Both Carolina and Nashville traded chances early in the first. For an Eastern Conference team that we rarely see, the Canes have a solid mix of veteran talent and young guns with speed and skill. Carolina went to the box first at 4:30 in the first. Craig Smith went to the box for Nashville shortly into the Predators’ power play and the teams played 4-on-4 hockey for a little over a minute.

The Hurricanes were unable to convert on their power play. Austin Watson and Micheal Ferland dropped the gloves a little while later for some unknown reason. The Predators went back on the power play, but they were unable to find a goal.

Sebastian Aho put the Hurricanes up late in the first period after Roman Josi tripped over the linesman. Saku Mäenalanen added another for the Canes before time expired in the first.

The Predators struggled to find their groove in the second. Carolina was whistled for too many men on the ice, and the boys in gold returned once more to the power play. Viktor Arvidsson was whistled for tripping Petr Mrázek and the power play was once again short circuited. Roman Josi and Colton Sissons converted on a 2-on-1 to bring put Nashville on the board.

With Arvidsson still in the box, the Hurricanes added a power play goal, again from Sebastian Aho. The Predators returned to the power play with 15 minutes remaining in the second but couldn’t get any chances against Mrázek. Lucas Wallmark sniped home Carolina’s fourth goal mid-way through the second period. To add insult to injury, Carolina went on the power play at about the mid-way point of the game. The Canes added a fifth goal and the game just kept slipping away from the Predators.

Juuse Saros took over the netminding duties from Rinne at the mid-point of the game. Ryan Hartman was sent to the box for a double minor after high-sticking Brock McGinn in the face. The Preds grabbed a second goal short-handed from Filip Forsberg.

The third period was pretty unexciting until the clock ticked down to less than 7 minutes in the game. Forsberg added another goal through his legs to give the Predators their third goal of the contest. The Predators were awarded another power play, but with Saros on the bench, the Hurricanes got their sixth goal as Sebastian Aho completed the hat trick.

Random Observations

The Carolina thirds are awesome.

Greg McKegg has such an unfortunate/awesome name.

Oh, Pekka Rinne. We do not deserve you.

Austin Watson and Micheal Ferland are fighting for no reason.

The Preds are still asleep, apparently.

Petr Mrázek has the Preds’ number.

Colton Sissons breaks a career goal-total!

Carolina answers back immediately and that’s pretty disheartening.

Can we play at even strength?

THIS GAME SEEMS LIKE IT’S TAKING AGES.

Poor, poor Pekka.

Hello, Juuse Saros.

Hope springs eternal in the form of Filip Forsberg.

Icings!

HOLY FORSBERG-BETWEEN-THE-LEGS GOAL

Saros on the bench.

Aho gets a hatty.

The Predators need to regroup and come home.

Super Duper Stars of the Game

Filip Forsberg

Tweets of the Day

Answer: the Carolina Hurricanes, and also Pekka Rinne https://t.co/Ll2PxoUTqT — On The Forecheck (@OnTheForecheck) January 13, 2019

Saku Maenalanen -- a 5th rd pick of the #Preds back in 2013 -- make it 2-0, Carolina. — Jeremy K. Gover (@govertime) January 13, 2019

Colton Sissons with his career-high 10th goal. — Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) January 13, 2019

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