Wow!
That sentiment, along with a few others, can only begin to capture what happened in the Bridgestone Arena as the Nashville Predators faced the Columbus Blue Jackets in a Central Division tilt. The Predators won the game 6-5 in spite of making it extremely difficult on themselves.
Heck, they didn't make it difficult on themselves. They nearly gave away the game.
Don't believe me?
The Predators gave up 4 power play goals, three in the first period on a 5 minute penalty kill after absorbing a major penalty to fall into a 4-1 hole after twenty minutes.
I will get to that in just a moment.
Pekka Rinne got the start for the Predators, while Curtis Sanford was in net for the Blue Jackets.
These two teams typically play a tight checking game, with most contests decided by a goal. This game started no differently, with each team probing the others defense and looking for an opportunity to score.
That first opportunity would belong to the Predators, as Mike Fisher was left alone at the side of the net and had an easy tap in of a rebound of a Sergei Kostitsyn shot at 12:29 of the period. This goal was a result of the Predators playing their type of hockey- shooting the puck and crashing the net. Simple hockey, effective hockey.
Predator fans had hardly settled back into their seats when the BJ's tied the game on a shot from Jeff Carter. Carter beat David Legwand on a drive to the net and launched a wrist shot from just inside the face off circle that beat Rinne over his shoulder at 12:56 of the first period.
The first "Wow" moment came at 14:26 of the first period as Brian McGratten boarded Derick Brassard as Brassard was going off on a line change. McGratten was given a 5 minute major for interference and a game misconduct. While the penalty can be debated as to the severity, the fact is that this was a boneheaded and selfish play by McGratten, who skated across the rink to deliver the hit. It is the type of hit that the League looks at closely and one which the officials have been quick to call. It was a totally unnecessary hit.
And it would cost the Predators.
Columbus would tally 3 times during the major to take a 4-1 lead. Jeff Carter got 2 goals to give him a first period hat trick, with his goals coming at 14:35 and 16:14. Sandwiched between those two goals was a gaol by Ryan Johansen at 15:30.
Yes, it was a major penalty, but the Predators penalty killers were manhandled by the Jackets forwards. Columbus peppered the Predators net and crashed hard to gather in rebounds and tally goals. Pucks were bouncing off legs of the defenders and the Predators could not clear the front of the net, and they were burned by the Jackets because of their ineffectiveness.
Down 4-1 at the end of the first period, the Predators were going to have to play Predator hockey and chip away at the Jackets lead in the second period.
Patrick Hornqvist would make it 4-2 with a tap in of a rebound of a shot from Shea Weber at 5:28. Once again, the Predators benefited from shooting the puck and going to the net.
The Jackets would again extend their lead to 3 goals on the power play. Ryan Johansen took a shot that hit Ryan Suter's leg and skidded by Rinne for the Jackets 4th power play goal to make it 5-2 at 7:52 of the second period.
The Predators did not deviate from their style of play, as they kept shooting the puck and going hard to the net. Nick Spaling was the next Predator to score at 8:53 of the second period. Spaling was working hard in the low slot and gathered in a rebound of a Colin Wilson shot and shoveled the puck past Sanford to make it 5-3 Columbus.
The Predators made it 5-4 at 13:41 of the second as Roman Josi took a pass from Francis Buillon and wired a shot over the shoulder of Sanford with Mike Fisher screening in front. Josi is rounding into a very solid defenseman who handles the puck well and has a good shot. Each game, he appears to be playing with more confidence.
The Predators caught a break in the second as Mark Letestu got free in the low slot and beat Rinne with a shot that hit the post and bounced out.
Going into the third period and trailing by one, I felt that if the Predators could tie the game, they would win it.
The Predators did just that at 16:14 of the period as David Legwand corralled a rebound of a Colin Wilson shot and banged home the tying goal. With that score, one could sense the fragile Jackets were on the verge of breaking, and with the partisan crowd roaring, the Predators were looking for one more improbable win over the BJ's.
Wow!
Improbable? How about absolutely amazing?
The Predators were not done with their "wow" moments just yet.
Ryan Suter found Marty Erat streaking through the middle of the ice and hit him with a pass on his tape. Erat split the defense of the Jackets and fought off a hook to break in on Sanford. Erat made a nice forehand backhand move to open Sanford up and slid the puck five hole with 8.4 seconds to go to give the Predators a 6-5 lead.
WOW!!
As the horn sounded, a Blue Jacket player summed up their night by shattering his stick at the bench, just like their hopes for a victory were shattered by a gritty and never say die group of Predators.
Make no mistake, this win feels good. But as good as it feels, the Predators should have never been in that position. Frankly, the Predators kept Columbus in the game with the stupid major penalty and the resulting ineffectiveness of their penalty kill. Against a team that is not as fragile as the Jackets, the result would probably not have turned out as good as it did for the Predators.
Strong play tonight from Mike Fisher and Colin Wilson. Both of these players are skating hard and doing the little things that lead to big plays. this type of effort was instrumental in turning around this contest.
What this contest should point out to this team is that you are never out of it. Play your game- shoot the puck and go hard to the net- and good things happen. When this team was down early, rather than quit, they fought back and fought back hard.
That is character.
That is Predator hockey.
My three stars:
1. Marty Erat
2. David Legwand
3. Jeff Carter
Showing posts with label Brian McGratten. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brian McGratten. Show all posts
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Predators Put Out the Flames 2-1
The Nashville Predators and the Calgary Flames played one of their typical games, a one goal affair characterized by stellar goal tending, fierce forechecking, and opportunistic scoring. The Predators prevailed on their home ice in an entertaining affair by a 2-1 score.
For the Predators, this was their first win on home ice against the Flames since 2008, a streak of six home losses.
The Predators had Pekka Rinne in net, while the Flames had Rinne's countryman, Mikka Kiprusoff, and both goaltenders were outstanding tonight.
The Predators have been a team that has struggled to find their identity this season, and if recent games are any indication, they have found it. The first period saw the Predators skating as well as they have skated in any game this season. They tilted the ice in their favor and poured shots on Kiprusoff. Kipper was excellent in net, and made two outstanding saves on point blank shots by David Legwand and Marty Erat.
Early on, this game appeared as if the Predators were going to run into the wall that was Kiprusoff and were not going to be able to solve his solid play in net. That would change at 11:43 of the first period as the Predators fourth line would get on the board. Brian McGratten sent a puck off the boards that Kiprusoff stopped with his pad. Matt Halischuk was lurking at the front of the net and made a nifty play to gather in the bouncing rebound and lift a backhand shot that beat Kipper short side for the Predators first goal.
Although that was the only score of the period, the Predators pressed the play and dominated in puck possession. They put 18 shots on net in the period to 6 for Calgary.
Everyone in the building knew that Calgary would have a strong push in the second period, and they did just that. Calgary started to tilt the ice in their favor, and the fear among Predator fans was that the Flames would eventually force a mistake by the Predators.
That happened at 6:12 of the second period as Curtis Glencross split the defensive tandem of Roman Josi and Jack Hillen and skated in on Rinne. He lifted a backhand shot over the shoulder of Rinne to tie the game at 1. This is a play that cannot happen and the concern was that it would deflate the Predators.
That was not the case, however, as the Predators matched the effort by Calgary as each team fired 17 shots on net in the period. Rinne and Kiprusoff both made some solid saves to keep the game knotted at 1.
The Predators would notch the game winning goal in the third period while on the power play. Craig Smith took a shot from the slot that Kiprusoff kicked out with his pad. Colin Wilson was crashing the net and slid the puck five hole for the tally at 3:31.
The remainder of the period was a back and forth affair that saw each goaltender make some big saves. Rinne was exceptional late in the period as the Flames pressed for the tying goal, and the Predators managed to keep the Flames tied up and having to work hard for shots. The horn sounded with Calgary scrambling around the Predators net, but unable to get the needed goal past Rinne.
This team has started to embrace fully the message that the coaching staff has been preaching all season: skate hard for 60 minutes; shoot the puck; and crash the net. Tonight, they did that for a full 60 minutes. Evidence of this is the final shot total: Predators 45 SOG to 36 SOG for Calgary.
Kudos to the power play unit, which continues to operate at a high level. Tonight, that unit was 1 for 3 with the game winning goal. This unit has displayed a growing confidence, much better movement, and good shot selection. this is a solid plus for the Predators.
Another plus for this team is they are starting to dominate in the face off circle. This is so important for puck possession and the effort in the circle has benefited this team over the last three games. It will be imperative that they continue to be successful in this area.
It takes time for a young team to learn who they are and start to gel. They are showing signs of learning who they are and playing to their strengths. This is what will make this team successful.
Three games, three wins. These three games do not make a season.
They do, however, point the way, to continued success.
My three stars:
1. Pekka Rinne
2. Mikka Kiprusoff
3. Colin Wilson
For the Predators, this was their first win on home ice against the Flames since 2008, a streak of six home losses.
The Predators had Pekka Rinne in net, while the Flames had Rinne's countryman, Mikka Kiprusoff, and both goaltenders were outstanding tonight.
The Predators have been a team that has struggled to find their identity this season, and if recent games are any indication, they have found it. The first period saw the Predators skating as well as they have skated in any game this season. They tilted the ice in their favor and poured shots on Kiprusoff. Kipper was excellent in net, and made two outstanding saves on point blank shots by David Legwand and Marty Erat.
Early on, this game appeared as if the Predators were going to run into the wall that was Kiprusoff and were not going to be able to solve his solid play in net. That would change at 11:43 of the first period as the Predators fourth line would get on the board. Brian McGratten sent a puck off the boards that Kiprusoff stopped with his pad. Matt Halischuk was lurking at the front of the net and made a nifty play to gather in the bouncing rebound and lift a backhand shot that beat Kipper short side for the Predators first goal.
Although that was the only score of the period, the Predators pressed the play and dominated in puck possession. They put 18 shots on net in the period to 6 for Calgary.
Everyone in the building knew that Calgary would have a strong push in the second period, and they did just that. Calgary started to tilt the ice in their favor, and the fear among Predator fans was that the Flames would eventually force a mistake by the Predators.
That happened at 6:12 of the second period as Curtis Glencross split the defensive tandem of Roman Josi and Jack Hillen and skated in on Rinne. He lifted a backhand shot over the shoulder of Rinne to tie the game at 1. This is a play that cannot happen and the concern was that it would deflate the Predators.
That was not the case, however, as the Predators matched the effort by Calgary as each team fired 17 shots on net in the period. Rinne and Kiprusoff both made some solid saves to keep the game knotted at 1.
The Predators would notch the game winning goal in the third period while on the power play. Craig Smith took a shot from the slot that Kiprusoff kicked out with his pad. Colin Wilson was crashing the net and slid the puck five hole for the tally at 3:31.
The remainder of the period was a back and forth affair that saw each goaltender make some big saves. Rinne was exceptional late in the period as the Flames pressed for the tying goal, and the Predators managed to keep the Flames tied up and having to work hard for shots. The horn sounded with Calgary scrambling around the Predators net, but unable to get the needed goal past Rinne.
This team has started to embrace fully the message that the coaching staff has been preaching all season: skate hard for 60 minutes; shoot the puck; and crash the net. Tonight, they did that for a full 60 minutes. Evidence of this is the final shot total: Predators 45 SOG to 36 SOG for Calgary.
Kudos to the power play unit, which continues to operate at a high level. Tonight, that unit was 1 for 3 with the game winning goal. This unit has displayed a growing confidence, much better movement, and good shot selection. this is a solid plus for the Predators.
Another plus for this team is they are starting to dominate in the face off circle. This is so important for puck possession and the effort in the circle has benefited this team over the last three games. It will be imperative that they continue to be successful in this area.
It takes time for a young team to learn who they are and start to gel. They are showing signs of learning who they are and playing to their strengths. This is what will make this team successful.
Three games, three wins. These three games do not make a season.
They do, however, point the way, to continued success.
My three stars:
1. Pekka Rinne
2. Mikka Kiprusoff
3. Colin Wilson
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Sharks Stymie the Predators 3-1
When opposing goalies face the Nashville Predators, they should refund part of their pay.
They are certainly not having to work hard to earn their check.
Once again, the Predators were outshot by a wide margin, 36-20, in falling again at home 3-1 to the San Jose Sharks. For the year, the Predators are winless at home.
I cannot fault the effort of the Predators. They skated hard all night. The painful fact is that the Predators have no finishers now- guys that can get the puck on the net or in the net. And until that changes, the Predators are going to struggle mightily.
In the first period, the Predators were outshot 17-7. The Predators did a good job of breaking out and getting the puck in the offensive zone, but once in the zone were unable to generate any quality scoring chances. Antii Niemi got the start for the Sharks, and was never really threatened in the first period. Or the second period for that matter.
Logan Couture opened the scoring for the Sharks at 14:22 of the first period as the Predators gave up their first shorthanded goal of the season. Couture broke in past the defense and fired as shot that starting netminder Pekka Rinne stopped with his pad. Couture continued to the net, beating the Predators defense back to the puck and flipped a rebound over the Rinne's shoulder for the Sharks first tally.
The lack of serious scoring chances by the Predators made this goal look as if it would stand up as the game winner.
After a scoreless second period that saw the Predators outshot by a 10-5 margin, the outloof for the home team was grim. I cannot explain the lack of chemistry or offensive push by this team. Once they enter the offensive zone, it is as if they go into a shell and cannot figure out how to get shots on net. The secret to the Predators success has been to shoot the puck and crash the net. The first part of that formula is to shoot the puck, something the Predators have failed to do in every game.
There was fight left in the Predators in the third period, as Jordin Tootoo, who had a very solid game, absolutely blasted Logan Couture with a clean check. Ryan Clowe came over and dropped the gloves to fight, saw that it was Tootoo that he would be matched up with, and proceeded to turn tail and run.Clowe was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, and on the ensuing power play, Craig Smith was able to jam the puck home from in front of the net to tie the game at 13:12 of the third period.
The Sharks sucked all the life out fo Bridgestone Arena with a Joe Pavelski goal at 14:09. Pavelski beat Rinne glove side as he was late sliding back across to the post. Pavelski would add an empty net goal at 18:48 to seal the win for the Sharks.
The Predators have always relied on the solid play of Rinne, but the fact is that early in this season, the team has leaned too heavily on their netminder. Their failure to shoot the puck and get scoring chances means that Rinne has to be perfect every night, and that is a tall order for any goalie.
Until this team develops a scoring mentality, they will struggle. Right now, there is now pure goal scorer on this team. This simply means that the Predators have to get back to shooting the puck and crashing the net. This team is not doing this, and until they do, the losses will pile up.
The team welcomed back Francis Buillon and Mike Fisher, and their contributions were noticeable. Fisher had an assist on Smith's goal and logged 19:30 in ice time. Buillon had 17:30 in ice time and was even in plus/minus for the night.
The predators continue to be a work in progress. Here is the stark fact this team has to overcome: Fisher, Patric Hornqvist, Jerred Smithson, Matt Halischuk, Blake Geoffrion, and Brian McGratten (why is he in the line up again?) all had no shots on goal. Sergei Kostitsyn, Colin Wilson, and Nick Spaling all had one shot on gaol. That is nine forwards with one shot or less.
That is unbelievable and unacceptable.
It is time for this team to realize that no shot is a bad shot. NO shots are bad. The difference is not subtle. This team will not win with this kind of effort.
See the opposing team's net, guys. That is where you HAVE to shoot the puck.
It really is a simple game.
My three stars:
1. Joe Pavelski
2. Logan Couture
3. Craig Smith
They are certainly not having to work hard to earn their check.
Once again, the Predators were outshot by a wide margin, 36-20, in falling again at home 3-1 to the San Jose Sharks. For the year, the Predators are winless at home.
I cannot fault the effort of the Predators. They skated hard all night. The painful fact is that the Predators have no finishers now- guys that can get the puck on the net or in the net. And until that changes, the Predators are going to struggle mightily.
In the first period, the Predators were outshot 17-7. The Predators did a good job of breaking out and getting the puck in the offensive zone, but once in the zone were unable to generate any quality scoring chances. Antii Niemi got the start for the Sharks, and was never really threatened in the first period. Or the second period for that matter.
Logan Couture opened the scoring for the Sharks at 14:22 of the first period as the Predators gave up their first shorthanded goal of the season. Couture broke in past the defense and fired as shot that starting netminder Pekka Rinne stopped with his pad. Couture continued to the net, beating the Predators defense back to the puck and flipped a rebound over the Rinne's shoulder for the Sharks first tally.
The lack of serious scoring chances by the Predators made this goal look as if it would stand up as the game winner.
After a scoreless second period that saw the Predators outshot by a 10-5 margin, the outloof for the home team was grim. I cannot explain the lack of chemistry or offensive push by this team. Once they enter the offensive zone, it is as if they go into a shell and cannot figure out how to get shots on net. The secret to the Predators success has been to shoot the puck and crash the net. The first part of that formula is to shoot the puck, something the Predators have failed to do in every game.
There was fight left in the Predators in the third period, as Jordin Tootoo, who had a very solid game, absolutely blasted Logan Couture with a clean check. Ryan Clowe came over and dropped the gloves to fight, saw that it was Tootoo that he would be matched up with, and proceeded to turn tail and run.Clowe was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, and on the ensuing power play, Craig Smith was able to jam the puck home from in front of the net to tie the game at 13:12 of the third period.
The Sharks sucked all the life out fo Bridgestone Arena with a Joe Pavelski goal at 14:09. Pavelski beat Rinne glove side as he was late sliding back across to the post. Pavelski would add an empty net goal at 18:48 to seal the win for the Sharks.
The Predators have always relied on the solid play of Rinne, but the fact is that early in this season, the team has leaned too heavily on their netminder. Their failure to shoot the puck and get scoring chances means that Rinne has to be perfect every night, and that is a tall order for any goalie.
Until this team develops a scoring mentality, they will struggle. Right now, there is now pure goal scorer on this team. This simply means that the Predators have to get back to shooting the puck and crashing the net. This team is not doing this, and until they do, the losses will pile up.
The team welcomed back Francis Buillon and Mike Fisher, and their contributions were noticeable. Fisher had an assist on Smith's goal and logged 19:30 in ice time. Buillon had 17:30 in ice time and was even in plus/minus for the night.
The predators continue to be a work in progress. Here is the stark fact this team has to overcome: Fisher, Patric Hornqvist, Jerred Smithson, Matt Halischuk, Blake Geoffrion, and Brian McGratten (why is he in the line up again?) all had no shots on goal. Sergei Kostitsyn, Colin Wilson, and Nick Spaling all had one shot on gaol. That is nine forwards with one shot or less.
That is unbelievable and unacceptable.
It is time for this team to realize that no shot is a bad shot. NO shots are bad. The difference is not subtle. This team will not win with this kind of effort.
See the opposing team's net, guys. That is where you HAVE to shoot the puck.
It really is a simple game.
My three stars:
1. Joe Pavelski
2. Logan Couture
3. Craig Smith
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