NASHVILLE -- The Nashville Predators know what its like to be scrambling and fighting for any point possible in March. Now theyre starting to prove they can handle being the team trying to hold onto their own playoff position. Sergei Kostitsyn scored at 19:28 of the second period, and the Nashville Predators held off the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 Thursday night. The Predators let Los Angeles, another team fighting for contention, jump on them in a 5-4 loss Tuesday night. That was their first home loss in regulation since Jan. 5. With Pekka Rinne stopping 15 shots and setting a franchise record with his NHL-best 37th win, they improved to 18-3-2 in their last 23 home games. "We should have some desperation of our own," Nashville captain Shea Weber said. "I think were still in striking distance to win our division, so we need to be desperate to do that and thatll give us home ice in the playoffs." Colorado came in 10th in the Western Conference but only a point out of seventh. Avalanche coach Joe Sacco wasnt happy with what he called inconsistent effort. "In a game like this, that had such meaning, I didnt think we had enough guys giving a full 60 minutes, and thats not acceptable. We got off to a good start, but then they pushed back and we didnt have an answer for it. Its a game were disappointed with." Mike Fisher and Brandon Yip each scored a goal as Nashville won its sixth straight at home over Colorado. Martin Erat added an empty-netter. Paul Stastny and Jamie McGinn each had a goal and an assist for Colorado. The Avalanche snapped a two-game winning streak after matching a season-high with seven goals in a 7-1 win Tuesday against Minnesota. Semyon Varlamov had posted shutout wins in his last two road games. The Avalanche scored first on McGinns wrister just 74 seconds into the game. Nashville tied it up when Fisher scored at 2:54 with his 20th goal, ending Varlamovs road shutout streak. Roman Josi then had a slap shot through traffic that Yip redirected past Varlamov at 6:58 against the team that waived him in January. "Anytime a team lets you go or trades you, theres always a little salt in your mouth," Yip said. "It was a big win for the team and for me as well." The period ended on a painful note when Colorado defenceman Erik Johnson went face first into the boards after missing a check. He lay on the ice for a couple minutes before slowly getting up, and teammates had to help him off the ice and to the locker room. Johnson returned late in the second and finished the game. Nashville peppered Varlamov in the second and missed plenty of scoring chances. Colorado had its best chance when Mike Connolly had a shot at the open net on a rebound off Rinne only to see Ryan Suter swipe the puck away. Rinne also stopped former teammate, defenceman Shane OBrien, from right in front late in the period. "It was a very uncomfortable game," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "We couldnt pull away, Varlamov made some good saves and kept them in. They hung around and hung around. This was one of those dangerous games where youre a crossbar away whether they could tie it up ... Peks made a couple big saves when we needed as usual and just got it done." Kostitsyn gave Nashville what wound up as the game-winning goal when he came on the ice during a changeover, and Matt Halischuk passed him the puck. Kostitsyn scored on a wrister. Stastny pulled Colorado within a goal with his own wrister from the slot at 4:58 of the third. Colorado, coming off a 7-1 win against Minnesota, nearly tied it, but Cody McLeods shot went off the crossbar and bounced back off Rinne, who smothered the puck at 10:48. "I didnt see it, but it was unfortunate that it didnt go in," McLeod said. "We gave up a late goal there in the second that kind of set us back there a little bit. We had a great start, then let it get away from us and its hard to play catch-up hockey in this league. Its tough to swallow." The Avalanche pulled Varlamov late, then Erat sealed the win with the empty-netter at 19:16 as Nashville outshot Colorado 31-17. "Its a sign of the fact that we play well," Rinne said. "We didnt give them much. If I would be selfish, its easier to play when you face more shots and kind of stay in the game all the time." NOTES: The Predators had their 19th sellout this season and will tie the franchise record Saturday night with a game against Detroit already sold out. ... Sergei Kostitsyn now has 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) in his last 29 games. ... Nashville did not allow a power-play goal for a third straight game and improved to 14-9-3 all-time against Colorado on home ice. The Avalanche last won in Nashville 2-1 on Jan. 6, 2009. ... Erat now has goals in consecutive games and 26 points (8 goals, 18 assists) in his last 29 games. ... Paul Gaustad had the assist on Erats goal and now has two assists in three games with Nashville. wholesale nfl jerseys . 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In fact it was a little bit of a letdown after the incredible playoff series that preceded it.MELBOURNE, Australia -- American Stacy Lewis and Australias Sarah Kemp shared the Womens Australian Open lead at 4-under 69 on Thursday, leaving top-ranked Yani Tseng a stroke back in her bid to win the event for the third straight year. Lewis, the Kraft Nabisco winner last year, had six birdies and two bogeys in the LPGA Tour opener at historic Royal Melbourne, the 2011 Presidents Cup venue that is hosting a womens professional event for the first time. "I fell in love with place the first time I played it," Lewis said. "You have to be so creative and hit so many different shots. I love that. "I play at Greg Normans course in Florida, The Medalist. You can hit a lot of similar shots in practice there. We hit a lot of bump and runs up to the greens. That was good practice. We got some tips from him. He said to be below the hole and if we were above the hole make sure the next one was below it. And always take the shorter club if you are in between. I used that today." Kemp had a bogey-free round. "I love it. Its tops," Kemp said about the course. "I can see why it is Australias best golf course. It is a privilege to have the first womens professional golf tournament here. It is awesome." Only 22 of the 156 players broke par. Charlottetowns Lorie Kane carded a 1-under 72 while Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Richmond Hill, Ont., was at even-par 73 and Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont., finished at 1-over 74. Tseng won the tournament, sanctioned this year by the LPGA Tour for the first time, the last two seasons at Commonwealth Golf Club. The Taiwanese star went on to win 12 worldwide titles last year, including major victories in the LPGA Championship and Womens British Open. She finished with a bogey on the par-4 ninth. "It was disappointing to finish with a three-putt on the last hole," TTseng said.dddddddddddd "It is probably the toughest hole on the course. But I am still very happy shooting 3 under today. Thats 3 under on an amazing golf course. I am really excited and cant wait to go out and challenge it again." Long-hitting American Brittany Lincicome, a two-time winner last season on the LPGA Tour, and Paraguays Julieta Granada matched Tseng with a 70 in the event also sanctioned by Australian Ladies Professional Golf and the Ladies European Tour. American teen star Lexi Thompson opened with a 74. Fourteen-year-old New Zealand amateur Lydia Ko also had a 74. She won the New South Wales Open two weeks ago to become the youngest winner of a sanctioned professional tour event. Many top players struggled on the sand-belt course. Four-time winner Karrie Webb and fourth-ranked Cristie Kerr shot 75, Morgan Pressel had a 76, and second-ranked Suzann Pettersen and fellow European Solheim Cup star Sophie Gustafson shot 80. Pettersens score was her second-highest in LPGA Tour play, following an 81 in the third round of the 2007 Evian Masters. "I did not drive it great," Webb said. "Unfortunately, Royal Melbourne does this. The tee shots I hit poorly, I really paid the penalty. That started to get better as the round went on. I did not putt consistently well for the whole round. When I hit good putts, the speed was off or the line was slightly off. Im not too disappointed with how I played. It could have been better. With the swing changes, I saw some good things out there and hopefully Ill be a little more comfortable starting tomorrow." Laura Diaz birdied the opening hole and was 1 under through six, then played the final 12 holes in 10 over -- eight bogeys and a double bogey -- to finish at 82. The Netherlands Christel Boeljon, the Australian Ladies Masters winner last week, had a 74. cheap nfl jerseys ' ' '