NASHVILLE -- Pekka Rinnes milestone win dealt a serious blow to Phoenixs playoff hopes. Discount Nike Vapormax . Rinne made 29 saves to lead the Nashville Predators to a 2-0 win over the Coyotes on Thursday night. Craig Smith and Patric Hornqvist scored for Nashville, which has won four of its last five. "This group, as I have been saying all year, has a lot of character," Predators coach Barry Trotz said. "Theres only one way to play, and thats play the right way. This group plays the right way." The Coyotes lost sixth straight game and hurt their quest for the Western Conferences eighth and final playoff spot. Phoenix entered the day two points behind Dallas in the wild card race. Both teams have two games remaining, including Sundays season finale when Dallas visits Phoenix. "Obviously we need help now," Phoenix coach Dave Tippett said. "Youve got to get yourself rested and ready for the next game. Well see where we are Saturday morning." Phoenix will need to finish the season at least one point ahead of Dallas in the standings since the Stars will hold the first tiebreaker of more regulation and overtime wins no matter what happens over the course of the final two games. Dallas hosts the St. Louis Blues on Friday. If the Stars get one point in the game, it would give them the last spot in the West, eliminating Phoenix. "Its not where we want to be," Phoenix defenceman Michael Stone said. "Thats all there is to it really. We didnt do enough to continue to be able to control our own fate." Smith scored the games first goal at 10:26 of the second period. After taking a pass from defenceman Ryan Ellis above the left circle, Smith skated down to the left faceoff dot, where he used two Coyotes standing in front of goaltender Thomas Greiss as screens and scored his 21st goal of the season with a wrist shot high to the far side. Smiths power-play score snapped a 13-game goal-scoring drought. Hornqvist doubled the Nashville lead at 9:21 of the third. From below the goal line, Mike Fisher found Hornqvist in the slot. Greiss denied Hornqvists first attempt, but he poked in his own rebound for his 21st of the season -- and seventh goal in his last six games. "Fish got the puck behind the net and I saw him creeping up the wall," Hornqvist said. "I just tried to get open in the slot. He found me and then I buried the rebound." The shutout was Rinnes second of the season and 32nd of his career. He now has 162 wins, moving him past Tomas Vokoun into first place on Nashvilles career wins list. "We did a really good job of blocking shots and getting the clears when we needed to," Rinne said. "When they got the shots, I was able to see them. It was kind of back to the normal way of game playing." Rinne missed 51 games this season due to a hip infection. NOTES: Prior to the game, the Predators announced that they are partnering with former Olympic figure skating gold medallist Scott Hamilton, who will serve as an active principal for the skating centre at their new suburban rink set to open this summer. Hamilton is a Predators season ticket holder. ... Phoenix RW Martin Erat played in his 800th career NHL game. His first 723 were played with Nashville prior to his trade to Washington at last seasons trade deadline. ... Six of Smiths goals this season have come on the power play. Vapormax Sale .C. -- Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe is resigning after 13 seasons at the school. Vapormax Online . You can see all the action on TSN2 beginning at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. Chicago won two of three games during its stay at the United Center. The club began the homestand with a 5-1 win over Pittsburgh on March 1 and fell to Colorado on Tuesday before posting another blowout win in Thursdays tilt against Columbus. https://www.cheapvapormaxoutlet.com/ . -- Brady Heslip scored a season-high 20 points to help Baylor beat No.JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Several legal groups in South Africa have expressed concern about threats and harsh criticism of the judge who found Oscar Pistorius guilty of culpable homicide, but not guilty of the more serious charge of murder. Some South Africans said they were surprised and even shocked when Judge Thokozile Masipa ruled last week that the Paralympic champion was negligent but did not intend to kill when he fatally shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a closed toilet door. Pistorius said he thought a dangerous intruder was in his house; prosecutors alleged he intentionally killed Steenkamp after an argument. Police protection for Masipa has been stepped up since the verdict Friday in the sensational case, South African media reported. The case will return to the global spotlight when Pistorius, who is free on bail, appears before the judge for a sentencing hearing on Oct. 13. In a statement, three legal groups described a "wave of criticism" directed at Masipa that in some cases could border on hate speech, defamation and contempt of court. The comments include allegations that the judge is corrupt, as well as attacks on her race and gender. "In judging, theres a lot of analysis of the information before the court and applying the law to what is before you," Thabang Pooe, a researcher at legal group SECTION27, said Tuesday. "Attacking the judges integrity and making insinuations of bribery or that shes not fit because shes a woman, or that shes black, means that youre breaking down the belief in the law." Masipa, 66, is a former social worker and journalist who became one of the first black female judges in South Africa, which shed white racist rule in 1994. Vapormax Store. Her supporters have described her as a symbol of accomplishment in a country where poverty and unemployment remain obstacles for many people. The legal groups, including SECTION27, the Legal Resources Centre and the Centre for Child Law, said people are entitled to disagree with the verdict and that the prosecution can appeal. Prosecutors have said they will decide whether to appeal after sentencing. The sentence for a culpable homicide conviction is at the judges discretion and can range from a suspended sentence and a fine to as much as 15 years in prison. Legal experts have cited five years as a guideline. Meanwhile, South African sports officials have said Pistorius can compete for South Africa again, as long as his running doesnt go against the ruling of the judge. Many legal analysts agreed with the judges ruling that Pistorius could not be found guilty of premeditated murder. But some believe the law supported a conviction on a lesser murder charge on the grounds that Pistorius knew someone -- in his version, a perceived intruder-- was behind the toilet door and also knew that firing four bullets into the door could cause that persons death. James Grant, an associate professor of law at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, said in an online analysis that "there appear to be errors of law" in Masipas judgment. "The effect is that, if the state does appeal, and one may well expect that it will, Pistorius continues to face the prospect of a murder conviction," Grant wrote. ' ' '