Avalanche vs. Predators: Game 3 prediction

The Nashville Predators handled the Colorado Avalanche in the first two games of the series, but can the Avalanche get back in this series on home ice?

The Predators took care of business on home ice in the first two games of their series against the Colorado Avalanche, but their work is far from over. Colorado was able to keep pace on the road, and now the series shifts to their home ice.

For Nashville, everything has gone according to plan. They won both games on home ice, put up five goals in both those games, had everybody in the lineup do their jobs and they are in control as they hit the road for Colorado. Seven different players have put up goals for Nashville, and there are still plenty more due for some production as this series rolls on. The only concern is that Pekka Rinne has looked shaky at times in this series, but even then that has been nothing too egregious.

The losses of Erik Johnson and Semyon Varlamov have been brutal for the Avalanche, and they may have just stolen a game in Nashville with their help. Everybody else on the team has done their jobs just fine, but they just can’t get a big save when they need it from Jonathan Bernier to keep them in the game. They’ve been forced to try and outscore the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Predators, and as you can expect it just hasn’t worked out.

Each of the first two games the Avalanche have scored on their first shot of the game on Rinne, and getting the first goal in Game 3 is crucial to having momentum with home ice on their side. There is only so much that they depleted Avalanche can do against the Nashville juggernaut, but they are fighting admirably in spite of it and can change the tone of the series with a victory on home ice.

Colorado has the motivational advantage, but their goaltending just isn’t where it needs to be to steal important games like this with Bernier in net. Unless the Avalanche can actually outscore the Predators like they’ve been trying to, a victory will be hard to come by without a flawless performance.

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Colorado takes control early with energy and scores the first two goals of the game, but Nashville comes back to tie it up before Roman Josi ends the game in overtime to put the Predators in position for a sweep with a 3-0 series lead.

Game 3 Prediction: Predators defeat Avalanche 4-3 in overtime