DENVER -- Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne worried that a one-goal advantage heading into the third period wouldnt be enough for the Predators on Tuesday night.Ryan Johansen and Austin Watson provided him with some quick insurance.Johansen and Watson scored in the first 2:42 of the third, and both had an assist in the Predators 5-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche.We got really timely goals, Rinne said. It was a big game for Colorado -- they werent going away.Viktor Arvidsson, Mike Fisher and Kevin Fiala also scored, and Roman Josi had two assists for the Predators, who have won eight of 11.Rinne stopped 37 shots, improving to 17-7-2 in his career against the Avalanche. He also finished the month 9-1-2.A tight game was busted open by Johansen and Watson, who made it 5-2 early in the third.It gave us a little bit of a cushion, Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. Because you knew that they were going to keep coming, offensively.Mikko Rantanen and Rene Bourque each had a goal and an assist, and Mikhail Grigorenko also scored for Colorado, which is 0-2-1 on a five-game homestand.Calvin Pickard, starting in place of Semyon Varlamov for the second consecutive game, stopped 28 shots before he was pulled with 1:50 remaining. Pickard is 4-2-1 in seven starts this season.They made us pay on a few different plays, Pickard said. If you give them chances, they are going to bury (them).Arvidsson put Nashville up 2-1 just 7 seconds into the second period. He took an expert pass from P.K. Subban and beat Pickard on the glove side. It tied a franchise record for the quickest goal to a start a period, according to the team.The Predators scripted the play coming out of intermission.Great play by Subby, great play by Arvi to break through the D and put it top shelf, Johansen said. That was a big goal for us.The Avalanche have struggled mightily all season early in periods. Colorado forward Matt Duchene said its a problem that needs to be fixed immediately.I dont know why we arent prepared for the start of periods, he said. Its like we are on our heels; we dont want to make mistakes rather than we want to go out and win. I mean, it cant happen.Fiala made it a two-goal advantage 3:04 into second, but Bourque cut it to 3-2 with his eighth of the season.Fisher put the Predators ahead with 5:08 left in the first. After Colorado turned the puck over in its own zone, the Nashville captain took a pass from Watson and placed it under Pickards armpit for his fifth goal of the season.Rantanen tied it 66 seconds later for Colorado.Game notes The Predators finished their brief trip 1-1-0 after losing to Winnipeg 3-0 on Sunday. It was huge for us to get some points on the road, Watson said. . Nashville LW James Neal (upper-body injury), the teams leading goal scorer, missed his second consecutive game. He had 10 goals before he was placed on injured reserve Saturday. ... D Ryan Ellis and forward Colton Sissons also are on IR with upper-body injuries for the Predators. .. Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog (lower body) missed his sixth straight game. ... Varlamov has been cleared to return from a wrist injury but served as Pickards backup. ... Colorado RW Jarome Iginla appeared in his 1,495th game, tying Phil Housley for 17th on the career list.UP NEXTPredators: Begin a three-game homestand Saturday against the New Jersey Devils.Avalanche: Continue their homestand Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Aaron Jones Super Bowl Jersey . Carey Price didnt, but he still came out on top against one of his rivals for the No. 1 job at the Sochi Games. The Anahim Lake, B.C., native was stellar in making 39 saves in his home province and Lars Eller got credit for a bizarre short-handed winner as the Canadiens defeated the Canucks 4-1. Kyler Fackrell Super Bowl Jersey . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. https://www.packersrookiestore.com/Packers-Jason-Spriggs-Jersey/ . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. David Bakhtiari Super Bowl Jersey . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. Clay Matthews Super Bowl Jersey . Kuznetsov, who was selected by the Capitals in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, has been playing for his hometown team Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL.Catalans Dragons coach Laurent Frayssinous is staying grounded as his team bid to hit the Super League summit for the first time when they face St Helens at Langtree Park on Thursday night Barrie v Terry Podcast The pundits discuss Blake Sollys departure and preview this weekends fixtures The buoyant French outfit were outside the top eight last April but they will draw level with First Utility Super League leaders Warrington if they can complete a sixth straight win in the competition.We dont look at where we are in the table. We want to perform every week and thats our goal, to be a better team week in, week out, said Frayssinous. Obviously we are in a good place but it will be a very tough challenge to play against Saints, especially in the UK.Frayssinous believes the Dragons have discovered the formula that has enabled them to shed their notoriously shaky away form.Weve spent a lot of time with the boys, especially in pre-season, talking about what we need to do to improve away and at the moment its working well for us, he said.The club invested a lot in a private jet and the preparation during the week has been changed, so theres plenty of small details but all the players have worked hard on it.The loss of Eloi Pelissier to a two-match ban, allied to an injury to Paul Aiton, has left the Dragons without a specialist hooker but the return from injury of Todd Carney, captain Rémi Casty and Justin Horo means he is otherwise able to select from full strength squad. Rémi Casty will return from injury for Thursdays match St Helens arre currently mid-table in sixth, but head into Thursdays game off the back of a 25-22 victory over Super League leaders Warrington.dddddddddddd Head Coach Keiron Cunningham is well aware of the Dragons form and threats.Theyre going really good, Cunningham said. I thought they would have done that from the start with the way they signed.Theyve spent a lot of money this year on some real good quality players. Theyre on the crest of a wave at the minute. Its going to be a tough game but were very confident.Cunningham welcomes back experienced prop Lama Tasi but with multiple injuries will still be relying on the clubs promising youngsters to deliver in Round 11. Matty Dawson scoring for St Helens against Warrington Wolves in Round 10 Weve still seven or eight on the sidelines so its still not a great situation to be in but the kids did us proud, said Cunningham.Anybody that strings a few games together at the minute are shooting up the table. As you saw at the weekend, it seems like everybody is beating everybody. Your so-called top four are non-existent any more. Its the top 12.St Helens: Kyle Amor, Jack Ashworth, Ricky Bailey, Matty Dawson, Theo Fages, Joe Greenwood, Morgan Knowles, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Shannon McDonnell, Jack Owens, Greg Richards, James Roby, Andre Savelio, Jake Spedding, Lama Tasi, Jordan Turner, Alex Walmsley, Luke Walsh, Jon WilkinCatalan Dragons: Louis Anderson, Jason Baitieri, Thomas Bosc, Julian Bousquet, Jodie Broughton, Todd Carney, Rémi Casty, Alrix Da Costa, Vincent Duport, Olivier Elima, Tony Gigot, Justin Horo, Krisnan Inu, Willie Mason, Gregory Mounis, Richie Myler, Pat Richards, Glenn Stewart, Dave TaylorWatch Saints take on the Dragons from 7.30pm on Thursday on Sky Sports 2. Watch the action for £6.99 with a NOW TV day pass. ' ' '