Filip Forsberg scores another other-worldly goal as the Preds build 3-0 lead, hang on for a victory in Game 4. Read & Watch
DENVER -- The Colorado Avalanche will look to even the Western Conference First Round against the Nashville Predators in Game 4 at Pepsi Center on Wednesday.
The Avalanche ended a 12-game losing streak to the Predators, which dated back to April 5, 2016, with a 5-3 victory in Game 3.
[RELATED: Rinne, Predators looking to bounce back | Complete Predators vs. Avalanche series coverage]
Here are 5 keys for Game 4:
1. Girard out again
Avalanche rookie defenseman Samuel Girard took part in the morning skate wearing a non-contact jersey but will miss his third game straight game with an upper-body injury. Role players David Warsofsky and Duncan Siemens need to pick up the slack.
"I don't know if there's any more pressure. You just want to play your game and contribute as much as you can," said Warsofsky, who played in 16 regular-season games but spent most of the season with San Antonio of the American Hockey League. "Everyone has to elevate their game just a little bit more."
2. Rinne looks to rebound
Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne, a Vezina Trophy finalist, expects to return to form after allowing four goals on 15 shots and being pulled at 4:25 of the second period in Game 3. He has a 4.17 goals-against average and .861 save percentage in the series.
"You have to have a short memory," he said. "It was a disappointing night for all of us. We need a bounce back, myself too. One of those things where the puck seemed to find the net. It was frustrating. Today is a new day and we're in a good spot. It's behind me."
Video: NSH@COL, Gm3: Bourque tips Nemeth's shot past Rinne
3. Predators seek better start
Nashville has allowed the first goal in each game during the series, permitting a goal on the first shot in each of the first two games and on the second shot in Game 3. Colorado has outscored Nashville 5-0 in the first period.
"Obviously we don't want to be down a goal right away," Predators forward Filip Forsberg said. "They've been doing a good job being ready to play. … You have to give them credit; they came out ready to play and punished us hard for not being ready."
4. Discipline lacking
In the first three games of the series, the Avalanche have taken 17 penalties totaling 42 minutes, the Predators 18 penalties for 36 minutes.
"I just want to make sure we're disciplined," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "I like the way we're playing 5-on-5, I want us to make sure we do that as much as possible, using our physical play protecting pucks and stealing pucks to try and draw penalties, but not getting engaged in stuff after the whistle. If some of the nastiness comes after the whistle, I'm good with our guys skating away as long as we're sticking up for one another."
5. Special-teams play
The Predators have gone 3-for-10 on the power plays. The Avalanche are 1-for-13, with their lone goal with the man advantage coming on a 5-on-3 in Game 2.
"We do need better from our power play," Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog said. "Sometimes you go through a couple games where we may be looking a little too much for that perfect play or on certain plays you want to run instead of creating things off the top. But I'm not worried."
Video: NSH@COL, Gm3: Johansen buries rebound for PPG
Predators projected lineup
Filip Forsberg -- Ryan Johansen -- Viktor Arvidsson
Kevin Fiala -- Kyle Turris -- Craig Smith
Colton Sissons -- Nick Bonino -- Austin Watson
Miikka Salomaki -- Mike Fisher -- Ryan Hartman
Roman Josi -- Ryan Ellis
Mattias Ekholm -- P.K. Subban
Alexei Emelin -- Matt Irwin
Pekka Rinne
Juuse Saros
Scratched: Anthony Bitetto, Scott Hartnell, Anders Lindback, Eeli Tolvanen
Injured: Calle Jarnkrok (upper body), Yannick Weber (upper body)
Avalanche projected lineup
Gabriel Landeskog -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Mikko Rantanen
Tyson Jost -- Alexander Kerfoot -- Sven Andrighetto
Matt Nieto -- Carl Soderberg -- Blake Comeau
Colin Wilson -- J.T. Compher -- Gabriel Bourque
Nikita Zadorov -- Tyson Barrie
Patrik Nemeth - Mark Barberio
Duncan Siemens -- David Warsofsky
Jonathan Bernier
Andrew Hammond
Scratched: Mark Alt, Vladislav Kamenev, Anton Lindholm, Dominic Toninato, Nail Yakupov
Injured: Samuel Girard (upper body), Erik Johnson (knee), Semyon Varlamov (knee)
Status report
Jarnkrok practiced again and could return to the lineup. He was injured March 13 against the Winnipeg Jets … Rinne needs one win to tie Nikolai Khabibulin for 27th place on the NHL's all-time playoff list for goaltending victories (39).
Predators center Colton Sissons (10) celebrates his goal with defensemen Alexei Emelin (25) and Mattias Ekholm (14) during the second period of Game 4 on Wednesday. (Photo: Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com)
DENVER — The Predators rarely have veered off course this season, quickly righting themselves when they do.
Floored by the Colorado Avalanche’s Game 3 counterpunch, the Predators brushed themselves off and refocused for Wednesday’s crucial contest.
Let the Predators' 3-2 unexpectedly harrowing victory be a warning to those who consider crossing them, but also a reminder of their mortality.
"We would've loved to win the first one here and win this one, but this (is) what we got," Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis said. "We're up 3-1, and we need another effort like we had in the first two periods."
The Predators, who can eliminate the Avalanche on Friday at Bridgestone Arena, trashed the series narrative regarding their unimpressive starts with a nearly perfect first period. They annexed the Avalanche zone and encircled goaltender Jonathan Bernier, who weathered a barrage of high-percentage attempts before suffering a lower-body injury.
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Predators forward Filip Forsberg added to his ever-growing collection of jaw-dropping goals, discarding Avalanche defenseman Duncan Siemens on a bulldozing drive to the net.
"I think we obviously have seen how good they've been at the start," Forsberg said. "We just had to match that. We just wanted to come out like we did, and I thought we did a good job of that."
Second-period goals from forwards Colton Sissons and Craig Smith seemingly had the Predators in firm control, but then their nastiest habit resurfaced. Simultaneous penalties to Sissons and forward Ryan Hartman kick-started the Avalanche's push in the third period, the result of a Gabriel Landeskog strike.
"When you're down in a game, you've seen our pushes when we're down, they're going to push as well and try to come back in the game," Predators forward Austin Watson said. "It's not like they're just going to go away."
Wins, regardless of how they're attained, are what matter in the Stanley Cup playoffs. One more puts the Predators one round closer to their objective.
"They're not going to go anywhere," Forsberg said of the Avalanche. "We're (prepared) for that. It's been four really hard-fought games so far, and we're looking forward to another one on Friday."
Reach Adam Vingan at avingan@tennessean.com and on Twitter @AdamVingan.
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Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg (9) celebrates his goal with defensemen Mattias Ekholm (14) and P.K. Subban (76) during the first period of game 4 in the first round NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Pepsi Center, Wednesday, April 18, 2018, in Denver, Colo. (Photo: Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com)
Filip Forsberg pushed down the left side, using his speed before going to a power move and putting it past Avalanche goalie Jonathan Bernier.
Finally, the Predators scored first against Colorado in their first-round series.
Forsberg's third goal of the series gave Nashville a 1-0 lead with about four minutes left in the first period of Wednesday's Game 4 in Denver.
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The goal was the Predators' first in the first period this postseason. They had been the only team without a first-period goal in the playoffs.
The Predators had allowed the Colorado Avalanche to score first in each of the first three games of their first-round series.
The Avalanche didn't score on their first or second shot. — Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) April 19, 2018
In Game 1, Nikita Zadorov put the Avs on the board first with a goal that came 6:36 into the opener. In Game 2, Gabriel Bourque needed just 2:34 to put Colorado ahead. In the third game of the series, Blake Comeau put one past Pekka Rinne just 1:50 into the contest.
But in Game 4, Nashville headed into the first intermission with a one-goal lead thanks to another highlight-reel effort by Forsberg.
