from Joe Rexrode of The Tennessean,

“We’ve got to get ourselves on the board,” Predators coach Peter Laviolette said after the long flight from San Jose, after the excruciating 3-2 loss in Sunday’s Game 2 that featured everything he wanted to see except for the finishing.

Game 1 was nearly a steal, a 1-0 lead entering the third period, but the legs looked understandably rubbery late and the rested, loaded Sharks overwhelmed. Game 2 was a steal, because Nashville was the better team for most of it.

There should be no scarcity of confidence that the Predators can play their game and challenge San Jose, a team that — like Anaheim a few weeks ago — is gaining buzz as a Cup contender. Nashville looks like one for stretches as well, especially when Rinne does some of the Gumby-like things he was doing Sunday, but 39 shots and one goal in the first 59 minutes and 56 seconds of a game won’t win in May.

“We got better and played more to our identity and what we expect from ourselves on the ice,” Laviolette said of Game 2, “and it just wasn’t meant to be. So we’re in a time of the year where wins matter. It’s not so much always about the process anymore. It’s just about getting the wins and putting them in the column.”

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