The Nashville Predators are not playing for a spot in the playoffs. They are playing for pride, and in some situations, a roster spot for next season.
So there is a lot still at stake for the Predators, and they had an opportunity to play for pride against the best team in the NHL in the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center.
The Predators had Pekka Rinne in net, while the Hawks went with Corey Crawford.
The game opened with the Blackhawks flying and firing shots at Rinne. The Hawks opened the scoring on the power play as Brent Seabrook cruised down the slot and fired a wrist shot past Rinne.
The mix and match line up of the Predators responded to the opening salvo from the Hawks by scoring the next two goals in Predator fashion.
Kevin Klein pinched in from the blue line and fired a shot at the net that Crawford could not handle cleanly. Matt Halischuk was at the side of the net and was able to poke the puck past Crawford to tie the game at 1.
The Predators took a 2-1 lead as Booby Butler took a shot that Crawford could not control. New call up Kevin Henderson and Chris Mueller banged away at the puck and Henderson was able to shove it under the pads of Crawford to make it 2-1.
Two goals that were scored by going to the dirty areas and doing the hard work to score. Something that had been lacking from the Predators game recently.
The Hawks tied the game at 2 as Brandon Saad muffed a shot but got the puck back under control and beat Rinne glove side.
That was the way the first period ended. The Hawks out shot the Predators 15-8 in the period.
The Hawks made it 3-2 off a 2 on 1 break that began when Sergei Kostitsyn made an errant pass that resulted in Bryan Bickell breaking in with Patrick Kane. Kane was able to beat Rinne five hole for the go ahead score.
Matt Halischuk tied the game at 3 when Victor Bartley spotted Halischuk streaking through the neutral zone and hit him in stride with a beautiful pass. Halishcuk had his initial shot stopped by Crawford but got his rebound and banged the puck past Crawford. Kudos to Bartley for spotting Halischuk and hitting him with a great pass and to Halsichuk for staying with the play after his first shot was blocked.
The second period ended tied at 3 with the Hawks out shooting the Predators 12-9. Rinne made some big saves to keep the Predators in the game.
Perhaps more importantly, the Predators answered the Hawks goal and were playing with jump and determination. This is exactly what this squad has to do to stay in games and have a chance to win.
The Predators made a gaffe that cost them a goal when Victor Bartley threw the puck to the middle and right onto the tape of Michael Handzus. Handzus ripped a shot from the slot top shelf to beat Rinne and give the Hawks a 4-3 lead.
The Predators once again answered as Shea Weber took a shot that caromed off bodies in front and came back to Bobby Butler, who made no mistake in burying the shot past Crawford to tie the game at 4.
Playing for pride and roster spots, the Predators kept fighting their way back into the game.
With 44 seconds left in the third, Rich Clune took a double minor for high sticking. The Predators were able to kill off the remaining time in regulation, but 51 seconds into the overtime, Marian Hossa scored the game winner to extend the Predators losing streak.
Some observations:
Henderson Helps
Kevin Henderson got his first NHL goal and played a strong game with lots of energy. The 26 year old is a big body and doesn't shy away from the physical game, and his effort in front helped the Predators notch their second goal of the game.
Butler Belongs
Bobby Butler is making a case to be on the roster next season. His game tying goal was a result of driving to the net and being in the right place at the right time. Butler needs to finish out strong to continue to make his case.
Good Jump
The Predators survived some strong pushes by the Hawks at various times during the game. More importantly, they did not quit and had the answer for every Hawks challenge in regulation. This effort is one that the team can use to build upon and should be a boost for their confidence.
Final Thoughts
There is no doubt that the injuries the Predators have suffered have affected their performance. It is not an excuse. Any player that puts on the sweater has to bring it when they step on the ice, and tonight, they did that. No one will feel sorry for them, so lace them up and play, boys. The effort tonight is what it takes to break out of this funk.
You have a few more chances to do that.
My three stars:
1. Marian Hossa
2. Matt Halsichuk
3. Duncan Keith
Showing posts with label Bryan Bickell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bryan Bickell. Show all posts
Friday, April 19, 2013
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Blackhawks Battle to 1-0 Victory Over the Predators
It can be argued that the Chicago Blackhawks are the best team in the NHL. In a Saturday matinee at the Bridgestone Arena, a depleted Predators team battled the Blackhawks for 60 minutes before falling 1-0.
Pekka Rinne was outstanding in net, turning away 29 of 30 shots. He gave up a goal at 5:31 of the first period off a 2 on 1 breakaway. Michael Handzus skated the puck into the Predators zone and found Bryan Bickell after Predators defenseman Jonathan Blum overplayed Handzus. Bickell had a wide open net into which to shoot the puck after the gaffe by Blum.
The Predators managed 20 shots on Blackhawks netminder Ray Emery, and although they did generate some traffic in front, could not get enough pressure to get a puck into the net.
Some observations:
Injury Bug Bites Again
Paul Gaustad was scratched and his presence was missed in the face off circle. The Predators managed to win just 20 of 49 face offs. Gabriel Bourque missed his 4th consecutive game.
Power(less) Play
The Predators power play had some chances, notably when Dan Carcillo was called for a 4 minute doble minor for high sticking. During the extended power play, the Predators did not get off a shot. Failing to capitalize on the man advantage made the hill even steeper for the Predators. The Predators have to get a better effort out of the power play unit to have an opportunity to win these types of games.
The Kids
Bobby Butler was back in the line up due to the absence of Paul Gaustad. Taylor Beck saw some top line minutes. And frequent flyer Chris Mueller was frequently in the face off circle against Jonathan Toews. The Predators had to mix and match their lines due to injuries and the recent trade of Marty Erat, and several young players had to play some big minutes. Generally, they acquitted themselves well.
Missing In Action
Craig Smith, Sergei Kostitsyn, Rich Clune, Taylor Beck, and Matt Halischuk did not record a shot on net. When you look at the minutes they logged, you can see why the Predators offense struggled. Other key players struggled as well to create offense. All season, this team has struggled to generate offense, and it will cost them a shot at the playoffs. This is an area that has to be addressed in the off season. The Predators have been shut out for an NHL leading 7th time, an ignominious "honor".
Final Thoughts
The Predators appear to heading toward an early off season. What is important is to see the Predators continue to battle and compete. They did that tonight, and even though the talent gap was huge, the team did not back down. These final games will be a test of character and a measure of heart.
Battle like you did tonight and I can live with the results.
My three stars:
1. Ray Emery
2. Bryan Bickell
3. Pekka Rinne
Pekka Rinne was outstanding in net, turning away 29 of 30 shots. He gave up a goal at 5:31 of the first period off a 2 on 1 breakaway. Michael Handzus skated the puck into the Predators zone and found Bryan Bickell after Predators defenseman Jonathan Blum overplayed Handzus. Bickell had a wide open net into which to shoot the puck after the gaffe by Blum.
The Predators managed 20 shots on Blackhawks netminder Ray Emery, and although they did generate some traffic in front, could not get enough pressure to get a puck into the net.
Some observations:
Injury Bug Bites Again
Paul Gaustad was scratched and his presence was missed in the face off circle. The Predators managed to win just 20 of 49 face offs. Gabriel Bourque missed his 4th consecutive game.
Power(less) Play
The Predators power play had some chances, notably when Dan Carcillo was called for a 4 minute doble minor for high sticking. During the extended power play, the Predators did not get off a shot. Failing to capitalize on the man advantage made the hill even steeper for the Predators. The Predators have to get a better effort out of the power play unit to have an opportunity to win these types of games.
The Kids
Bobby Butler was back in the line up due to the absence of Paul Gaustad. Taylor Beck saw some top line minutes. And frequent flyer Chris Mueller was frequently in the face off circle against Jonathan Toews. The Predators had to mix and match their lines due to injuries and the recent trade of Marty Erat, and several young players had to play some big minutes. Generally, they acquitted themselves well.
Missing In Action
Craig Smith, Sergei Kostitsyn, Rich Clune, Taylor Beck, and Matt Halischuk did not record a shot on net. When you look at the minutes they logged, you can see why the Predators offense struggled. Other key players struggled as well to create offense. All season, this team has struggled to generate offense, and it will cost them a shot at the playoffs. This is an area that has to be addressed in the off season. The Predators have been shut out for an NHL leading 7th time, an ignominious "honor".
Final Thoughts
The Predators appear to heading toward an early off season. What is important is to see the Predators continue to battle and compete. They did that tonight, and even though the talent gap was huge, the team did not back down. These final games will be a test of character and a measure of heart.
Battle like you did tonight and I can live with the results.
My three stars:
1. Ray Emery
2. Bryan Bickell
3. Pekka Rinne
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Third Period Meltdown Dooms the Predators in a 6-3 Loss to the Blackhawks
As good as the Nashville Predator's win over the Blackhawks was on Saturday, their re-match in Chicago was horrid. A third period meltdown cost the Predators a chance to sweep the back to back contests with their division rivals, as the Blackhawks turned a close game into a blowout, defeating the Predators 6-3.
The Predators were victimized by a third period that was a horror show. Tied at 2 at the end of two periods, the Predators took a 3-2 lead on the second goal of the night from J.P. Dumont. From that point on, the wheels absolutely came off for the Predators.
Before we get to the debacle that was the third period for the Predators, let's see how we got there.
The Predators opened the game with good jump and were out-skating the Hawks in the first period. Their effort paid off with four power play opportunities in the first period, and they were able to cash in on two of them.
The first tally of the game came from Marty Erat with Jonathan Toews in the box for holding.Erat buried a rebound past Hawks goalie Marty Turco to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 2:04 of the period.
Chicago would tie the game on a Dave Bolland score at 6:38, as he beat Nashville netminder Anders Lindback.
The Predators would respond with their second power play marker of the period as J.P. Dumont corralled a rebound of a Shea Weber shot that was initially blocked by Brian Campbell. He beat Turco with a quick wrist shot to give the Predators a 2-1 advantage.
Chicago would tie the game with the only goal of the second period as David Legwand made a lazy croos ice pass at the Predators blueline that Bolland intercepted. Bolland put a spectacular move on Ryan Suter, the only Predator player that was back to stop the rush, and beat Lindback five hole.
To this point, the contest had been fairly even, Nashville had outshot the hawks at the end of two period by an 18-16 margin and had skated evenly with the Hawks through forty minutes.
As I said last night, it is a 60 minute game, but tonight the Predators unfortunately checked out after 40 minutes.
Oh, the third started well. J.P. Dumont potted his second goal of the night off a clean face off win by rookie Chris Mueller. Dumont gathered in the puck and beat Turco cleanly with a quick wrister that went high glove side.
3-2 Predators and we have a game that the good guys can win.
Not so fast.
A game that the Predators had played evenly with the Blackhawks suddenly spiraled out of control. Quickly.
With Ryan Suter in the box for holding, the Blackhawks struck on a power play opportunity of their own.Troy Brouwer was left all alone in front of the net and gathered in a rebound of a pad save by Lindback and knocked the puck into an open net as Lindback was out of position. Brouwer's goal came at 9:19 of the third
Tied at 3, the Hawks turned up the pressure and the Predators did not respond. Brouwer circled out the corner, split Marcel Goc and Shea Weber, and found himself alone in the low slot. His wrist shot beat Lindback to the glove side at 9:59 of the third.
Two goals in 40 seconds and the Hawks were flying and the Predators were back on their heels. And the assault was just beginning.
Brian Bickell scored at 14:08 and Jonathan Toews added the finisher at 16:58.
From up 3-2 with 11 minutes to go in the contest to down 6-3 at the end. Indicative of how bad the third period was for the Predators, they were outshot 18-5.
Absolutely putrid.
Compounding the sting of this loss was the fact that the Predators lost Francis Buillon in the first period as he was boarded by Brouwer. The Predators spent the rest of the contest with just five defensemen.No excuses, but you have to believe that fatigue was a factor late in the game for the D corp. Ryan Suter logged 32:43 of ice time; Shea Weber had 29:40; and Kevin Klein had 21:43.
With this loss, the Predators are now tied with the Blackhawks with 54 points, but have 2 games in hand. The Predators lead the season series with the Blackhawks 3-2.
This is another example of how this team has to play a full 60 minutes to win a game. This was a game the Predators could have won, but their 11 minute lapse in the third period bite them hard.
There will be no rest for the weary, as the Predators are now headed to Phoenix to play the red hot Coyotes.
The importance of that upcoming game? The Coyotes sit in fourth place in the West, one point ahead of the Predators.
All the games in this tightly bunched Western Conference race are important. They are yours for the taking, boys. However, ya gotta play a full 60 minutes.
And avoid those pesky meltdowns.
My three stars:
1. Dave Bolland
2. Troy Brouwer
3. J.P. Dumont
.
The Predators were victimized by a third period that was a horror show. Tied at 2 at the end of two periods, the Predators took a 3-2 lead on the second goal of the night from J.P. Dumont. From that point on, the wheels absolutely came off for the Predators.
Before we get to the debacle that was the third period for the Predators, let's see how we got there.
The Predators opened the game with good jump and were out-skating the Hawks in the first period. Their effort paid off with four power play opportunities in the first period, and they were able to cash in on two of them.
The first tally of the game came from Marty Erat with Jonathan Toews in the box for holding.Erat buried a rebound past Hawks goalie Marty Turco to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 2:04 of the period.
Chicago would tie the game on a Dave Bolland score at 6:38, as he beat Nashville netminder Anders Lindback.
The Predators would respond with their second power play marker of the period as J.P. Dumont corralled a rebound of a Shea Weber shot that was initially blocked by Brian Campbell. He beat Turco with a quick wrist shot to give the Predators a 2-1 advantage.
Chicago would tie the game with the only goal of the second period as David Legwand made a lazy croos ice pass at the Predators blueline that Bolland intercepted. Bolland put a spectacular move on Ryan Suter, the only Predator player that was back to stop the rush, and beat Lindback five hole.
To this point, the contest had been fairly even, Nashville had outshot the hawks at the end of two period by an 18-16 margin and had skated evenly with the Hawks through forty minutes.
As I said last night, it is a 60 minute game, but tonight the Predators unfortunately checked out after 40 minutes.
Oh, the third started well. J.P. Dumont potted his second goal of the night off a clean face off win by rookie Chris Mueller. Dumont gathered in the puck and beat Turco cleanly with a quick wrister that went high glove side.
3-2 Predators and we have a game that the good guys can win.
Not so fast.
A game that the Predators had played evenly with the Blackhawks suddenly spiraled out of control. Quickly.
With Ryan Suter in the box for holding, the Blackhawks struck on a power play opportunity of their own.Troy Brouwer was left all alone in front of the net and gathered in a rebound of a pad save by Lindback and knocked the puck into an open net as Lindback was out of position. Brouwer's goal came at 9:19 of the third
Tied at 3, the Hawks turned up the pressure and the Predators did not respond. Brouwer circled out the corner, split Marcel Goc and Shea Weber, and found himself alone in the low slot. His wrist shot beat Lindback to the glove side at 9:59 of the third.
Two goals in 40 seconds and the Hawks were flying and the Predators were back on their heels. And the assault was just beginning.
Brian Bickell scored at 14:08 and Jonathan Toews added the finisher at 16:58.
From up 3-2 with 11 minutes to go in the contest to down 6-3 at the end. Indicative of how bad the third period was for the Predators, they were outshot 18-5.
Absolutely putrid.
Compounding the sting of this loss was the fact that the Predators lost Francis Buillon in the first period as he was boarded by Brouwer. The Predators spent the rest of the contest with just five defensemen.No excuses, but you have to believe that fatigue was a factor late in the game for the D corp. Ryan Suter logged 32:43 of ice time; Shea Weber had 29:40; and Kevin Klein had 21:43.
With this loss, the Predators are now tied with the Blackhawks with 54 points, but have 2 games in hand. The Predators lead the season series with the Blackhawks 3-2.
This is another example of how this team has to play a full 60 minutes to win a game. This was a game the Predators could have won, but their 11 minute lapse in the third period bite them hard.
There will be no rest for the weary, as the Predators are now headed to Phoenix to play the red hot Coyotes.
The importance of that upcoming game? The Coyotes sit in fourth place in the West, one point ahead of the Predators.
All the games in this tightly bunched Western Conference race are important. They are yours for the taking, boys. However, ya gotta play a full 60 minutes.
And avoid those pesky meltdowns.
My three stars:
1. Dave Bolland
2. Troy Brouwer
3. J.P. Dumont
.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Predators Lose Ugly to the Blackhawks 4-1
Another lackluster effort, another loss for the Nashville Predators as the Chicago Blackhawks had their way in a 4-1 win at the United Center. This loss was the first of the season to the Blackhawks, and it follows a pathetic 6-1 effort against Los Angeles in their last game.
The Nashville offense was listless at best, and rarely generated many quality scoring opportunities. The Chicago defense dominated the forwards of the Predators, rarely letting them enter the offensive zone with speed and winning nearly every puck battle. This is the second straight game that the Predators offense has disappeared, and that is both disappointing and unacceptable.
When the offense is not clicking, it is imperative that the defense and goaltending be very good. Neither were tonight. Anders Lindback got the start in net and was involved in a strange play that led to the Hawks first goal. Kevin Klein passed the puck back to Lindback, who in turn tried to pass the puck back to Klein. The pass missed Klein badly and came to Dave Bolland, who walked in alone and deposited the puck top shelf over Lindback's glove at 12:29 of the first period.
With Shane O'Brien in the box for interference, Jack Skille tallied on the power play at 9:28 of the second period. Skille blistered a shot over the glove side of Lindback, and the way the Predators offense was playing, the game was essentially over at that point.
Skille wasn't done, however, as he got a shot through a a screen from the high slot to beat Lindback at 9:14 of the third period.
Sergei Kostitsyn tipped a Marty Erat shot past Hawks netminder Corey Crawford at 11:13 of the third with the Predators on a power play. Any hopes of a comeback were snuffed out by Bryan Bickell as he beat Lindback glove side at 17:28 of the third.
What do the names J.P. Dumont, Steve Sullivan, Colin Wilson, Jerred Smithson, and Nick Spaling have in common? Five forwards for the Predators that did not have a shot on goal (yes, I know J.P. rang one off the post, but it is not officially a shot on goal). Quite frankly, this is a weak effort and cannot continue if the Predators are going to have success.
Success is a simple formula for the Predators: skate hard and bring the maximum effort to the rink every night. This is what this team did during their win streak. In the last two miserable losses, this team has not come close to giving the kind of effort that brings the opportunity for a victory.
The Predators can ill afford to win five games and then go on a five game losing streak. It is obvious that the effort has not been there the last two games, and we see the result on the ice and on the scoreboard.
It is time to stop the lackluster effort. It is time to stop the losing streak. Bring your best effort, and this skid will end.
Keep playing the way you have the last two games, and it will get ugly.
My three stars:
1.Jack Skille
2. Corey Crawford
3. Dave Bolland
The Nashville offense was listless at best, and rarely generated many quality scoring opportunities. The Chicago defense dominated the forwards of the Predators, rarely letting them enter the offensive zone with speed and winning nearly every puck battle. This is the second straight game that the Predators offense has disappeared, and that is both disappointing and unacceptable.
When the offense is not clicking, it is imperative that the defense and goaltending be very good. Neither were tonight. Anders Lindback got the start in net and was involved in a strange play that led to the Hawks first goal. Kevin Klein passed the puck back to Lindback, who in turn tried to pass the puck back to Klein. The pass missed Klein badly and came to Dave Bolland, who walked in alone and deposited the puck top shelf over Lindback's glove at 12:29 of the first period.
With Shane O'Brien in the box for interference, Jack Skille tallied on the power play at 9:28 of the second period. Skille blistered a shot over the glove side of Lindback, and the way the Predators offense was playing, the game was essentially over at that point.
Skille wasn't done, however, as he got a shot through a a screen from the high slot to beat Lindback at 9:14 of the third period.
Sergei Kostitsyn tipped a Marty Erat shot past Hawks netminder Corey Crawford at 11:13 of the third with the Predators on a power play. Any hopes of a comeback were snuffed out by Bryan Bickell as he beat Lindback glove side at 17:28 of the third.
What do the names J.P. Dumont, Steve Sullivan, Colin Wilson, Jerred Smithson, and Nick Spaling have in common? Five forwards for the Predators that did not have a shot on goal (yes, I know J.P. rang one off the post, but it is not officially a shot on goal). Quite frankly, this is a weak effort and cannot continue if the Predators are going to have success.
Success is a simple formula for the Predators: skate hard and bring the maximum effort to the rink every night. This is what this team did during their win streak. In the last two miserable losses, this team has not come close to giving the kind of effort that brings the opportunity for a victory.
The Predators can ill afford to win five games and then go on a five game losing streak. It is obvious that the effort has not been there the last two games, and we see the result on the ice and on the scoreboard.
It is time to stop the lackluster effort. It is time to stop the losing streak. Bring your best effort, and this skid will end.
Keep playing the way you have the last two games, and it will get ugly.
My three stars:
1.Jack Skille
2. Corey Crawford
3. Dave Bolland
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