Predators Battle Back But Fall (Again) in OT to the Jets

43 games into the season, one would not think that a game would be a must win game for any team.

But for the Nashville Predators, this game  at the MTS Center against divisional foe Winnipeg qualifies as a must win game.

The Predators, losers of 4 straight games and struggling to gain consistency, are hanging on by a thread to the last Wild Card slot in the West with 45 points.

The Predators sit 4 points in front of the Jets and are tied with the Colorado Avalanche in points but are in the Wild Card slot by virtue of having a game in hand.

The Predators battled back from a 4-1 deficit to tie the game and force overtime before falling 5-4.

A horrible second period cost the Predators this game.

Kevin Fiala, in his first NHL game this season,  made his presence felt immediately as he banged a rebound of a Ryan Johansen shot under the crossbar for his first goal and the first goal of the game. Fiala cleanly beat Connor Hellebuyck by driving the net, something the Predators need to do consistently.

Dustin Byfuglien tied the game at 1 at 6:40 of the second period as he gathered in his own rebound and beat Pekka Rinne to the far post.

James Neal took a dumb interference penalty and on the resulting power play, Bryan Little buried a one timer to take a 2-1 lead.

Dustin Byfuglien scored on a wrap around to make it 3-1.

The wheels were coming off for the Predators in this game and in their season.

The Predators went completely in the ditch early in the third period as Nick Ehlers was sprung on a breakaway and he buried his shot to make it 4-1.

The Predators managed to show some signs of life, however.

Ryan Johansen scored his second goal as a Predator on the power play with some sweet hands in the low slot to make it 4-2.

Eric Nystrom jammed home a pass from Ryan Ellis to make it 4-3 with 8:07 remaining in the game.

After a slew of penalties, there was 1:39 of 3 on 3 hockey late in the third period. Rinne skated to the bench to make it 4 on 3. The Predators were unable to score during this man advantage.

They were finally able to break through and score with James Neal ripping a shot from the face off circle to tie the game at 4 with 13.5 seconds remaining.

A truly improbable comeback to force overtime.

In the OT, the Jets scored on their first shot as Blake Wheeler beat Rinne cleanly for the game winner.

Some observations:

• Viktor Arvidsson was reassigned to Milwaukee. With Colin Wilson being placed on IR, the Predators recalled Kevin Fiala and Cody Bass. Fiala was placed on a line with Ryan Johansen and James Neal. Certainly an opportunity for the young talent to show what he can do with some quality line mates.
• Forward lines were once again placed in a blender. Calle Jarnkrok, Mike Ribeiro and Filip Forsberg were on the second line. Mike Fisher, Craig Smith, and Eric Nystrom (?) were on the the third line. Miikka Salomaki, Cody Bass, and Paul Gaustad manned the 4th line.
• The Predators placed Cody Hodgson on waivers and he cleared and and was assigned to Milwaukee.
• Really sweet goal by Fiala to score his first NHL goal in just his third game with the Predators. He drove hard to the net, fought off a defender, and more importantly finished his chance with a great shot that he roofed just under the crossbar. The talented 19 year old has seasoned a bit in Milwaukee, and it would be good to see him stick on the roster. He is explosive and has tremendous upside and if he can play a solid game in all zones could give the Predators a real boost.
• The penalty on James Neal was an appropriate call and frankly, that penalty was just stupid. He hit a Jets defender long after the puck had left his stick and was called for interference. These are the kind of boneheaded plays that the Predators just can't make. And it bit them because they were stupid.
• The inattention to detail has cost the Predators. The jets second power play goal occurred because Mattias Ekholm failed to clear a puck when he had an opportunity to do so. Defensive breakdowns that are caused by mental lapses are winding up in the back of our net and the team has done nothing to reverse the negative trends that are causing their problems. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Draw your own conclusions about the play of this team right now.
• Let's be honest: the Predators have played some pretty sorry hockey for the past 2 months. So the question becomes, what will turn it around for this team? Will they find their identity? Will they be more physical? Will they start playing fundamentally sound hockey? I believe that the great failing of this team right now is that the coaching staff has failed to instill a sense of urgency and cultivate the character of this team. Can they turn it around? Right now, they are showing no signs of being able to do so.
• Apparently James Neal will have to lose a limb to avoid being called for embellishment.
• James Neal ripped a shot past Hellebuyck to tie the game. That was Neal's 200th career goal.
• Ryan Johansen hit the post in OT and the Jets came back and scored on their first shot in the extra period. The Predators have won only 1 OT game this season. If they miss the playoffs, they will look back on these points that they left on the table.
• Once again, the Predators failed to play a full 60 minutes. That second period was 20 minutes of miserable hockey. Elite teams play a 60 minute game. The Predators rarely do that.

I have to give the team big ups for battling back to tie the game and get a point. That was heart and character in that effort.

I have to give them failing marks for their sloppy play and inability to play a full 60 minutes.

It cost them a game a game they dearly needed to win.

And they are going to have to find a way to elevate their play for a full 60 if they want to change course.

My three stars:

1. Dustin Byfuglien

2. Kevin Fiala

3. Blake Wheeler

Predators Wilt Under the Pressure From the Jets, Fall 3-1

The Winnipeg Jets continued the Nashville Predators recent misery, handing them a 3-1 defeat at the Bridgestone Arena for the Predators 6th consecutive loss.

The Jets opened the scoring when Andrew Ladd blew past Seth Jones and slipped a pass to Michael Frolik, who had beaten Cody Franson badly driving to the net. Frolik's shot was partially stopped by Pekka Rinne but it was not enough to keep the puck out of the net.

The Predators tied the game at 1 in the second period when a shot from the point by Ryan Ellis made its way through traffic and over the shoulder of Michael Hutchinson.

The elation of that goal was short lived, however, as Rinne kicked out a rebound of a Tyler Myers shot. Shea Weber lost track of Blake Wheeler and he pounded the puck home to give the Jets a lead they would not relinquish.

Drew Stafford added an empty net goal for the final margin.

Some observations:

• My view of this team is that they overachieved in the first half of the season and are now reverting to who they really are. Many pundits spoke of this team as elite. They are not. Not even close. They are most certainly a good team, but far from elite. When this team plays their game and limits mistakes, more often than not, they will win games. Right now, they are making mistakes and those mistakes are ending up in the back of their net. And they are certainly not playing their game- attacking the net and aggressively fighting for rebounds and position on the ice.
• The Jets gave the Predators fits all night. They trapped coming out of the defensive zone and in the neutral zone, sending two forecheckers after the puck carrier. This baffled the Predators all night and forced them into bad passes and turnovers. When the Predators could get into the offensive zone, once again the Jets pressured the puck carrier and disrupted the offense. The Predators puck support was terrible and they lost just about every battle for the puck along the boards. Part of this speaks to the effort of the Jets. More troubling is that the Predators didn't adjust and step up their game to match the intensity of the Jets. Elite teams adjust their game. The Predators did not.
• To that point, their were only two Predators that seemed to be able to consistently handle the puck against the Jets pressure. Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi could carry the puck into the zone against the trap. Rarely could any other Predator. This is going to be a serious problem in the playoffs.
• How stifling was the Jets defense? They held the Predators to 4 shots on goal in the first period and 7 in the third. The Preds got 10 shots in the second for a total of 21. The Jets had 26 shots on goal.
• I really like the play of Gabriel Bourque. He was physical and created some scoring chances. He certainly went hard to the net, including a scary first period collision with Hutchinson when he was forchecked into the Jets netminder by Adam Lowry.
• The defensive pairing of Seth Jones and Cody Franson looked out of sync all night. The Jets first goal was a direct result of bad plays by both. These two just look like they have no chemistry at all. 
• Franson took a knee on knee hit and crashed into the boards in the second period, and it looked bad. He left the ice with the assistance of the training staff and could put no weight on his left leg. Fortunately, he did return for the third period.
• It sure would be nice to see Mike Santorelli get his game going. Santorelli has been invisible since he was acquired from the Maple Leafs.
• Someone on the coaching staff please tell Mike Ribeiro it is okay to take the puck to the net and especially to shoot the puck. Ribeiro had a couple of open looks at the net but chose to try to pass instead. Never pass up a good shot at the net, Ribs.
• For the 11th straight game, the Predators gave up the first goal. Can we stop this trend? PLEASE! Remember early in the season when we were doing that and we were still winning games? Now the Predators are 19-18-3 when giving up the first goal. See my first bullet point above.
• Thankfully, this is the last time we play the Jets in the regular season. The Predators captured the season series 3-2.

No doubt this isn't fun for the team and the fans. As fans, we can just sit and stew and vent our frustration. Getting out of this funk is on the team. They are going to have to elevate their game to break this losing streak.

More importantly, they are going to have to play smart. They are going to have to play with heart and passion.

That is the only way out.

My three stars:

1. Blake Wheeler

2. Michael Frolik

3. Ryan Ellis

Predators Win a Tough Game Over the Jets 2-1

The Nashville Predators are arguably the surprise team- in a good way- of the Central Division, challenging for first place.

Perhaps just as big of a surprise are the Winnipeg Jets.

The Jets came into their divisional contest against the Predators at Bridgestone Arena in third place in the division and 6-2-2 in their last 10 games.

Two teams that are playing good hockey and fairly evenly matched played the kind of game that one would have expected: a tight checking contest that limited scoring opportunities. The Predators made the most of their chances in capturing a 2-1 win over the Jets in front of a sellout crowd.

Both teams have rode hot goaltending so far this season, with Pekka Rinne and Ondrej Pavalec having outstanding seasons. Rinne entered the contest with 10 wins, a .929 save percentage, and a 1.92 GAA. Pavalec had almost identical numbers, with 7 wins, a .928 save percentage, and a 1.99 GAA.

Both goaltenders were solid and made good saves throughout the course of the game.

The Jets got on the board first with a short handed goal. With the Predators on the power play, Matt Cullen turned the puck over and Blake wheeler took advantage, beating Rinne over the glove to give the Jets a 1-0 lead at 6:57 of the second period.

The Predators looked to have tied the game on a Mike Ribeiro goal off a scramble in front of Pavalec, but the goal was waved off as the officials said the Predators had played the puck with a high stick before the goal.

Just 8 seconds after that goal was disallowed, James Neal lasered a shot past Pavalec to tie the game at 1 at 15:45.

Justice served.

In the third period, Craig Smith took a pass from Calle Jarnkrok and buried the game winner past Pavalec at 17:58.

The Predators were able to hold off the Jets in the remaining time to secure the win.

Some observations:

• Colin Wilson was back in the line up after missing two games with a lower body injury. He was on a re-shuffled line with Jarnkrok and Smith and I really liked the way that group played tonight. They played with purpose, especially Jarnkrok, have great speed, and are a threat offensively. I hope the coaching staff keeps that line together and lets them gel. I think they could develop into a very good line.

• I am coming around to the defense paring of Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis. Both show some good offensive instincts and rarely caught out of position defensively.

• Shea Weber and Roman Josi are just outstanding at shutting down the oppositions top scorers. They draw tough minutes and do an excellent job of taking the other teams forwards off their game.

• The Predators played very disciplined hockey tonight. They did not take a penalty in the game. In the last meeting with the Jets, the Predators were victimized by two power play goals.

• The Predators power play was absolutely putrid. A turnover on the power play led to the Jets only goal. In 8 minutes of power play time, the Predators did not register a shot on goal. This has to change and change quickly.

• That said, the Jets came into the game with the 5th best PK in the NHL. It showed tonight as they outworked the Predators and gave them no room.

• Pekka Rinne has never lost to the Jets, going 6-0-0 in his career.

• With this win, Peter Laviolette picked up his 400th career win. Congratulations, Coach!

Good bounce back win by the team after a tough loss in St. Louis and against a quality opponent.

The Predators are 11-4-2, good for 24 points and second in the Central behind the Blues, who have 25 points.

My three stars:

1. Craig Smith

2. James Neal

3. Pekka Rinne

Predators Special Teams Not So Special In 3-1 Loss to the Jets

The Nashville Predators traveled to Winnipeg for their second meeting of the season against the Jets, hoping to have the success they did in their first trip to the MTS Center, a 2-0 shutout.


The Jets did not have the service of Evander Kane in the first contest, but he was on the ice tonight.


Carter Hutton got the start for the Predators, while the Jets went with their starter, Ondrej Pavelec.


Once again, the Predators PK was called upon to kill a penalty. Once again, they didn't. With Matt Cullen in the box for interference, the Jets scored off a deflected point shot by Dustin Byfuglien. Andrew Ladd got the tip of the shot and re-directed it past Hutton to give the Jets the early lead at 2:53 of the first period.


With the Jets on another power play, Mark Scheifele fired a shot from inside the blue line that beat Hutton to make it 2-0 at 5:29 of the first period.


Not exactly the start the Predators wanted or needed.


The Predators generated a couple of good scoring chances but could not convert, and a forgettable first period for the Predators ended with the team on the short end of a 2-0 score.


Much of the second period was lackluster until Filip Forsberg snapped a wrister through the five hole and past Pavelec at 16:17 to make the score 2-1. That goal seemed to energize the Predators and they began to step up their attack in the latter half of the second.


The third period saw the Predators try to generate some scoring chances, and they had a few opportunities, but as was the case for most of this game, the Predators couldn't finish. When they got pucks on goal, Pavalec was solid in net, shutting down the Predators.


With Hutton pulled, Blake wheeler scored in the empty net, and this game was done for the Predators., as they fall to a division rival by a 3-1 score.


Some observations:

• With all the new faces, you would expect the power play to take some time to gel. But the poor play on the penalty kill is disappointing. The Jets are 28th in the NHL on the power play and one would think the Predators could have some success against the Jets man advantage unit. One would think. Unfortunately, the Preds are 28th on the penalty kill, and that is going to have to improve. Quickly.

• Forsberg continues to play a complete game and I really like his nose for the net. he has a knack for finding the shooting angles and making good shots. Forsberg leads all rookies in scoring with 12 points (4G-8A) and leads the NHL in +/- with a plus 13.

• Dadgum- the Predators gave up a 2 on 1 and a 3 on 1 on THEIR power play in the second period.

• The Predators had two power plays in the first two periods and managed one- count 'em, ONE- shot on net. that is some mighty weak sauce there.

• Two power plays in the third period and the Predators managed just one shot on net with the man advantage. This is beyond weak sauce. It is awful.

Not much you can say about this game. Well...yes there is.


The Predators special teams will prove to be an Achilles heel for this team if they don't get turned around quickly. Right now, the man advantage unit rarely threatens to score. Tonight, the power play unit had trouble even getting into the zone, much less get shots on net. The PK unit has proven to be average at it's very best.


Both have to improve rapidly for this team to continue to have success.


Two more games on the road trip.


Let's hope we don't have to kill too many penalties.


My three stars:


1. Ondrej Pavalec


2. Mark Scheifele


3. Filip Forsberg

Predators Grind Out a 3-2 OT Win Over Winnipeg

The Nashville Predators learned today that they would be without the services of goaltender Pekka Rinne for at least 4 weeks as he is recovering from surgery to clear a bacterial infection from his surgically repaired hip.

This means that the work load over the next month will fall on back up Carter Hutton.

Hutton got started well with a 3-2 overtime win over the Winnipeg Jets at Bridgestone Arena.

The first period opened with the Jets in control of the puck and the game, and Hutton made some good saves to keep the Jets off the board. The Jets dominated so totally in the first half of the opening period that the Predators didn't record their first shot on goal until 10:48 had elapsed.

The Predators got their legs going and began to claw back into the game in the second half of the period, and finally broke through on the power play at 15:53. Shea Weber blasted a puck from the high slot over the shoulder of Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec off a pass from David Legwand to give the Predators a 1-0 lead. This was Weber's third goal of the season.

Shots were 10-9 in favor of Nashville at the end of the first period.

The Jets tied the game at 1 at 13:49 of the second period when Anthony Peluso took the puck behind the net and wrapped it around and tucked it in just over the goal line. Hutton sprawled across the goal line and got his stick on the puck and it appeared that he made the save. The play was reviewed, and the replay showed that it did cross the goal line.

The second period ended tied at 1. Winnipeg out shot Nashville 14-9 in the period, and once again, Hutton came up with some quality saves for the Predators.

In the third period, Pateic Hornqvist broke the tie at 6:04 when Pavelec kicked out a rebound of a Mike Fisher shot and Hornqvist controlled the puck just inside the face off circle. Hornqvist ripped a shot over the shoulder of Pavelec for his fourth goal of the season to give the Predators a 2-1 lead.

The Jets tied it at 2 at 16:59 as Hutton gave up a rebound off his pads that landed on the tape of Blake Wheeler. Wheeler was completely alone on the right side of the net and he banged home an uncontested shot as Hutton had not recovered to get back in position.

Regulation ended with the score tied at 2. Nashville had a 12-11 shot advantage in the third period.

In the overtime period, the Predators controlled play and fired shots at Pavelec. Unfortunately, most missed the net. That changed at 4:43 of overtime when Craig Smith took a pass from David Legwand and blew a shot short side over the shoulder of Pavelec to give the Predators their second win over the Jets in as many games.

Some observations:

• The Predators welcomed Mike Fisher back into the line up. Fisher had missed 4 games with a fractured foot. Fisher showed no signs of rust and played 17:30 and picked up an assist.

• Craig Smith continues his strong play. Smith used his speed and puck handling skills to create scoring chances and his shot to win the game was a rocket. Smith had four shots on goal and has shown that he can be one of the most offensively creative and dangerous players on the ice.

• Matt Cullen took a puck to the face in the first period. He dropped to the ice and play was stopped as trainers helped him to the bench. After getting some attention on the bench, Cullen returned to the game and did not miss a shift.

• Carter Hutton has shown that he can carry the team when needed. In the first period, the Jets had territorial dominance to open the game. They fired 7 shots on Hutton and he made some good saves. Hutton has good rebound control and rarely leaves a rebound in prime scoring position. The Wheeler goal came off a rebound that caught the Predators defense rotated to one side of the ice, leaving the Jets forward alone at the side of the net. Hutton will be tested in coming games, but his efforts against the Jets show that he is calm and poised in the net, moves well, and has good positioning on shots he faces.

• There were times where the Predators forwards created some good scoring chances, and there were times where they were just grinding in the offensive zone. The line of Cullen, Smith, and Gabriel Bourque has been the Predators best offensive line, and the Predators need more consistency in the offensive zone out of their other lines.

• Speaking of Bourque, it would be good to see him get his offensive game going. I like his hustle and effort, but he needs to find the back of the net.

• I love the way Patric Hornqvist plays. He brings it every night. His hustle and fire set the tone for the team. Some of the other forwards need to follow more closely his style of play.

• Viktor Stalberg was a healthy scratch. The Predators really need Stalberg to get his game going.

The Predators are now 6-4-1 and will play another divisional rival in St. Louis on Saturday night at the Bridge. This will be a tough test and a good measuring stick for this team.

Time for the boys to step up.

My three stars:

1. Craig Smith

2. Carter Hutton

3. Patric Hornqvist

Thrashers Trashed by the Predators 6-3

The Nashville Predators haven't clinched a playoff spot yet, and the three remaining games on their schedule are important. The Predators played with a sense of urgency and knowledge of how important these games are as they jumped out to 5 goal lead en route to a 6-3 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers at the Bridgestone Arena.

Early in the contest, the Thrashers did a good job of clogging the neutral zone and stifling the Predators offensive flow. In fact, the Thrashers had a bit more jump than the Predators at the outset. The Predators are a team that continues to push, however, and they kept challenging the Thrashers defense, probing for an opportunity to get the puck in the net.

They would cash in on their efforts at 5:24 of the first period as Jordin Tootoo shot the puck and Atlanta netminder Chris Mason kicked the puck out with his pad to Matt Halischuk driving into the low slot. Halischuk slid a backhand shot five hole for the game's first tally.

The rest of the first period was a back and forth affair, with both mason and Pekka Rinne making solid saves to keep the score 1-0.

Jordin Tootoo would change that at 19:18 as he would gather in the rebound of a Marty Erat shot and fire the puck past Mason to make it 2-0 Predators. Tootoo would take advantage of Nik Antropov's failure to clear the puck that was lying in the blue paint after a save by Mason and would tap the puck into the net.

The Predators were energized by that goal and would keep the pressure on the Thrashers. Mike Fisher controlled the puck behind the net and found Sergei Kostitsyn driving to the front of the net. Kostitsyn sent a wrist shot toward Mason that got under his arm and inside the far post to make it 3-0 with just .8 left on the clock.

Every Predator fan remembers what happened the last time we had a 3 goal lead, don't you? Sit back and let the other team dictate the play and watch the lead slip away. The question on the home crowd's mind was would we see a replay?

The answer was an emphatic "no".

Jordin Tootoo tallied his second goal of the night to make it 4-0 Predators at 1:56 of the second period. Matt Halischuk sent the puck toward the net, where it was tipped by a Thrasher defender and off Tootoo's skate for the goal. The beauty of that play was that the Predators put the puck on the net with traffic going to the front and they were rewarded.

Simple hockey. Effective hockey.

Mason was pulled after allowing 4 goals on 16 shots and Ondrej Pavelec was brought in to face the onslaught.

Pavelec held the Predators off the board for the remainder of the second period. Rinne was equally effective, and at the end of 2 periods, it was 4-0 Predators.

Sergei Kostitsyn welcomed Pavelec to the party at 2:28 of the third period as he took a beautiful pass from Cody Franson from the point and tapped the puck into the open net to make it 5-0 Predators. Kostitsyn had worked himself open at the side of the net and the Atlanta defense lost track of him. Franson had his head up and the pass was cross ice and right on the tape. On the play, Pavelec had no chance as the defense left Kostitsyn alone in prime scoring position.

Shoot the puck and go to the net. Simple hockey. Effective hockey.





Atlanta finally solved Rinne at 3:06 of the third as Blake Wheeler beat Rinne high glove side with a beautiful shot into a very narrow space.

The Predators would answer at 6:18 of the period on the power play as Kostitsyn found Mike Fisher driving to the net behind the Thrasher defense and hit him with a pass on his tape. Fisher slammed the puck into the open net to make it 6-1 Predators.

The Thrashers would add 2 late goals as Blake Wheeler would score at 16:25. Rinne was screened by Patric Hornqvist and did not see the shot until the last minute. Nik Antropov would score at 17:10 to make the score 6-3. The Predators changed line matchups late in the game and had their 4th line out against the 2nd line of the Thrashers, which contributed to the final Atlanta goal.

When scoring 3 or more goals, the Predators are 40-4-2. When scoring first, the Preds are 29-5-8.

With the win, the Predators currently are 4th in the Western Conference with a record of 43-26-11, good for 97 points. With one point in their final two games, or with a Dallas loss, the Predators are assured of a playoff spot.

This game points out the way the Predators have to win games: shoot the puck and drive to the net. When they do this, they generate scoring opportunities and are effective.

It really is a simple game.

Two games left. Time to lock down a playoff spot. Keep playing the way you did tonight and it will be yours.

It's simple.

My three stars:

1. Jordin Tootoo

2. Sergei Kostitsyn

3. Patric Hornqvist

Honorable mention: Matt Halischuk