Zidlicky, 29 (2/3/77), has notched 102 points (26g-76a) in 149 games with Nashville over the past two NHL seasons. This past year, the 5-11, 190-pound native of Most, Czech Republic ranked second among team defensemen and 14th among NHL defensemen with 49 points (12g-37a), including a career-high 10 power-play goals. He also tied for third on the club in assists and ranked third in average time on ice per game (20:03). In 2003-04, Zidlicky established a Nashville franchise record for points by a defenseman (14g-39a-53pts).

At the 2005 World Championships, Zidlicky captured a gold medal as a member of the Czech Republic national team and was selected to the tournament All-Star Team. He led tournament defensemen in goals (four) and earned a bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games and represented the Czechs at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.

Zidlicky was acquired by Nashville from the New York Rangers (with Rem Murray and Tomas Kloucek) for Mike Dunham on December 12, 2002. He was originally drafted with the Rangers’ sixth choice (sixth round), 176th overall, in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

With Vokoun, the Predators came out of the NHL lockout taking full advantage of the new labour deal their owner helped negotiate and turned in their best season in their seventh year of competition with 106 points and a 32-8-1 home record that was the league’s best.

But Vokoun didn’t play after April 1 because of a rare blood condition. Even though the Predators tried to be optimistic, their second playoff run ended Sunday night in five games with a 2-1 loss to San Jose.

“We didn’t have our stopper in there unfortunately, but that’s the way it goes,” coach Barry Trotz said.

So forget the eight-game winning streak to open the season, the six victories in shootouts and a franchise-best 49 victories. The slew of records, Paul Kariya’s scoring punch as the big free agent signee and that No. 4 seed in the Western Conference couldn’t help when it mattered most.

Not only did the Predators not have Vokoun, two other key players also were hampered by injuries.

Steve Sullivan, their second-highest scorer, missed the final nine games with a strained groin that limited him to two points in the playoffs. Marek Zidlicky had scored 49 points as a defenceman, but missed the final 11 games after separating his shoulder.

They came back but were never close to their best at a physical, fast team like the Sharks. San Jose coach Ron Wilson said he was glad to clinch the series before Sullivan and Zidlicky and others could heal up.

“They were red-faced at the pace we were trying to play the game at,” Wilson said.

Trotz said they can’t worry about what they didn’t have.

“The moons didn’t line up that way … That’s neither here nor there,” Trotz said.

With no Vokoun in net to cover mistakes, penalties wound up killing the Predators.

Only Washington had more penalties (550) than Nashville’s 533. Nashville tied for fifth in the NHL in killing penalties in the regular season but gave up 10 power-play goals to San Jose, including three when down 3-on-5.

“All series long we were in the box, can’t score from there,” Predators forward Paul Kariya said.

The Predators talked about being more disciplined during the series with the Sharks. But they couldn’t stop themselves even with officials watching closely.

“We are a little bit of an edgy team in terms of causing a little anger with guys like (Darcy) Hordichuk, (Scot) Nichol and (Jordin) Tootoo and people like that …,” Trotz said.

“Our penalties in terms of self-discipline at times this year was a problem, and it came back to haunt us a little bit in the playoffs. We took too many penalties against a very good team.”

The Predators still have a very young team, and rookie defenceman Shea Weber played well against the Sharks. But they do have some decisions to make on some key players who become free agents on July 1.

Nashville likely will want to keep Zidlicky and defencemen Mark Eaton, Danny Markov and Brendan Witt, especially after trading a first-round pick to Washington for Witt in March to add size and experience. General manager David Poile also must decide on forwards Greg Johnson, Yanic Perreault and Mike Sillinger - another trade pickup.

The biggest question hanging over the Predators remains Vokoun’s health.

Doctors said weeks of blood thinners should resolve the clots in his abdomen that had threatened his life, allowing him to return to hockey in the fall. But this is a condition they called so rare that they hadn’t seen it before.

Trotz is treating this season as part of the growing process, something he’s overseen as this franchise’s only coach. He is using Detroit’s failures before winning Stanley Cups as an example.

But coming up a game shorter than the last playoff when they at least took the Red Wings to a Game 6 before bowing out was a sharp disappointment.

“A lot of positives this year, but this is no longer acceptable,” Sullivan said.

PLAYOFF SERIES: Western Conference quarterfinals; Sharks lead 3-1.

TIME: Sunday, 8:30 p.m. EDT.

The San Jose Sharks hope to follow Patrick Marleau right into the Western Conference semifinals.

San Jose tries to close out its quarterfinal series with a fourth straight win over the Nashville Predators when the teams play Game 5 at the Gaylord Entertainment Center.

Nashville won Game 1 of the series, but the Sharks have rebounded to win three in a row behind Marleau.

The 26-year-old center had a hat trick, including the go-ahead goal, to lead San Jose to a 5-4 victory on Thursday. The Sharks’ captain has six goals and one assist in the last three games, accounting for 50 percent of the team’s scoring.

Marleau, who had a career-best 86 points during the regular season, is San Jose’s franchise leader in postseason goals and notched his third career playoff hat trick Thursday.

“He’s our captain, and it just goes to show that he’s been doing it and we’ve been following him all season long,” said Mark Smith, who scored his third goal of the series Thursday. “The bigger the game, the bigger he is as a player.”

San Jose needed to hold off a late Nashville charge after Mike Sillinger and Scott Hartnell scored to pull the Predators within a goal in the third period.

Sharks goaltender Vesa Toskala made 26 saves, however, and held on as Nashville outshot San Jose 14-3 in the final 20 minutes. Rookie Pat Rissmiller also scored for San Jose while Joe Thornton, Steve Bernier and Matt Carle each added two assists.

San Jose has won all four playoff series in which it’s held a 3-1 lead, but coach Ron Wilson said recording that last victory won’t be easy.

“You get to this point and you want to get the series over as quickly as possible in order to save energy,” said Wilson, who gave his team Friday off. “We all understand that the hardest win is the fourth win. We’re going to have our work cut out for us.”

The Predators certainly have their work ahead of them as they try to win their first playoff series, but Thursday’s third-period performance has them motivated.

“I thought that we played regular season hockey to that point,” said Predators goalie Chris Mason, who made 19 saves in the defeat. “They’ve been playing playoff hockey, and we said, `You know what? We’ve got nothing to lose.”‘

Paul Kariya added a goal and an assist and Shea Weber also scored for Nashville, which scored just one goal in Games 2 and 3.

The Predators scored their first three even-strength goals of the series Thursday, but continued to give San Jose odd-man chances. The Sharks have had six 5-on-3s in the first four games, and took advantage by scoring two power-play goals in Game 4.

Defenseman Marek Zidlicky returned to the Nashville lineup Thursday after missing 15 games with a separated shoulder.

Game 6, if necessary, will be in San Jose on Tuesday.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Sharks - 99 points; 5th seed. Predators - 106 points; 4th seed.

PLAYOFF TEAM LEADERS: Sharks - Marleau, 6 goals and 7 points; Christian Ehrhoff and Tom Preissing, 5 assists; Ville Nieminen, 20 PIM. Predators - Sillinger and Weber, 2 goals; Kariya, 5 assists and 6 points; Sillinger, 12 PIM.

PLAYOFF SPECIAL TEAMS: Sharks - Power play: 21.9 percent (7 for 32). Penalty killing: 81.5 percent (22 for 27). Predators - Power play: 18.5 percent (5 for 27). Penalty killing: 78.1 percent (25 for 32).

GOALTENDERS: Sharks - Toskala (3-1, 1 SO, 2.27 GAA); Evgeni Nabokov (no appearances). Predators - Mason (1-3, 3.80); Pekka Rinne (no appearances).

The Predators look to avoid their first three-game losing streak in a month Tuesday when they visit the Florida Panthers, who are trying to snap a four-game skid.

Nashville, which opened the season with eight straight wins, has dropped its last two games. In Saturday’s 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay, the Predators managed a season-low 16 shots and also committed 11 penalties.

Kimmo Timonen, Jeremy Stevenson and Adam Hall scored for the Predators, who are without goaltender Tomas Vokoun and center David Legwand, both out with knee injuries.

Nashville has not dropped three straight since a five-game skid from October 26-November 5.

Meanwhile, Florida has dropped 18 of its last 21 following its 3-1 defeat in Los Angeles on Saturday. Veteran center Joe Nieuwendyk scored the lone goal for the Panthers, who have lost 12 straight on the road but have won three of their last five at home.

The Panthers and Predators skated to a 2-2 tie on December 13, 2003 in their lone meeting of the 2003-04 season.

That youngster is defenseman Ryan Suter. He has been teamed with both Dan Hamhuis and Marek Zidlicky this season. And with each game he becomes more and more adjusted to life in the NHL. If he has any problems Brent Peterson, the Predators associate

coach, is there to help.

“I don’t want to put him into situations he can’t handle yet,” said Peterson. “I’m very guarded about putting him into situations he is not ready for. I don’t like it to be too much too fast.”

Peterson has slowly moved Suter into the mix on the penalty kill and power play.

“Ryan is doing it all now,” said Peterson. “He is learning. He has been great. He has a long way to go, but 24 games into his NHL career he has been great. He has had to do the penalty kill. I feel confident in him and he is going to get more ice time. Now it is a matter of him doing it every night consistently.”

One thing Suter must deal with is getting used to playing in new buildings. Tonight at 6 he gets a look at another new arena when the Predators continue their string of games against Eastern Conference teams in a meeting with the Washington Capitals.

“He has to go out and communicate and learn,” said Peterson. “The more he sees the buildings and learns about the players and the league, he won’t have to rely on his teammates. He will have the skill and know-how to do what he has to do.”

Suter still has work to do. He must work his size and strength. He is only 20 years old. He has 196 pounds on his 6-foot-1 frame.

“Ryan is going to get stronger and stronger,” said Peterson. “When he gets his confidence and gets his strength up I will be able to put him in all situations sooner or later.”

Penalties have also been an issue. The reduction in penalties will come with experience.

“That’s a matter of strength and technique,” said Peterson. “It’s about knowing what they are going to call and knowing the league. We are all doing that.”

Two seasons ago Peterson was helping Hamhuis chart his course in his first season in the NHL. Lessons learned through that tutelage are being carried over to Suter.

Making the job easier for Peterson is that Suter, like Hamhuis, is easy to coach.

“Ryan is a great kid and a very motivated young man,” said Peterson. “He knows what he wants and those guys are easier to coach. He listens. He works in practice. He has taken what we have all said to him. With experience he is going to be a great player for a long time.”

There’s a reason to now — the IceHogs officially, for the first time in their seven-year existence, are affiliated with upper-level hockey teams.

The IceHogs announced Tuesday an affiliation with the NHL’s Nashville Predators and AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. Rockford is the only United Hockey League franchise with such an agreement this season. The Muskegon Fury have an affiliation with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, but it does not extend to the Griffins’ association with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.

The AHL is considered to be Triple A and the UHL is Double A.

Rockford has been loaning players to several AHL teams this season, and that will not change. It is not an exclusive arrangement. Rockford can send players elsewhere, and Nashville and Milwaukee can get players from teams other than the IceHogs.

“It’s just making it formal,” Rockford coach Steve Martinson said of the announcement. “We agreed to it this summer. It’s been kind of in place for a while.

“For players that don’t know me or agents who don’t know me who look at transactions or our Web site and see that it is a place to get an opportunity, it’s official now.”

An affiliation only matters if your team gets called for players, Martinson said. And Rockford has been called. So far this season, 18 UHL players have moved up to the AHL — and half are IceHogs. Muskegon has sent four to Grand Rapids, Adirondack two to Portland and Syracuse, and Danbury (Lowell), Motor City (Cleveland) and Kalamazoo (Cleveland) one each.

Rockford has loaned a total of 13 players to Milwaukee over the past two seasons.

“Players that have developed in Rockford consistently have shown the ability to contribute with the Admirals when called upon,” Ray Shero, Predators assistant general manager, said on the Admiral’s Web site. “The IceHogs have been able to foster both a winning culture and one in which players develop as professionals, and those two environments don’t always come together.”

Martinson said the affiliation “is only a positive.”

It should lead to more players being sent Rockford’s way, and it also gives Martinson access to Nashville’s scouting reports.

“Which is a huge bonus for me,” he said. “I’m not sure many other UHL teams have access to these kinds of scouting reports.”

Rockford’s front office sees plenty of benefits.

“To say you’re affiliated with an NHL team is huge,” said Ryan Washatka, IceHogs president/general manager. “It’s big from a marketing stance and for the fans.

“We brought Steve (Martinson) here and that enhanced our credibility not only in the UHL but in the city of Rockford. It showed that we had a top-class organization that wants to win on and off the ice. An affiliation with the top tier in your sport helps solidify our position.”

Washatka said a give-and-take relationship could result in more take down the road.

“Being in proximity, they’ve pretty much taken from the IceHogs,” Washatka said of Milwaukee. “But now that they’re comfortable with Steve to call us an official affiliation and sending us players, it shows a confidence level that we didn’t have before with prior coaches. I think that will grow for many years to come.”

Washatka said Nashville’s and Milwaukee’s logos will be added to the IceHogs’ letterhead. He also hopes to be able to start selling Predators and Admirals merchandise in the future.

IceHogs players derived encouragement from the move. Flanking Martinson at the news conference were Chaz Johnson and Preston Mizzi, both of whom have been called up.

“Trust me, if we didn’t have an agreement, they wouldn’t be here,” Martinson said.

“It’s pretty important,” Mizzi said. “We’ve gotten guys called up to Milwaukee all the time without an affiliation. If a (Milwaukee) center gets called up to Nashville, maybe I’ll get called up to Milwaukee.”

Said Johnson: “It’s a great thing to have it confirmed that we are affiliated with them.”

Goalie Ronnie Vogel said “It helps in the big picture. It can help guys get the opportunity to go up, or they might send guys here who need conditioning or are not playing well.”