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NASHVILLE — The Nashville Predators (4-3-4) kicked off their five-game homestand with an emphatic 6-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche (6-5-1). The Predators had been treading water through the first 10 games, but Sunday's win showed Nashville what the group is really capable of.
Nashville scored on their first four power-plays of the evening and jumped out to a 5-0 lead before cruising to the 6-2 win. Predators stars Steven Stamkos and Ryan O'Reilly scored twice, and Filip Forsberg and Jack Drury chipped in with goals of their own. The team won 61.7-percent of faceoffs and were more physical throughout all three periods, illustrated in defenseman Jayden Struble's fight victory against Parker Kelly.
"Well, I think it sets the standard of what our team can do when we play the correct way," Stamkos said. "We played together, and all aspects of the game were firing tonight. It's tough to produce that every single night, but we understand what can happen when we do. You beat a really good team over there on the second half of a back-to-back that we traveled, and they were here waiting for us. So it was certainly a good win for us."
The Predators emphasized starting fast this season throughout training camp, but that was extra challenging due to the shortened training camp and the integration of numerous new faces onto the roster.
Nashville's Sunday win makes back-to-back victories at home, dating back to the 5-2 win over St. Louis on Oct. 17, suggesting the Predators are beginning to find their game. There are four more home games over the next eight days, giving Nashville an opportunity to accumulate points and climb the standings in the Central Division.
"For the expectation for the week, it's again, we know where we are," Nashville head coach Andrew Brunette said on Sunday. "We know where we have to be, we've got to stay in this race, and this is a big week for us. Our expectation and our drive is to win this week."
The Predators continue the week against the New York Islanders on Tuesday as Nashville tries to extend the home winning streak to three. The Islanders lost to the Dallas Stars 6-3 on Sunday, but are giving up the fifth-fewest goals per game at 2.55 this season. Nashville needs to build on Sunday's win and show they can keep the offense rolling against a strong defense to claim another two points in Bridgestone Arena.
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