Nashville, TN – Pekka Rinne recorded 19 saves to notch his second straight shutout, as the Nashville Predators used a three-goal third period to beat the Phoenix Coyotes, 3-0, on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.
Rinne has been lights out of late, posting three shutouts over his last four starts to improve to 6-3-3 on the season.
"I think right now I am just getting results," Rinne said. "I am feeling good, but the team in front of me, they are playing so good."
Gabriel Bourque, Nick Spaling and Mike Fisher each lit the lamp for the Predators, who have won two straight.
Mike Smith was charged with all three goals on 29 shots for Phoenix, which had won two straight.
After a scoreless opening 40 minutes, Nashville erupted for three goals in the final frame to take control.
The first came just 2:40 in with the Preds on the power play, as Martin Erat's shot deflected off the skate of Bourque in front to make it 1-0.
Spaling then doubled Nashville's advantage near the midpoint of the frame. He took a feed from Matt Halischuk near the goal line and ripped a quick shot from the right dot that beat Smith high to the glove-side to make it 2-0 at the 9:38 mark.
Fisher then capped the Nashville outburst with just under two minutes left when he one-timed a blast from just inside the right circle that sailed past a screened Smith to push the margin to 3-0 with 1:44 remaining.
"It was a tight game. You thought the first team that scored was going to have a big advantage, and that's exactly how it turned out," Phoenix coach Dave Tippett said. "We had some opportunities, actually had some good setup time, but the pucks we were getting to the net weren't dangerous pucks."
Game Notes
Phoenix beat Nashville, 4-0, at home on Jan. 28 ... The shutout was the 28th of Rinne's career ... Nashville finished 1-for-2 on the power play, while Phoenix failed on all four of its chances with the man advantage.
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