Predators rout Wings, 7-1
NASHVILLE, TENN. >> Rocco Grimaldi had a career night, thanks in large part to Trudy.
Grimaldi scored four goals to tie a team record and lead the Nashville Predators over the Detroit Red Wings 7-1 on Thursday.
Eeli Tolvanen, Mikael Granlund and Mathieu Olivier also scored, and Juuse Saros made 20 saves as the surging Predators won for the fifth time in six games. Erik Haula and Roman Josi each had a pair of assists.
Grimaldi, who names his sticks, said he cut a fresh one before the game and dubbed it Trudy.
“Rocco was flying obviously in the first period,” Nashville coach John Hynes said. “It was nice to see him get the goals.”
Bobby Ryan scored for Detroit, which has lost three straight.
“I just thought we had too many no-shows tonight,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “Too many guys that didn’t bring their A or B or C game. So when you have that many no-shows, it’s hard.”
Grimaldi opened the scoring at 5:34 of a fourgoal first period for the Predators. It was his first
goal since Feb. 13.
“Sometimes you go 15 games in a row with nothing, and you have a night where you have four,” Grimaldi said. “It’s a strange game sometimes.”
Tolvanen doubled the Nashville lead with a power-play goal at 7:23 on a wrist shot from the left faceoff dot.
Grimaldi struck again with two goals 29 seconds apart, the second coming at 8:08. The hat trick was the first of his NHL career.
“It was an interesting first period, for sure,” Grimaldi said. “Obviously the game in general, but just the first period was a
whirlwind. I thought my line was playing really well.”
Detroit starting goalie Thomas Greiss was lifted after Grimaldi’s goal at 7:39. He stopped just four of the seven shots he faced. Greiss was replaced by Calvin Pickard, who allowed Grimaldi’s third goal of the night on the first shot he saw.
“I’d say we were out of sync,” Detroit captain Dylan Larkin said. “We didn’t execute, we didn’t have a good start, we were right away behind the 8-ball and gave up three.”
Pickard finished with 19 saves.