Pekka Rinne made 32 saves to help revive Nashville's playoff hopes after the hosts shut out the Phoenix Coyotes 2-0 on Wednesday, reducing their best-of-seven second round series deficit to 2-1 in the process.
With Rinne preventing Phoenix from finding the net, David Legwand and Mike Fisher delighted the home crowd with first-period goals and the Predators made light of their weakened lineup to get back into the series.
Victory on home ice in Game Four on Friday will tie up the series before the teams return to Phoenix.
Predators forwards Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn were both serving team-issued suspensions for violating unspecified rules, but that hardly mattered with Rinne in such irresistible form.
Phoenix goaltender Mike Smith, who has carried much of the load for the Coyotes this post-season, recovered from his shaky first period to finish with 24 saves.
The Coyotes opened the series with an overtime victory and a 5-3 triumph in Game Two.
(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by John O'Brien)
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