Colorado Comes Back to Top Preds, Force Game 6

The Colorado Avalanche scored twice in the final 4:11 of regulation and came back to defeat the Nashville Predators by a 2-1 final on Friday night at Bridgestone Arena. The result sees Nashville's series lead cut to 3-2 and forces a Game 6, which will come Sunday in Denver.
Nashville held a 1-0 lead in the third period, but with their season on the line, the Avalanche found a way to beat Pekka Rinne twice in the final moments to send the series to a sixth game, leaving a disappointed Predators locker room in their wake.
"We got the lead with nine minutes left, and we have to close games," Preds center Nick Bonino said. "Hats off to them - they didn't stop working. We knew how hard it would be, and for a stretch of that game, we did not play our best hockey."
"There's another team out there," forward Austin Watson said. "I don't know if you guys have seen that, but [the Avalanche] are playing pretty well. They capitalized on a couple of chances after we scored and we are going back to Denver for Game 6."

The first two periods of the contest went scoreless, but Bonino directed a puck into the net off his skate, a call that was originally waved off. However, after a video review, it was determined there was no kicking motion, and Bonino's first of the postseason gave his club a 1-0 lead at 10:18 of the frame.

But after a feverish shift, Nathan MacKinnon found Gabriel Landeskog in front to convert and tie the game, and then Sven Andrighetto potted a rebound past Rinne at 18:32 of the period to give Colorado their first and only lead of the night.
"It's not the way you want a game to end," Predators Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. "Their top line got us pinned in there for a little bit. We got a partial change but not a full change and they got us cycling around a little bit. They were able to capitalize on that off a rush in the offensive zone."
Nashville registered 45 shots on goal, but Andrew Hammond, in net for the injured Jonathan Bernier, stopped 44 of them on the way to the win.
"For him to be able to step in there after not playing for a while, he's playing out a lot of emotion," Watson said of Hammond. "They are in a do-or-die situation and you are going to expect their best game. The last one is the hardest one to win."
The Predators have nothing to do but regroup and refocus for another elimination game, this time back in the Rocky Mountains. For Colorado, it's one more chance to keep their run alive. For the Predators, they'll do anything to avoid a Game 7.
"We can't be depressed in here and sit and stew," center Colton Sissons said. "We've got to move on and be professionals. We've been here before and we'll be ready for game six, that's for sure."

Notes:
Scott Hartnell entered the lineup on Friday in place of the suspended Ryan Hartman.
Prior to Game 5, the Preds recalled nine players from the Milwaukee Admirals to serve as "Black Aces" as the postseason continues.
Game 6 between the Predators and Avalanche is set for Sunday in Colorado with a 6 p.m. CT puck drop.