The Nashville Predators have been relegated to the role of spoiler as the season winds down, and they were in Detroit not only attempting to win their second game in a row but put a dent in the Red Wings playoff chances.
While the Red Wings were playing with a sense of urgency, the Predators could play loose and continue to audition some of their young players.
One of those would be Joonas Rask, who was called up from Milwaukee and was appearing in his first NHL game.
The Predators went with Chris Mason in net, while workhorse Jimmy Howard was in goal for the Wings.
The Predators welcomed back Mike Fisher, who has been out with an injury, and he made his presence felt early as he tallied the first goal of the game off a nice feed from Rich Clune.
The Wings answered with Valtteri Filppula getting free in the low slot and beating Mason with a quick wrist shot.
The Predators took a 2-1 lead on the power play as Shea Weber shoveled the puck to the front of the net. Mike Fisher was in front battling and Craig Smith took a shot that Howard stopped. Smith got his rebound and roofed the puck past Howard.
The first period ended with the Predators leading 2-1 but having to kill off 57 seconds of a Detroit power play to start the second period.
The Wings tied the game just 1:01 into the second period as the power play had just expired. Johan Franzen gathered in a rebound and roofed a shot from a sharp angle.
Patrick Eaves got lost by the Predators defense and whipped a one timer past mason from the face off circle to give the Wings a 3-2 lead. Eaves was all alone as the defense broke down and lost track of the forward in a dangerous scoring position.
The Predators kept playing with fire by taking penalties, and the it burnt them as late in the period the Predators were once again down a man and Pavel Datsyuk skated the puck into the zone and blistered a shot past a screened Chris Mason to make it 4-2.
The Predators gave up 3 goals in the second period through some miscues and sloppy play. If they were going to have a chance to get back into the game, they were going to have to elevate their play.
Through two periods, the Wings had out shot the Predators 25-15.
The injury bug continued to bedevil the Predators, as they lost Matt Halischuk in the second period and for the rest of the game with an upper body injury.
The Predators attempted to get back into the game with some good pressure in the Wings zone but could not get a puck past Howard.
Justin Abdelkader extended the Wings lead to 5-2 late in the period as he buried a rebound past Mason, and any hope the Predators had of climbing back into this game were squelched with that goal.
The game ended with that score as the Predators wilted down the stretch in face of the pressure from a desperate Wings team playing with greater urgency.
Some observations:
Messy Mistakes
The Predators made a game of it early with solid play and good pressure in the Wings zone, but as the game wore on, their mistakes cost them dearly. Too many penalties and some blown coverage in the defensive zone allowed the Wings to get back in the game. Part of this is the presence of the new guys in the line up, and losing Halishcuk in the second period further jumbled the forward lines which didn't help the effort. The Wings were hungry and focused, and they capitalized on the mistakes the Predators made.
Welcome Back Mike
Mike Fisher returned to the line up and made his presence felt with the first goal of the game and was battling all night. It was good to see Fisher back and his effort and leadership on the ice will be a benefit to the young players.
Smith Shows Up
Craig Smith had a goal and an assist, his first points in...forever. Smith played with good jump and went to the hard area in front of the net for his goal. Smith has had a brutal season, but he has not stopped hustling and working. He has the potential to be a very good winger, but this season has been forgettable. hopefully, this is just a very bad sophomore slump and that these points will give him some confidence and get him untracked.
Gotta Have More
David Legwand has 21:18 of ice time; Sergei Kostitsyn had 19:08, the most among the forwards. They combined for 2 shots on goal. The Predators have to get more from these veteran forwards if they are going to be in any game. Tonight, they were invisible, and their offensive drought contributed to the Predators lack of production.
Final Thoughts
The result was about as expected as a team that is fighting to get into the playoffs matched up against a patchwork lineup. The effort by the Predators was spotty and the mistakes were costly. The Predators have one more chance to try to salve some wounds from this awful season.
Hope you bring it, boys.
My three stars;
1. Jimmy Howard
2. Pavel Datsyuk
3. Craig Smith
Showing posts with label Johan Franzen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Johan Franzen. Show all posts
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Friday, April 13, 2012
Predators Fail to Finish, Fall to Wings 3-2
The Nashville Predators found out that they have a war in their series with the Detroit Red Wings as the Wings captured a 3-2 win at the Bridgestone Arena to even their series at one game for each team.
For the Predators, they found out that matching the intensity of their opponent is essential to winning a critical game. Failing to do so resulted in losing puck battles and failing to finish chances.
And it allowed the Wings the opportunity to even the series heading back to the Joe.
Pekka Rinne got the start in net and he wasn't sharp. He gave up 2 goals on 8 shots in the first period as the Predators found themselves in a 2-0 deficit at the end of one period.
Ian White opened the scoring for the Wings as his shot through traffic found the back of the net at 8:25 of the first period. Rinne seemed to lose the puck through traffic, and the goal energized the Wings.
They capitalized on that momentum with a goal from Cory Emmerton at 15:33 of the first as his wrist shot beat Rinne cleanly over his shoulder to give the Wings a 2-0 lead.
The Wings did a good job of disrupting the offensive flow of the Predators throughout the first period and for the bulk of the game. The Predators struggled to establish their offense in the zone, and when they did, Jimmy Howard made some good saves to stymie the Predators offense.
The Predators finally broke through and tallied a marker at 9:01 of the second period as Alexander Radulov got the puck to Andrei Kostitsyn and he buried his chance to make it 2-1.
Finally, the Predators had life, the arena was rocking, and the momentum was with the Predators.
That changed just 56 seconds later as Johan Franzen potted a goal that appeared to completely elude Rinne and made the score 3-1 Red Wings.
The Predators cut the deficit to 3-2 as Shea Weber tallied his first goal of the series with a backhand shot from the slot at 15:16 of the third period.
The Predators were not able to find the back of the net in the remaining time, and the Wings had tied the series at 1.
For the Predators, this loss had to be extremely disappointing. Throughout the night, they lost puck battles and were ineffective moving through the neutral zone. In the offensive zone, they could not finish. For the night, the Predators out shot the Wings 26-17, but their inability to finish chances doomed them in this contest.
The Predators power play was once again impotent. The power play went 0-6, and if this is not corrected soon, will spell immense trouble for the Predators. Often, the power play was stagnant, with players not moving to the open lanes and shots not getting on net.
Detroit's designated thug, Todd Bertuzzi, fought Shea Weber early in the game as retribution for Weber's hit on Henrik Zetterberg in game one. Bertuzzi was busy grabbing at Weber and hoping he did not get hit. A meaningless fight that served no purpose in the game, but one that the Wings felt they needed to engage in to respond to Weber's hit.
Several concerns are present for the Predators. Their power play has to start clicking for them to capture this series. Presently, the power play is not a plus for the Predators, and after the effectiveness of the regular season, this is troubling. The man advantage unit has to simplify their game and get shots on net rather than waiting for the pretty play. Through two games, the power play is 0-12.
The Predators need to finish their chances. They had them tonight and failed to capitalize. Finish the chances and Detroit is looking a t a 2-0 deficit.
It is imperative that the line of Mike Fisher, Sergei Kostitsyn, and Marty Erat start tot step up their game. They have been invisible in the first two games, and for the Predators to have success, they must produce. Through two games, they have combined for 10 shots and no points. This has to change for the Predators to have success. And the change needs to occur immediately.
The Predators have and opportunity to rebound and take the series lead with the next game on Sunday at Joe Louis Arena.
It is a simple task.
Be strong on the puck and get shots on net. Finish your chances.
And take control of the series.
My three stars:
1. Jimmy Howard
2. Johan Franzen
3. Shea Weber
For the Predators, they found out that matching the intensity of their opponent is essential to winning a critical game. Failing to do so resulted in losing puck battles and failing to finish chances.
And it allowed the Wings the opportunity to even the series heading back to the Joe.
Pekka Rinne got the start in net and he wasn't sharp. He gave up 2 goals on 8 shots in the first period as the Predators found themselves in a 2-0 deficit at the end of one period.
Ian White opened the scoring for the Wings as his shot through traffic found the back of the net at 8:25 of the first period. Rinne seemed to lose the puck through traffic, and the goal energized the Wings.
They capitalized on that momentum with a goal from Cory Emmerton at 15:33 of the first as his wrist shot beat Rinne cleanly over his shoulder to give the Wings a 2-0 lead.
The Wings did a good job of disrupting the offensive flow of the Predators throughout the first period and for the bulk of the game. The Predators struggled to establish their offense in the zone, and when they did, Jimmy Howard made some good saves to stymie the Predators offense.
The Predators finally broke through and tallied a marker at 9:01 of the second period as Alexander Radulov got the puck to Andrei Kostitsyn and he buried his chance to make it 2-1.
Finally, the Predators had life, the arena was rocking, and the momentum was with the Predators.
That changed just 56 seconds later as Johan Franzen potted a goal that appeared to completely elude Rinne and made the score 3-1 Red Wings.
The Predators cut the deficit to 3-2 as Shea Weber tallied his first goal of the series with a backhand shot from the slot at 15:16 of the third period.
The Predators were not able to find the back of the net in the remaining time, and the Wings had tied the series at 1.
For the Predators, this loss had to be extremely disappointing. Throughout the night, they lost puck battles and were ineffective moving through the neutral zone. In the offensive zone, they could not finish. For the night, the Predators out shot the Wings 26-17, but their inability to finish chances doomed them in this contest.
The Predators power play was once again impotent. The power play went 0-6, and if this is not corrected soon, will spell immense trouble for the Predators. Often, the power play was stagnant, with players not moving to the open lanes and shots not getting on net.
Detroit's designated thug, Todd Bertuzzi, fought Shea Weber early in the game as retribution for Weber's hit on Henrik Zetterberg in game one. Bertuzzi was busy grabbing at Weber and hoping he did not get hit. A meaningless fight that served no purpose in the game, but one that the Wings felt they needed to engage in to respond to Weber's hit.
Several concerns are present for the Predators. Their power play has to start clicking for them to capture this series. Presently, the power play is not a plus for the Predators, and after the effectiveness of the regular season, this is troubling. The man advantage unit has to simplify their game and get shots on net rather than waiting for the pretty play. Through two games, the power play is 0-12.
The Predators need to finish their chances. They had them tonight and failed to capitalize. Finish the chances and Detroit is looking a t a 2-0 deficit.
It is imperative that the line of Mike Fisher, Sergei Kostitsyn, and Marty Erat start tot step up their game. They have been invisible in the first two games, and for the Predators to have success, they must produce. Through two games, they have combined for 10 shots and no points. This has to change for the Predators to have success. And the change needs to occur immediately.
The Predators have and opportunity to rebound and take the series lead with the next game on Sunday at Joe Louis Arena.
It is a simple task.
Be strong on the puck and get shots on net. Finish your chances.
And take control of the series.
My three stars:
1. Jimmy Howard
2. Johan Franzen
3. Shea Weber
Friday, February 17, 2012
Red Wings Eke Out a 2-1 Win Over the Predators
The Nashville Predators looked to end the Detroit Red Wings 21 game home winning streak at the Joe in a contest between two Central Division foes fighting for division and conference supremacy. The Wings home winning streak was nothing short of amazing, and the Predators faced a daunting task trying to derail the home juggernaut that was Detroit.
Pekka Rinne got the start in net for the Predators, while Joey MacDonald, doing an admirable job filling in for the injured Jimmy Howard, manned the pipes for the Wings.
The Predators were playing without Patric Hornqvist, who was placed on injured reserve today with an upper body injury suffered in the game with the Boston Bruins. The Wings were missing Patric Eaves and Dan Cleary.
The Predators and the Wings both generated some good scoring chances, and both goaltenders were equal to the task that the opposing offenses presented. That changed at 12:44 of the first as the Predators defense left Johan Franzen alone in the low slot and the feed from Todd Bertuzzi was on his tape, allowing him to bury a quick wrist shot behind Rinne for a 1-0 Detroit lead.
The first period ended with the score 1-0 and the Wings recording 14 shots on goal to 9 for Nashville.
One mistake, and the Predators found the puck in the back of their net.
While not a bad period for the Predators, their offensive effort was going to have to improve with more shots and quality shots.
The second period, long a bane for the Predators, saw them out work, out hit, and out hustle the Wings. The Predators forecheck was working, bottling the Wings up in their zone and creating chances. The Predators best scoring chance came on a set up from Sergei Kostitsyn that sent Marty Erat in alone on MacDonald. Unfortunately for the Predators, MacDonald stopped the glorious scoring chance, as he had done so far during the game.
The Predators finally broke through at 14:58 of the second as Jordin Tootoo stole the puck from Jakob Kindl and fed Nick Spaling in front of the MacDonald. Spaling cashed in on the chance, tying the game at 1.
For the Predators, this had to be a big relief. Lots of chances and unable to beat MacDonald, the pressure was mounting.
The period ended tied at 1; Nashville had 8 shots on goal in the second, while Detroit had 7.
This presaged a third period that would be a battle.
And a battle it was. Both teams went up and down the ice, created chances, but could not finish.
That would change with just 5 seconds to go as Pavel Datsyuk broke in on a breakaway and beat Rinne over his shoulder to take a 2-1 lead, which would be the final score.
Let's face it, the Wings are the best team in the NHL, and the Predators competed and gave them all they wanted for the duration of the game. The Wings were just a little bit better tonight, but a little bit means a big difference in the outcome of a game like this.
I thought the effort by the Predators was solid. They forechecked well, were solid on defense, and except for two plays, could have won this game.
Yet those two plays were the difference, and those are the plays that elite teams make.
If I were to criticize any aspect of the Predators game, it was that they did not finish their chances. They had 4 breakaway attempts, none of which they could bury. They had some good scoring chances at even strength and could not finish. This is something that has to improve for this team.
This was at least one point the Predators gave away. That is painful.
The thing the Predators have to do now is learn from that pain and channel it. Use it to start another winning streak.
And don't let another team eke out a win.
My three stars:
1. Pavel Datsyuk
2. Nick Spaling
3. Johan Franzen
Pekka Rinne got the start in net for the Predators, while Joey MacDonald, doing an admirable job filling in for the injured Jimmy Howard, manned the pipes for the Wings.
The Predators were playing without Patric Hornqvist, who was placed on injured reserve today with an upper body injury suffered in the game with the Boston Bruins. The Wings were missing Patric Eaves and Dan Cleary.
The Predators and the Wings both generated some good scoring chances, and both goaltenders were equal to the task that the opposing offenses presented. That changed at 12:44 of the first as the Predators defense left Johan Franzen alone in the low slot and the feed from Todd Bertuzzi was on his tape, allowing him to bury a quick wrist shot behind Rinne for a 1-0 Detroit lead.
The first period ended with the score 1-0 and the Wings recording 14 shots on goal to 9 for Nashville.
One mistake, and the Predators found the puck in the back of their net.
While not a bad period for the Predators, their offensive effort was going to have to improve with more shots and quality shots.
The second period, long a bane for the Predators, saw them out work, out hit, and out hustle the Wings. The Predators forecheck was working, bottling the Wings up in their zone and creating chances. The Predators best scoring chance came on a set up from Sergei Kostitsyn that sent Marty Erat in alone on MacDonald. Unfortunately for the Predators, MacDonald stopped the glorious scoring chance, as he had done so far during the game.
The Predators finally broke through at 14:58 of the second as Jordin Tootoo stole the puck from Jakob Kindl and fed Nick Spaling in front of the MacDonald. Spaling cashed in on the chance, tying the game at 1.
For the Predators, this had to be a big relief. Lots of chances and unable to beat MacDonald, the pressure was mounting.
The period ended tied at 1; Nashville had 8 shots on goal in the second, while Detroit had 7.
This presaged a third period that would be a battle.
And a battle it was. Both teams went up and down the ice, created chances, but could not finish.
That would change with just 5 seconds to go as Pavel Datsyuk broke in on a breakaway and beat Rinne over his shoulder to take a 2-1 lead, which would be the final score.
Let's face it, the Wings are the best team in the NHL, and the Predators competed and gave them all they wanted for the duration of the game. The Wings were just a little bit better tonight, but a little bit means a big difference in the outcome of a game like this.
I thought the effort by the Predators was solid. They forechecked well, were solid on defense, and except for two plays, could have won this game.
Yet those two plays were the difference, and those are the plays that elite teams make.
If I were to criticize any aspect of the Predators game, it was that they did not finish their chances. They had 4 breakaway attempts, none of which they could bury. They had some good scoring chances at even strength and could not finish. This is something that has to improve for this team.
This was at least one point the Predators gave away. That is painful.
The thing the Predators have to do now is learn from that pain and channel it. Use it to start another winning streak.
And don't let another team eke out a win.
My three stars:
1. Pavel Datsyuk
2. Nick Spaling
3. Johan Franzen
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