Predators Battle Back For A Point, Fall In OT to the Blues

The Nashville Predators were looking to find some consistency in their game, and were trying to build upon the positive momentum from their win last night over the New York Rangers.

Standing in their way was their Central Division nemesis, the St. Louis Blues and their stellar netminder Jake Allen.

The Predators faced a tall task at the ScottTrade Center. The Predators are 0-2 against the Blues and Allen has stopped 73 of 74 shots that the Predators have put on net.

Demitri Jaskin opened the scoring for the Blues as the Predator defense left Jaskin alone at the top of the crease and he was able to bang home a rebound past Carter Hutton for a 1-0 Blues lead.

The Predators answered with a short handed goal by Mattias Ekholm off a clean face off win in the Blues zone by Mike Fisher.

Robby Fabri skated the puck out of the corner and uncontested into the low slot before depositing the puck in the net to give the Blues a 2-1 lead late in the second period.

Kevin Shattenkirk made it 3-1 early in the third period beating Hutton with a long shot from the blue line.

Shea Weber scored from the blue line with a wrist shot with 3:52 remaining to make it 3-2 in favor of the Blues.

The Predators tied the game with 1:32 remaining as a shot from Ryan Ellis was kicked out and Colin Wilson slammed home the rebound. This goal came as a direct result of Wilson driving the net.

The game was heading to overtime, which has been disastrous for the Predators.

It continues to be so for the Predators.

Alex Steen scored at 4:01 of the OT period on a breakaway to give the Blues a 4-3 OT win.


Some observations:

• Colin Wilson played in his 400th NHL game.
• The Blues have big, physical forwards and their game plan was to dump the puck deep and put pressure on the Predators defense with intense puck battles. The Predators defense struggled a bit in the first period in handling that pressure but settled down as the period went on.
• Nice quick shot by Mattias Ekholm with his shorthanded goal. Ekholm is overshadowed by the notoriety of Shea Weber and Roman Josi but has quietly developed into a very solid NHL blue liner. Quite a change from his first stint with the Predators, when then Head Coach Barry Trotz called his play "atrocious".
•  I don't fault Hutton for the first two goals that he gave up. The Predators defense broke down in front of Hutton and hung him out to dry. That third goal may have been deflected off Seth Jones stick, but man, you just can't give up that kind of goal in this game. Hutton tend to attempt to play pucks with his blocker or his glove, and when he misplays those shots, he usually gives up a goal. I would like to see Hutton get more positionally sound and have his body in a better position to take on those shots.
• The Blues are a heavy, physical team. The Predators are not. The Predators are always going to struggle against the Blues the way this team is built. Either the Predators are going to have to rebuild their roster and get bigger and more physical (they are not) or they are going to have to upgrade the skill of their forwards to counter this type of game that the Blues play.
• Once again, the Predators scored a critical goal by...wait for it...driving the net. Kudos to Colin Wilson for going hard to the net to get the tying goal.
• I ragged on the third goal that Hutton gave up, but he made some great saves in OT before giving up the goal to Steen on the breakaway.
• The Predators are a dumpster fire in OT. They have yet to display a sense of urgency and look as if they are always playing to get to the shootout. Until this style of play changes, the Predators are going to be awful in OT.
• The Predators out shot the Blues 33-25, but as said before, the Predators need to finish some of their chances.
• Playing the second of a back to back, I have to give the Predators full marks for battling back in this game. It would have been easy to roll over, but the fight back was heartening to see.

The Predators are going to have to win these types of games against the tough Central Division opponents. The fight, the compete level was good, but the fact remains the Predators are giving away critical points to teams that are in front of them in the standings.

Soon, that gap cannot be closed.

Take the positives out of this game and bring them to Dallas on Thursday.

My three stars:

1. Jake Allen

2. Alex Steen

3. Colin Wilson

Predators Can't Hold the Lead, Give up 2 Third Period Goals in 2-1 Loss to the Blues

The Nashville Predators were looking to establish some positive momentum and turn their season back around.

Playing the St. Louis Blues made that task most difficult.

The Predators started well and took a 1-0 lead on a Roman Josi power play goal in the first period.

That lead stood up until the third period when David Backes redirected a puck past Pekka Rinne to tie the game at 1.

Vladamir Tarasenko beat Rinne on a Blues power play to make the score 2-1.

And once again, the Predators couldn't solve Blues netminder Jake Allen as the Blues held on for a 2-1 win.

Some observations:

• Colin Wilson returned to the line up after missing 4 games due to injury. He was slotted on the third line with Colton Sissons and Cody Hodgson. 
• With Wilson back in the line up, Austin Watson was the healthy scratch tonight.
• The Blues have the number one penalty kill in the NHL. It had to be a real confidence booster for the Predators man advantage unit to get the tally from Roman Josi on their first power play attempt. This unit, which had been hot, hit a cold streak in their last few games. This goal was the result of good puck movement and the smarts to exploit a Blues defender that had broken his stick. Hopefully this gets the power play jump started again.
• Shea Weber picked up an assist on the Josi goal, giving him 20 points on the season. Josi's goal gives him 23 points. The Predators are the only team in the NHL with two blue liners that have 20 points or more. 
• The Blues have a +15 goal differential in the third period. This is a testament to the ability of the Blues to turn it on in crunch time.The Predators are a +3 in third period goal differential. They have scored 29 times but have given up 26 goals against, indicative of the Predators struggle to lock down teams in the last 20 minutes. 
• There are a lot of cracks in the Predators facade. One of them is the inability to hold a lead in the third period. Once again, this fault came back to bite the Predators as they surrendered the lead to the Blues. Whether it is a lack of offensive aggressiveness, fear of making a mistake, or just sitting back on their heels and hoping Rinne stops everything thrown at the the net, this strategy isn't working for the Predators. Until they change their play in the third period, they will continue to give up leads and lose games.
• Allen has faced 71 shots in 2 games against the Predators and has given up one goal. No Predators forward has scored against the Blues this season.
• The Predators were dominated in the face off circle, winning just 24 of 59 draws for a 40% success rate.
• The play of Roman Josi continues to stand out. He has emerged as a complete and elite NHL defenseman. He is one of the few bright spots for the Predators.

Let's face it, we are seeing the real Predators. They are a middling team that will struggle to make the playoffs as the roster is built right now.

Unless there are some significant changes, this will be a team that will be lucky to get into the playoffs.

My three stars:

1. Jake Allen

2. Roman Josi

3. Vladamir Tarasenko

Predators Fall Flat Agaisnt the Blues 4-0

After a successful road trip, the Nashville Predators returned to Bridgestone Arena and promptly fell flat on their face in a 4-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues.

Although the Predators out shot the Blues 45-28, Blues netminder Jake Allen was rarely called upon to make quality saves.

Pekka Rinne, however, was under assault, as the Blues scored 2 power play goals and then added an even strength goal from former Predator Scottie Upshall and a final goal from Alex Steen to round out the scoring.

Colton Parayko opened the scoring as the Blues moved the puck well on the power play and he was left all alone on the right side of the ice inside the face off dot. His blast beat Rinne to give the Blues a 1-0 lead.

That lead held up until the third period when the Blues erupted for 3 goals. Alex Pietrangelo tallied on the power play to give the Blues a 2-0 lead before Upshall emptied the arena with his marker. Steen added the icing to the cake with his 8th goal of the season to make it 4-0 and seal the win.

Some observations:

• The Predators continued their uncharacteristically undisciplined played by taking 6 penalties. As in their previous game against the Wild, the Predators PK gave up 2 goals with the opponent on the power play. Continuing to put a man in the box is going to be trouble for the Predators as the pressure on the penalty killers against good teams is tempting fate. The Predators survived the Wild, but good teams are going to capitalize om the power play. Tonight, it cost the Predators.
• Once again, the Predators were horrific in the face off dot, winning only 22 of 57 draws. Puck possession is critical, and the Predators have been woeful in winning draws, especially in the offensive zone. The Predators are going to have to improve quickly in this area. 
• On the other side, the Predators Were ice cold with the man advantage. They were 0-5, including 1:46 of a 5 on 3. The power play has got to get going for the Predators to be successful,  and tonight, they were impotent.
• Colin Wilson, among others, has to get his game going. Tonight, he had 1 SOG, and he has too much talent to be as invisible as he is in recent games.
• The same can be said for Craig Smith. A non-factor in recent games.
• The Predators hung Rinne out to dry on the two power play goals. The first goal by Parayko saw all the Predators defenders on one side of the ice, leaving parayko alone to receive the pass and one time the puck past Rinne.
• The Predators are 0-2-2 when allowing the first goal. They are 0-2-1 when trailing after two periods.
• The Predators were shut out for the first time this season.

The Predators started a 5 game home stand with a thud. It is easy to say they ran into a hot and very good goalie (they did), but they rarely challenged Allen to make quality saves.

The Predators are going to have to figure out how to play against a quality divisional opponent in the Blues. tonight, they showed they can get shots on the net but every mistake they made wound up in the back of their net. The Predators were found wanting against a quality opponent that they will have to defeat to win their first divsional title.

Learn from this and move on.

My three stars:

1. Jake Allen

2. Colton Parayko

3. Alexander Steen

Predators Battle But Fall to the Blues 4-3

The Nashville Predators faced the St. Louis Blues for the second time in a week and for the second time this game would decide which team would occupy the top slot in the Central Division.


Pekka Rinne was in net for the Predators, while the Blues had Jake Allen between the pipes.


The Blues struck first on the power play as T.J. Oshie, back after missing several games with a concussion, fired a wrist shot through traffic that beat a screened Rinne high over the glove at 3:25 of the first period.


Carl Gunnarsson made it 2-0 with a blast from the blue line that caught the post and ricocheted under the crossbar. The play continued and a video review was conducted after a call from Toronto where it was determined that the puck had actually entered the net at 12:35 of the first period.


Filip Forsberg continued his hot scoring streak as he ripped a shot past Allen from the face off circle off a nice pass from James Neal at 13:21. This was a critical response by the Predators as to this point in the game they had been outplayed by the Blues.


Shea Weber tied the game at 3:41 of the second period as he blasted a shot over the shoulder of Allen stick side. Forsberg had drawn a delayed penalty but carried the puck into the zone and dished it to Weber, who absolutely stepped in to the shot to beat an unscreened Allen.


Vladamir Tarasenko gave the Blues a 3-2 lead at 15:18 as he cut across the slot and fired a shot through traffic that eluded Rinne glove side.


The Predators tied the game on the power play with .9 seconds left on the clock in the second period as Roman Josi let a shot go from the face off circle that beat Allen glove side.


A back and forth third period saw both teams trade scoring chances until a shot by Kevin Shattenkirk was tipped through the five hole by Paul Stastny at 14:06.


The Predators had a furious late flurry, but could not get a puck past Allen and fell 4-3.


Some observations:

• While we have all enjoyed the performance and productivity of the top line, the Predators are going to need consistent production from the rest of the lines, especially the second and third lines. If these guys can begin to chip in some goals, this team will be much tougher to play against.

• Filip Forsberg is the real deal. Years from now, people will still be talking about how the Predators fleeced the Capitals when they got him in a trade for Marty Erat.

• Colin Wilson missed his second game with a lower body injury.

• Vladamir Tarasenko took a shot from Eric Nystrom in the second period, and Nystrom was called for a roughing penalty. Tarasenko went ballistic and charged into a scrum after the whistle and fought with the first Predator he could get his hands on, which happened to be the smallest Predator on the ice, Ryan Ellis. Ellis handled himself well in the scrap, which wasn't much, but he did stand his ground and get a few shots in.

• Even though Tarasenko lost his mind for a brief moment, this kid is good. Really good. Great skater and a nose for the net with a very good shot. The Blues have a real talent in this player.

• I really like the attitude and compete level of this team. The game got chippy at times and the Predators stood their ground. They got down on the scoreboard and were unrelenting in their push back. This team just has a different personality, and it is one I like.

• Shots were even at 25. Forsberg led the Predators with 5 shots on goal.

This contest was one that had a playoff feel even though it is early in the season. Two teams that have developed a rivalry and dislike for each other and play skate to skate.


Keep playing like this and it may happen for the Predators.


My three stars:


1. Filip Forsberg

2. Jake Allen


3. Vladamir Tarasenko

Predators Beat Down the Blues 6-1

The Nashville Predators wrapped up their 7 game road trip with their third contest against the St. Louis Blues at ScottTrade Center.

The Predators looked to build on their success from consecutive shootout victories over the L.A. Kings and the San Jose Sharks. More importantly, the Predators were looking to continue to discover their identity and play their style of hockey- solid defense and opportunistic offense.

In other words, Predator Hockey.

The Predators had Pekka Rinne in net, while the Blues went with Brian Elliott.

The Predators wanted to bring a better effort than the last time they played the Blues, and the game certainly started well as Ryan Ellis tallied on the power play at 17:50 to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

The Predators extended the lead to 2-0 on a play that was caused by the effort of Colin Wilson. Wilson fought for and controlled the puck at the Blues Blue line. Wilson tried to get the puck to Paul Gaustad, but the puck hit a Blues defender and came back to Wilson. He fired a shot that Elliott stopped with his pad, but Rich Clune was crashing the net and smacked home the rebound for his first NHL goal at 15:53.

The Predators kept up the pressure on the Blues net, and Nick Spaling cashed in as he lifted a shot over the prone Elliott at 19:13 of the period to give the Predators a 3-0 lead. The goal was typical Predator hockey: getting the puck on net with traffic, winning the puck battle, and slamming home a rebound.

All of a sudden, it appears as if the Predators have discovered Predator hockey.

The defense was solid as well, limiting the Blues to just 4 shots in the period, while the Predators had 9.

The Blues were expected to come out with a strong push in the second period, and through 9 minutes the Blues out shot the Predators 4-1. The Predators limited the Blues quality scoring chances, and needed to get their offense back in gear and not give momentum back to the Blues.

The Predators seized the momentum back as Kevin Klein unleashed a blast from the blue line that beat Elliott cleanly to give the Predators a 4-0 lead at 9:09 of the period. That goal would send Elliott to the bench and rookie Jake Allen entered the game.

The Predators welcomed Allen to the game as Colin Wilson split two Blues defenders and backhanded a puck that caromed off the crossbar and landed in the blue paint. Gabriel Bourque drove the net and the puck went off his skate and into the goal. After review, it was ruled a good goal, and Bourque had his first goal of the year at 10:09 to give the Predators a 5-0 lead.

The Blues made it 5-1 on the power play as Alex Pietrangelo lifted a backhand that went off the shoulder of Rinne at 13:09.

The Predators did not make it easy on themselves by taking a penalty but were able to kill off the man advantage.

Yet once again, the Predators were guilty of another penalty as Shea Weber was called for tripping, and they managed to kill off the penalty in the remainder of the period, but the Blues would have 1:38 of carry over power play time going into the third. By virtue of the Blues strong push and the Predators spending time down a man, the Blues out shot the Predators 14-3 in the second.

Going into the third, the Predators could not afford to lose their aggressiveness in the offensive zone. They needed to keep attacking and could not afford to sit back on their heels.

With 24 seconds remaining in the initial penalty to Shea Weber, Roman Josi was called for cross checking and the potent Blues power play had a brief 5 on 3 advantage.

The Predators killed the 5 on 3 and the penalty on Josi, but the Predators were going to have to play with more discipline and get back to the game that jumped on the Blues in the first period. Sitting back and letting the Blues dictate the attack was not a comfortable position for the Predators, even with the 4 goal lead.

The Predators picked up the attack and got some shots in on Allen, but more importantly got back to the forecheck. The Blues still had some quality chances, but the Predators began to limit time in their defensive zone and slow the Blues rush in the neutral zone. Pekka Rinne came up with some big stops to keep the Blues from gaining momentum.

The Predators restored their 5 goal lead as Marty Erat gathered in a rebound of his own shot and banged home the rebound to make it 6-1 at 16:34. The play was set up by Ryan Ellis, who found Erat breaking to the net and hit him with a perfect pass.

The remainder of the game was scoreless and the Predators had exploded for their highest goal output of the season in defeating the Blues 6-1.

There are numerous positives to take away from this game: Rinne was solid; scoring was opportunistic and came throughout the line up; and the Predators PK limited the number one power play in the NHL to 1 for 5.

Perhaps most importantly, the Predators look as if they have discovered their identity and are playing to the strengths of their game and their roster. If the Predators are going to succeed this season, they are going to have to play to that identity in the remaining games.

Gritty, opportunistic hockey. Staunch defense. Aggressive forechecking that creates scoring opportunities.

The Predators have built some good momentum off this road trip. 8 of the next 11 games are at the Bridgestone Arena.

Time to bring that momentum home.

My three stars:

1. Colin Wilson

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Marty Erat