The Nashville Predators defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in a game that best be described as the Predators surviving the Avalanche.The Predators managed to take a game that was well in hand and, to say the least, make it interesting.
Playing the Avalanche was a dangerous proposition for the Predators. The Avs are out of the playoffs and are playing loose and wide open hockey. It was going to be imperative that the Predators play sound hockey, disciplined hockey to not fall victim to the Avalanche.
It would be the Predators that would play their game early on in the contest.
The Predators opened the scoring at 15:35 of the first period as Matt Halischuk dug the puck out of the corner and got the puck to Colin Wilson. Wilson beat Brian Elliott for his 16th goal of the season to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.
A give and take first period saw Pekka Rinne make some big saves and the Predators generate some chances. For all the effort, though, the Predators held a slim 1-0 lead.
The second period was more of the same, with both Rinne and Elliott coming up with some big saves to keep the margin at 1.
That would change at 10:20 of the second period as Cody Franson would release a quick wrist shot from the blue line that was tipped by Jordin Tootoo past Elliott for his 6th goal of the season and a 2-0 Predators lead.
The first 40 minutes of the contest were dominated by the Predators as they out shot the Avs by a 30-14 margin. The forecheck was aggressive and the defensive effort was solid. The only negative of the first 40 minutes was the loss of Jordin Tootoo late in the period to an upper body injury.
As hard as it is to believe and as late in the season as it is, the Predators still have not seemed to grasp the fact that it is a 60 minute game. The third period was, shall we say, chaotic. It also saw the Avs score 2 goals to make the score way more interesting than it should have been.
Before the chaos erupted, the Predators extended their lead to 3-0 on the power play as Marty Erat stole the puck and broke in alone on Elliott. Elliot tried to poke check the puck away, but Erat deftly pulled the puck back and roofed a shot over Elliott.
A comfortable 3-0 lead with just over 12 minutes to go. Game in hand, wouldn't you think?
Not so fast.
The Avs out shot the Predators 15-4 in the third period. More about that in a moment. With the offensive zone time for the Avs, you just knew something was going to happen.
It did.
Paul Statsny beat Joel Ward in defensive coverage in front of the net and flipped the puck over Rinne to make it 3-1 Predators at 13:35. That goal seemed to really energize the Avalanche as they dominated in the offensive zone.
David Jones would somehow leak a puck between Rinne and the post at 18:58 of the third with the extra attacker on the ice. Now the Predators were just trying to hang on for the final 1:02.
They did hang on, but not for lack of effort by the Avalanche, who won an offensive zone face off with 3.5 seconds remaining and fired a shot on Rinne that required a good save at the horn.
Yes, the Predators won the game, but in reality, they survived the Avalanche.
Back to that third period.
What is difficult for me to grasp is the mentality of this team with a lead. The Predators had played a very solid 40 minutes of hockey and had a lead. They extended the lead 7 minutes into the third. And then they just sat back and let the Avalanche dominate the play. There is no doubt that this team has one of the elite goalies in the NHL in Pekka Rinne, but the tendency to rely- too heavily- on Rinne late in a game has bitten this team in the ass more than once this season, and it almost did again tonight. Foe the life of me, I don't understand the tendency to take the foot off the gas and let the opponent dictate play late in a game.
Play like this in the playoffs and you will see another first round exit.
This team needs to develop a killer instinct. Stop letting other teams claw back into the game by being passive. Playing a prevent defense does not work in football and the Predators are proving that it doesn't work in hockey.
Make no mistake- this is a win and two precious points. But this is a win that should teach you a lesson that hopefully you don't have to learn again.
Don't let up.
My three stars:
1. Marty Erat
2. Colin Wilson
3. Pekka Rinne
Showing posts with label David Jones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Jones. Show all posts
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Predators Win Ugly, Defeat the Avalanche 5-3
Sometimes when a team notches a win, it is a thing of beauty; sometimes it is ugly. Tonight, the Nashville Predators won ugly over the Colorado Avalanche by a 5-3 margin. Fortunately, they don't give style points for a victory as this was not the prettiest win for the Predators.
The Predators came out flying and took the play to the Avalanche. The Predators tilted the ice in their favor in the first period, outshooting the Avalanche 10-4. It was the Avalanche that drew first blood, however, as the Predators gave up a goal at 11:05 as Kevin Porter beat Jerred Smithson in the low slot and poked a puck past Pekka Rinne to give the Avs a 1-0 lead.
At this point, the game had the feel of the debacle against Edmonton, as in both games, the Predators dominated on the shot count and controlled the play only to find themselves in a 1-0 hole. The Avs netminder, Peter Budaj, had stood on his head up to this point and had managed to keep the Predators off the board.
Unlike the Edmonton game, the Predators would answer the Colorado tally, and they would do so just 11 seconds after the Avs found the net. Shea Weber would fire a wrist shot that would beat Budaj to tie the game at 11:16 for his 11th goal of the season. On the play, newly acquired Mike Fisher was screening Budaj at the top of the paint and because of his work, Budaj never saw the puck until it was in the net.
The trend of outshooting the Avs would continue in the second period for the Predators as the Predators would dominate the shot total by an 18-5 margin. One knew that with this many shots on net, Budaj would eventually break and give up a score.
The Predators got that break at 4:36 of the second period as Martin Erat would tally on the power play. Erat took a shot from close in that squeezed through the pads of Budaj and was lying in the blue paint just behind the Avs goalie. Erat continued to fish for the puck and was able to get his stick on it and drive it into the net for a 2-1 Predators lead.
Colorado would tie the game on another defensive breakdown by the Predators. David Jones would get the puck and walk out of the corner unmolested as both Cody Franson and Shane O'Brien broke the defensive coverage. Jones would have an unmolested shot that beat Rinne under his outstretched pad to tie the game at 9:13.
Colorado would take the lead at 2:54 of the third period on Matt Duchene's 21st goal of the season. Duchene ripped a slap shot from the face off circle that beat an unscreened Rinne to the stick side. This was definitely a goal that Rinne would like to have back.
I have often questioned the mental toughness of the Predators- their ability to bounce back in the course of a game when faced with adversity. Tonight, the Predators answered the question about their mental toughness.
The Predators would get the tying goal at 4:11 of the third as David Legwand controlled a puck behind the Avalanche goal. Legwand found Patric Hornqvist, who had worked back into the low slot to give himself some space. Legwand looked off the defense and found Hornqvist with a nice pass. Hornqvist ripped a ont timer that beat Budaj glove side to tie the game at 3.
The game went back and forth as both teams generated some chances. The Predators would break through at 17:30 of the third when Cody Franson snapped a quick shot from almost straight away at the blue line in front of Budaj. The puck squirted through the pads of the Avs netminder to give the Predators a 4-3 lead.
The Predators would ice the game at 19:14 as David Legwand took a pass from Mike Fisher and hit an empty net goal to make the final margin 5-3. With the assist, Fisher recorded his first point as a Predator.
The Predators outshot the Avs 39-18, and their offensive zone presence was strong. As the game went on, you had to believe that with this kind of effort, the Predators were going to break through and find the net. Budaj made some great saves, but the Predators were relentless on the attack. This kind of effort will usually lead to wins.
With the win, the Predators now are 30-19-7, good for 67 points and they currently sit at 4th in the Western Conference.
The Predators killed off both Colorado penalties, and now have allowed only one goal in the last 23 shorthanded chances. This is the kind of play that will lead to victories- gritty, detailed, and with maximum effort.
The Western Conference remains a dog fight. Some nights, you have to win ugly and get the points. That is what the Predators did tonight. They fought back and refused to relent to a desperate team.
The upcoming week brings three tough opponents to the Bridgestone Arena. It doesn't matter how pretty the wins might be.
Just get them and the all important points.
My three stars:
1. Martin Erat
2. David Legwand
3. Cody Franson
The Predators came out flying and took the play to the Avalanche. The Predators tilted the ice in their favor in the first period, outshooting the Avalanche 10-4. It was the Avalanche that drew first blood, however, as the Predators gave up a goal at 11:05 as Kevin Porter beat Jerred Smithson in the low slot and poked a puck past Pekka Rinne to give the Avs a 1-0 lead.
At this point, the game had the feel of the debacle against Edmonton, as in both games, the Predators dominated on the shot count and controlled the play only to find themselves in a 1-0 hole. The Avs netminder, Peter Budaj, had stood on his head up to this point and had managed to keep the Predators off the board.
Unlike the Edmonton game, the Predators would answer the Colorado tally, and they would do so just 11 seconds after the Avs found the net. Shea Weber would fire a wrist shot that would beat Budaj to tie the game at 11:16 for his 11th goal of the season. On the play, newly acquired Mike Fisher was screening Budaj at the top of the paint and because of his work, Budaj never saw the puck until it was in the net.
The trend of outshooting the Avs would continue in the second period for the Predators as the Predators would dominate the shot total by an 18-5 margin. One knew that with this many shots on net, Budaj would eventually break and give up a score.
The Predators got that break at 4:36 of the second period as Martin Erat would tally on the power play. Erat took a shot from close in that squeezed through the pads of Budaj and was lying in the blue paint just behind the Avs goalie. Erat continued to fish for the puck and was able to get his stick on it and drive it into the net for a 2-1 Predators lead.
Colorado would tie the game on another defensive breakdown by the Predators. David Jones would get the puck and walk out of the corner unmolested as both Cody Franson and Shane O'Brien broke the defensive coverage. Jones would have an unmolested shot that beat Rinne under his outstretched pad to tie the game at 9:13.
Colorado would take the lead at 2:54 of the third period on Matt Duchene's 21st goal of the season. Duchene ripped a slap shot from the face off circle that beat an unscreened Rinne to the stick side. This was definitely a goal that Rinne would like to have back.
I have often questioned the mental toughness of the Predators- their ability to bounce back in the course of a game when faced with adversity. Tonight, the Predators answered the question about their mental toughness.
The Predators would get the tying goal at 4:11 of the third as David Legwand controlled a puck behind the Avalanche goal. Legwand found Patric Hornqvist, who had worked back into the low slot to give himself some space. Legwand looked off the defense and found Hornqvist with a nice pass. Hornqvist ripped a ont timer that beat Budaj glove side to tie the game at 3.
The game went back and forth as both teams generated some chances. The Predators would break through at 17:30 of the third when Cody Franson snapped a quick shot from almost straight away at the blue line in front of Budaj. The puck squirted through the pads of the Avs netminder to give the Predators a 4-3 lead.
The Predators would ice the game at 19:14 as David Legwand took a pass from Mike Fisher and hit an empty net goal to make the final margin 5-3. With the assist, Fisher recorded his first point as a Predator.
The Predators outshot the Avs 39-18, and their offensive zone presence was strong. As the game went on, you had to believe that with this kind of effort, the Predators were going to break through and find the net. Budaj made some great saves, but the Predators were relentless on the attack. This kind of effort will usually lead to wins.
With the win, the Predators now are 30-19-7, good for 67 points and they currently sit at 4th in the Western Conference.
The Predators killed off both Colorado penalties, and now have allowed only one goal in the last 23 shorthanded chances. This is the kind of play that will lead to victories- gritty, detailed, and with maximum effort.
The Western Conference remains a dog fight. Some nights, you have to win ugly and get the points. That is what the Predators did tonight. They fought back and refused to relent to a desperate team.
The upcoming week brings three tough opponents to the Bridgestone Arena. It doesn't matter how pretty the wins might be.
Just get them and the all important points.
My three stars:
1. Martin Erat
2. David Legwand
3. Cody Franson
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)