DET vs NAS

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Detroit Red Wings boast a roster that’s loaded with playoff experience, so it was a little surprising to hear head coach Mike Babcock questioning his team’s poise as it readies for Game Four on Wednesday.

The Red Wings lead the series 2-1, but have three times surrendered a pair of goals to Nashville in less than two-and-a-half minutes.

The Predators last Saturday scored twice within 11 seconds to tie Game 2, and Babcock not long afterward called a time-out that seemed to help swing momentum back in Detroit’s favour.

On Monday, the Predators scored goals 2:08 apart in the first period to erase a 2-0 Detroit lead, and then - after the Wings had gone back ahead 3-2 - Nashville scored two goals in a nine-second span late in the third period to surge to a 4-3 advantage.

"When it happens two or three times, that’s a pattern,’’ Babcock said. "To me, a big part of that is composure. How can a veteran group not be composed?’’

THE TWO GAME
Three rallies would seem to have momentum on the Predators’ side heading into Wednesday’s game in Nashville. After all, the Predators hadn’t led for the first 176 minutes of this series, but somehow find themselves trailing by just a single game.

"(The game) should fire us up, especially coming back after two goals, then being down one in the third,’’ Predators captain Jason Arnott said. "We just stuck with the game plan and stuck with each other and worked through it, kind of like we did all season long. That should be a confidence booster to come out (Wednesday) night firing on all cylinders.’’

TAKE IT EASY:
Predators forward Alexander Radulov was so excited about Arnott’s game-winning goal on Monday that he came flying across the ice and collided with Arnott in mid-air.

Arnott fell to the ice under a heap of players, looked to be in pain and didn’t play for the remaining 3:48 of the contest. He said Tuesday he felt fine, but didn’t skate at an optional practice.

"I said, `Hit the guys in the red, not the guys in blue,’’’ Predators coach Barry Trotz said he told Radulov. "He’s got such a vibrant and emotional personality. You could tell he was excited and he ran Arnie over.’’

LOOKING TO IMPROVE:
Detroit goalie Dominik Hasek has a 2.35 goals against average through three games, but his .907 save percentage is below that of his counterpart - Nashville goalie Dan Ellis (.913).

Hasek was pulled late in Monday’s game, after surrendering goals on back-to-back slapshots by Ryan Suter and Arnott.

"If you don’t have the best game, you feel like you should have a better game the next night,’’ Hasek said. "As a team we didn’t play our best game, myself included. So I feel like I have something to improve and be better the next day.’’

LEGWAND LIKELY:
Predators centre David Legwand, who played for the first time in 15 games on Monday, did not skate at Nashville’s optional practice and is still wearing a walking boot off the ice.

But Legwand, who scored a goal and saw over 16 minutes of ice time on Monday, is likely to be back in the lineup on Wednesday.

"He’s great,’’ Trotz said. "He had no after-effects, so that’s a real positive sign. Hopefully he’ll get stronger as we go along.’’