NASHVILLE, Tenn. _ Now this is the Petr Mrazek the Detroit Red Wings need.
Mrazek played like his prime 2016 self Saturday at Bridgestone Arena, making 42 saves and carrying the Wings to a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators for his first shutout of the season.
If Mrazek can keep up this type of performance, maybe the playoffs are within reach. Mrazek had made 25 saves through two periods and Mike Green had scored to give the Wings the lead going into the third period. The Wings faced a penalty kill 11 seconds in, and Mrazek denied a Roman Josi wrist shot and P.K. Subban slap shot.
The Wings then went on their third power play, but had trouble getting set up and Mrazek had to be sharp and make a save on Calle Jarnkrok. The Wings ended up on another penalty kill, and Andreas Athanasiou drove the puck into Nashville's zone to eat up the last few seconds of the penalty.
A fourth power play materialized within minutes, and then a 5-on-3 for 1:04. Pekka Rinne stopped a shot by Thomas Vanek, the only shot the Wings got the entire power play. The Wings then had to kill a too-many-men penalty, and Athanasiou again drove the puck on net.
Darren Helm tried back-to-back shots from just outside the crease as regulation neared an end. Mrazek came through with another save on Filip Forsberg as the Predators reached 40 shots, more than double Detroit's.
Even without weighing it against having played the night before and then traveled, the Wings had a very good first period. Mrazek made several big saves early as the Wings weathered having tired legs and being without workhorse Frans Nielsen, who missed the game with an upper-body injury.
As the Wings got skating, they got better offensive zone time. In what has become more and more common, Henrik Zetterberg's line had a shift where they dominated, and that led to a 1-0 lead when Green scored with 90 seconds left in the first period when he finished a pass from Zetterberg. Mrazek made nine saves in the first period.
Mrazek had a busier start to the second period than Rinne, as the Wings did not get a shot on not until Vanek got off a good shot past five minutes in. Tomas Jurco put in a hard shift down low to get off a little wrist shot. Mrazek denied Forsberg with nice glove save midway through the period. Luke Glendening angled a shot from the boards but Rinne easily handled the puck, but Mrazek continued to see the heavier labor as he put on his best performance of the season.
