Predators Suffer an Embarrassing Loss to the BJ's in OT 4-3

The Nashville Predators suffered a 4-3 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Bridgestone Arena that was in a word, embarrassing.

Throughout the game, the Predators were unable to get through the neutral zone and turned the puck over more times than I can count. Rather than skate the puck through the zone or dump it deep and establish the cycle in the offensive zone, the Predators were content to make blind crossing passes or drop passes that were quickly gathered in by the Jackets and started the other way. Frankly, the inability to get through the neutral zone against this team was inexplicable and plagued the Predators all night long. Even more baffling was the persistence in making bad- or dumb- passes that resulted in turnovers.

When the Predators got into the offensive zone, they had trouble establishing their cycle and offensive flow against the aggressive Jackets defense. The Predators reverted to form on a couple of occasions, and when they did, they challenged Curtis Sanford in the Jackets net and tallied three goals for their efforts. The problem for the Predators was that they were too inconsistent in doing the essential things that would have lead to a victory.

Colin Wilson opened the scoring for the Predators at 18:29 of the first period as he gathered the puck in a goal mouth scramble and lifted it over Sanford to make it 1-0 Predators.

Jeff Carter tied the game at 1 at 3:29 of the second period with his first goal of the year. He used Ryan Suter as a screen and beat Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne with wrist shot over his shoulder.

The Predators took the lead again on the power play as Mike Fisher scored from in front of the net off a rebound of a Shea Weber shot at 10:27 of the second period.

The Predators could not seize the momentum and hold on to the lead as Columbus tallied on the power play with Ryan Suter in the box. Vinny Prospal lifted a backhand past Rinne to the short side. Rinne got most of the puck but could not stop it completely and it fluttered into the net to tie the game at 2.

The BJ's took a 3-2 lead at 1:45 of the third period as R.J. Umberger scored on the power play with Ryan Suter again in the box for roughing.

Nick Spaling tied the game at 3 as he corralled a rebound in the low slot and slipped the puck five hole on Sanford at 14:24 of the third.

There was no more scoring in the third period, and off to overtime, which has not been kind to the Predators. Going into this OT, the Predators were 1-3.

Make it 1-4.

James Wisniewski scored past a screened Rinne at 2:43 of the overtime period to end the BJ's string of futility with 27 straight losses at Nashville.

Yes, the Predators got a point. That is the positive.

Losing to a team like Columbus is the major negative. In a word, it is embarrassing.

Actually, two words. Unacceptable.

Sloppy play has been the hallmark of the Predators in the last two games. Tonight, their poor play bit them in the ass. Frankly, the Predators got what they deserved in this contest.

The Predators got David Legwand back in the lineup, and Head Coach Barry Trotz inserted him as the center between Patric Hornqvist and Colin Wilson, breaking up the dynamic line of Hornqvist, Wilson, and Craig Smith. Legwand was generally ineffective with his line mates, and in the third period, Smith was reunited with his line. This line should have never been disbanded, and in doing so, the offensive effort suffered.

The Predators have lost their identity in the last two games. The team has tried to be cute and play a finesse game rather than their blue collar style of hockey. Tonight, when they played their game, they were effective. Too often, they deviated from that game and it cost them a win.

Hopefully this team has learned their lesson about what it takes to be successful. They did not do that consistently in this game.

Keep on being inconsistent in your play, and there will be more embarrassing losses.

My three stars:

1. Curtis Sanford

2. Colin Wilson

3. James Wisniewski

Can the Culture of Hockey Change?

 

The 2010 hockey season is not yet a week old and already two incidents have occurred which have put a negative spotlight on the play on the ice. While each incident is different in nature, there is a common thread that ties the two events together.

One incident is all too painfully familiar to hockey fans. Jason Pominville of the Buffalo Sabres was brutally run into the boards from behind by Chicago's Niklas Hjalmarsson. Pominville would leave the game on a stretcher, suffering from a concussion and requiring 8 stitches to close a gash above his eye.

In the other incident, the New York Islanders James Wisniewski made an obscene gesture toward the New York Rangers resident pest Sean Avery. There was no doubt what the gesture meant and there was no doubt that it was obscene.

The result of both on ice incidents was a two game suspension for both Hjalmarrson and Wisniewski.

The thread that ties the two incidents together?

A lack of respect.

For the game and for the players by the players.

One could argue that what occurred in the the two games are totally unrelated. I think they are intrinsically related because in each incident a player failed to respect their opponent. In failing to respect their opponent, both Hjalmarrson and Wisniewski sullied the game we all love.

Yes, the results of the actions of Hjalmarsson and Wisniewski were decidedly different, but in my view, the root cause was the same.

Disrespect.

Look at the commonality in each incident. In the case of the Hjalmarsson's hit, a defenseless player was viciously run from behind. Pominville did not have the puck, and the blind side hit had the potential to do serious damage. As it is, Pominville was lucky not to be injured more seriously, but is out indefinitely.

Hjalmarrson said the right things after the game. He was sorry, hated to see someone injured, just trying to be physical- the standard platitudes that we hear all too often after this type of hit.

Some have said that Pominville was at fault (?) because he didn't protect himself, because he was floating along the boards and skating backwards. The fact remains that Pominville did not have the puck and was in a vulnerable position.

After the game, Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, Pominville's team mate, said, "...you have to change the culture some time, and I hope the League sets a precedent for the year."

Two games for injuring a player with a vicious hit is probably not the precedent that Miller had in mind.

In the Islanders/Rangers game, Sean Avery was being his usual irritating self. After a stoppage in play, Wisniewski and Avery were exchanging words when Wisniewski made the overt and obvious gesture toward Avery. Everyone that saw it knew exactly what the gesture meant.

I will admit that my first thought was that it was funny and that Avery surely deserved it.

Those thoughts were immediately replaced with how I would explain that to my 11 year old son if he was sitting at that game and saw what Wisniewski had done. The game was an afternoon matinee game on Columbus day, and I am certain that some children had to be in attendance. Even if they weren't at the game, the subsequent media coverage made it difficult to ignore.

I should perfectly clear at this point. I love the physical play of hockey. A great open ice hit- cleanly done- revs me up about as much as my team scoring a goal. I do not want to see the physical aspect of hockey relegated out of the game.

I also know that chirping and trash talk goes on all the time. That is part and parcel of competitive athletics. I don't expect that to go away either.

What has to happen to keep physical play from crossing the line and jeopardizing the health of the athletes we admire is a healthy dose of respect. What has to happen to keep the chirping from attempting to get under the skin of an opponent to becoming obscene is respect.

Respect for an opponent's health. Respect for the game.

And respect for the fans.

Respect does not mean that physical play is removed from the game. Respect does not mean forgoing an attempt to get a mental edge. Respect does not mean that a player puts it all on the line to win a game.

However, respect establishes the firm boundaries of physical play and behavior on the ice.

A lack of respect creates the gray areas in which players are unsure of themselves and what they should do on the ice. A lack of respect for players and for the game causes some to step over the line with their physical play and their behavior after the whistle.

Without the firm boundaries that respect establishes, anything goes on the ice.

So can the culture of hockey change? Can the game evolve where players do not run a vulnerable player on the boards? Can they be feisty without crossing the line into the obscene?

Yes.

It starts at the top, though. If Wisniewski's obscene gesture is worthy of a two game suspension, how much more should Hjalmarsson's hit be suspension worthy? What the League has said is that they do not respect the players enough to appropriately punish a dangerous hit. In effect, a hit that could have permanently injured a player is no worse than a crude school yard gesture from one player toward another.

That has to change.

Players have to know that the League is consistent, fair, and intolerant of dangerous hits. Players need to know that there are no gray areas with these types of hits.

Players also have to respect the game and the fans that support them. It's fine that Wisniewski got suspended for his gesture. He disrespected the game and the fans of the game.

When the League send the message that disrespect of the game- and its fans- is no different than potentially injuring a player permanently, then respect for the players will continue to be inadequate.

And the culture of hockey will never change.