NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Defenseman Kimmo Timonen set up three
power-play goals in a 3:19 span to help the Nashville Predators
beat the Atlanta Thrashers 5-1 on Saturday night in the final
exhibition game for both teams.
Tomas Vokoun made 25 saves to finish the preseason 3-0.
Scott Hartnell began the power-play streak with 2 seconds left
in the first period, Steve Sullivan scored 37 seconds into the
second and David Legwand capped the surge 2:40 later. Hartnell and
Sullivan scored on 4-on-3 advantages.
The sequence began with 1:04 to play in the first period when
Predators right wing Jordin Tootoo took a run at Ilya Kovalchuk,
the Thrashers' leading goal scorer in the preseason. Tootoo was
assessed minor penalties for boarding and roughing, but Kovalchuk
retaliated and was given a match penalty for kicking. Atlanta's
Kyle Wanvig was called for roughing at the same time as he
attempted to defend Kovalchuk.
Within 52 seconds, two more Thrashers were sent to the penalty
box, Greg DeVries for holding and Garnet Exelby for a double minor
for high-sticking. Exelby later scored Atlanta's only goal at 4:26
of the second period.
Tootoo was ejected with 15:11 to play when he was the third man
in an altercation. Atlanta's Eric Boulton was given a 10-minute
misconduct for instigating a fight with 6:31 remaining.
J.P Dumont and Jerred Smithson also scored for Nashville,
Sullivan finished with a goal and an assist, and Marek Zidlicky had
two assists.
Nashville finished the preseason 4-1-1, and Atlanta went 3-4-0.
