January has been a good month for the offensive trio of Sergei Kostitsyn, Mike Fisher and Martin Erat. That continued last night in the Predators’ 5-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Kostitsyn kept up his personal hot streak last night with one goal on a single shot. The goal, which his seventh in his last 10 shots, came on a breakaway and gave the Predators a 4-1 lead with 4:57 remaining in the second period.
“Erat made a good play from our defensive zone, chipped it up to the boards. Fish picked it up and we went 2-on-1, (he passed me the puck) and I was on a breakaway,” Kostitsyn explained. “Our goalie coach shows us video before each game, so I kind of knew what (Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford) was going to do. I (looked at how) other guys have scored on him before.”
Production-wise, Fisher and Kostitsyn went through a little bit of a lull in November and December, while Erat was inconsistent. But in the last nine games, the line of Kostitsyn (7g-4a), Fisher (2g-7a) and Erat (3g-6a) has been the Preds’ main source of offense.
The team is 8-2-0 this month while battling injuries to Shea Weber and Ryan Suter; this top line has picked up the slack in the mean time. Their solid two-way play as a line has enabled them to be productive on the offensive side of the ice.
“They are strong offensively and strong defensively,” head coach Barry Trotz said after last night’s game. “Sergei and Marty have good chemistry. … They just have chemistry, whatever it is – European influence. Marty has pushed Sergei to become a better player and allow Sergei to use his assets. That line has been really solid for us.”
Kostitsyn added, “I think we’re doing a good job on the forecheck. If you play good on defense, it’s going to help on offense.”
When Fisher records a point this season, the Preds are a staggering 14-2-1. When Erat and Kostitsyn score, they are 9-1-0 and 8-2-0, respectively.
The importance of this line cannot be understated, and right now, they are rolling as a group.
***
The Morning After:
Yesterday’s results:
Predators 5, Blackhawks 2
Smashville 24/7 3 stars of the night:
1. Sergei Kostitsyn, NSH (1 goal, 1 assist)
2. Kevin Klein, NSH (1 goal, 1 assist)
3. Marian Hossa, CHI (2 goals)
Recaps around the blogosphere:
| Preds On The Glass | Inside Smashville | Section 303 |
| Puck Scene | Hockey Night in Nashville | On The Forecheck |
Play of the game:
http://nhl.cdn.neulion.net/u/videocenter/embed.swf
Nice wrap-up. Thanks for the numbers.
Cisar