Nashville 2 Calgary 1
NASHVILLE — Another timely goal from Colin Wilson cooled off the Calgary Flames.
Wilson scored a power-play goal at 3:31 of the third period to give the Nashville Predators a 2-1 victory over the Flames on Tuesday night.
Wilson’s third game-winning goal of the season ended Calgary’s three-game winning streak, while halting Nashville’s three-game skid.
“You want your power play to score goals and timely goals,” Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. “We adjusted between periods. They had an all-out press against our power play in the second, so we made a slight adjustment and were able to execute it.”
Matt Halischuk also scored for Nashville (15-11-4) while Pekka Rinne had 35 saves.
Curtis Glencross scored and Miikka Kiprusoff made 43 saves for Calgary (14-14-2).
The Predators’ victory ended a stretch of six straight home losses to Calgary. Before Tuesday, Nashville’s previous home win over the Flames was Jan. 15, 2008.
With Calgary’s Brendan Morrison in the penalty box serving an interference minor, Nashville rookie Craig Smith’s shot from the low slot was kicked away by Kiprusoff’s left pad.
Wilson skated in and converted the rebound on the short side for his eighth goal of the season.
“Smith let a quick shot go and I was on the goal-line and the puck came right to me and I got it over his pad,” Wilson said. “He has really quick legs and he gets from side to side really well, so if you are not going to beat him with the first shot, you have to get there for the second one.”
Nashville has scored at least one power-play goal in each of its past six games and 13 of its past 29 goals have come on the man advantage.
Halischuk scored the game’s first goal at 11:43 of the opening period.
Brian McGrattan had the puck on the right boards and sent the puck toward the Calgary goal.
Halischuk, who was just to the right of Kiprusoff, corralled the puck and beat him on the short side for his sixth goal of the season.
“I just tried to go to the net,” Halischuk said. “Grats put it in front and I was able to put her in.”
Nashville carried most of the play in the first, outshooting the Flames 18-6.
“The first period we were standing around watching,” Calgary coach Brent Sutter said. “The plays we made were soft plays. We let them dictate the pace of the game in the first period.”
Glencross got the Flames even at 6:12 of the second.