When the Nashville Predators rolled into town to take on the Penguins in a big cross-conference tilt on Thursday evening, all eyes were focused on an intriguing matchup between Marc-Andre Fleury and the Preds’ equally gifted Pekka Rinne. However, the battle of the league’s winningest goalies proved to be no contest. Paced by Fleury’s 29 saves and an eight-point night by the “Firing Line,” the Pens bombed the Preds 5-1.

Bolstered by trade-deadline acquisitions Hal Gill and Andrei Kostitsyn—not to mention Evgeni Malkin’s pal Alexander Radulov—Nashville figured to provide a stiff test for the black and gold. Indeed, many experts are touting the refurbished Predators as a legitimate Cup contender. But the white-hot Pens (25-4-2 since January 13) took control early and never let up.

Just past the one-minute mark Malkin barreled into the Preds’ zone and beat Rinne with a knuckling slap shot to the glove hand side. Before the visitors could regroup Pascal Dupuis deflected a Kris Letang rocket past Rinne at 4:06 to stake the blue-clad Pens to a 2-0 lead.

At the far end of rink, Fleury quickly established his superiority over his more heralded counterpart. Six minutes in “Flower” stopped Mike Fisher cold from the doorstep. With three minutes left in the period No. 29 made another sparkling save to deny Gabriel Bourque from close range.

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