The Nashville Predators took the ice tonight for Game 2 in the Ball Arena, hoping—needing—to beat the Colorado Avalanche and go home with a split series, as well as proving to themselves and everyone else that they could hang with the Avalanche.
Although they got out to a better start than they did Tuesday, an unfortunate read by Jeremy Lauzon a little over five minutes in let the Avalanche separate him from the puck. Nathan MacKinnon, streaking up the ice, got the puck past Ingram to give the Avalanche a 1-0 lead.
That goal aside, Connor Ingram was looking more comfortable early on than David Rittich had, and the Preds’ skaters were noticeably less uncoordinated in front of him.