The San Jose Sharks emerged as 3-1 victors over the Nashville Predators during Tuesday's game in Nashville. The Sharks mustered up their third straight road win following wins against the New Jersey Devils and the Boston Bruins last week.
The game's first goal came 14:22 into the first period as the Sharks pulled ahead. Logan Coutre received the ball from Martin Havlat and netted the puck past Predators goalie Pekka Renne for an early 1-0 lead.
The Predators countered late in the third quarter as Craig Smith scored. The deadlock was short-lived, however, as Joe Pavelski responded under a minute later with a goal of his own. San Jose reclaimed a 2-1 lead with 5:51 left, and Pavelski sealed the game away for good when he scored his second goal of the night against an empty net with 1:12 left.
The game came down to mistakes and opportunities for the Sharks. Though the Predators gained possession more frequently by winning 35 of 65 faceoffs, they didn't manage to control the puck and had 13 giveaways as opposed to the Sharks' seven.
The turnovers resulted in more scoring chances for San Jose. Coutre managed seven shots on goal, Pavelski contributed another five of his own and the Sharks outplayed the Predators for a 36-20 edge in total shots by night's end.
The Sharks extend their winning streak to three games and move to 4-3-0 on the year. The team has rebounded well after a 1-3 start and faces three more road games (against the Detroit Red Wings, New York Islanders and New York Rangers) before a six-game home stand.