
