There are all kinds of statistical measurements in a hockey game: goals against; PK percentage; Corsi; and others. One measure that is not quantified is "want to", how bad do you want to win a tough game. The Nashville Predators were lacking in "want to" for two periods, and it cost them in a 3-2 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes at the Bridgestone Arena.
For two periods, the Coyotes kept the Nashville offense effectively off stride, limiting entrance to the offensive zone and thwarting chances once they were inside the zone. When Nashville did generate chances, Ilya Bryzgalov was very strong and cleaned up most of the opportunities that the Predators had.
After a scoreless first period which saw Nashville generate 4 shots and Phoenix just 5, the second period opened eventfully, with Alexander Sulzer hauling down Shane Doan on a breakaway. Doan was awarded a penalty shot just 10 seconds into the period, and he was stoned by Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne.
Phoenix would seize the momentum and the advantage in the tight checking contest by potting two goals in just 58 seconds. Keith Yandle launched a shot from the blue line that looked like it was tipped and went past Rinne for the first tally of the contest. The goal was awarded to Yandle by the official scorer.
Less than a minute later, Taylor Pyatt walked out of the corner against Ryan Suter, who had lost his stick. Pyatt got past Suter and was uncontested as he skated just inside the face off circle. His wrist shot beat Rinne high over his shoulder to give the Coyotes a 2-0 lead.
The Predators would cut the lead to one as Sergei Kostitsyn would tally on the power play at 6:37 of the second. Kostitsyn took a pass from Mike Fisher in the low slot and roofed a shot over Bryzgalov to make it 2-1 Coyotes.
Late in the second period, Ryan Suter was run behind the net by Shane Doan. Suter did not have the puck and took a serious hit from Doan, which should have been a penalty. Nothing was called on the play, but Suter was called for unsportsmanlike conduct as he chirped at referee Chris Lee. More importantly, Suter suffered an upper body injury on the play and did not return to the contest. His status is unknown, according to Head Coach Barry Trotz.
Lauri Korpikoski would wire a shot past Rinne at 7:32 of the third period to give the Coyotes a 3-1. lead. On the play, the Predators turned the puck over on a failed clearing attempt, setting up Korpikoski for what would be the eventual game winner.
Mike Fisher appeared to have cut the lead to 3-2 as he rifled a shot past Bryzgalov at 13:28 of the third. The goal was waved off however, as Shane O'Brien was called for high sticking as he drove to the net. The Predator fans were chagrined at the no goal call, but it was legitimate, as O'Brien got his stick up high on a Coyotes defenseman.
The Predators would cut the margin to one as Shea Weber would rip a shot past Bryzgalov at 19:10 for his 12th goal of the season.
It was too little too late.
For two periods, the Predators offensive effort was stymied by the very type of game they like to play. The Coyotes aggressive forecheck did not give the Predators an opportunity to establish offensive flow or speed in the neutral zone. The Coyotes did a good job for two periods of limiting the offensive flow of the Predators when they were in the zone. The Coyotes did to the Predators what the Predators had done to the Canucks in their previous game.
This was a "want to" game, a game whose winner would be determined by who wanted it more. Which team would answer the challenge of the other and would eventually exert their will. Tonight, it was the Coyotes that wanted the game more.
By no means am I implying the Predators quit. They did not. They just didn't want this game as much as the Coyotes did, and that was the difference.
This is the tough stretch run to the playoff positioning. There will be a lot of games that will call for the guys on the ice to muster up the extra effort, to do the tough things and the little detail things that determine the outcome of a contest. The take away from this game is that every game now is vital, every game is a war for two precious points.
And you have got to want to win those two points.
My three stars:
1. Ilya Bryzgalov
2. Lauri Korpikoski
3. Sergei Kostitsyn
Showing posts with label Alexander Sulzer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alexander Sulzer. Show all posts
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Predators Vanquish Vancouver 3-1
The Nashville Predators overcame injuries, piss poor officiating, and the potent Vancouver offense to defeat the number one team in the Western Conference by a score of 3-1. With the win, the Predators have evened their season series against the Canucks at 1 and now stand at 70 points in the Western Conference with a 31-19-8 record.
The contest was a hard fought affair, with both teams trying to exert their will in the first period. Both Pekka Rinne for Nashville and Roberto Luongo for Vancouver were called upon to make some key stops early to keep the game scoreless. The first period saw both teams generate some chances offensively and make some solid defensive stands.
Nashville was called upon to kill out the remaining 3:28 of the first period with a man down. Patric Hornqvist was called for a (legitimate) slashing call at 16:32. Just as the Predators killed off that penalty, Ryan Suter was called for a weak and phantom interference call. Suter was close to a Canuck forward, who tripped on his own while driving to the net. However, a penalty was called by Rob Martell, who was out of position on the play. This was a weak call, the first of many on the night against the Predators.
The Predators killed off this penalty, but would have to kill off a goaltender interference penalty against Steve Sullivan, who whiffed past Luongo but nevertheless was called at 8:32 of the second. Once again, the Predators PK unit was stellar, killing off another phantom penalty and energizing the crowd in the process. The fans responded with a television timeout standing ovation, unique to any crowd in the National Hockey League.The effect of the crowd involvement was evident, as the Predators were energized and the Canucks were definitely noticing the response of the fans.
That energy was converted into a Predator goal at 14:13 of the second period as Marty Erat got the puck in the slot and fired a shot on Luongo. Bobby Lou made the initial save but gave up the rebound at the top of the blue paint. Erat continued to fight to the net and got his stick on the puck and lifted it over the shoulder of Luongo for the first goal of the game and Erat's 10th of the season.
The Canucks would answer the Predators tally at 18:15 of the second on the power play as the Predators were called for too many on the ice. This was only the second power play goal given up by the Predators in the last 27 man advantage situations.
With the Canucks tying the game, it was going to be important for the Predators to answer and stave off the momentum of the Canucks.
Answer they did.
Nick Spaling would tally just 11 seconds after the Canucks score as he took a centering pass from Patric Hornqvist and lifted a backhander over the shoulder of Luongo. Momentum, which had been with the Canucks, had now swung back to the Predators on the sweet play by Spaling. In traffic, Spals had the presence of mind to control the puck and make a nice shot for the go ahead score.
Momentum would stay with the Predators as they kept the pressure on the Canucks. The Predators controlled the puck and Alexander Sulzer launched a shot from the blue line that Mike Fisher tipped past Luongo for his first goal as a Predator and his 15th of the season to give the Predators a 3-1 lead.
After the goal, Luongo was slumped on his knees and looking skyward in frustration. Frankly, there was never a sweeter sight in this game.
Going into the third period, one knew that the Canucks would come out and try to get their potent offense going. How would the Predators respond?
That response by the Predators was by playing one of the better periods of hockey that they have played all season. The Predators kept pressure on Luongo and the Canucks defenders, and more importantly, the Predators owned the neutral zone. They refused to let the Canucks gain the zone with speed and did a great job of limiting space and chances in the offensive zone. Rinne got clean looks at the puck and was solid in the net, thwarting any chances the Canucks could generate.
Although the Predators did not find the net in the third, their offensive chances were very good, and Luongo made some great saves to keep the Predators off the board. That offensive effort was strong and it was heartening to see that the Predators did not sit back on their heels as they have been prone to do. More importantly, the offensive pressure kept the Canucks from establishing their offensive flow. This was key to the win tonight.
The victory was not without a price. Mike Fisher took a puck to the face and played only 3:18 of the first period as he had to go to the locker room and get stitched. He returned and played a very solid game. Marcel Goc was lost in the second period as he went awkwardly into the boards and came up holding his arm. After the game, he was seen in the locker room with his arm in a sling. Hopefully, he has not re-injured the shoulder he separated earlier this season. Steve Sullivan took a puck to the face as a pass was deflected off a stick during action in the second period. Sullivan was taken to Vanderbilt Hospital for further evaluation after the game. It was reported that the puck did not strike him in the eye, but the injury did not look good.
Just a word about the officiating. It sucked. Rob Martell and Paul Devorsky were awful. Call me a homer- that's fine. However, it was apparent that Vancouver could crash into our netminder, could hold, and could trip and there was going to be no calls against them. There were several weak calls against the Predators, including Suter's interference call and Sullivan's goal tender interference call.
It speaks volumes that the Predators could overcome poor officiating and the high flying Canucks. Unlike the San Jose game, the Predators brought the effort and the intensity for a full 60 minutes tonight. Their play showed no signs of breaking, even in the face of adversity.
This is part of the maturing process. This is learning how to win the tough games. This type of contest steels a team for the playoffs.
Truth be known, with the Western Conference race as tight as it is, this is playoff time right now.
There will be more tough contests, games that will test the mettle of this team.
Play with the effort and the intensity that you brought to the ice tonight, and you will vanquish more opponents.
My three stars:
1. Pekka Rinne
2. Marty Erat
3. Nick Spaling
The contest was a hard fought affair, with both teams trying to exert their will in the first period. Both Pekka Rinne for Nashville and Roberto Luongo for Vancouver were called upon to make some key stops early to keep the game scoreless. The first period saw both teams generate some chances offensively and make some solid defensive stands.
Nashville was called upon to kill out the remaining 3:28 of the first period with a man down. Patric Hornqvist was called for a (legitimate) slashing call at 16:32. Just as the Predators killed off that penalty, Ryan Suter was called for a weak and phantom interference call. Suter was close to a Canuck forward, who tripped on his own while driving to the net. However, a penalty was called by Rob Martell, who was out of position on the play. This was a weak call, the first of many on the night against the Predators.
The Predators killed off this penalty, but would have to kill off a goaltender interference penalty against Steve Sullivan, who whiffed past Luongo but nevertheless was called at 8:32 of the second. Once again, the Predators PK unit was stellar, killing off another phantom penalty and energizing the crowd in the process. The fans responded with a television timeout standing ovation, unique to any crowd in the National Hockey League.The effect of the crowd involvement was evident, as the Predators were energized and the Canucks were definitely noticing the response of the fans.
That energy was converted into a Predator goal at 14:13 of the second period as Marty Erat got the puck in the slot and fired a shot on Luongo. Bobby Lou made the initial save but gave up the rebound at the top of the blue paint. Erat continued to fight to the net and got his stick on the puck and lifted it over the shoulder of Luongo for the first goal of the game and Erat's 10th of the season.
The Canucks would answer the Predators tally at 18:15 of the second on the power play as the Predators were called for too many on the ice. This was only the second power play goal given up by the Predators in the last 27 man advantage situations.
With the Canucks tying the game, it was going to be important for the Predators to answer and stave off the momentum of the Canucks.
Answer they did.
Nick Spaling would tally just 11 seconds after the Canucks score as he took a centering pass from Patric Hornqvist and lifted a backhander over the shoulder of Luongo. Momentum, which had been with the Canucks, had now swung back to the Predators on the sweet play by Spaling. In traffic, Spals had the presence of mind to control the puck and make a nice shot for the go ahead score.
Momentum would stay with the Predators as they kept the pressure on the Canucks. The Predators controlled the puck and Alexander Sulzer launched a shot from the blue line that Mike Fisher tipped past Luongo for his first goal as a Predator and his 15th of the season to give the Predators a 3-1 lead.
After the goal, Luongo was slumped on his knees and looking skyward in frustration. Frankly, there was never a sweeter sight in this game.
Going into the third period, one knew that the Canucks would come out and try to get their potent offense going. How would the Predators respond?
That response by the Predators was by playing one of the better periods of hockey that they have played all season. The Predators kept pressure on Luongo and the Canucks defenders, and more importantly, the Predators owned the neutral zone. They refused to let the Canucks gain the zone with speed and did a great job of limiting space and chances in the offensive zone. Rinne got clean looks at the puck and was solid in the net, thwarting any chances the Canucks could generate.
Although the Predators did not find the net in the third, their offensive chances were very good, and Luongo made some great saves to keep the Predators off the board. That offensive effort was strong and it was heartening to see that the Predators did not sit back on their heels as they have been prone to do. More importantly, the offensive pressure kept the Canucks from establishing their offensive flow. This was key to the win tonight.
The victory was not without a price. Mike Fisher took a puck to the face and played only 3:18 of the first period as he had to go to the locker room and get stitched. He returned and played a very solid game. Marcel Goc was lost in the second period as he went awkwardly into the boards and came up holding his arm. After the game, he was seen in the locker room with his arm in a sling. Hopefully, he has not re-injured the shoulder he separated earlier this season. Steve Sullivan took a puck to the face as a pass was deflected off a stick during action in the second period. Sullivan was taken to Vanderbilt Hospital for further evaluation after the game. It was reported that the puck did not strike him in the eye, but the injury did not look good.
Just a word about the officiating. It sucked. Rob Martell and Paul Devorsky were awful. Call me a homer- that's fine. However, it was apparent that Vancouver could crash into our netminder, could hold, and could trip and there was going to be no calls against them. There were several weak calls against the Predators, including Suter's interference call and Sullivan's goal tender interference call.
It speaks volumes that the Predators could overcome poor officiating and the high flying Canucks. Unlike the San Jose game, the Predators brought the effort and the intensity for a full 60 minutes tonight. Their play showed no signs of breaking, even in the face of adversity.
This is part of the maturing process. This is learning how to win the tough games. This type of contest steels a team for the playoffs.
Truth be known, with the Western Conference race as tight as it is, this is playoff time right now.
There will be more tough contests, games that will test the mettle of this team.
Play with the effort and the intensity that you brought to the ice tonight, and you will vanquish more opponents.
My three stars:
1. Pekka Rinne
2. Marty Erat
3. Nick Spaling
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Predators Slide Past the Oilers in a SO 3-2
The Nashville Predators continued their lengthy road trip with a stop in frigid Edmonton, and for moments in the game, it looked as if the Predators had a brain freeze in their defensive zone. The Predators prevailed over the Oilers 3-2 in a shootout, but it was a game that shouldn't have been this close and yet was a game the Predators nearly threw away.
There is no doubt that the Oilers have some very fine young talent on their squad, and these young players at times show flashes of excellence. At the same time, the Predators made the likes of Taylor Hall and Linus Omark look very good.
The Predators opened the scoring at 11:53 of the first period as Alexander Sulzer was on the ice after spending two minutes of shame in the sin bin for holding. Cody Franson got an outlet pass to Sergei Kostitsyn, who drove hard to the net. Sulzer jumped in the play on the rush and was the beneficiary of a nice pass from Kostitsyn as he tipped a backhand past Edmonton netminder Devan Dubnyk. Congratulations on your first first NHL goal, Mr. Sulzer.
After a scoreless second period, the third period became more frenetic and the Predators once again demonstrated a frustrating inability to put away a team.
The Oilers tied the game at 2:03 of the third period as Liam Reddox made Cody Franson look like a pylon at the blue line. Franson got trapped in no man's land as he neither played the puck nor took the body and Reddox easily chipped the puck off the boards and past Franson. Shane O'Brien had Andrew Cogliano on the off side of the ice, but left his man to pick up Reddox. Reddox had an easy pass to make to Cogliano, who beat Pekka Rinne with the game tying goal.
Three players broke down on this play, and it cost the Predators. Franson was beat at the blue line; O'Brien overplayed the puck; and the forward coming back, Patric Hornqvist, was late getting in on the play. On unfortunate set of breakdowns and now we have a tie game and new life and energy for the Oil.
The Predators would regain the lead on the power play as Joel Ward was battling in front of the net and was able to tip in a shot from Alexander Sulzer at 14:05.
2-1 Predators and just under six minutes to go in the game. Lock this one down and skate away with the win.
Uh, what part of "lock this one down" did we not understand?
The Oilers would tie the game at 16:13 a Dustin Penner dug a puck off the boards and slipped it to Taylor Hall. Hall is dangerous, but when he breaks in on the goaltender alone, he is nearly unstoppable. That is what the Predators allowed- Hall breaking in on Rinne. Alone. Hall roofed a shot to the top corner to tie the game at 2.
The game remained scoreless for the the rest of regulation time, and the Predators and Oilers were heading to overtime.
Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne was outstanding in this game, and I cannot fault him for the two goals allowed. Rinne made some outstanding saves to keep the Oil off the board. The two goals allowed in regulation were off of a 2 on 1 breakaway and a breakaway goal.
Rinne would make his most amazing save in the OT period, however. Amazing because he didn't touch the puck, yet managed to keep it out of his net. Let me tell you how we got there.
The Predators would have an abbreviated power play of 1:14 going into OT. The Predators could not capitalize on their man advantage, so they figured they would see if the Oilers could score with the man advantage.
Ryan Suter was called for tripping at 1:21 of OT, and the Oil did a good job of buzzing the Predators net and generating some scoring chances. In a scramble around the net, Rinne dropped his stick, but continues to battle and try to locate the puck. The Oilers put a shot on net that got past Rinne and appeared to be going in the net at the far side post.
Remember that dropped goalie stick? Guess where it was laying. On the ice, just inside the far side post. The puck hit the stick and deflected out. For the Oilers, the puck tantalizingly lay on the goal line before spinning harmlessly away. For Predator fans, there was a massive and collective sigh of relief.
No scoring in overtime and we were heading to the shootout, where Rinne has been dominant. Tonight was no different.
The Oil elected to shoot first , and phenom Linus Omark was the first shooter. Omark approached with speed, tried to deke Rinne, who said O-No-You-Don't-Mark, as he poked the puck away from the rookie. Marcel Goc was stopped by Dubnyk, and the teams were tied after one round.
Rinne stopped Edmonton's second shooter, Sam Gagne.
The second shooter for the Predators was an exciting forward....wait...what? A defenseman? Cody Franson?!
Sure enough, Cody Franson came over the boards to take the second shot for the Predators, and he buried a quick snap shot over the glove hand of Dubnyk. Franson looked incredibly poised in his first attempt at the shootout and also made the coaching staff look like geniuses for sending him out.
Rinne stopped Taylor Hall and the Predators had a hard fought victory. Frankly, harder than it should have been.
Focusing on the positives, the Predators continued to pile up the points, and these two points were important and were going to be difficult to capture. As stated earlier, this is an Oilers team that has good young talent, and they are going to be dangerous in a few years. This was a team that the Predators could have overlooked if they just looked at records. They almost did. Operative word: almost.
The Predators now stand at 27-15-6 and have 60 points. They are currently second in the Central Division, behind Detroit, who has 64 points. The Predators are in 4th place in the West, 2 points ahead of Anaheim.
The Predators have now captured 6 of the possible 8 points on this road trip. They play in Calgary tomorrow night.
Bring your "A" game boys and you want have to slide by the Flames
My three stars:
1. Pekka Rinne
2. Alexander Sulzer
3. Cody Franson
.
There is no doubt that the Oilers have some very fine young talent on their squad, and these young players at times show flashes of excellence. At the same time, the Predators made the likes of Taylor Hall and Linus Omark look very good.
The Predators opened the scoring at 11:53 of the first period as Alexander Sulzer was on the ice after spending two minutes of shame in the sin bin for holding. Cody Franson got an outlet pass to Sergei Kostitsyn, who drove hard to the net. Sulzer jumped in the play on the rush and was the beneficiary of a nice pass from Kostitsyn as he tipped a backhand past Edmonton netminder Devan Dubnyk. Congratulations on your first first NHL goal, Mr. Sulzer.
After a scoreless second period, the third period became more frenetic and the Predators once again demonstrated a frustrating inability to put away a team.
The Oilers tied the game at 2:03 of the third period as Liam Reddox made Cody Franson look like a pylon at the blue line. Franson got trapped in no man's land as he neither played the puck nor took the body and Reddox easily chipped the puck off the boards and past Franson. Shane O'Brien had Andrew Cogliano on the off side of the ice, but left his man to pick up Reddox. Reddox had an easy pass to make to Cogliano, who beat Pekka Rinne with the game tying goal.
Three players broke down on this play, and it cost the Predators. Franson was beat at the blue line; O'Brien overplayed the puck; and the forward coming back, Patric Hornqvist, was late getting in on the play. On unfortunate set of breakdowns and now we have a tie game and new life and energy for the Oil.
The Predators would regain the lead on the power play as Joel Ward was battling in front of the net and was able to tip in a shot from Alexander Sulzer at 14:05.
2-1 Predators and just under six minutes to go in the game. Lock this one down and skate away with the win.
Uh, what part of "lock this one down" did we not understand?
The Oilers would tie the game at 16:13 a Dustin Penner dug a puck off the boards and slipped it to Taylor Hall. Hall is dangerous, but when he breaks in on the goaltender alone, he is nearly unstoppable. That is what the Predators allowed- Hall breaking in on Rinne. Alone. Hall roofed a shot to the top corner to tie the game at 2.
The game remained scoreless for the the rest of regulation time, and the Predators and Oilers were heading to overtime.
Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne was outstanding in this game, and I cannot fault him for the two goals allowed. Rinne made some outstanding saves to keep the Oil off the board. The two goals allowed in regulation were off of a 2 on 1 breakaway and a breakaway goal.
Rinne would make his most amazing save in the OT period, however. Amazing because he didn't touch the puck, yet managed to keep it out of his net. Let me tell you how we got there.
The Predators would have an abbreviated power play of 1:14 going into OT. The Predators could not capitalize on their man advantage, so they figured they would see if the Oilers could score with the man advantage.
Ryan Suter was called for tripping at 1:21 of OT, and the Oil did a good job of buzzing the Predators net and generating some scoring chances. In a scramble around the net, Rinne dropped his stick, but continues to battle and try to locate the puck. The Oilers put a shot on net that got past Rinne and appeared to be going in the net at the far side post.
Remember that dropped goalie stick? Guess where it was laying. On the ice, just inside the far side post. The puck hit the stick and deflected out. For the Oilers, the puck tantalizingly lay on the goal line before spinning harmlessly away. For Predator fans, there was a massive and collective sigh of relief.
No scoring in overtime and we were heading to the shootout, where Rinne has been dominant. Tonight was no different.
The Oil elected to shoot first , and phenom Linus Omark was the first shooter. Omark approached with speed, tried to deke Rinne, who said O-No-You-Don't-Mark, as he poked the puck away from the rookie. Marcel Goc was stopped by Dubnyk, and the teams were tied after one round.
Rinne stopped Edmonton's second shooter, Sam Gagne.
The second shooter for the Predators was an exciting forward....wait...what? A defenseman? Cody Franson?!
Sure enough, Cody Franson came over the boards to take the second shot for the Predators, and he buried a quick snap shot over the glove hand of Dubnyk. Franson looked incredibly poised in his first attempt at the shootout and also made the coaching staff look like geniuses for sending him out.
Rinne stopped Taylor Hall and the Predators had a hard fought victory. Frankly, harder than it should have been.
Focusing on the positives, the Predators continued to pile up the points, and these two points were important and were going to be difficult to capture. As stated earlier, this is an Oilers team that has good young talent, and they are going to be dangerous in a few years. This was a team that the Predators could have overlooked if they just looked at records. They almost did. Operative word: almost.
The Predators now stand at 27-15-6 and have 60 points. They are currently second in the Central Division, behind Detroit, who has 64 points. The Predators are in 4th place in the West, 2 points ahead of Anaheim.
The Predators have now captured 6 of the possible 8 points on this road trip. They play in Calgary tomorrow night.
Bring your "A" game boys and you want have to slide by the Flames
My three stars:
1. Pekka Rinne
2. Alexander Sulzer
3. Cody Franson
.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Predators End Losing Streak With a 3-2 SO Win Over the Blues
The Nashville Predators showed much better spunk and fight in a 3-2 shootout win over the St. Louis Blues to end a horrid five game losing streak. With the win, the Predators run their record to 2-1 against the Blues in their season series.
This game was more like the style of hockey that wins games for the Predators. They went strong to the net all night, had an aggressive forecheck, and got great goaltending from Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne.
The Predators played much more fundamentally sound defensive hockey than they did in their five game skid. After being outshot 9-4 in the first period, the Predators limited the Blues to just 11 shots over the final two periods. St. Louis outshot the Predators 3-0 in the overtime period as the Predators spent the last 1:19 killing off a tripping penalty by Alexander Sulzer.
The Blues opened the scoring at 18:22 of the first period as the Predators failed to clear a puck in their zone as the Blues were swarming the Nashville net.David Backes ran over Steve Sullivan as he was trying to control the puck and the puck squirted through the slot. The puck came back to Backes and he buried the shot to give the Blues the advantage.
The Predators would even the game at 1 when Cal O'Reilly tapped home a shot from Francis Buillon. O'Reilly was camped at the top of the crease, and when Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak could not control the rebound, O'Reilly cashed in for the tying score at 13:44 of the second period.
The Blues took the lead once again at 5:44 of the third as Kevin Klein took a bad angle on a stretch pass to Matt D'Agostini. This allowed D'Agostini to get in alone on a breakaway against Rinne, and he buried the shot low glove side.
The Predators answered at 13:08 of the third period when David Legwand fired a puck into the Blues zone and off the end board. The rebound came out to the side of the net and J.P. Dumont was driving hard to the net. He got his stick on the puck and lifted a quick backhand over a surprised Halak for the equalizer.
Pekka Rinne made some quality saves in the remainder of the period to preserve the tie. He stopped Vladomir Sobotka from in close and made a nice save on Patrick Bergland with traffic in front. As the game went on, Rinne looked more solid and comfortable in net, and that is a great sign for the Predators. They need the old Rinne back, one who is tracking and playing the puck well.
In the overtime period, David Legwand and Jerred Smithson won some key face offs in the predators zone that allowed the Preds to clear the puck on the penalty kill. These are the little aspects of the game that the Predators had not done very well during their five game losing streak. It's great to see them doing the little things well again as the little details often lead to big results.
In the shootout, the Blues opted to go first, and Matt D'Agostini beat Rinne blocker side to give the Blues a 1-0 lead. Cal O'Reilly smoothly beat Halak high stick side to tie it at 1.
Brad Boyes and Steve Sullivan were both stoned by the goaltenders, as were Andy McDonald and David Legwand.
Going to round 4, Rinne stopped Patrick Bergland. Marcel Goc was the fourth shooter for the Predators, and he mad a nice move to open Halak up and beat him with a shot that went between his skate and the post.
Game over. Losing streak done.
It feels good for the Predators to get the 800 pound gorilla of a five game losing streak off their backs. In this victory, they went back to basics and they did them well. The forecheck ramped up in the second period and kept the Blues out of their offensive flow for most of the rest of the game. The defense was much more sound than it had been in the five losses. When the Blues got scoring chances, Rinne was solid.
A special stick tap to Marcel Goc. He played a tremendous game, generating chances and was strong on the puck all game. He even made a save in the first period when the puck slid through Rinne and was laying on the goal line. Goc swept the puck to the corner to save the goal and keep the scoreless.
Now that the losing streak is over, the predators have to build on this win. They have to stay focused on what brought them victory tonight- sound defense, solid goaltending, aggressive forecheck, and opportunistic offense. This is Predator hockey. This is what the team has to do to win games.
The losing streak is over. It's time to start a new streak. One that puts wins on the board by playing Predator hockey.
My three stars of the game:
1. Marcel Goc
2. Pekka Rinne
3. Cal O'Reilly
This game was more like the style of hockey that wins games for the Predators. They went strong to the net all night, had an aggressive forecheck, and got great goaltending from Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne.
The Predators played much more fundamentally sound defensive hockey than they did in their five game skid. After being outshot 9-4 in the first period, the Predators limited the Blues to just 11 shots over the final two periods. St. Louis outshot the Predators 3-0 in the overtime period as the Predators spent the last 1:19 killing off a tripping penalty by Alexander Sulzer.
The Blues opened the scoring at 18:22 of the first period as the Predators failed to clear a puck in their zone as the Blues were swarming the Nashville net.David Backes ran over Steve Sullivan as he was trying to control the puck and the puck squirted through the slot. The puck came back to Backes and he buried the shot to give the Blues the advantage.
The Predators would even the game at 1 when Cal O'Reilly tapped home a shot from Francis Buillon. O'Reilly was camped at the top of the crease, and when Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak could not control the rebound, O'Reilly cashed in for the tying score at 13:44 of the second period.
The Blues took the lead once again at 5:44 of the third as Kevin Klein took a bad angle on a stretch pass to Matt D'Agostini. This allowed D'Agostini to get in alone on a breakaway against Rinne, and he buried the shot low glove side.
The Predators answered at 13:08 of the third period when David Legwand fired a puck into the Blues zone and off the end board. The rebound came out to the side of the net and J.P. Dumont was driving hard to the net. He got his stick on the puck and lifted a quick backhand over a surprised Halak for the equalizer.
Pekka Rinne made some quality saves in the remainder of the period to preserve the tie. He stopped Vladomir Sobotka from in close and made a nice save on Patrick Bergland with traffic in front. As the game went on, Rinne looked more solid and comfortable in net, and that is a great sign for the Predators. They need the old Rinne back, one who is tracking and playing the puck well.
In the overtime period, David Legwand and Jerred Smithson won some key face offs in the predators zone that allowed the Preds to clear the puck on the penalty kill. These are the little aspects of the game that the Predators had not done very well during their five game losing streak. It's great to see them doing the little things well again as the little details often lead to big results.
In the shootout, the Blues opted to go first, and Matt D'Agostini beat Rinne blocker side to give the Blues a 1-0 lead. Cal O'Reilly smoothly beat Halak high stick side to tie it at 1.
Brad Boyes and Steve Sullivan were both stoned by the goaltenders, as were Andy McDonald and David Legwand.
Going to round 4, Rinne stopped Patrick Bergland. Marcel Goc was the fourth shooter for the Predators, and he mad a nice move to open Halak up and beat him with a shot that went between his skate and the post.
Game over. Losing streak done.
It feels good for the Predators to get the 800 pound gorilla of a five game losing streak off their backs. In this victory, they went back to basics and they did them well. The forecheck ramped up in the second period and kept the Blues out of their offensive flow for most of the rest of the game. The defense was much more sound than it had been in the five losses. When the Blues got scoring chances, Rinne was solid.
A special stick tap to Marcel Goc. He played a tremendous game, generating chances and was strong on the puck all game. He even made a save in the first period when the puck slid through Rinne and was laying on the goal line. Goc swept the puck to the corner to save the goal and keep the scoreless.
Now that the losing streak is over, the predators have to build on this win. They have to stay focused on what brought them victory tonight- sound defense, solid goaltending, aggressive forecheck, and opportunistic offense. This is Predator hockey. This is what the team has to do to win games.
The losing streak is over. It's time to start a new streak. One that puts wins on the board by playing Predator hockey.
My three stars of the game:
1. Marcel Goc
2. Pekka Rinne
3. Cal O'Reilly
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Predators Heart Ripped Out by the Ducks 5-4
Let's just be honest.
The Nashville Predators are not a good hockey team.
Good hockey teams find ways to hold leads. Good hockey teams find ways to win games. Good hockey teams don't keep facing deficits throughout games from which they have to recover. Good hockey teams fight to the very end of the game for precious points.
That is not the Nashville Predators.
Mercifully, the Predators do not play again for another three days. Frankly, the way they are playing right now, this is the only thing that will prevent another loss.
The Predators continue the annoying, disturbing- pick your favorite adjective, trend of giving up an early goal. Not once, but twice, at 52 seconds of the first period and 49 seconds of the third, the puck found its way into the back of the net against the Preds. Poor starts to the period put the Predators into the hole right off the bat. The hill is steep enough for this team and its anemic offense. Spotting the opponent early and quick goals is not a formula for success.
Unlike the contest the night before against the Kings, the Predators forwards looked energized and ready to play. The play of the Sullivan, O'Reilly, Hornqvist line was stellar tonight as the netted three of the four goals that the Predators tallied. Unfortunately, no other line could muster much in the way of quality chances against the Ducks Jonas Hiller. This was evident by another lopsided shot tally as the Ducks outshot the Predators 37-24.
While the offense has struggled in this skid, the defense has been inexplicably weak. Coverage was lost on the Ducks forwards on numerous occasions and it resulted in scores by Saiku Koivu and Jason Blake. The defense of the Predators was considered one of the cornerstones of this team, but has not played to the level that this team has to have to win games.The only Predator D-men that were a plus on the night were Cody Franson and Alexander Sulzer, who were both a +2.
Cody Franson has a great night offensively, scoring a goal and setting up Cal O'Reilly with a beautiful assist.
Anders Lindback got the start for the Preds tonight in net, and I cannot fault Lindback for any of the Ducks goals. On most, he was hung out to dry by the defense in front of him.
The heart was ripped out the Predators on a broken play. Bobby Ryan corralled a bouncing puck and slid a pass underneath a diving Shea Weber. Paul Mara gathered in the puck and slapped it into a wide open net with 1.7 seconds left on the clock as Marcel Goc was late getting back in coverage and Lindback had played Ryan coming to his left.This play typified the futility of this road trip for the Predators.
So where do the Predators go from here?
This is a team that has the ability to win, but the margin is razor thin. If everyone- from the first line of forwards and the top D pairing- to the fourth line players are not laying it on the line every night, this team will not win. Against L.A., this team quit. Against the Ducks, they battled.
That is a good sign.
The problem is that they battled not only the Ducks, but their mistakes. Blown coverages and poor puck control. Lack of offensive pressure from secondary lines. When you play any team in the NHL, these kinds of mistakes make a win improbable.
You certainly don't win the Cup in October or November. But you can certainly lose it. Dig a deep enough hole early on and you will not climb out.
The Predators are digging a deep early season hole in the ultra competitive Central Division and Western Conference. You hate to say that games are becoming "must win" this early in the season, but they are becoming just that for the Predators. The gap between the top of the Central and the Predators is growing game by game.
Three days off. Three days to re-tool the effort and re-focus the players.Practice should be interesting this next few days. It will be time to get the defense back in the groove. It will be time to get the offense back on track.
It will be time to find some heart.
My three stars of the night:
1. Saku Koivu
2. Lubomir Visnovsky
3. Cody Franson
The Nashville Predators are not a good hockey team.
Good hockey teams find ways to hold leads. Good hockey teams find ways to win games. Good hockey teams don't keep facing deficits throughout games from which they have to recover. Good hockey teams fight to the very end of the game for precious points.
That is not the Nashville Predators.
Mercifully, the Predators do not play again for another three days. Frankly, the way they are playing right now, this is the only thing that will prevent another loss.
The Predators continue the annoying, disturbing- pick your favorite adjective, trend of giving up an early goal. Not once, but twice, at 52 seconds of the first period and 49 seconds of the third, the puck found its way into the back of the net against the Preds. Poor starts to the period put the Predators into the hole right off the bat. The hill is steep enough for this team and its anemic offense. Spotting the opponent early and quick goals is not a formula for success.
Unlike the contest the night before against the Kings, the Predators forwards looked energized and ready to play. The play of the Sullivan, O'Reilly, Hornqvist line was stellar tonight as the netted three of the four goals that the Predators tallied. Unfortunately, no other line could muster much in the way of quality chances against the Ducks Jonas Hiller. This was evident by another lopsided shot tally as the Ducks outshot the Predators 37-24.
While the offense has struggled in this skid, the defense has been inexplicably weak. Coverage was lost on the Ducks forwards on numerous occasions and it resulted in scores by Saiku Koivu and Jason Blake. The defense of the Predators was considered one of the cornerstones of this team, but has not played to the level that this team has to have to win games.The only Predator D-men that were a plus on the night were Cody Franson and Alexander Sulzer, who were both a +2.
Cody Franson has a great night offensively, scoring a goal and setting up Cal O'Reilly with a beautiful assist.
Anders Lindback got the start for the Preds tonight in net, and I cannot fault Lindback for any of the Ducks goals. On most, he was hung out to dry by the defense in front of him.
The heart was ripped out the Predators on a broken play. Bobby Ryan corralled a bouncing puck and slid a pass underneath a diving Shea Weber. Paul Mara gathered in the puck and slapped it into a wide open net with 1.7 seconds left on the clock as Marcel Goc was late getting back in coverage and Lindback had played Ryan coming to his left.This play typified the futility of this road trip for the Predators.
So where do the Predators go from here?
This is a team that has the ability to win, but the margin is razor thin. If everyone- from the first line of forwards and the top D pairing- to the fourth line players are not laying it on the line every night, this team will not win. Against L.A., this team quit. Against the Ducks, they battled.
That is a good sign.
The problem is that they battled not only the Ducks, but their mistakes. Blown coverages and poor puck control. Lack of offensive pressure from secondary lines. When you play any team in the NHL, these kinds of mistakes make a win improbable.
You certainly don't win the Cup in October or November. But you can certainly lose it. Dig a deep enough hole early on and you will not climb out.
The Predators are digging a deep early season hole in the ultra competitive Central Division and Western Conference. You hate to say that games are becoming "must win" this early in the season, but they are becoming just that for the Predators. The gap between the top of the Central and the Predators is growing game by game.
Three days off. Three days to re-tool the effort and re-focus the players.Practice should be interesting this next few days. It will be time to get the defense back in the groove. It will be time to get the offense back on track.
It will be time to find some heart.
My three stars of the night:
1. Saku Koivu
2. Lubomir Visnovsky
3. Cody Franson
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