Predators Blow 2 Leads and 2 points, Fall In Shootout to the Canucks

The Nashville Predators had a prime opportunity to extend their Central Division lead to 5 points by taking care of business against the Vancouver Canucks at the Bridgestone Arena.

The Canucks had played a hard game against the St. Louis Blues the night before, while the Predators had the day off.

The Predators pissed away a point, however, blowing leads twice in the game before losing in a shootout 5-4.

I frankly am pretty disgusted. If you want the box score, you can get it here.

Some observations:

• This team continues to amaze me at their lack of killer instinct. After a dominant first period that saw the Predators go to the locker room with a 2 goal lead, they were terrible in the second period. The Canucks first goal never should have happened as Pekka Rinne was beaten five hole on an easily stoppable shot. And to give up a shorthanded goal after a brutal Seth Jones turnover at the start of the third is inexcusable. When you have a team, a tired team, down you don't let them back into the game. This is a matter of will over skill, and the Predators lack of intensity and will is disturbing. The playoffs are all about will and grit, and this team seems to be coming up short in that area.
• That said, it seems that this team isn't comfortable playing with a lead but will battle like hell to get back into a game. I appreciate the compete level when they are behind, but when you have leads, don't get behind. Protect those leads and amp up your intensity level. Instead, the Predators seem to sit back and let Rinne stop shots (think the Ducks game earlier this month). And when Rinne struggles, like he did tonight, this team is in trouble.
• Rinne was not sharp tonight. Both of the second period goals were goals that Rinne usually eats up. This team leans so heavily on Rinne, and when his game is off, they struggle mightily.
• The power play continues to baffle me. We score a power play goal from Cody Franson and then the man advantage unit goes cold. This killed the team when they had a 5 minute power play late in the third and one minute into overtime. Five minutes of power play time and we managed 4 shots. This unit continues to worry me and I still feel that this will be a serious problem in the playoffs. One aspect of this unit that puzzles me is the continued inconsistency of getting traffic in front of the opposing goaltender. The Preds tried using Taylor Beck and Gabriel Bourque on the power play to do that but there were long stretches where they weren't on the ice. Bombing shots from the point toward an unscreened netminder is rarely going to get you a goal, but this seems to be the only strategy for this unit.
• Vancouver played a chippy game and Kevin Bieksa was a classless piece of crap, yapping at an injured Paul Gaustad. Bieksa was given a game misconduct for his classless antics.
• Mike Fisher had a 3 point night with a goal and two assists. Fisher now has 19 goals on the season. If you had told me that the team would get that kind of production from Fish after rupturing his Achilles tendon in the offseason, I would have seriously doubted you. I am impressed with the effort Fisher brings to the ice every night. Some other players need to follow suit.
• Seth Jones is...an adventure. He will make an outstanding play and will next shift make a brutal play. His turnover at the Predators blue line while on the power play set up Alex Burrows shorthanded goal. Consistency is definitely an issue for Seth.
• Shea Weber missed his third game with a lower body injury.
• Roman Josi continues to impress. His level of play has been solid all season and he has elevated his game of late. Josi had 8 points (4G-4A) in his last 9 games. he had 30:16 of ice time tonight.
• The Predators were 6-7-2 in March. This trend has to get back on an upswing before the playoffs.

I continue to believe this team has the potential to go far in the playoffs. But if they cannot hold leads and up their intensity level for 60 minutes, the time in the playoffs could be short.

My three stars:

1. Eddie Lack

2. Mike Fisher

3. Alex Burrows

Forsberg's Two Goals Lead the Predators Past the Canucks 3-1

The Nashville Predators continued their six game road trip with a stop at Rogers Arena to take on the Vancouver Canucks.


So far, the Predators are 1-1 on the trip and were looking to re-establish their momentum after dropping their last game at Calgary.


Pekka Rinne was in net for the Predators, while the Canucks had Eddie Lack between the pipes.


Once again, the Predators special teams proved they are not so special. With Shea Weber in the box, Alex Edler fired a shot off the cross bar that hit Rinne in the back and bounced into the net at 11:10 of the first period.


Hey, maybe the Predators special teams are kinda special after all. With the Canucks serving a too many men on the ice penalty, Fillip Forsberg flipped a puck that was going wide of the net but it hit the skate of Dan Hamhuis and ricocheted past Lack to tie the game at 1 at 1:38 of the second period.


Although the remainder of the second period was scoreless, the Predators brought the attack to the Canucks. They out shot the Canucks 11-3 and kept the play in the Canucks zone for most of the period.


The roles of the teams reversed as the third period opened, with the Canucks attacking the Predators and forcing them back on their heels. They opened the period out shooting the Predators 7-2 through the first 6:30.


The Predators swung momentum back their way when James Neal made a strong drive to the net and put a shot on Lack. Lack couldn't control the rebound and Forsberg, who was in the slot, flipped the puck over the shoulder of Lack to make it 2-1 at 6:57 of the third. The goal was made possible by Neal using his strength and speed to get around Edler and make a strong move to the net.


Colin Wilson gave the Predators some breathing room as he sniped a shot short side over the shoulder of Lack to make it 3-1 at 18:17 of the third. The play was set up by a strong cycle in the corner from Forsberg.


That was it for the scoring as the Predators got back to playing a solid road game and skated away with the victory.


Some observations:

• Both teams were missing players due to suspensions handed out by the NHL. The Predators would be without Anton Volchenkov for four games, while the Canucks would not have the services of Alex Burrows for three games. This game was the first of the suspension period for each player.

• Victor Bartley saw his first action of the season on the blue line for the Predators, filling in for Volchenkov. Bartley was paired with Seth Jones on the second D pairing.

• Lord have mercy, Rinne had to make some great saves in the first period to keep the Canucks from blowing this game wide open.

• Today was Matt Cullen's 38th birthday.

• Filip Forsberg has incredible hockey sense. He can go to the tough areas and avoid most of the serious contact and is masterful at handling the puck. His first goal was lucky, but his second was a strong play. he drove the slot, picked up the rebound in close, and was able to elevate the puck over the shoulder of Lack. A veteran play that he- more importantly- finished.

• Gabriel Bourque has been held off the score sheet for most of the season. But after being a healthy scratch for several games, he has been inserted back into the lineup and is playing with a lot of jump. He brings speed and energy to his line, and hopefully he finds his scoring touch that he had his rookie season.

• Colin Wilson has quietly been playing some solid hockey. Head Coach Peter Laviolette moved him up and down the lineup tonight and it paid dividends. Wilson's goal was a thing of beauty, finding a very narrow space for the score.

• The Predators out shot the Canucks 33-27, recording 11 shots in each period. It is refreshing to see this team continuing to consistently push the play irrespective of the score of the game. Hopefully gone are the days where the Predators would go into the third period with a one goal lead and do nothing but sit back and play defense and hope Rinne could shut the door. I would imagine Rinne likes this style of play much better.

The encouraging characteristic of this team is the consistency of play. In most games so far this season, the Predators have consistently put the puck on net and have been aggressive in the offensive zone. This is a winning formula.


A nice rebound by the team after the loss to Calgary.


Now to keep the momentum going.


My three stars:


1. Filip Forsburg


2. James Neal


3. Pekka Rinne

Canucks Crush the Predators 5-2

The Vancouver Canucks rolled into Bridgestone Arena and rolled over the Nashville Predators 5-2. It was not without a fight, literally and figuratively.

The Predators competed well as the mix and match lines of call ups and regulars brought a good effort, out shooting the Canucks 38-24, but once again, the inability to finish haunted the Predators.

After falling behind 2-0 after one period on goals by Ryan Kessler and Derek Roy, the Predators fought back in the second period to tie the game. Sergei Kostitsyn set up the first goal by controlling the puck behind the Vancover net. He found Nick Spaling in the low slot, and Spals one timer beat Roberto Luongo over his glove to make it 2-1.

The Predators tied the game at 2 as Bobby Butler drove to the face off circle and rifled a shot that beat Luongo to the far post.

The Canucks took a 3-2 lead after a brutal roughing call against Hal Gill. Alex Burrows slashed Gill at least 6 times with no call, but Gill was called for the penalty after taking Biting Burrows to the ice at the side of the Predators net.

Vancouver scored almost immediately on the power play as Jason Garrison notched a goal just 6 seconds into the man advantage.

The Canucks added 2 goals in the third period to make it 5-2 before the officials (Dan O'Halloran and Mike Leggo) lost control of the game with 3 minutes left. After a brawl that saw players on both sides ejected with game misconducts, the clock ran out and the Predators skid continued.

Some observations:

Gotta Finish

The Predators poured 19 shots on Luongo in the second period and had 14 more shots than the Canucks for the game. That is the positive. The negative is that they could not finish their chances, and part of this is that the Predators need more traffic in front of the net. At times, they did this, but too often, a presence in front of the net was missing. Shots from the point were mostly handled by Luongo, and the Predators need to do a better job of taking away the clean looks that opposing netminders are getting.

Bang For The Buck

Outside of Rich Clune, the Predators need someone that can bang and hit and be an overall shift disturber. Daniel Bang has shown flashes of being able to be that physical presence. He is a big body and doesn't seem to mind the contact. As he settles in, the hope is that he will become more of a physical presence.

Butler Starts to Shine

Bobby Butler has the tools, but he needs to consistently apply his talent. over the past few games, he has begun to play with confidence, battling for the puck, using his speed, and he has a deceptively good shot that we saw tonight. If Butler can continue to elevate his game, he is going to make a strong case to stay on the roster next season.

Captain Courageous

I liked the response of Shea Weber to the cross check on Rinne. The Canucks are notorious for the cheap and borderline dirty play, and the way you stop it is the way Webs responded. Swift, sure, and certain. Touch our goalie in a cheap way like the Canucks did and pay the price. A character move by the Captain.

Final Thoughts

The Predators will get no sympathy form the teams that remain on the schedule, and Predator fans are going to endure a rough and dismal stretch as injuries have decimated this team. But what you want to see is a strong compete level and a response to adversity. You want to see the call ups step up and contribute in all situations. They have been doing that, and although there is a significant talent gap for the Predators, one cannot fault the effort.

This is what this team can build upon for next season.

Character forged in difficult circumstances.

My three stars:

1. Ryan Kessler

2. Roberto Luongo

3.Daniel Sedin

Vancouver Slips Past the Predators in a Shootout 4-3

Two plays.

Two plays victimized the Predators in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks at the Bridgestone Arena. Two defensive breakdowns led to two quick first period goals by the Canucks en route to a 3-1 first period lead. The Predators fought back to force the shootout, but fell in the sixth round to the Canucks as the visitors won the shootout 2-1.

Pekka Rinne got the start in net for the Predators, and he gave up the first goal of the game with Vancouver on a power play. Ryan Kessler beat Rinne with a snap shot from just inside the face off circle at 11:42 of the first period. To this point in the game, the Predators had out shot the Canucks 9-3.

The Predators answered at 13:47 of the first as Colin Wilson took a pass from David Legwand and fired a wrist shot a Roberto Luongo. Bobby Lou let the puck slip between his arm and his body for the tying goal.

With the home crowd in full throat and momentum with the Predators, it appeared as if they had an opportunity to get control of the game.

That is when the first of two bad plays by the Predators occurred.

The Predators were caught in a bad line change and the Canucks capitalized. Byron Bitz scored off a feed from Henrik Sedin as he walked in on Rinne and beat him with a quick wrist shot. The Predators defensive coverage was not in position, and the Canucks made them pay for the mistake at 18:21.

Just 23 seconds later, Daniel Sedin split the defense of Kevin Klein and Roman Josi and buried a shot from the low slot to give the Canucks a 3-1 lead.

Two bad plays, two goals, and another hole for the Predators.

This is the Predators, however, a team that fears no deficit.

The Predators had mounted good pressure against Luongo and the Canucks defense in the first period, and they continued to pressure the Canucks in the second. Time to chip away and get back in the game.

That is exactly what they did just 4:14 into the second period. Kevin Klein took a shot from the blue line, and it hit the skate of Sergei Kostitsyn, who was cutting across the slot. The puck re-directed off the skate of Kostitsyn and past Luongo. After a brief review, the goal was called good by the replay officials and the Predators trailed 3-2.

The Predators would tie the game at 3 at 5:16 of the second as Shea Weber took a shot from the blue line that hit Mike Fisher and squirted between the pads of Luongo. As Luongo moved, the puck was deflected off his leg and trickled over the goal line.

The ability of the Predators to battle back from another deficit, especially against a great team like the Canucks was heartening. It just felt as if the Predators momentum would carry them to a goal that would give them the lead.

It was not to be as both goalies took over the game. Both Rinne and Luongo made some big saves in the remainder of the second period as well as the third period to keep the game knotted at 3. There were times where the Predators controlled the puck in the Vancouver zone and created some good chances, but could not solve Luongo.

The same held true for the Canucks, as they used their excellent cycling ability to control the puck and create some chances. Rinne was up to the task, and the game went to overtime.

In the overtime period, the Predators controlled the puck and had 3 shots on goal, while the Canucks managed 2. Neither team found the net. For the game, the Predators out shot the Canucks 40-31.

In the shootout, Rinne stopped Mason Raymond and Ryan Kessler before Alexander Burrows scored off a nice backhand move. Luongo stopped Sergei Kostitsyn and Martin Erat missed the net. With the game on the line, David Legwand beat Luongo with a backhand to extend the shootout.

Rinne stoned Daniel Sedin and Cody Hodgson before Alex Edler beat him five hole. Luongo stopped Ryan Ellis and Mike Fisher.

With the game on the line, Colin Wilson beat Luongo with a backhand but the puck just went outside the far post, and the Canucks escaped with a 4-3 win.

Vancouver is one of the elite teams in the NHL, and for the Predators to battle back and force the shootout speaks volumes about their effort and their compete level. Two bad plays bit the Predators, and against an opponent the caliber of the Canucks, that can- and did- cost the game.

I especially was impressed with the play of Sergei Kostitsyn. He battled hard all night, hustled, and his effort on a back check prevented a very good scoring chance for the Canucks.

Although the Predators failed to put away the Canucks, there are positives to take away from this game. The ability to battle back against a quality opponent like the Canucks speaks volumes about the heart and character of this team. This team believes in themselves and in their ability to win every game. That is evident by the way they refused to wilt in the face of the Canucks pressure and their early lead.

Limit the mistakes, the bad plays, and the Predators will not have an opponent slip past them.

My three stars:

1. Byron Bitz

2. Sergei Kostitsyn

3. Roberto Luongo

Canucks Down the Predators 4-2; Take Control of the Series 3-1

The Nashville Predators put up a valiant effort before falling to the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 at the Bridgestone Arena. The Canucks now lead the series 3-1 and can close out the Predators in Vancouver on Saturday night.

The Predators opened with good jump and pressured the Canucks early in the contest. They were unable to get any pucks past Vancouver netminder Roberto Luongo, while his counterpart, Pekka Rinne, was perfect in net for the Predators.

That would change at 15:04 of the first period as Christian Ehrhoff would launch a shot from the blue line. Rinne was clipped by Alex Burrows and the shot found the back of the net. There was no call on the play as it was deemed by referee Kelly Sutherland that the contact was incidental and that Rinne was outside the blue paint.

Definitely a questionable call, but the goal was allowed to stand.

Joel Ward would tie the game on the power play at 19:18 of the first period. Wardo was camped at the top of the blue paint and gathered in the rebound of a Cody Franson shot and put the puck through Luongo five hole.

The Canucks would take the lead at 9:43 of the second period as Alex Edler would pot his second goal of the playoffs with a wrist shot that beat Rinne.

The Predators answered at 3:27 of the third period as Cody Franson's bullet from the blue line eluded Luongo, and for a moment the officials. Everyone searched for the puck, and lo and behold it was in the back of the net. The tying score sent the partisan home crowd into a frenzy and gave the Predator faithful hope that they could tie the series.

That momentum would ebb away at 7:28 of the third with Ryan Suter in the box for holding, Ryan Kessler would tally a power play goal by splitting the defense and beating Rinne with a wrist shot to give the Canucks a 3-2 lead.

The Predators put good pressure on Luongo, but could not get a puck past him. With Rinne pulled for the extra attacker, Henrik Sedin scored an empty netter for the final margin of victory at 4-2.

The Predators lost Jerred Smithson after the first period after he took a Ryan Kessler elbow to the face. No call was made on the play, and the Predators were down a player that was a key part of their shutdown line. Smithson has already been called out for the game in Vancouver.

It's no secret that the Canucks are a good team. Heck, they are a great team. However, they are beatable if the Predators play their game.

Unfortunately for the Predators, their backs are now against the wall and they have one more opportunity to play their game. By the way, it will be in Vancouver in front of a raucous group of Canucklehead fans.

No small task, eh?

If the Predators focus on playing one game at a time, no, if they focus on playing one shift at a time, and battle the way they have done all season, then they have an opportunity to return the series to Nashville.

It is a steep hill, no doubt. But the Predators have climbed a steep hill all season.

The task is enormous, but the Predators cannot be daunted. They have to play balls to wall for one game. That is the priority. The Canucks are a worthy opponent.

So are we.

So here is your charge, boys.

Win one.

Bring it back to Nashville. Bring it back by playing all out. Win puck battles. Play smart. Play all out.

Play like there is no tomorrow.

Because there isn't.

Predators Cap Comeback Against the Canucks With 2-1 Double OT Win

After their first game no-show against the Vancouver Canucks, Nashville Predators Head Coach Barry Trotz said that his team would find out a lot about themselves in game 2 of their series.

So what did the Predators find out?

They are a team that is not flashy, but is all heart and grit as they fought to a 2-1 double overtime win against the Canucks at Rogers Centre. They showed the world what Predator nation has known all along: there is no quit in this team.

After standing around for most of game one and watching the Canucks dictate the pace of play, the Predators opened this game with lots of jump and took the battle to the Canucks. The Predators skated well and their forecheck was disruptive. They controlled the neutral zone, slowing the Canucks potent offensive attack. Most importantly, the Predators used their speed and attacking style to generate offensive chances.

Those offensive opportunities were thwarted by the Canucks Vezina candidate, Roberto Luongo. Bobby Lu was called upon to make several good stops, including some goal mouth scrambles that saw the Predators create some good scoring chances.

At the other end of the ice, Pekka Rinne did not have to work as hard as Luongo, but had to make some quality saves nevertheless. Rinne opened game 2 just as he had played in game one, with another solid effort in the net. For the period, the Predators outshot the Canucks 12-6, but despite good offensive effort had now gone 4 periods without netting a goal.

That trend would continue into the second period, as the Predators would outshoot the Canucks 9-4 but could not find the back of the net. Again, they created some good scoring chances, but could not solve Luongo.

Although the Canucks only had 4 shots on goal, one of them found the back of the net, and it was a shorthanded goal while the Predators were on the power play. Sergei Kostitsyn turned the puck over coming out of the Predators zone. Ryan Kessler picked up the puck and got it to Alex Burrows. Burrows took a shot that was blocked by Shea Weber, but got his rebound and put the puck past Rinne to give the Canucks a 1-0 lead at 2:00.

In the third period, the Predators kept up the attack, peppering Luongo with 15 shots to just 5 for the Canucks in the period. Despite the good pressure, it appeared as if this game would be another disappointing 1-0 loss as the Predators appeared unable to get anything past Luongo.

Until Ryan Suter altered the course of the game. He threw a shot at the front of the net from a bad angle behind the goal line. The shot hit Luongo skate and skittered over the goal line at 18:53 of the third. An improbable shot had an improbable result, and the Predators had tied the game to the shock of the Canucks and their raucous fans.

In the first overtime, the Canucks out shot the Predators 11-7, and Pekka Rinne was called upon to make some big saves to keep the Canucks off the board. Rinne absolutely robbed Kevin Bieksa on a breakaway attempt. He made several solid saves to keep the Predators hopes alive, and had another spectacular game in net.

Scoreless through the first overtime, the Predators were heading into the second OT period with a sense of confidence that they could take this game. The Canucks, however, were intent on exerting their will and were starting to take control of the contest, outshooting the Predators 7-3. Once again, Rinne made some big stops to hold the Canucks scoreless.

Oh yes, that third shot for the Predators. Ryan Suter picked up the puck in the neutral zone and got it to Nick Spaling. Spals drove down the left wing while Jerred Smithson drove to the front of the net. Spaling slid the puck to Matt Halischuk, who roofed a one-timer over the glove of Luongo for the game winner at 14:51 of the second OT period.

As unbelievable as it was to those in attendance at the Rogers Centre, as gut wrenching as it was to the Canucks, the Predators had evened their series at one.

The little team that could, did.

Big time.

The adjectives are often overused: resilient; gritty; heart; character. Yet they are adjectives that fit this team perfectly. A team that shows heart and doesn't have any quit in them.

A team that shouldn't be here, according to the pundits. A team that on paper isn't as good as the Canucks.

Never for a moment doubt the heart that beats inside the Predator sweater. A heart that doesn't quit and won't back down. Heart personified by a player like Marty Erat, who lost 4 teeth and suffered a cheap head shot in the opening series and came back. Who took a Shea Weber slapshot to the head in this game. And came back.

Call it heart, guts, or character.

This is what powers this team. A belief in themselves and what they will bring to the ice.

And this is what has brought them an improbable win and an opportunity to seize control of this series.

Predators Give Away a Game to the Canucks 2-1

The Nashville Predators completed a six game road trip by giving away a game to the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 2-1.

The Predators played two scoreless periods against the Canucks before taking a 1-0 lead just 37 seconds into the third period when Shea Weber potted his 9th goal of the season with a wrist shot over a sprawling Roberto Luongo.

That lead lasted until 10:39 of the period when Dan Hamhuis shot a puck toward the net that pinballed through traffic and laned at the feet of cheap shot artist Alex Burrows. Burrows was surrounded by three Predators but not tied up by any of them and was able to backhand the puck past Pekka Rinne.

Vancouver would tally the game winner as the Predators had the puck on the stick of Joel Ward with an opportunity for an easy clear. Instead, Ward fell and turned the puck over to Daniel Sedin. Sedin slid the puck to Lee Sweatt, playing in his first NHL game, and he blew a shot past Rinne.

The Predators has some opportunities late in the game, but could not get a puck past Luongo, and were left with the bitter taste of what might have been. Frankly, the Predators deserved better, but as has been their habit, they did not close out a game that they could have won.

Beyond two defensive breakdowns that cost them, the Predators were victimized by an impotent effort on the power play. The man advantage unit went 0 for 5 in this game. This has to change after the All Star break for the Predators to win these types of games.

I hate losing a game like this, and I know the team does even more than I. There are a lot of positives to take away from this road trip, and those are the aspects on which the team should focus. They won some tough games against quality opponents. The lineup at times was mix and match due to injuries, yet was competitive and productive. This group showed character and heart.

The break for the All Star competition comes at a much needed time. The team needs some rest and the time to allow some of the wounded warriors to return. The time will be good for the guys to relax and recharge their batteries and get focused on the remaining 32 games that lie ahead.

Know that in these remaining games, you are going to have to bring it, boys. Look at the positives of these first 50 games and build on them. Learn from the mistakes and tighten up your effort.

Get ready to bring it and make some noise in these last 32 games.

My three stars:

1. Lee Sweatt

2. Shea Weber

3. Roberto Luongo