Alex Radulov marked his comeback to Nashville with the only goal for the Predators in a 5-1 drubbing by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Radulov was nonetheless upstaged on his return to the NHL by fellow Russian Evgeny Malkin, who scored twice in Thursday's game that saw the Penguins clinch an Eastern Conference playoff berth.
"I had a few mistakes, and the next game will be better," Radulov told nhl.com, adding the Penguins' star-studded lineup made sure errors went punished.
"I think we have a good team, and that's the bottom line. Against teams like Pittsburgh, when you have on a line [Sidney] Crosby and Malkin and [James] Neal, those guys, you cannot make any mistakes like we did."
Radulov, 25, left KHL champion Salavat Yulaev Ufa earlier this week after the team was knocked out of this year's competition. He rejoined a Nashville team that he had acrimoniously left in 2008 with a year on his contract still remaining. In nearly four years with Salavat he became the KHL's all-time leading scorer with 254 points.
Salavat would continue to hold the player’s rights if he returns to Russia in the future, his agent Yuri Nikolaev said.
