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 Ground the Jets 3-1

Shea Weber wasn't at the morning skate because he wasn't feeling well, and he was called a game time decision for the Predators in their game against the Winnipeg Jets at Bridgestone Arena.

Weber was in the line up, and the Predators were glad to have him as he tallied a goal and 2 assists in leading the Predators to a 3-1 win over the Jets.

Weber opened the scoring on the power play as he launched a bomb from the face off that beat Ondrej Pavelec cleanly 4:47 into the first period.

The Jets answered with a power play goal of their own as a Dustin Byfuglien shot from the point was redirected past Pekka Rinne by Michael Frolik to tie the game at 1 in the first period.

The Predators used another power play goal in the second period to take a 2-1 lead. Filip Forsberg skated the puck into the face off circle and snapped a wrist shot top corner past Pavelec. James Neal was screening in front of Pavelec, and he didn't know the puck was past him until he heard the goal horn.

The Predators had played fairly evenly with the Jets through two periods, but in the third, the Jets applied pressure and dominated the Predators in time of possession and zone time.

The Predators didn't help themselves by taking consecutive penalties by Victor Bartley and Shea Weber, which gave the Jets 91 seconds of 5 on 3 advantage.

The Predators penalty killers stepped up and blocked shots and Rinne made a couple of spectacular saves to keep the Jets off the board.

James Neal iced the game with a wrap around goal that went between the pads of Pavelec for the final margin of 3-1.

Some observations:

• Colin Wilson was back in the line up and played a strong game. he was robbed in the first period by a great save from Pavelec, but Wilson was active in all zones and did a great job with puck possession. He played 13 minutes of solid hockey, including delivering a booming hit on T.J. Galiardi behind the Jets net.
• With Wilson back in the line up, Viktor Stalberg was reassigned to Milwaukee.
• Filip Forsberg's power play goal was a perfectly placed shot to the top corner. Forsberg has such good hockey sense and patience with the puck and on this goal saw that he was not being pressured by the Jets defense and skated in until Neal got the screen and placed the shot into the small space that he had to shoot. This was Forsberg's 19th goal of the season and gives outright ownership of the Predators rookie scoring record. Forsberg has 11 points (4G-7A) in his last 11 games.
• Tyler Myers and Drew Stafford made their debuts for the Jets after being traded from the Sabres. Late in the third period, Myers was welcomed to the Central Division when he took a Weber slap shot off his knee. The shot dropped Myers and he was barely able to get back to his feet. James Neal exploited this to get around Myers and the net for the final goal. Myers barely made it to bench and went directly to the locker room and did not return to the game.
• With the win, the Predators are the first team in the NHL to reach 80 points.
• Roman Josi continues his strong play and picked up two assists tonight. This gives Josi 40 points (10G-30A), a career high.
• James Neal tallied his 19th goal of the season. He is tied with Forsberg for the lead in goals.
• The power play has had its struggles this season, but tonight it was clicking. They were 2-6 and Neal's goal came just after a power play expired. The Predators did a good job of getting pucks to the net and both Neal and Mike Fisher did a good job of screening in front of Pavelec. Simplifying the power play like the Preds did tonight has yielded some positive results.
• The Jets are a talented team and they are fighting to maintain their playoff position. In truth, they are a desperate team and they played like it tonight. There were stretches of the second period and most of the third period where the Jets dominated puck possession and exhausted the Predators defenders. 
• Because of that, Rinne had to make some fantastic saves. He was especially sharp in the third period, making a diving save of a Bryan Little shot. He was very good in the 5 on 3 and was a calming presence for the Predators defense when the Jets were pressing to get the tying goal.Rinne stopped 32 of 33 shots he faced and picked up his League leading 32nd win.
• Rinne is also 7-0-0 against the Jets.
• This was the Predators first home win by more than one goal since January 16th (5-1 against Vancouver).
• This was the Predators 4th straight win. The Predators are now 23-3-1 on home ice.

This was a solid win against a hungry team that is fighting to stay in the playoff race. The Jets are talented and desperate, and the Predators responded to the challenge they presented.

My three stars:

1. Pekka Rinne

2. Shea Weber

3. Filip Forsberg

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 Grounded In 5-0 Loss to the Jets

The Nashville Predators traveled to Winnipeg looking for their third win in as many meetings against the Jets. The Predators were attempting to continue their stellar play on this lengthy road trip, having picked up 5 of 6 points so far on this roadie.

The Jets remembered those two previous losses to the Predators as they unleashed some pent up frustration against a team that had beaten them in their two prior meetings.

Carter Hutton was again between the pipes for the Predators while Ondrej Pavelec was in net for the Jets.

The game opened with the Jets on the attack and firing pucks at Hutton. Bryan Little opened the scoring for the Jets as he took a shot from the left face off circle that found its way through traffic and the five hole of Hutton for a 1-0 Jets lead at 3:04 of the first period.

The Jets made it 2-0 at 6:47 of the first period as Olli Jokinen beat Seth Jones to the front of the net to bang home a rebound.

Certainly not the start that the Predators wanted or needed.

It got worse for the Predators

Dustin Byfuglien blasted a shot from the blue line that eluded Hutton to make it 3-0 at 8:33 of the 2first period.

That was all for Hutton as the Predators inserted Marek Mazanec into the game. Hutton gave up 3 goals on 8 shots.

The Predators continued to embarrass themselves with defensive breakdowns as off a face off in the offensive zone, Devin Setoguchi was left alone in front of the net. He took a pass from Olli Jokinen and lifted the puck over Mazanec to make it 4-0 at 16:45 of the first period.

Mercifully for the Predators, the period ended without the Jets scoring another goal. this was about as bad a period of hockey as the Predators have played all season.

Now we will see if the Predators have the heart to battle back in the final 40 minutes.

The good news in the second period was that the Jets did not score. The bad news was that neither did the Predators. The Predators out shot the Jets 15-11 and had a few flurries around the net but rarely threatened Pavelec.

The Jets resumed scoring at 9:53 of the third as Bryan little knocked in a rebound of an Andrew Ladd shot to make it 5-0.

Thankfully that was it for the scoring for the Jets. The Predators never threatened after that and the mercifully ended.

Some observations:

• Maybe the Predators were feeling good about themselves; maybe they thought the Jets would be another win; whatever the reason, they did not come out ready to play in the first period. This team is not good enough to take a period off, and they did just that tonight. They were horribly sloppy in the defensive zone and gave the jets too many scoring chances. Worse yet, they failed to respond to the push from the Jets. By the time the second period got under way and the Predators started to skate, the game was over.

• Carter Hutton didn't get much help on a couple of the goals he gave up, but he didn't look good either. The first goal through traffic beat him five hole when Hutton failed to take away the lower part of the net. That can't happen.

• The Predators out shot the Jets 41-31, but Pavelec was on his game and thwarted the Predators offensive efforts. The Predators needed to make a better effort to get to the front of the net and create more traffic and fight for rebounds. The Jets did a good job of clearing the front of the net and the Predators forwards did not establish a good presence in the hard areas.

• This game was an all around stinker. I don't like it, but those games happen. The real test for the Predators will be Sunday night when they are back on the ice against the New Jersey Devils. I want to see more compete and effort from the start in that game.

• The defensive breakdowns are costly. Yes, I know we have a young D corps, but the regularity of some of these breakdowns is troubling. This is an area that the team has to improve quickly.

This was a dog of a game. Time for the team to learn from this debacle and then put it behind them.

And get redemption on Sunday night.

My three stars:

1. Bryan Little

2. Olli Jokinen

3. Andrew Ladd

Predators Pick Up Point in the 'Peg

The Nashville Predators ventured to Winnipeg in search of back to back wins and their second road victory of the season.

This was the first meeting of the season between the new divisional rivals.

With the Predators playing last night in Montreal, Carter Hutton got the start in net. The Jets had Ondrej Pavelec manning the crease.

The first period was scoreless but both teams played an up tempo style that created some good scoring opportunities. The Predators best scoring chance came when Matt Cullen came out of the penalty box and gathered in a puck that had gotten behind the Jets defense. Cullen was stopped on the breakaway by a stick save from Pavelec.

Shots were 15-12 in favor of the Jets in the first period.

Just 10 seconds into the period, Matt Hendricks went to the box for tripping. On the PK, Eric Nystrom blocked a shot by Dustin Byfuglien and took the puck in the neutral zone. He broke in 2 on 1 with Paul Gaustad, but rather than pass he ripped a shot inside the far post to give the Predators a 1-0 lead 20 seconds into the period.

The Jets answered the Predators score with a flurry of shots at the net, requiring Hutton to make some big saves to hold the Predators lead.

The Predators got a gift from the Jets at 12:07 of the second period. Pavelec had gone behind the net to stop the puck. The the puck was cleared around the boards and Patric Hornqvist took possession of the puck along the boards in the offensive zone and just threw the puck at the net. Pavelec was not back in the net, and Hornqvist's shot hit the leg of Zach Bogosian and caromed into the net to make it 2-0.

The Predators got their first power play of the game, and just as the power play expired, Matt Cullen got a pass on his tape from Craig Smith and roofed a shot from the left face off circle to give the Predators a 3-0 lead at 14:57.

The second period ended with the Predators up 3-0. Carter Hutton was strong in net, fending off all 11 shots he faced in the period. The Predators had 7 shots on goal.


Winnipeg got on the board at 9:13 of the third period as Carter Hutton looked to have the puck frozen at the side of the net. Several jets kept banging away at the puck and it trickled out into the blue paint. Evander Kane poked the puck five hole to give the Jets some momentum.

That goal gave the Jets more than momentum. they were buzzing the net and keeping the Predators hemmed in their zone. The Predators looked to have reverted to survival mode trying to hold off the offensive onslaught of the Jets.

The teams traded some power play opportunities but neither could capitalize. The Predators defense was able to limit quality scoring chances and protect the two goal lead for the remainder of the game for the 3-1 victory.

Some observations:

• Carter Hutton looked very good in net. he was poised, relaxed, and was rarely caught out of position. There were questions about Hutton in the back up role before the season began, but if he can continue to give quality starts like tonight, the Predators have found a solid back up.

• Mike Fisher was out of action again tonight with a lower body injury.

• The line of Cullen, Bourque, and Smith continue to play well. They have good chemistry and are very complimentary style players.

• In general, I like the compete level and response of the team. They withstood the pressure of the Jets and matched their speed. There was a stretch in the third period where the Predators ere back on their heels but they rallied back to level the ice. That showed some mental toughness.

• Patric Hornqvist continues his solid play. he constantly battles for the position and the puck and his motor is always going full tilt. He has to work on his breakaway shot, though. After a stellar defensive play, he broke in alone on Pavelec. Instead of getting a shot, he launched it into the net.

• Eric Nystrom has been a very good add for the Predators. He brings intensity and hockey smarts, and tonight, he showed he has a pretty good shot. His shorthanded goal took the energy out of the building and gave the Predators momentum.

With the win, the Predators move their record to 5-3-1. More importantly, the Predators are building confidence with two good road wins and they are beginning to gel as a team.

They will have an opportunity to build on that momentum Tuesday night in Minnesota.

My three stars:

1. Carter Hutton

2. Matt Cullen

3. Eric Nystrom