Sharks lose 4-1; series lead trimmed to 2-1

Sharks lose 4-1; series lead trimmed to 2-1

After winning six of its first seven playoff games, including the first two against Nashville, San Jose lost 4-1 loss to the Predators in Game 3 of a Western Conference semifinal series at Bridgestone Arena.

The loss ended the Sharks’ four-game playoff win streak and narrowed their series lead to 2-1.

The NHL’s best road team — which had won its first three playoff games away from San Jose — got off to a good start with an early goal, but Nashville answered with four straight.

After scoring seven third-period goals in the first two games of the series, the Sharks were shut out during the last 20 minutes this time.

The Predators’ power play went 2-for-5 and the Sharks went 0-for-4.

Patrick Marleau’s first-period goal gave San Jose a 1-0 lead, but Nashville came back with goals by James Neal, Shea Weber, Colin Wilson and Filip Forsberg.

After a turnover inside Nashville’s blue line, Marleau stickhandled around Rinne before putting the puck in an open net to give San Jose a 1-0 lead at the 13:13 mark of the first period.

San Jose’s Joonas Donskoi took a costly four-minute high-sticking penalty 2:19 into the second period and Nashville capitalized.

Mattias Ekholm slid a pass into the right faceoff circle where Neal blasted a one-timer that beat Jones glove-side to the near post, tying the game 1-1 with a power-play goal at 5:11 of the second period.

Weber gave the Predators a 2-1 lead when he fired a slap shot from the slot into the top right corner of the net during four-on-four play at 14:44 of the second period.

“Special teams always factor into the series, there’s no question,” Nashville head coach Peter Laviolette said.

Wilson’s rebound goal on a wrist shot from the right side of the net increased Nashville’s lead to 3-1 at 6:55 of the third period.

Nashville added a power-play goal when Forsberg fired a wrist shot into the top right corner of the net with 4:11 left.

San Jose’s Tommy Wingels had a good scoring chance four minutes into the third, but Rinne made the save on his shot from the bottom of the right faceoff circle.