Backs against the wall.
Desperate.
No tomorrow.
Pick whatever cliche that you want, this is where the Predators find themselves against the Phoenix Coyotes. The task before them is monumental as they had to win a game at Jobing.com Arena in front of an amped up crowd of Coyote faithful.
The Predators task was simple. Play every shift all out. Play each period for a full 20 minutes. Play Predator hockey.
Once again, Pekka Rinne would duel with Mike Smith, but more importantly for the Predators, the team in front of Rinne had to outplay their Coyote counterparts.
The first period saw both teams play with good jump and both goalies made some good saves. The Predators got the only power play of the period, but could not convert. Both teams were excellent on the forecheck, disrupting the offensive flow. The Predators did a good job of fighting through the forecheck and creating chances, but could not solve Smith. For the period, the Predators out shot the Coyotes 10-5.
This was the kind of period that the Predators had to play in this contest, but for them to be successful, they were going to have to finish some of their chances.
Phoenix nearly scored early in the second off a Shane Doan breakaway that Rinne turned aside with his pads. The Coyotes were pressing the Predators and they capitalized off a shot from the blue line by Derek Morris at 3:54. Rinne was screened in front and the shot appeared to re-directed by Rinne.
Roman Josi was called for interference 4:19 of the second, and the Predators PK was going to have to come up big to keep the game in hand. The Coyotes power play was short circuited by Martin Hanzal as he was called for hooking and the teams skated 4 on 4 for the next 1:27.
In the abbreviated power play, the Predators had some great chances around the Coyotes net, but could not cash in as the puck bounced over the stick of an open Alexander Radulov at the side of the net.
The Predators kept the pressure on the Coyotes , and on the power play, a Shea Weber bomb beat Smith but clanged off the post. The Predators had done everything but score so far in this game.
The Coyotes extended the lead to 2-0 as Martin Hanzal scored on a shot through traffic that Rinne never saw. The score came at 15:09 of the second period, and now the hill was getting incredibly steep for the Predators.
Although the offensive push by the Predators was good, they could not get a puck past Smith. The scoring chances for the Predators saw them unable to finish. Part was just bad puck luck, but much credit had to go to the Coyotes, who were clogging up the prime scoring areas in front of Smith and preventing the Predators from getting to loose pucks.
The Predators out shot the Coyotes 12-7 in the second, but staring at a 2-0 deficit, the season was coming down to to the final 20 minutes. The Predators had to figure out a way to get a puck past Smith or the season was going to come to a quick end.
You could not fault the effort by the Predators in the third period. They were throwing everything they could at Smith and the Coyotes, but just could not get a puck in the net. They were controlling play in the offensive zone, but the old bugaboo of not being able to finish scoring chances was once again biting this team in the ass.
The Predators finally solved Smith at 14:01 of the third as David Legwand sent a perfect pass from the half boards to Colin Wilson as he was driving the net. Wilson got his stick on the puck and tipped it over the shoulder of Smith to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Predators had life, but the clock was quickly becoming the enemy of the Predators.
Despite a final furious flurry by the Predators, they could not score the game tying goal and fell to the Coyotes 2-1 to end their season.
The Predators effort was solid, but the lack of a scorer that could finish their chances doomed them in this contest and in this series. Credit has to go to the Coyotes for the solid team game they played in this game and in this series. In a contest between two teams that were fairly evenly matched, they took advantage of the mistakes the Predators made and punished us for them. From start to finish, the Coyotes were the more solid team, and deserved the series.
For the Predators, this is a disappointment. To win this series and compete for the Cup, they had to have their best players be the best. Unfortunately, they were not.
This leaves an off season of questions about the roster and how to get this team over the hump so they can win a tough series.
There will be plenty of time now to ponder those questions.
Showing posts with label Martin Hanzal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martin Hanzal. Show all posts
Monday, May 7, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Coyotes Outwork and Outplay the Predators, Take 2-0 Series Lead
The Nashville Predators looked to even their second round series with the Phoenix Coyotes in the second game of this semi final match up.
The Predators needed to have sense of desperation and intensity in this contest. Going back to Nashville down 2-0 would not bode well for the Predators.
The Predators were once again going to rely on Pekka Rinne in net, while the Coyotes had their stalwart Mike Smith manning the pipes.
Both teams started the game skating well and throwing shots on net, but both goaltenders were able to handle the offensive thrust.
The Coyotes struck first at 8:32 of the first period as Keith Yandle took the puck just outside the right face off circle and found Antoine Vermette streaking to the net. Yandle's pass across the slot was right on the tape of Vermette's stick and he had a wide open net in which to deposit the puck. Vermette beat Marty Erat, who was late getting back in coverage and left his man wide open.
Phoenix seized momentum and were peppering Rinne with shots and being much more physical than the Predators. The Predators looked as if they were just holding on and trying to survive the Coyotes pressure and get out of the period.
That changed Kevin Klein took the puck through the neutral zone and went into the Phoenix zone. As Klein was being checked to the ice, he slid a pass to Andrei Kostitsyn. AK46 broke in alone on Smith and buried a forehand to tie the game at 1 at 17:13.
This was a huge goal by the Predators to take back momentum and give them some confidence. Responding as they did shows the fight in this group, and they will need it against the tough Coyotes.
The first period ended tied at 1. The Coyotes out shot the Predators 12-9.
The Coyotes took a 2-1 lead at 3:47 of the second period as Radim Vrbata drove to the net and was forced wide by the Roman Josi. Vrbata centered the puck from behind the net through the legs of Rinne and onto the stick of Martin Hanzal, who beat Kevin Klein driving to the net. Hanzal had an open net to shoot the puck into as Rinne could not recover after sliding to the post on Vrbata's drive.
Both Coyotes goals had occurred because the Coyotes beat Predator defenders to the net. This was not the type of hockey that the Predators had typically played, and if they did not correct these mistakes, then this series would end quickly.
The Coyotes stymied the Predators, who had a great flurry in the offensive zone but could not get the puck past Smith. The Coyotes got control of the puck and came in the zone 2 on 2. A shot fluttered over the and the puck came to David Legwand, who inexplicably threw the puck over his own net. Rinne certainly did not expect that, and he was bumped off balance as the puck landed on the tape of Radim Vrbata. Rinne was sprawled on the ice and Vrbata flipped the puck into the top of the net to give the Coyotes a 3-1 lead at 7:05.
There are no words to describe the stupidity of the play by Legwand.
Ray Whitney was called for slashing, and the Predators power play was dominant, controlling the puck for the entire power play in the Phoenix zone. As the power play was winding down, Ryan Suter took a shot from the point and Patric Hornqvist deflected the puck past Smith to make it 3-2 at 11:20.
The Coyotes answered the Predators goal almost immediately as Shane Doan drove down the wing past Roman Josi and put a shot on Rinne that he deflected out into the slot. Taylor Pyatt was able to drive the slot unmolested and he batted the rebound out of mid-air past Rinne to give the Coyotes a 4-2 lead at 11:50.
The inability of the Predators to keep Phoenix from scoring after their tallies was frustrating to say the least. In this game, the Predators defense had been uncharacteristically loose and sloppy, and it had cost them.
Down 4-2 at the end of the period, the Predators were facing a desperate 20 minutes of hockey. They had been out shot 31-24 and had ceded the physical play to the Coyotes. Their defense was woeful to this point, and the hole they had dug was deep.
It would be a blinding flash of the obvious to say that the Predators had to play their best 20 minutes of the season to have a chance to win this game.
The Predators started the third period 4 on 4, but quickly got a power play. With the Predators moving the puck, Ryan Suter got open and blasted a shot off the shoulder of Smith and into the net just 53 seconds into the period.
THAT was certainly the start the Predators needed.
Now they had to play solid defense and play their style of hockey.
That didn't happen. The Coyotes once again answered the Predators goal as Derek Morris took a shot that was re-directed by Shane Doan to make it 5-3 Coyotes at 3:36. The play was set up by a clean face off win in the Predators zone by Antoine Vermette.
The Predators inability to keep the Coyotes from scoring when they get close is a matter of desire, in my opinion, and effort. To this point in the series, the Coyotes have outworked the Predators and their effort has been rewarded with goals.
As much as the Predators needed offensive push to get back into this game, they were thwarted by the forecheck and the work of the Coyotes. The pressure the Coyotes put on the Predators suffocated any offense the Predators tried to generate. After the initial goal to open the period, the Predators rarely pressured Smith, and appeared to be completely knocked out of kilter by the Coyotes forecheck.
Pekka Rinne was pulled with 2:13 to go in the game, and even with the extra attacker, the Predators were still being outworked by the Coyotes and could not set up their offense. The Coyotes beat Predators to the puck and out manned the Predators on the puck. There was absolutely no offensive flow at all from the Predators.
David Legwand took a penalty with 46 seconds remaining and Boyd Gordon took a coincidental high sticking penalty. Nashville now had a 5 on 4 with Rinne pulled, and still the Predators could not get their offense going.
The Predators could not threaten Smith, much less score, and the game ended with Coyotes dominating the Predators and the scoreboard 5-3.
This game was particularly disappointing for the Predators, as their defense was horrific. The guys in front of Pekka Rinne owe him a big apology for their sloppy play.
Also disappointing is the fact that throughout the game, the Predators were outworked. The Coyotes forecheck dominated the Predators and they had no answer. The Predators have long prided themselves on their work ethic, and tonight, the Coyotes showed the Predators what a real work ethic looks like.
Having dug a 2-0 hole, the Predators now face a gut check. They can come back to Nashville and play Predator hockey and make a commitment to outwork the Coyotes. If they do, they can capture the games on home ice in front of their raucous crowd.
If they do not, then the Predators are looking at embarrassingly getting swept with this kind of play.
The choice is yours, boys.
My three stars:
1. Radim Vrbata
2. Antoine Vermette
3. Ryan Suter
The Predators needed to have sense of desperation and intensity in this contest. Going back to Nashville down 2-0 would not bode well for the Predators.
The Predators were once again going to rely on Pekka Rinne in net, while the Coyotes had their stalwart Mike Smith manning the pipes.
Both teams started the game skating well and throwing shots on net, but both goaltenders were able to handle the offensive thrust.
The Coyotes struck first at 8:32 of the first period as Keith Yandle took the puck just outside the right face off circle and found Antoine Vermette streaking to the net. Yandle's pass across the slot was right on the tape of Vermette's stick and he had a wide open net in which to deposit the puck. Vermette beat Marty Erat, who was late getting back in coverage and left his man wide open.
Phoenix seized momentum and were peppering Rinne with shots and being much more physical than the Predators. The Predators looked as if they were just holding on and trying to survive the Coyotes pressure and get out of the period.
That changed Kevin Klein took the puck through the neutral zone and went into the Phoenix zone. As Klein was being checked to the ice, he slid a pass to Andrei Kostitsyn. AK46 broke in alone on Smith and buried a forehand to tie the game at 1 at 17:13.
This was a huge goal by the Predators to take back momentum and give them some confidence. Responding as they did shows the fight in this group, and they will need it against the tough Coyotes.
The first period ended tied at 1. The Coyotes out shot the Predators 12-9.
The Coyotes took a 2-1 lead at 3:47 of the second period as Radim Vrbata drove to the net and was forced wide by the Roman Josi. Vrbata centered the puck from behind the net through the legs of Rinne and onto the stick of Martin Hanzal, who beat Kevin Klein driving to the net. Hanzal had an open net to shoot the puck into as Rinne could not recover after sliding to the post on Vrbata's drive.
Both Coyotes goals had occurred because the Coyotes beat Predator defenders to the net. This was not the type of hockey that the Predators had typically played, and if they did not correct these mistakes, then this series would end quickly.
The Coyotes stymied the Predators, who had a great flurry in the offensive zone but could not get the puck past Smith. The Coyotes got control of the puck and came in the zone 2 on 2. A shot fluttered over the and the puck came to David Legwand, who inexplicably threw the puck over his own net. Rinne certainly did not expect that, and he was bumped off balance as the puck landed on the tape of Radim Vrbata. Rinne was sprawled on the ice and Vrbata flipped the puck into the top of the net to give the Coyotes a 3-1 lead at 7:05.
There are no words to describe the stupidity of the play by Legwand.
Ray Whitney was called for slashing, and the Predators power play was dominant, controlling the puck for the entire power play in the Phoenix zone. As the power play was winding down, Ryan Suter took a shot from the point and Patric Hornqvist deflected the puck past Smith to make it 3-2 at 11:20.
The Coyotes answered the Predators goal almost immediately as Shane Doan drove down the wing past Roman Josi and put a shot on Rinne that he deflected out into the slot. Taylor Pyatt was able to drive the slot unmolested and he batted the rebound out of mid-air past Rinne to give the Coyotes a 4-2 lead at 11:50.
The inability of the Predators to keep Phoenix from scoring after their tallies was frustrating to say the least. In this game, the Predators defense had been uncharacteristically loose and sloppy, and it had cost them.
Down 4-2 at the end of the period, the Predators were facing a desperate 20 minutes of hockey. They had been out shot 31-24 and had ceded the physical play to the Coyotes. Their defense was woeful to this point, and the hole they had dug was deep.
It would be a blinding flash of the obvious to say that the Predators had to play their best 20 minutes of the season to have a chance to win this game.
The Predators started the third period 4 on 4, but quickly got a power play. With the Predators moving the puck, Ryan Suter got open and blasted a shot off the shoulder of Smith and into the net just 53 seconds into the period.
THAT was certainly the start the Predators needed.
Now they had to play solid defense and play their style of hockey.
That didn't happen. The Coyotes once again answered the Predators goal as Derek Morris took a shot that was re-directed by Shane Doan to make it 5-3 Coyotes at 3:36. The play was set up by a clean face off win in the Predators zone by Antoine Vermette.
The Predators inability to keep the Coyotes from scoring when they get close is a matter of desire, in my opinion, and effort. To this point in the series, the Coyotes have outworked the Predators and their effort has been rewarded with goals.
As much as the Predators needed offensive push to get back into this game, they were thwarted by the forecheck and the work of the Coyotes. The pressure the Coyotes put on the Predators suffocated any offense the Predators tried to generate. After the initial goal to open the period, the Predators rarely pressured Smith, and appeared to be completely knocked out of kilter by the Coyotes forecheck.
Pekka Rinne was pulled with 2:13 to go in the game, and even with the extra attacker, the Predators were still being outworked by the Coyotes and could not set up their offense. The Coyotes beat Predators to the puck and out manned the Predators on the puck. There was absolutely no offensive flow at all from the Predators.
David Legwand took a penalty with 46 seconds remaining and Boyd Gordon took a coincidental high sticking penalty. Nashville now had a 5 on 4 with Rinne pulled, and still the Predators could not get their offense going.
The Predators could not threaten Smith, much less score, and the game ended with Coyotes dominating the Predators and the scoreboard 5-3.
This game was particularly disappointing for the Predators, as their defense was horrific. The guys in front of Pekka Rinne owe him a big apology for their sloppy play.
Also disappointing is the fact that throughout the game, the Predators were outworked. The Coyotes forecheck dominated the Predators and they had no answer. The Predators have long prided themselves on their work ethic, and tonight, the Coyotes showed the Predators what a real work ethic looks like.
Having dug a 2-0 hole, the Predators now face a gut check. They can come back to Nashville and play Predator hockey and make a commitment to outwork the Coyotes. If they do, they can capture the games on home ice in front of their raucous crowd.
If they do not, then the Predators are looking at embarrassingly getting swept with this kind of play.
The choice is yours, boys.
My three stars:
1. Radim Vrbata
2. Antoine Vermette
3. Ryan Suter
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