The Nashville Predators experienced a family reunion of sorts as they faced several old teammates now with the Florida Panthers in a contest at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise. Across the way, the Predators would see former line mates Marcel Goc, Mike Santorelli, and recently traded Jerred Smithson, as well as Scottie Upshall, who is on injured reserve.
Family or not, the Predators were attempting to put a Panther's pelt on their wall.
Pekka Rinne was in net for the Predators while the Panthers went with Scott Clemmensen.
For the Predators, this was an opportunity to pick up two points against an Eastern Conference opponent and close the gap with St. Louis and Detroit, who sit just above them in the standings. This was going to be no easy task, as the Panthers were desperate for points as well, clinging to a tenuous two point lead over Winnipeg in the Southeast Division.
The Predators faced a strong pus from the Panthers early in the game. Through the first 10 minutes, the Panthers had out shot the Predators 9-2. Rinne made several big saves to keep the Panthers off the board.
The Predators broke through at 11:35 of the first as Andrei Kostitsyn got the puck and some open space and with fired a puck from the face off circle to the far side post that beat Clemmensen to give the Predators a 1-0 lead on only their third shot of the game.
Shortly after the score, Shea Weber got smoked in the corner by Sean Bergenheim and appeared to be injured. he skated to the bench and his spot was taken by Jack Hillen. After missing a shift, Weber returned for the Predators to the great relief of Predator fans everywhere.
The first period ended with the Predators holding a 1-0 lead but being out shot 15-6. Hopefully the Predators shook off the rust of having a few days off and would come out with more offensive push in the second period.
The Predators opened the second period with much better jump. Martin Erat fought for and got control of the puck behind the Panthers net and found Mike Fisher streaking down the slot. The pass from Erat landed right on the tape of Fisher and his one time chip beat Clemmensen to give the Predators a 2-0 lead just 28 seconds into the period.
The Panthers cut the lead to 2-1 on a nice give and go between Marcel Goc and Wojtek Wolski at 7:29 of the second. Wolski took a pass and had a wide open net into which to shoot the puck as Rinne had to respect Goc who was breaking in on the left side.
The period ended with the Predators holding a 2-1 lead, and the shot on goal was certainly more respectable, favoring the Panthers by a 9-8 margin. The Predators did a better job of moving their feet and controlling the puck in their offensive zone.
The key to the third period was going to be more of the same for the Predators.
The Predators got a bit loose with their defensive coverage and gave up a 2 on 1 and a partial breakaway, but Rinne made some great saves to keep the Panthers from getting the equalizer.
The Predators extended their lead to 3-1 at 7:02 of the period as Andrei Kostitsyn sent David Legwand in on a breakaway. Legwand made a nice fake and got Clemmensen to open the five hole, and Legwand deftly slid the puck through for his 15th goal of the year.
The Predators had some good scoring chances on a breakaway by Craig Fisher and a 2 on 1 with Sergei Kostitsyn and Mike Fisher, but Clemmensen was able to make some good saves to keep the score 3-1.
The Panthers pulled Clemmensen with 1:53 to go in the game for the extra attacker. The Predators did a good job of keeping the Panthers bottled up in their zone and didn't allow them to gain easy entry into the offensive zone. Rinne made a huge save on Stephen Weiss to keep the score 3-1 with 38 seconds remaining in the contest.
The Predators ran out the remainder of the clock and skated away with a 3-1 victory and more importantly, two more precious points.
The Predators survived the first period and played a solid 40 minutes. They caught a few breaks as the Panthers misfired on some good scoring chances, and Rinne was once again stellar in net, making 39 saves. for the game, the Panthers out shot the Predators 40-23, which is a disturbing margin.
Rinne won his 36th game, best in the NHL.
It was good to see solid contributions from the newcomers, as Paul Gaustad was solid in the face off circle, and he and Hal Gill had an assist on Andrei Kostitsyn's goal.
This was a solid win for the Predators. They will jump back into Western Conference play next week with three home games against opponents from inside their conference. Sitting solidly in fifth place with 83 points, the Predators look to make a move up the standings with these critical games.
And put another pelt on their wall.
My three stars:
1. Pekka Rinne
2. Mike Fisher
3. Andrei Kostitsyn
Showing posts with label Jack Hillen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jack Hillen. Show all posts
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Predators Grind Out a 2-1 Win Over the Kings
The Nashville Predators secured a workmanlike 2-1 victory over he Los Angeles Kings at the Bridgestone Arena to run their record to 37-19-7, good for 81 points.
The first period was a spirited affair between the two teams as each had some good scoring chances. Pekka Rinne got the start in net for the Predators, and he was called upon to make some good saves early in the contest to keep the Kings off the board. Jonathan Quick, the Kings netminder, did the same, thwarting some good scoring chances for the Predators.
The Predators would find the back of the net late in the first period on a goal by Roman Josi at 18:27. Josi took a wrist shot that hit the Kings Drew Doughty's stick and was re-directed between Quick's arm and his body. The puck trickled through and over the goal line to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.
Patric Hornqvist extended the lead to 2-0 at 3:52 of the second period. David Legwand fired a puck off the end board that caromed directly onto the tape of Hornqvist's stick. Hornqvist buried the shot past an out of position quick for his 18th goal of the season. It was good to see Hornqvist back in action and contributing after missing five games due to injury.
The Kings got on the board at 16:36 of the third period as Dustin Brown fired a shot toward the net with traffic in front. The puck pinballed off the skates of Ryan Suter and Mike Fisher and skittered past Rinne for the Kings only goal of the game.
Leading 2-1 with the clock winding down, the Predators held the Kings off the board and secured an important two points.
Pekka Rinne made 30 saves for the Predators, some of which were spectacular. For the game, the Kings out shot the Predators 31-28.
The Predators did a good job of forechecking the Kings and skated well with them all night. The Kings like to use their size to wear down their opponents, but the Predators generally did a good job of controlling the Kings cycle and forcing them to the outside. Unlike their previous game with the Sharks, the Predators stepped up their offensive pressure in the third period, especially late in the game, preventing Quick from getting off the ice for the extra attacker by forcing the puck deep and forcing the Kings to defend in their zone.
Kudos to Hal Gill for another strong game. Gill continues to block shots and his physical presence is dominant in front of the net. Gill is especially important to this team in taking pressure off of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter by chewing up minutes. Also, a special mention should go to Jack Hillen. Hillen was inserted into the lineup with Kevin Klein out of action, and he played a solid game. His best play came in blocking s hot that was targeted for the open net when Rinne was out of position.
This was a solid effort against a desperate team that really needed the points. The Predators continue to play a strong team game, and have four lines that can put the puck in the net. More importantly, the four lines that are on the ice are defensively responsible and contribute quality minutes in all situations.
This is a winning formula. Sometimes the wins are not things of beauty, but they are wins nevertheless.
And the Predators will take them.
My three stars:
1. Pekka Rinne
2. Patric Hornqvist
3. Roman Josi
The first period was a spirited affair between the two teams as each had some good scoring chances. Pekka Rinne got the start in net for the Predators, and he was called upon to make some good saves early in the contest to keep the Kings off the board. Jonathan Quick, the Kings netminder, did the same, thwarting some good scoring chances for the Predators.
The Predators would find the back of the net late in the first period on a goal by Roman Josi at 18:27. Josi took a wrist shot that hit the Kings Drew Doughty's stick and was re-directed between Quick's arm and his body. The puck trickled through and over the goal line to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.
Patric Hornqvist extended the lead to 2-0 at 3:52 of the second period. David Legwand fired a puck off the end board that caromed directly onto the tape of Hornqvist's stick. Hornqvist buried the shot past an out of position quick for his 18th goal of the season. It was good to see Hornqvist back in action and contributing after missing five games due to injury.
The Kings got on the board at 16:36 of the third period as Dustin Brown fired a shot toward the net with traffic in front. The puck pinballed off the skates of Ryan Suter and Mike Fisher and skittered past Rinne for the Kings only goal of the game.
Leading 2-1 with the clock winding down, the Predators held the Kings off the board and secured an important two points.
Pekka Rinne made 30 saves for the Predators, some of which were spectacular. For the game, the Kings out shot the Predators 31-28.
The Predators did a good job of forechecking the Kings and skated well with them all night. The Kings like to use their size to wear down their opponents, but the Predators generally did a good job of controlling the Kings cycle and forcing them to the outside. Unlike their previous game with the Sharks, the Predators stepped up their offensive pressure in the third period, especially late in the game, preventing Quick from getting off the ice for the extra attacker by forcing the puck deep and forcing the Kings to defend in their zone.
Kudos to Hal Gill for another strong game. Gill continues to block shots and his physical presence is dominant in front of the net. Gill is especially important to this team in taking pressure off of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter by chewing up minutes. Also, a special mention should go to Jack Hillen. Hillen was inserted into the lineup with Kevin Klein out of action, and he played a solid game. His best play came in blocking s hot that was targeted for the open net when Rinne was out of position.
This was a solid effort against a desperate team that really needed the points. The Predators continue to play a strong team game, and have four lines that can put the puck in the net. More importantly, the four lines that are on the ice are defensively responsible and contribute quality minutes in all situations.
This is a winning formula. Sometimes the wins are not things of beauty, but they are wins nevertheless.
And the Predators will take them.
My three stars:
1. Pekka Rinne
2. Patric Hornqvist
3. Roman Josi
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
The Streak Ends as the Blue Shirts Blank the Predators
The Nashville Predators took their turn on the big stage with their only national television appearance as they battled the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden. After playing yesterday, the Predators went with Anders Lindback in net while the Rangers went with their usual starter Henrik Lundqvist.
Notable for the Predators was the absence of Ryan Suter, who played only 7:14 of the first period in the previous game and was called out due to an upper body injury
The Predators opened with some good jump and controlled the play early. The Predators recorded the first 4 shots on goal were cycling the puck well. The Rangers, by contrast, iced the puck three times in the first five minutes.
The Rangers reversed that momentum at 6:15 of the first period as Dan Girardi took a shot that was going to miss the net but hit Jack Hillen in the leg and ricocheted into the net to give them a 1-0 lead. A fluky goal, but good teams create chances- fluky or not.
The critical aspect of this goal was that Hillen and his defense partner, Ryan Ellis, were caught on the ice for 2:10 and were completely gassed, making it difficult for them to maintain defensive positioning.
The Predators created some chances and got shots on Lundqvist, but did not get many second chances as the Rangers defense did a great job of clearing the front of the net. When the Predators did get some good looks, they were unable to get a puck past Lundqvist.
The first period ended with the Rangers leading 1-0 and the Predators holding an 11-10 shot advantage.
The second period saw both teams get some good chances, and Lundqvist making some good saves to keep the Predators off the board. The Predators created some solid scoring opportunities, but just could not get a tally.
By contrast, the Rangers added a second score at 10:42 of the second period as John Mitchell took a shot that seemed to surprise Lindback and went through the five hole to make it 2-0.
That was the only goal of the period, and the Predators were out shot by the Rangers 11-8.
Though the Predators had some chances, they had yet to get a puck past Lundqvist, and in the third period, it was going to be critical that the Predators not only continue to get shots on goal, but to have players battling for rebounds. Second chances and dirty goals had to be the order of the day for the Predators.
The third period saw the Predators once again frustrated by the play of Lundqvist and the Rangers defense. They got shots on goal, but could not get second chances and opportunities for rebounds and second chances.
The Predators took a penalty as Marty Erat hooked Ryan Callahan on a breakaway chance and the net empty for the extra attacker at 19:09 of the third. The penalty resulted in an automatic goal for the Rangers, and that would ice the contest.
The Rangers out shot the Predators 28-27 for the contest.
The word that sums up this game is frustration. The Predators offense created chances, but could not finish and get a puck past Lundqvist. There is absolutely no doubt that Lundqvist is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, but the frustrating part of this game is the failure to get second chances on the pucks that were laying around the crease. Finishing chances was essential for the Predators to have a chance in this contest, and they did not.
Let's face it: the Predators were not going to win out for the remainder of the season. And they did some good things in this game. They just did not have what it took offensively to bury some chances and get back in the game.
So what does this team do now?
Simple.
You get back to the basics and start another streak Thursday night in Columbus.
My three stars:
1. Henrik Lundqvist
2. Dan Girardi
3. John Mitchell
Notable for the Predators was the absence of Ryan Suter, who played only 7:14 of the first period in the previous game and was called out due to an upper body injury
The Predators opened with some good jump and controlled the play early. The Predators recorded the first 4 shots on goal were cycling the puck well. The Rangers, by contrast, iced the puck three times in the first five minutes.
The Rangers reversed that momentum at 6:15 of the first period as Dan Girardi took a shot that was going to miss the net but hit Jack Hillen in the leg and ricocheted into the net to give them a 1-0 lead. A fluky goal, but good teams create chances- fluky or not.
The critical aspect of this goal was that Hillen and his defense partner, Ryan Ellis, were caught on the ice for 2:10 and were completely gassed, making it difficult for them to maintain defensive positioning.
The Predators created some chances and got shots on Lundqvist, but did not get many second chances as the Rangers defense did a great job of clearing the front of the net. When the Predators did get some good looks, they were unable to get a puck past Lundqvist.
The first period ended with the Rangers leading 1-0 and the Predators holding an 11-10 shot advantage.
The second period saw both teams get some good chances, and Lundqvist making some good saves to keep the Predators off the board. The Predators created some solid scoring opportunities, but just could not get a tally.
By contrast, the Rangers added a second score at 10:42 of the second period as John Mitchell took a shot that seemed to surprise Lindback and went through the five hole to make it 2-0.
That was the only goal of the period, and the Predators were out shot by the Rangers 11-8.
Though the Predators had some chances, they had yet to get a puck past Lundqvist, and in the third period, it was going to be critical that the Predators not only continue to get shots on goal, but to have players battling for rebounds. Second chances and dirty goals had to be the order of the day for the Predators.
The third period saw the Predators once again frustrated by the play of Lundqvist and the Rangers defense. They got shots on goal, but could not get second chances and opportunities for rebounds and second chances.
The Predators took a penalty as Marty Erat hooked Ryan Callahan on a breakaway chance and the net empty for the extra attacker at 19:09 of the third. The penalty resulted in an automatic goal for the Rangers, and that would ice the contest.
The Rangers out shot the Predators 28-27 for the contest.
The word that sums up this game is frustration. The Predators offense created chances, but could not finish and get a puck past Lundqvist. There is absolutely no doubt that Lundqvist is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, but the frustrating part of this game is the failure to get second chances on the pucks that were laying around the crease. Finishing chances was essential for the Predators to have a chance in this contest, and they did not.
Let's face it: the Predators were not going to win out for the remainder of the season. And they did some good things in this game. They just did not have what it took offensively to bury some chances and get back in the game.
So what does this team do now?
Simple.
You get back to the basics and start another streak Thursday night in Columbus.
My three stars:
1. Henrik Lundqvist
2. Dan Girardi
3. John Mitchell
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Predators Stop St. Louis in a Shoot Out 2-1
The Nashville Predators defeated the St. Louis Blues in a shootout by the score of 2-1.
That's the good news.
The rest of the story?
The Predators were out hit, out worked, out shot, and generally out hustled all night. They were fortunate to escape with the win.
Pekka Rinne got the start in net for the Predators, and his effort was outstanding and he single handedly kept the Predators in the contest.
His counterpart, Jaroslav Halak, got the start for the Blues, and he was rarely tested by the Predators.
The Blues out shot the Predators in every period. Embarrassingly so. Here is the bad news in that regard: 14-2; 15-11; and 11-4. The only period where the Predators showed much offensive push was in the overtime session, where the Predators out shot the Blues 3-0.
The first period was scoreless, mainly due to the efforts of Rinne. The Blues controlled the puck throughout the period and fired 11 shots on Rinne. He was solid in net, rarely giving up rebounds, shutting down the Blues second chances.
The first period was a portent of things to come for the Predators. The Predators consistently lost puck battles and were easily taken off the puck. They had a difficult time entering the offensive zone, and when they did, the Blues defense thwarted their offensive effort.
The Predators did not help themselves by taking six penalties in the course of the contest. The Predators PK unit did a good job, but the Predators were flirting with disaster by giving the Blues the man advantage.
The Predators offensive effort was better in the second period, but they could not solve Halak. The Blues were similarly stymied by Rinne at the other end, and the second period was another scoreless 20 minutes. The Blues best scoring chance occurred late in the period when Jamie Langenbrunner gathered in the puck that had squirted out from under Rinne and lifted a shot toward the open net. Defenseman Jack Hillen, backing up Rinne, corralled the puck under his arm and froze it in the blue ice to negate the Blues scoring chance.
The game was taking a decidedly negative feel for the Predators, as their offense was impotent and it appeared to be just a matter of time before the Blues found the back of the net.
Those negative feelings among the Predator faithful would lift at 12:32 of the third period. Mike Fisher stole the puck from Kevin Shattenkirk, who stumbled at the Blues blue line and passed the puck to Shea Weber, breaking in on the left side. Weber drew the defense to him and forced Halak to respect his potential shot. Weber was able to slide the puck to Marty Erat and he buried the puck in the open net to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.
That lead disappeared as the Predators were called for too many men on the ice and T.J. Oshie got loose in the slot and beat Rinne five hole to tie the game at 16:08 of the third.
The Predators were whistled for yet again another penalty, this time David Legwand for slashing at 18:31. Once again, the Predators PK killed off the penalty in regulation and the first 29 seconds of the overtime. The remainder of the overtime period was scoreless, although the Predators generated all the offensive chances.
Heading into the shootout, the Predators elected, as they always do, to have the visitors shoot first. Rinne stoned the three Blues shooters, T.J. Oshie, David Perron, and Patrick Bergland. Halak stopped Mike Fisher and Craig Smith, but the Predators third shooter, David Legwand, beat Halak with a great forehand backhand move over his glove for the Predators improbable win.
For the Predators to come out on top in this contest is amazing, considering the way they played. All night, they looked a step slower than the Blues. Frustratingly, they were beaten on the puck or to the puck all night. Yet Pekka Rinne held the Predators in the game with his solid play, and the Predators did just enough to hang around and finally win the game.
It was pretty incredible that the Blues were not whistled for a penalty until the very end of overtime. There will be games like that, and for the Predators, it was imperative that they fight through that type of officiating. Tonight, the PK unit held the Blues to 1 of 6 on the power play, and without that level of play, the Predators could have easily been blown out of the arena.
While it is good to get the win, this contest pointed out that the Predators cannot just skate out on the ice and expect to win many contests. Tonight, they were fortunate. That will not be the case very often.
This game shows the team that they cannot revert back to their former ways when they ere in their losing skid. They have to win puck battles, keep from turning they puck over- which they did a lot tonight- and limit the other team's scoring chances.
This is one of those games where the team can let out its collective breath and say they escaped with a win.
Hopefully, we will take this game and learn from what happened and return to playing a complete game again.
And we will not feel like we escaped with a win.
My three stars:
1. Pekka Rinne
2. Marty Erat
3. David Legwand
That's the good news.
The rest of the story?
The Predators were out hit, out worked, out shot, and generally out hustled all night. They were fortunate to escape with the win.
Pekka Rinne got the start in net for the Predators, and his effort was outstanding and he single handedly kept the Predators in the contest.
His counterpart, Jaroslav Halak, got the start for the Blues, and he was rarely tested by the Predators.
The Blues out shot the Predators in every period. Embarrassingly so. Here is the bad news in that regard: 14-2; 15-11; and 11-4. The only period where the Predators showed much offensive push was in the overtime session, where the Predators out shot the Blues 3-0.
The first period was scoreless, mainly due to the efforts of Rinne. The Blues controlled the puck throughout the period and fired 11 shots on Rinne. He was solid in net, rarely giving up rebounds, shutting down the Blues second chances.
The first period was a portent of things to come for the Predators. The Predators consistently lost puck battles and were easily taken off the puck. They had a difficult time entering the offensive zone, and when they did, the Blues defense thwarted their offensive effort.
The Predators did not help themselves by taking six penalties in the course of the contest. The Predators PK unit did a good job, but the Predators were flirting with disaster by giving the Blues the man advantage.
The Predators offensive effort was better in the second period, but they could not solve Halak. The Blues were similarly stymied by Rinne at the other end, and the second period was another scoreless 20 minutes. The Blues best scoring chance occurred late in the period when Jamie Langenbrunner gathered in the puck that had squirted out from under Rinne and lifted a shot toward the open net. Defenseman Jack Hillen, backing up Rinne, corralled the puck under his arm and froze it in the blue ice to negate the Blues scoring chance.
The game was taking a decidedly negative feel for the Predators, as their offense was impotent and it appeared to be just a matter of time before the Blues found the back of the net.
Those negative feelings among the Predator faithful would lift at 12:32 of the third period. Mike Fisher stole the puck from Kevin Shattenkirk, who stumbled at the Blues blue line and passed the puck to Shea Weber, breaking in on the left side. Weber drew the defense to him and forced Halak to respect his potential shot. Weber was able to slide the puck to Marty Erat and he buried the puck in the open net to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.
That lead disappeared as the Predators were called for too many men on the ice and T.J. Oshie got loose in the slot and beat Rinne five hole to tie the game at 16:08 of the third.
The Predators were whistled for yet again another penalty, this time David Legwand for slashing at 18:31. Once again, the Predators PK killed off the penalty in regulation and the first 29 seconds of the overtime. The remainder of the overtime period was scoreless, although the Predators generated all the offensive chances.
Heading into the shootout, the Predators elected, as they always do, to have the visitors shoot first. Rinne stoned the three Blues shooters, T.J. Oshie, David Perron, and Patrick Bergland. Halak stopped Mike Fisher and Craig Smith, but the Predators third shooter, David Legwand, beat Halak with a great forehand backhand move over his glove for the Predators improbable win.
For the Predators to come out on top in this contest is amazing, considering the way they played. All night, they looked a step slower than the Blues. Frustratingly, they were beaten on the puck or to the puck all night. Yet Pekka Rinne held the Predators in the game with his solid play, and the Predators did just enough to hang around and finally win the game.
It was pretty incredible that the Blues were not whistled for a penalty until the very end of overtime. There will be games like that, and for the Predators, it was imperative that they fight through that type of officiating. Tonight, the PK unit held the Blues to 1 of 6 on the power play, and without that level of play, the Predators could have easily been blown out of the arena.
While it is good to get the win, this contest pointed out that the Predators cannot just skate out on the ice and expect to win many contests. Tonight, they were fortunate. That will not be the case very often.
This game shows the team that they cannot revert back to their former ways when they ere in their losing skid. They have to win puck battles, keep from turning they puck over- which they did a lot tonight- and limit the other team's scoring chances.
This is one of those games where the team can let out its collective breath and say they escaped with a win.
Hopefully, we will take this game and learn from what happened and return to playing a complete game again.
And we will not feel like we escaped with a win.
My three stars:
1. Pekka Rinne
2. Marty Erat
3. David Legwand
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
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Predators Stun the Jackets in OT 4-3
The Nashville Predators ventured to the Nationwide Arena to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets and were desperately looking for a win to turn around their fortunes. The Predators came into the game with a 3-6-1 record in their last ten games, while the Jackets have improved their play of late and entered with a 5-3-2 record in their last ten game.
Pekka Rinne got the start in net for the Predators, while the surprisingly solid Curtis Sanford started his 11th straight game for the Blue Jackets.
Stop me if you have heard this song before.
The Predators were dominated in time of possession and in shots in the first period. With 17 minutes gone in the first period, the Predators had been outshot 10-1, and except for some good saves by Pekka Rinne, the Blue Jackets would have blown the Predators out of the barn in the first period.
As it was, the Jackets had a 1-0 lead by virtue of a goal from Jeff Carter at 12:42 of the period. Carter skated from behind the goal and whipped a shot from just outside the goal line that was in and out of the net so fast that play continued. After a stoppage of play and a video review, the goal was credited to Carter and the Jackets.
The BJ's made it 2-0 at 10:49 of the second period as Antoine Vermette eluded Jack Hillen and was able to gather in a rebound of a shot by Jared Boll and backhanded the puck over Rinne.
The Predators showed some life as Mike Fisher tallied at at 13:10 with a nice backhand shot off a feed from Sergei Kostitsyn. Finally, the Predators had a response and looked like they had some life.
Whatever momentum the Predators had was quickly squelched as Derek Dorsett absolutely blew through the Predators defense and skated in uncontested on Rinne. His snap shot beat Rinne high glove side just inside the post to make it 3-1 Columbus.
With Rinne pulled for an extra attacker late in the period, Shea Weber sent a shot to the net, and Patric Hornqvist, working hard in the dirty area, banged home a rebound for his 8th goal of the season to cut the deficit to 3-2 with 1:38 left in the contest.
The goal was on only the 4th shot of the period for the Predators.
With 1:06 remaining in the contest, Sami Pahlsson of the BJ's was sent to the box for cross checking. With Rinne pulled, the Predators had a 6 on 4 advantage.
The Predators tied the game with 12.1 seconds to go in the contest as Marty Erat took a shot from the face off circle and the shot was re-directed by Sergei Kostitsyn.
With this flurry at the end of the period, the Predators had amazingly managed to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Fortunately for the Predators, their slumbering offense finally awoke to salvage a point that this team desperately needed.
At 1:45 of the overtime period, Marty Erat skated in 2 on 1 with Colin Wilson. Erat hit Wilson with a perfect pass on his tape and Wilson buried the one timer for the game winning goal.
An improbable win?
Absolutely.
A win that can turn the fortunes of a team?
Without a doubt.
This time, the song turned out differently for the Predators.
The Predators were badly outplayed for stretches at a time in this contest. The BJ's were dominant at times. Yet this team kept fighting and working, and finally were rewarded for their effort.
During this miserable period of hockey for the Predators, there have been times where this team hasn't worked and times where they have quit.
Not tonight.
I have mentioned on too many occasions that this young team has had to learn some painful lessons. Tonight, they learned that if they keep working and playing their game, eventually they will be rewarded.
This lesson is a lot more fun to learn.
Confidence can be fleeting. Over the past few games, this team has not been confident. The takeaway from tonight's game is that the team should be confident in their work ethic and they should know that if they keep fighting, skating, and working hard, they will be rewarded.
Now it is time to take the lessons from this game and the confidence that you should have from your effort and build on it.
That song is much more fun.
My three stars:
1. Colin Wilson
2. Patric Hornqvist
3. Jeff Carter
Pekka Rinne got the start in net for the Predators, while the surprisingly solid Curtis Sanford started his 11th straight game for the Blue Jackets.
Stop me if you have heard this song before.
The Predators were dominated in time of possession and in shots in the first period. With 17 minutes gone in the first period, the Predators had been outshot 10-1, and except for some good saves by Pekka Rinne, the Blue Jackets would have blown the Predators out of the barn in the first period.
As it was, the Jackets had a 1-0 lead by virtue of a goal from Jeff Carter at 12:42 of the period. Carter skated from behind the goal and whipped a shot from just outside the goal line that was in and out of the net so fast that play continued. After a stoppage of play and a video review, the goal was credited to Carter and the Jackets.
The BJ's made it 2-0 at 10:49 of the second period as Antoine Vermette eluded Jack Hillen and was able to gather in a rebound of a shot by Jared Boll and backhanded the puck over Rinne.
The Predators showed some life as Mike Fisher tallied at at 13:10 with a nice backhand shot off a feed from Sergei Kostitsyn. Finally, the Predators had a response and looked like they had some life.
Whatever momentum the Predators had was quickly squelched as Derek Dorsett absolutely blew through the Predators defense and skated in uncontested on Rinne. His snap shot beat Rinne high glove side just inside the post to make it 3-1 Columbus.
With Rinne pulled for an extra attacker late in the period, Shea Weber sent a shot to the net, and Patric Hornqvist, working hard in the dirty area, banged home a rebound for his 8th goal of the season to cut the deficit to 3-2 with 1:38 left in the contest.
The goal was on only the 4th shot of the period for the Predators.
With 1:06 remaining in the contest, Sami Pahlsson of the BJ's was sent to the box for cross checking. With Rinne pulled, the Predators had a 6 on 4 advantage.
The Predators tied the game with 12.1 seconds to go in the contest as Marty Erat took a shot from the face off circle and the shot was re-directed by Sergei Kostitsyn.
With this flurry at the end of the period, the Predators had amazingly managed to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Fortunately for the Predators, their slumbering offense finally awoke to salvage a point that this team desperately needed.
At 1:45 of the overtime period, Marty Erat skated in 2 on 1 with Colin Wilson. Erat hit Wilson with a perfect pass on his tape and Wilson buried the one timer for the game winning goal.
An improbable win?
Absolutely.
A win that can turn the fortunes of a team?
Without a doubt.
This time, the song turned out differently for the Predators.
The Predators were badly outplayed for stretches at a time in this contest. The BJ's were dominant at times. Yet this team kept fighting and working, and finally were rewarded for their effort.
During this miserable period of hockey for the Predators, there have been times where this team hasn't worked and times where they have quit.
Not tonight.
I have mentioned on too many occasions that this young team has had to learn some painful lessons. Tonight, they learned that if they keep working and playing their game, eventually they will be rewarded.
This lesson is a lot more fun to learn.
Confidence can be fleeting. Over the past few games, this team has not been confident. The takeaway from tonight's game is that the team should be confident in their work ethic and they should know that if they keep fighting, skating, and working hard, they will be rewarded.
Now it is time to take the lessons from this game and the confidence that you should have from your effort and build on it.
That song is much more fun.
My three stars:
1. Colin Wilson
2. Patric Hornqvist
3. Jeff Carter
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Predators Fail to Finish (Again), Fall to Phoenix 3-2
The Nashville Predators fell to the Phoenix Coyotes 3-2 at the Bridgestone Arena, dropping another home game and going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games. Once again, this was a contest that hung in the balance and the unfortunately for the Predators, they were once again unable to finish a game that they had a chance to win.
You can read the box score of the game here.
The Coyotes got on the board just nine seconds into the game on what can be charitably called a soft goal. Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne fielded a shot that hit him in the crest of his jersey. Rinne did not control the puck and it dribbled out under his arm. Rinne thought he had the puck frozen, but it was sitting in the blue paint, and Taylor Pyatt swooped in and swatted the puck into the back of the net just 9 seconds into the game.
Jason Labarbera got the start for the Coyotes, who played last night in Chicago with Mike Smith in net, and he was stellar for the Desert Dogs until the last 10 seconds of the period. Labarbera had shut down any scoring opportunities that the Predators had created until this point, when Jack Hillen fired a puck at the net with Mike Fisher creating havoc in front of Labarbera. The puck eluded the Phoenix netminder and the Predators tied the game with 10.8 seconds remaining in the period.
The second period was scoreless, but not for lack of effort by the Coyotes. They dominated in time of possession and fired 11 shots on Rinne to just 5 for the Predators in the period. Rinne made some good saves to keep the Predators in the contest.
The Coyotes would take a 2-1 lead at 1:40 of the third period as 2 Predators were tied up with Radim Vrbata below the goal line. Vrbata got control of the puck and found Ray Whitney alone in the low slot. Whitney's one timer beat Rinne glove side to give the Coyotes the lead.
The Predators would tie the contest at 2 at at 12:53 of the third period on a 5 on 3 power play. Shea Weber would get loose just inside the blue line, and his rocket shot would beat Labarbera to knot the contest.
Labarbera made several huge saves to keep the Predators off the board, and it looked as if the two teams would be heading to overtime.
The notion of overtime would be squelched at 18:15 of the third period as Keith Yandle was able to evade the Predators defensive coverage, and take a cross ice pass from Shane Doan. His one timer beat Rinne for the Coyotes margin of victory.
The Predators did not muster much of an offensive challenge in the remaining time, having trouble even getting the puck in the offensive zone. Once again, the Predators failed to finish in a contest they desperately needed to win.
The Predators are a fragile team right now. This come with being a young team that is learning on the fly, and it is painful. When the Predators make a mistake, more often than not it is winding up in the back of their net. This has victimized the Predators too often in this skid.
It victimized them again tonight.
A defensive lapse, a soft goal, and the Predators are finding themselves in a hole. And once in a hole, the offense cannot generate sufficient firepower to overcome the deficit.
The Predators are hustling and beginning to shoot the puck more. These are positives. I cannot fault their effort in the last few losses.
The fact is that this team, as it is constructed now, cannot overcome many mistakes in their game. They have to play nearly flawless hockey to secure a win, and right now, that is not happening.
This is what you get when you have a young team. The mistakes are more problematic and they tend to wind up in your net. This is part of the painful learning process that a young team has to endure.
Keep your head up boys. Keep working hard. The lessons that are being painfully learned now will pay off for you in the future.
There is only one way out of this funk in which you find yourselves.
Keep working hard.
And finish.
My three stars:
1. Jason Labarbera
2. Keith Yandle
3. Jack Hillen
You can read the box score of the game here.
The Coyotes got on the board just nine seconds into the game on what can be charitably called a soft goal. Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne fielded a shot that hit him in the crest of his jersey. Rinne did not control the puck and it dribbled out under his arm. Rinne thought he had the puck frozen, but it was sitting in the blue paint, and Taylor Pyatt swooped in and swatted the puck into the back of the net just 9 seconds into the game.
Jason Labarbera got the start for the Coyotes, who played last night in Chicago with Mike Smith in net, and he was stellar for the Desert Dogs until the last 10 seconds of the period. Labarbera had shut down any scoring opportunities that the Predators had created until this point, when Jack Hillen fired a puck at the net with Mike Fisher creating havoc in front of Labarbera. The puck eluded the Phoenix netminder and the Predators tied the game with 10.8 seconds remaining in the period.
The second period was scoreless, but not for lack of effort by the Coyotes. They dominated in time of possession and fired 11 shots on Rinne to just 5 for the Predators in the period. Rinne made some good saves to keep the Predators in the contest.
The Coyotes would take a 2-1 lead at 1:40 of the third period as 2 Predators were tied up with Radim Vrbata below the goal line. Vrbata got control of the puck and found Ray Whitney alone in the low slot. Whitney's one timer beat Rinne glove side to give the Coyotes the lead.
The Predators would tie the contest at 2 at at 12:53 of the third period on a 5 on 3 power play. Shea Weber would get loose just inside the blue line, and his rocket shot would beat Labarbera to knot the contest.
Labarbera made several huge saves to keep the Predators off the board, and it looked as if the two teams would be heading to overtime.
The notion of overtime would be squelched at 18:15 of the third period as Keith Yandle was able to evade the Predators defensive coverage, and take a cross ice pass from Shane Doan. His one timer beat Rinne for the Coyotes margin of victory.
The Predators did not muster much of an offensive challenge in the remaining time, having trouble even getting the puck in the offensive zone. Once again, the Predators failed to finish in a contest they desperately needed to win.
The Predators are a fragile team right now. This come with being a young team that is learning on the fly, and it is painful. When the Predators make a mistake, more often than not it is winding up in the back of their net. This has victimized the Predators too often in this skid.
It victimized them again tonight.
A defensive lapse, a soft goal, and the Predators are finding themselves in a hole. And once in a hole, the offense cannot generate sufficient firepower to overcome the deficit.
The Predators are hustling and beginning to shoot the puck more. These are positives. I cannot fault their effort in the last few losses.
The fact is that this team, as it is constructed now, cannot overcome many mistakes in their game. They have to play nearly flawless hockey to secure a win, and right now, that is not happening.
This is what you get when you have a young team. The mistakes are more problematic and they tend to wind up in your net. This is part of the painful learning process that a young team has to endure.
Keep your head up boys. Keep working hard. The lessons that are being painfully learned now will pay off for you in the future.
There is only one way out of this funk in which you find yourselves.
Keep working hard.
And finish.
My three stars:
1. Jason Labarbera
2. Keith Yandle
3. Jack Hillen
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Predators Fail to Measure Up, Fall to the Red Wings 4-1
The Nashville Predators often say that the Detroit Red Wings are their measuring stick, that they want to be as consistently good as their Central Division rival.
If the first period of tonight's game at the Joe is any indication, the Predators have a ways to go.
Pekka Rinne opened in net for the Predators, and he was under assault during the first period. Jimmy Howard got the start for the Wings, and he could have spent a lot of time listening to his i-Pod. Don't believe me? The Wings out shot the Predators 14-3 in the first period.
The Predators never established any offensive presence in the first, getting one significant scoring chance, while the Wings peppered Rinne with shots. Rinne was solid in turning away the Wings attempts and keeping the Predators in the game.
The Wings broke through on the power play with Mike Fisher in the box for tripping. Todd Bertuzzi took a shot that Rinne amazingly kept out of the net. The rest of the Predators PK must have thought that Bertuzzi scored as they stopped. Valtteri Filppula pounced on the loose puck at the side of the net and lifted a backhand shot in for the Wings score at 13:23.
Frankly, after that first period, it could have been much worse for the Predators save (pun intended) for the efforts of Rinne.
The Wings extended their lead to 2-0 at 18:29 of the second period as Henrik Zetterberg took the puck behind the net and faked a wraparound shot. Rinne went down to the ice and Zetterberg smartly backed away and lifted the puck over a sprawling Rinne.
Detroit made it 3-0 at 11:26 as Juri Hudler launched a shot from the blue line that got past Rinne when it was re-directed by Valtteri Filppula, who was camped at the top of the blue ice and was immoveable by the Predators defense.
As poor as the Predators offense had looked to this point in the game, that 1-0 lead would have probably held up. A 3-0 lead against this team is insurmountable.
The only question now would be if the Predators would show any push back at all.
That would be a resounding "no".
The Predators offensive efforts were completely stymied by the Red Wings, and what offense the Predators did generate never seriously challenged Howard.
Lest you think I'm being too hard on the Predators, consider this. In the second period, the Predators were out shot 11-5, making the shot totals through two periods 25-8 for the Wings.
Inexcusable and unacceptable.
The outcome was no longer in the balance. It was now just a matter of how bad would this debacle be?
Darren Helm stole the puck from Mike Fisher and fed Dan Cleary, who one-timed the puck past Rinne to make it 4-0 Red Wings at 15:57 of the third.
The Predators finally got on the board as Jack Hillen drove the net and took a perfect feed from Colin Wilson at 14:26 of the period.
The goal gave the Predators some jump, and for the first time in the game, the team started to move their feet and skate some.
The Predators finally started playing Predator hockey and shooting the puck and crashing the net, but they still could not solve Jimmy Howard, who was solid in the face of several Predator flurries around his crease.
There was a scary moment with about two minutes to go in the game as Patrick Eaves went down to block a shot by Roman Josi and took the puck off the side of his head. Eaves was carried off the ice on a stretcher but was conscious.
The aforementioned Josi saw his first ice time of the season for the Predators as he was called up prior to the game. The Predators lost Frankie Buillon in the third period to a lower body injury, which meant Josi saw more ice time. For the game, Josi logged 12:20.
The final was 4-1 Wings. The reality was that the Predators were dominated from start to finish and were never in this contest.
The Predators have dropped 4 straight games, and they have not looked good in doing so. In every loss, there has been at least one period in which the Predators have not shown up.
Tonight, there were three.
And for the life of me, this makes no sense. This is a young team, but the time for excuses is past. There is no excuse for not skating hard. There is no excuse for playing a period like you don't want to be on the ice. There is no excuse for no being hard on the puck and using the talent that this team has to move through the neutral zone and establish offensive presence.
Once again, the shot totals are indicative of the lack of effort. Detroit out shot Nashville 37-18.
This is frustrating beyond words.
Every team hits a rough patch. I can accept that.
What I cannot accept is guys on the ice not working hard.
The only way out of this funk is for this team to get back to basics, back to playing Predator hockey. And the first step in doing so is to work hard.
Harder than you worked tonight.
My three stars:
1. Valtteri Filppula
2. Dan Cleary
3. Jimmy Howard
If the first period of tonight's game at the Joe is any indication, the Predators have a ways to go.
Pekka Rinne opened in net for the Predators, and he was under assault during the first period. Jimmy Howard got the start for the Wings, and he could have spent a lot of time listening to his i-Pod. Don't believe me? The Wings out shot the Predators 14-3 in the first period.
The Predators never established any offensive presence in the first, getting one significant scoring chance, while the Wings peppered Rinne with shots. Rinne was solid in turning away the Wings attempts and keeping the Predators in the game.
The Wings broke through on the power play with Mike Fisher in the box for tripping. Todd Bertuzzi took a shot that Rinne amazingly kept out of the net. The rest of the Predators PK must have thought that Bertuzzi scored as they stopped. Valtteri Filppula pounced on the loose puck at the side of the net and lifted a backhand shot in for the Wings score at 13:23.
Frankly, after that first period, it could have been much worse for the Predators save (pun intended) for the efforts of Rinne.
The Wings extended their lead to 2-0 at 18:29 of the second period as Henrik Zetterberg took the puck behind the net and faked a wraparound shot. Rinne went down to the ice and Zetterberg smartly backed away and lifted the puck over a sprawling Rinne.
Detroit made it 3-0 at 11:26 as Juri Hudler launched a shot from the blue line that got past Rinne when it was re-directed by Valtteri Filppula, who was camped at the top of the blue ice and was immoveable by the Predators defense.
As poor as the Predators offense had looked to this point in the game, that 1-0 lead would have probably held up. A 3-0 lead against this team is insurmountable.
The only question now would be if the Predators would show any push back at all.
That would be a resounding "no".
The Predators offensive efforts were completely stymied by the Red Wings, and what offense the Predators did generate never seriously challenged Howard.
Lest you think I'm being too hard on the Predators, consider this. In the second period, the Predators were out shot 11-5, making the shot totals through two periods 25-8 for the Wings.
Inexcusable and unacceptable.
The outcome was no longer in the balance. It was now just a matter of how bad would this debacle be?
Darren Helm stole the puck from Mike Fisher and fed Dan Cleary, who one-timed the puck past Rinne to make it 4-0 Red Wings at 15:57 of the third.
The Predators finally got on the board as Jack Hillen drove the net and took a perfect feed from Colin Wilson at 14:26 of the period.
The goal gave the Predators some jump, and for the first time in the game, the team started to move their feet and skate some.
The Predators finally started playing Predator hockey and shooting the puck and crashing the net, but they still could not solve Jimmy Howard, who was solid in the face of several Predator flurries around his crease.
There was a scary moment with about two minutes to go in the game as Patrick Eaves went down to block a shot by Roman Josi and took the puck off the side of his head. Eaves was carried off the ice on a stretcher but was conscious.
The aforementioned Josi saw his first ice time of the season for the Predators as he was called up prior to the game. The Predators lost Frankie Buillon in the third period to a lower body injury, which meant Josi saw more ice time. For the game, Josi logged 12:20.
The final was 4-1 Wings. The reality was that the Predators were dominated from start to finish and were never in this contest.
The Predators have dropped 4 straight games, and they have not looked good in doing so. In every loss, there has been at least one period in which the Predators have not shown up.
Tonight, there were three.
And for the life of me, this makes no sense. This is a young team, but the time for excuses is past. There is no excuse for not skating hard. There is no excuse for playing a period like you don't want to be on the ice. There is no excuse for no being hard on the puck and using the talent that this team has to move through the neutral zone and establish offensive presence.
Once again, the shot totals are indicative of the lack of effort. Detroit out shot Nashville 37-18.
This is frustrating beyond words.
Every team hits a rough patch. I can accept that.
What I cannot accept is guys on the ice not working hard.
The only way out of this funk is for this team to get back to basics, back to playing Predator hockey. And the first step in doing so is to work hard.
Harder than you worked tonight.
My three stars:
1. Valtteri Filppula
2. Dan Cleary
3. Jimmy Howard
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Predators Win Ugly, Drop the Leafs 4-1
Sometimes, you win ugly.
The Nashville Predators were the embodiment of ugly in defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bridgestone Arena by a 4-1 margin.
The score belies the fact that at times, Toronto looked dominant and controlled the play for stretches at a time. Indicative of how the night went, the Leafs out shot the Predators by a 39-22 margin. In fact, the Predators only managed 3 shots in the first period but went into the locker room with a 1-0 lead.
That lead was courtesy of the first shot on goal by Marty Erat. Mike Fisher got control of the puck and fed it to Erat, who walked in from the face off circle and beat Toronto netminder Ben Scrivens to the short side at 5:48 of the first period.
The remainder of the period saw the Predators try to get the puck out of their zone and establish and offensive presence. That effort was futile, as Toronto had 9 shots on Pekka Rinne and controlled the puck for most of the period. Rinne was his usual stellar self, turning away all the Leafs scoring attempts.
The intermission must have been, shall we say "interesting" for the Predators as they visited with their coaches. Whatever was said in the locker room had an effect, as the Predators came out and played a solid second period.
Although the period was a good one for the Predators, it didn't start particularly well. Toronto defenseman John-Michael Liles tied the game at 1 with the Leafs on the power play after a phantom high sticking call against Jack Hillen. With the Predators unable to clear the zone on the PK, Liles walked in past Ryan Suter and an exhausted group of penalty killers and beat Rinne with a wrist shot from just inside the face off circle at 10:36. The Leafs power play goal broke a string of 112 straight kills for the Predators.
Suter atoned for the Leafs goal by scoring his 4th marker of the year at 12:42. With Mike Fisher creating havoc in front of the net, Suter skated into the high slot and fired a wrist shot that beat Scrivens to make it 2-1 Predators.
Going into the third period, the game was still very much in the balance. Marty Erat gave the Predators some much needed breathing room at 2:05 of the third period as he notched his second goal of the game. Mike Fisher broke in and drew the defense to him and fed the puck to Erat, who buried the shot past a sprawling Scrivens.
Good thing for the Predators, because they proceeded to revert to their first period form. They were out shot in the third period by an atrocious 22-5 margin. Granted, many of the shots were from the perimeter, and most of the saves that Rinne had to make were routine in nature, but the shot differential is totally unacceptable. If this had been a healthy Leafs squad, the outcome could have certainly been different.
As the clock wound down, Scrivens was pulled for the extra attacker. What happened next was one of the oddest plays that I have ever seen in a hockey game.
The Predators got control of the puck at the Leafs blue line. Sergei Kostitsyn fed the puck to the Honey Badger, Craig Smith. Smith skated into the zone and was alone at the top of the blue paint with an empty net.
ENG, right?
Wrong.
Smith attempted to roof the puck into the net but missed everything and shot the puck into the protective netting over the glass.
Oh well, Honey Badger don't give a...
Anyway, Matt Halischuk showed how to score an empty net goal as he tallied from outside the blue line at 19:37 to make it 4-1 and seal the win for the Predators.
This is a win, and I certainly covet the 2 points for the Predators. This one was ugly, though, and this level of play will bite the Predators if it continues. The defensive zone coverage, while not poor, was such that the Leafs were able to crank shot after shot on the net. Puck management was in a word, poor. The Predators often failed to get the puck clear when they needed to do so, and they were often unable to generate an effective breakout or any speed through the neutral zone.
Without a doubt, the Predators had some positives out of this game, and they should build on those positives. Sergei Kostitsyn tied his best point total with three assists. Mike Fisher was solid. Marty Erat has started to heat up and is finding the back of the net. All of these are aspects on which the Predators can build upon.
The Predators should draw upon the lessons of this game and improve upon the areas that need work. Enjoy the win, but know that this type of play is going to result in being on the wrong end of the score more often than not.
And here is the truth: I would rather win ugly than lose pretty.
My three stars:
1. Marty Erat
2. Sergei Kostitsyn
3. Mike Fisher
The Nashville Predators were the embodiment of ugly in defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bridgestone Arena by a 4-1 margin.
The score belies the fact that at times, Toronto looked dominant and controlled the play for stretches at a time. Indicative of how the night went, the Leafs out shot the Predators by a 39-22 margin. In fact, the Predators only managed 3 shots in the first period but went into the locker room with a 1-0 lead.
That lead was courtesy of the first shot on goal by Marty Erat. Mike Fisher got control of the puck and fed it to Erat, who walked in from the face off circle and beat Toronto netminder Ben Scrivens to the short side at 5:48 of the first period.
The remainder of the period saw the Predators try to get the puck out of their zone and establish and offensive presence. That effort was futile, as Toronto had 9 shots on Pekka Rinne and controlled the puck for most of the period. Rinne was his usual stellar self, turning away all the Leafs scoring attempts.
The intermission must have been, shall we say "interesting" for the Predators as they visited with their coaches. Whatever was said in the locker room had an effect, as the Predators came out and played a solid second period.
Although the period was a good one for the Predators, it didn't start particularly well. Toronto defenseman John-Michael Liles tied the game at 1 with the Leafs on the power play after a phantom high sticking call against Jack Hillen. With the Predators unable to clear the zone on the PK, Liles walked in past Ryan Suter and an exhausted group of penalty killers and beat Rinne with a wrist shot from just inside the face off circle at 10:36. The Leafs power play goal broke a string of 112 straight kills for the Predators.
Suter atoned for the Leafs goal by scoring his 4th marker of the year at 12:42. With Mike Fisher creating havoc in front of the net, Suter skated into the high slot and fired a wrist shot that beat Scrivens to make it 2-1 Predators.
Going into the third period, the game was still very much in the balance. Marty Erat gave the Predators some much needed breathing room at 2:05 of the third period as he notched his second goal of the game. Mike Fisher broke in and drew the defense to him and fed the puck to Erat, who buried the shot past a sprawling Scrivens.
Good thing for the Predators, because they proceeded to revert to their first period form. They were out shot in the third period by an atrocious 22-5 margin. Granted, many of the shots were from the perimeter, and most of the saves that Rinne had to make were routine in nature, but the shot differential is totally unacceptable. If this had been a healthy Leafs squad, the outcome could have certainly been different.
As the clock wound down, Scrivens was pulled for the extra attacker. What happened next was one of the oddest plays that I have ever seen in a hockey game.
The Predators got control of the puck at the Leafs blue line. Sergei Kostitsyn fed the puck to the Honey Badger, Craig Smith. Smith skated into the zone and was alone at the top of the blue paint with an empty net.
ENG, right?
Wrong.
Smith attempted to roof the puck into the net but missed everything and shot the puck into the protective netting over the glass.
Oh well, Honey Badger don't give a...
Anyway, Matt Halischuk showed how to score an empty net goal as he tallied from outside the blue line at 19:37 to make it 4-1 and seal the win for the Predators.
This is a win, and I certainly covet the 2 points for the Predators. This one was ugly, though, and this level of play will bite the Predators if it continues. The defensive zone coverage, while not poor, was such that the Leafs were able to crank shot after shot on the net. Puck management was in a word, poor. The Predators often failed to get the puck clear when they needed to do so, and they were often unable to generate an effective breakout or any speed through the neutral zone.
Without a doubt, the Predators had some positives out of this game, and they should build on those positives. Sergei Kostitsyn tied his best point total with three assists. Mike Fisher was solid. Marty Erat has started to heat up and is finding the back of the net. All of these are aspects on which the Predators can build upon.
The Predators should draw upon the lessons of this game and improve upon the areas that need work. Enjoy the win, but know that this type of play is going to result in being on the wrong end of the score more often than not.
And here is the truth: I would rather win ugly than lose pretty.
My three stars:
1. Marty Erat
2. Sergei Kostitsyn
3. Mike Fisher
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Predators End the Streak, Snuff Flames 2-0
The Nashville Predators looked to salvage their western Canada road trip with a win at the PenGrowth Saddledome in Calgary in an afternoon matinee. This trip had so far exposed the young Predators squad as not being ready to compete at a level that would allow them to win consistently. With a young team, bad play can become habit forming, and the Predators were attempting to break some of these bad habits against a team in the Flames that had struggled as well early in this season.
Pekka Rinne was once again in net for the Predators, and as has been the normal course of business for the Predators, they gave him lots of work in the period.
Mikka Kirrusoff got the start for the Flames, and unlike Rinne, did not see much action on his end of the ice.
The positive for the Predators was that the first period ended scoreless.
The Flames outshot the Predators 8-3 in the period, but spent a lot of time in the Predators zone. By contrast, the Predators never seriously threatened Kipper, save for one quality scoring chance by David Legwand.
The offense continues to struggle with chemistry and finding a rhythm in the offensive zone. The challenge for this mix and match squad is to keep their game simple and get pucks on net. In their losing streak, this has been consistently difficult.
Sometimes, you need a little luck to break out of a funk. Finally, the Predators had a bit of good luck, as Jack Hillen floated a shot toward the Calgary net. The puck bounced off the chest of Niclas Bergfors and past Kiprusoff to put the Predators on the board at 2:34 of the second period.
Although Calgary outshot the Predators 11-9 in the period, there was much better energy by the Predators. They did a good job of getting the puck deep on the Flames defense and creating offensive chances. They cycled the puck well and were much stronger on the puck. This is what this team has to do to be successful, and they executed much better in the second period.
Once again, this team was going to head into the third period with a lead. Part of the maturing process for any young group of players is learning how to lock down a game with a lead. This was going to be another opportunity for the Predators to learn how to win a game.
Everyone in the Saddledome knew the Flames were going to push in the third period, and they pushed hard. The Predators just managed one shot through the first 10 minutes of the period and had no offensive pressure. Calgary was living in the Predators offensive zone, and Pekka Rinne made some great saves to hold off the Calgary threat.
Perhaps the biggest save of the period came when Jonathan Blum dove across the crease and blocked a shot from Olli Jokinen when he had a wide open net. Sometimes, it helps to be lucky. Sometimes, you have to make your own luck.
The Predators made it 2-0 off a rush by Craig Smith. Smith drew the defense to him and slipped a nice pass to Sergei Kostitsyn who buried the shot past Kiprusoff at 14:36 of the third period.
Great hustle and challenging the Calgary net resulted in a goal. Sounds a lot like Predator hockey.
The Predators held off the Flames for the remainder of the period and thankfully, the losing streak was over.
There are still areas of concern for the Predators. The often failed to clear the puck when they had opportunities to do so. The offense disappeared for stretches as evidenced by the fact that the Flames outshot the Predators 33-14.
These are areas that have to improve, but one cannot take away from the fact that this team battled all game, hustled, and did what it took to win the game.
Pekka Rinne was outstanding in net for the Predators. This team will continue to ride his effort and he will have to continue to be strong for this team.
Learning from losses is painful and certainly no fun. There are lessons to be learned from winning as well. This team needs to take the lessons from this win and bring them to the ice next week in a three game home stand.
Time to learn some fun lessons.
My three stars:
1. Pekka Rinne
2. Craig Smith
3. Sergei Kostitsyn
Pekka Rinne was once again in net for the Predators, and as has been the normal course of business for the Predators, they gave him lots of work in the period.
Mikka Kirrusoff got the start for the Flames, and unlike Rinne, did not see much action on his end of the ice.
The positive for the Predators was that the first period ended scoreless.
The Flames outshot the Predators 8-3 in the period, but spent a lot of time in the Predators zone. By contrast, the Predators never seriously threatened Kipper, save for one quality scoring chance by David Legwand.
The offense continues to struggle with chemistry and finding a rhythm in the offensive zone. The challenge for this mix and match squad is to keep their game simple and get pucks on net. In their losing streak, this has been consistently difficult.
Sometimes, you need a little luck to break out of a funk. Finally, the Predators had a bit of good luck, as Jack Hillen floated a shot toward the Calgary net. The puck bounced off the chest of Niclas Bergfors and past Kiprusoff to put the Predators on the board at 2:34 of the second period.
Although Calgary outshot the Predators 11-9 in the period, there was much better energy by the Predators. They did a good job of getting the puck deep on the Flames defense and creating offensive chances. They cycled the puck well and were much stronger on the puck. This is what this team has to do to be successful, and they executed much better in the second period.
Once again, this team was going to head into the third period with a lead. Part of the maturing process for any young group of players is learning how to lock down a game with a lead. This was going to be another opportunity for the Predators to learn how to win a game.
Everyone in the Saddledome knew the Flames were going to push in the third period, and they pushed hard. The Predators just managed one shot through the first 10 minutes of the period and had no offensive pressure. Calgary was living in the Predators offensive zone, and Pekka Rinne made some great saves to hold off the Calgary threat.
Perhaps the biggest save of the period came when Jonathan Blum dove across the crease and blocked a shot from Olli Jokinen when he had a wide open net. Sometimes, it helps to be lucky. Sometimes, you have to make your own luck.
The Predators made it 2-0 off a rush by Craig Smith. Smith drew the defense to him and slipped a nice pass to Sergei Kostitsyn who buried the shot past Kiprusoff at 14:36 of the third period.
Great hustle and challenging the Calgary net resulted in a goal. Sounds a lot like Predator hockey.
The Predators held off the Flames for the remainder of the period and thankfully, the losing streak was over.
There are still areas of concern for the Predators. The often failed to clear the puck when they had opportunities to do so. The offense disappeared for stretches as evidenced by the fact that the Flames outshot the Predators 33-14.
These are areas that have to improve, but one cannot take away from the fact that this team battled all game, hustled, and did what it took to win the game.
Pekka Rinne was outstanding in net for the Predators. This team will continue to ride his effort and he will have to continue to be strong for this team.
Learning from losses is painful and certainly no fun. There are lessons to be learned from winning as well. This team needs to take the lessons from this win and bring them to the ice next week in a three game home stand.
Time to learn some fun lessons.
My three stars:
1. Pekka Rinne
2. Craig Smith
3. Sergei Kostitsyn
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