Maple Leafs edge Predators 2-1 in shootout

And while we’re talking about Bizarro-Predators, consider this: The last time Nashville had such a precipitous drop in goals scored from one game to the next was last November (the 18th and 20th) when it beat Toronto 9-2 and then lost to – you guessed it – Ottawa 3-2.

“I thought both teams played well; it was a chip-and-chase game and [Toronto] earned that win”, defenseman Ryan Ellis said.

Nashville’s next power play was a bit more successful as left winger James Neal’s cross-ice feed set up defenseman Shea Weber for his fifth goal on a wrister from the left faceoff circle at 2:40 of the third period.

Tyler Bozak scored in the third period for the Maple Leafs, and James Reimer turned aside all five Nashville attempts in the tiebreaker after making 21 saves in regulation and overtime. “We want to play tight-checking that way, but I think we’ve got to generate more offensively as well”.

Peter Holland scored the game-winning goal for the Leafs. “They battle. So I think we kind of expected that kind of game”.

The Predators, who led the National Hockey League in shots per game entering Thursday, had 83 combined shots in their two games prior to facing the Maple Leafs and have started to round into the aggressive, attacking team that coach Peter Laviolette wants. “We’ve played in these games before… there was not a lot of room out there”.

“They’ve been playing phenomenal”, Reimer said. “We didn’t expect the same thing as the other night for sure, and we tried not to get frustrated”.

Filip Forsberg lines up James van Riemsdyk as he’s exiting the Leafs zone and obliterates him.

“This is definitely the style we needed to play”, defenseman Ryan Ellis said. If we have to play wide open because we are down, we can do that, but we work hard and are strong defensively. I think that was indicative in (Thursday’s) game. Both teams played hard defense. The 24-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs forward has the size, speed, puck skills and vision to be a scoring threat whenever he’s on the ice. Weber skated in his 700th career contest tonight while Calle Jarnkrok appeared in career game No. 100. The Maple Leafs actually had a couple of golden opportunities later in the period, but Rinne stoned left winger Joffrey Lupul both times, the second time on a rebound during a power play.NOTES: Toronto scratched Ds Frank Corrado and Martin Marincin and RW Brad Boyes….

The Leafs will host Vancouver Saturday (7 p.m., CBC) and they’ll be in NY Sunday to face the Rangers (7 p.m., RSO).