Nic Hague Lands Uppercuts, Sets Tone in Predators’ Shootout Loss to Sharks

NASHVILLE — The Nashville Predators salvaged a point against the San Jose Sharks, overcoming a two-goal deficit to force overtime before falling 3-2 in a shootout. The Predators faced one of the NHL's best young offenses and held the Sharks to two goals, taking a step forward defensively.

The Predators defense contained superstar Macklin Celebrini, limiting him to just three shots on the evening, killed off all three San Jose Sharks power plays and blocked 17 shots in front of Juuse Saros, keeping the game close enough for the offense to find its rhythm.

Nashville's defense has been the subject of scrutiny this season, but it played well on Thursday as the Predators battled for a point.

"Yeah, I think I like - obviously we gave them a little bit too much free on the rush," Andrew Brunette said. "I thought the other part of the game was pretty good. I just still think we can clean some of that stuff up. Some of the stuff is they were just faster than we are, and they were able to create some of that stuff off the rush. All in all, to keep them under two, I thought Juice [Juuse Saros] was really good, both goalies - It was a good hockey game to not always be behind the bench, but to watch. It kind of came down to what it sort of deserved to come down to, a shootout, and one team won, one team didn't."

The Predators saw defenseman Nic Hague set the tone almost three minutes in, squaring off with San Jose's Zack Ostapchuk in Nashville's first fight of the season. The pair locked up and traded blows before Hague gained the upper hand by landing consecutive uppercuts before the officials broke things up.

"I think it brought a lot of energy," Brunette said. "I think he's a player that kind of gets excited to do that. It was a big moment just because of momentum; we were kind of losing it, and I think he felt he had to give us a boost, which he did. I thought we picked up the play the rest of the period. Actually, to me, that was the best game he's played. I thought he was engaged the whole game. He had some opportunities with his shot, a couple of really good looks, but I thought it got him in the game."

The eight-year NHL veteran said he wanted to bring energy to his teammates and felt that fighting to start the game may have been the right move for the Predators.

"Yeah, I don't know," Hague said. "We fought. Just felt like maybe a good way to start the game, get some energy going. Kind of get myself going a little bit too, to be honest. So a lot of different things. It was just as simple as we just talked to each other and just fought."

Hague finished with 15:25 of ice time in 17 shifts, registering four shots on goal, one hit, one block, and one fight won in his most active game of the season, but despite the strong night individually, he couldn't help leaving Bridgestone Arena unsatisfied with the outcome.

"Yeah, I think it's disappointing," Hague said. "Honestly, I'm mostly disappointed for Juice. I felt like, how good was he, right? He really came up huge multiple times, and we just couldn't find a way to get one more for him. I thought it was great that we battled until the end. Obviously, a huge goal at the end, but we want to do better than that."

Hague’s night didn’t end in the win Nashville wanted, but the physical, engaged style he showed Thursday is the kind of energy Brunette wants to see more of. The Predators will try to build on it Saturday night against the St. Louis Blues at 7 p.m. CT.

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