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It’s time for your Preds and Canucks LEFTGOVERS…

Vancouver Canucks 4, Nashville Predators 3 (shootout)
Bridgestone Arena; Nashville, Tennessee
February 7, 2012

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LEFTOVER THOUGHTS:
* Coming into the night, Vancouver has got to overtime seven times in their last nine. Now they’ve gone eight out of 10.
* This was Vancouver’s first trip to Music City since they won Game 6 in last year’s Western Conference Semi-final.
* It was NHL game number 600 for former Predator and current Canuck defenseman Dan Hamhuis.
* This was the second straight game with a spontaneous TV timeout standing ovation.
Roberto Luongo made an absolutely incredible save on Colin Wilson during the second period. The Canucks netminder was down and out when Wilson got the puck in the far face-off circle. Luongo had no choice but to throw both his legs up and the shot would up going off of the his skate.
* With his assist in the 2nd, Martin Erat tallied his 40th point of the year. He’s now scored at least 40 in eight straight seasons.
* Speaking of personal milestones, captain Shea Weber registered an assist on the final Preds goal, giving him his 250th career point.
* Thanks to his third period goal, Mike Fisher now stands atop the team lead in goal scoring with 16.
Pekka Rinne may have allowed three goals in the first but he was perfect in the second, third and overtime periods to keep his team in it.
* Nashville only took one penalty in the contest. Unfortunately Vancouver was able to convert on their one power play.
* The league’s third best power play (Nashville) was unable to capitalize on any of their four man advantage opportunities.
* Wilson’s goal was his 11th of the season but also the 35th of his NHL career.
Jerred Smithson was an impressive 7-1 in the face-off dot.
* Nashville had five players tied for a game-high five shots. Vancouver didn’t have anyone with over four.
* Rookie Craig Smith was one of those with five shots on goal but he also had a game-high four shots blocked.
* It was a celebrity hodgepodge inside Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday. Nashville mayor Karl Dean, Train guitarist Jimmy Stafford and 1984 Olympic figure skating gold medalist Scott Hamilton (who’s actually a Preds regular) were all in attendance.
* The Gordonsville High School Marching Band provided the in-stands musical entertainment on Tuesday night.

MY THREE STARS (as voted on with 5:53 left in regulation):
1) Henrik Sedin (VAN)
2) Pekka Rinne (NSH)*
3) Byron Bitz (VAN)
* – I meant to put Roberto Luongo.

THE THREE STARS OF THE GAME:
1)  Henrik Sedin (VAN)
2) Colin Wilson (NSH)
3) Byron Bitz (VAN)