Barry Trotz put his hand over his heart and then took a few bows.
After that tender exchange with the
Bridgestone Arena crowd, there was still an entire game to play.
The Predators needed a late rally to beat
Trotz and the Capitals 4-3 on Friday night in his return to Nashville for the
first time as an opponent.
Mattias Ekholm and James Neal scored in the
final five minutes of the third period to give the Predators their season-high
fifth-straight win. Ekholm tied it on the power play with 4:29 remaining, and
Neal stole Matt Niskanen's pass to beat Washington goalie Braden Holtby with
1:40 left.