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Nashville Predators Tickets |
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The Predators would get off to a solid start and found themselves in the 2003/04 playoff chase for the first time in franchise history as they held a 16-14-4-2 record at the end of December. In January the Predators would make their move posting a 9-3-2-0 record. After struggling through the first half of February the Preds began to look to improving their team acquiring Steve Sullivan from the Chicago Blackhawks. Sullivan would have an immediate impact scoring a hat trick in his first game against the San Jose Sharks on February 18th, as he recorded 10 points in his first 3 games with Nashville. The Predators also would acquire Brad Bombardir and Sergei Zholtok from the Minnesota Wild. The added strength would help as the Predators made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history with a record of 38-29-11-4. In the playoffs the Predators were matched up against the President Trophy winning Detroit Red Wings. After losing the first two games on the road Music City got its first taste of playoff hockey as Thomas Vokun stopped 41 of 42 shots in a 3-1 win. In Game 4 Vokun was even better stopping all 41 shots as the Preds evened the series with a 3-0 win. However, as the series shifted back to Detroit the playoff tested Red Wings regained control with a 4-1 win. Hoping to force a 7th game season came to an end in Game 6 at home as they were held to just 15 shots in a 2-0 loss. In 2005-06, the Predators set an NHL record by winning their first four games by one goal each (although two of those were shootout victories, which would have been tie games in previous seasons). They also became only the fourth NHL franchise to start the season 8-0; the last time a team did so was the Toronto Maple Leafs, who set the mark with a 10-0 start in 1993. The Predators set the franchise mark for wins in a season with a 2-0 shutout of the Phoenix Coyotes on March 16, 2006. By the end of the 2005-06 season, the Predators had accumulated 106 points, and clinched home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs for the first time in team history. They also finished '06 with an NHL best 32-8-1 record at home. The Predators began the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the 4th seed and faced the 5th seeded San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Game 1 of the series went to the Predators, who scored four power plays goals downing the Sharks 4-3. Game 2 saw Sharks netminder Vesa Toskala post his first postseason victory and shutout, defeating the Predators 3-0. In Game 3, the Predators fell to the Sharks 4-1. The Predators rallied from a 5-2 deficit, scoring their first even-strength goals of the series, but again fell to the Sharks 5-4 in Game 4. Finally, despite a flurry of shots in the final minute, the Predators were defeated by the Sharks 2-1 in Game 5, eliminating the Predators from the playoffs.
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