Nashville 7, Ottawa 5
When: 8:00 PM ET, Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Referees:
Derek Amell, Matt MacPherson
Linesmen:
Graham Skilliter, Kelly Sutherland
Attendance:
16963
By The Sports Xchange
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Colton Sissons lost two assists after the game, but his impact on the Nashville Predators' biggest offensive explosion of the season couldn't be erased.
Recalled from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League in the morning, Sissons centered a fourth line that produced three goals and three assists in less than nine minutes of ice time each as Nashville rallied for a wild 7-5 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night at Bridgestone Arena.
Playing his first NHL game since 2013-14, Sissons got the Predators on the board at 6:55 of the first period by deflecting the shot of defenseman Ryan Ellis past goalie Craig Anderson. Sissons was originally credited with secondary assists on Nashville's first and third goals of the third period, but official scorers lifted them from his total.
Sissons also was robbed of a second goal in the final five minutes when the goal post denied his wrister from the right faceoff circle. Still, his work was no less impressive to coach Peter Laviolette.
"My confidence in him grew as the game went on," Laviolette said of Sissons.
Few would have dared project a 12-goal shootout between two teams that entered the night averaging fewer than three goals per game apiece. However, a combination of shoddy defense and neither goalie playing at the top of his game led to the red lights staying on all game.
Even so, Nashville's Pekka Rinne (8-2-2) may have started his team's third-period rally with a big save, stoning left winger Mike Hoffman on a breakaway to deny Ottawa a two-goal lead.
Shortly thereafter, defenseman Mattias Ekholm ripped a slapper from the left faceoff circle for his second goal of the season and a 5-5 tie at 2:29.
The Predators untied it at 10:09 with a rare goal from defenseman Barret Jackman. His shot from the left side hit Anderson's shoulder, deflected off Ottawa defenseman Mark Borowiecki's skate and rolled over the goal line for Jackman's 29th goal in 816 NHL games.
"You could take that shot 100 times and never have it hit off my shoulder, off (Borowiecki's) skate and in the net," Anderson said.
Nashville sealed the verdict with a rebound tally from right winger Gabriel Bourque at 11:43, helping the Predators improve to 9-3-2 with just their second win in five games.
The Senators (7-5-3) fell to 5-2-1 on the road.
Ottawa torched Rinne for five goals on just 13 shots in the first two periods. Left winger Milan Michalek and center Zack Smith scored off deflections before the game was six minutes old.
Smith added a short-handed goal at 19:23 of the first period for a 3-1 Senators lead. After the Predators got goals from defensemen Shea Weber and Roman Josi, as well as left winger Austin Watson, in a 2:28 span of the second period to move in front 4-3, Ottawa quickly answered.
Defenseman Erik Karlsson, completely undressed on Josi's tally, redeemed himself with an equalizer at 9:32 of the second. Right winger Curtis Lazar put the Senators up 5-4 at 19:10 with a power-play marker -- the sixth yielded by Nashville in the past three games.
"I wouldn't say Pekka gave up bad goals," Laviolette said. "He was put in some tough situations. I didn't think about taking him out because he still gives us our best chance to win the game."
Rinne bagged 13 of his 21 saves in the third period, and with help from the newest Predator, walked away with the win.
"Colton was awesome," Watson said of his new linemate. "I know it was the (AHL), but there was a reason he scored 25 goals last year. He's a good player."
Anderson (6-4-1) recorded 31 saves.
NOTES: Ottawa D Cody Ceci returned to the lineup after missing Saturday night's game in Carolina with an injury sustained Thursday when Winnipeg's Dustin Byfuglien hit him into an open bench door. ... Nashville D Shea Weber's goal was the 150th of his career, as well as his 400th career point. ... The Senators scratched D Chris Wideman, who scored his first NHL goal in Carolina. ... Nashville scratches included C Paul Gaustad (lower-body injury), D Anthony Bitetto and D Victor Bartley.
Top Game Performances
| Ottawa |
|
Nashville |
|
Zack Smith 2 |
Points |
Austin Watson 3 |
|
Zack Smith 2 |
Goals |
Austin Watson 1 |
|
Bobby Ryan 2 |
Assists |
Austin Watson 2 |
|
Curtis Lazar 1 |
Power Play Goals |
Shea Weber 1 |
|
Zack Smith 1 |
Short Handed Goals |
N/A |
|
Craig Anderson .816 |
Save Percentage |
Pekka Rinne .808 |
|
Craig Anderson 31 |
Saves |
Pekka Rinne 21 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
| Ottawa
|
26 |
5 |
2-3 |
2-3 |
6 |
34 |
| Nashville
|
38 |
7 |
1-3 |
1-3 |
6 |
44 |
Upcoming Games
-
Nashville will play their next game at home against Toronto. The Predators have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .833 after a loss.
-
Ottawa will play their next game at home against Vancouver. The Senators have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .429 after a loss.
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