Bruins Outlast the Predators in OT 3-2

The Nashville Predators traveled to TD Garden looking to have a better showing against the Boston Bruins than their first meeting, a 6-2 Bruins win in Nashville on December 23rd.

The Bruins had rookie Niklas Svedberg in net, making his first NHL start, while the Predators went with Marek Mazanec.

With a rookie making his first start, the mission for the Predators was to get pucks on net and challenge Svedberg.

A scoreless first period saw the Predators get 8 shots on net, while the Bruins had 11. Mazanec made some good saves, especially on a Bruins power play to keep the game scoreless. The best Bruins save came not from Svedberg, but from Matt Bartkowski as the defenseman sprawled across an open net and used his helmet to block a shot from Matt Hendricks.

The Predators had some great scoring chances in the second period, but a combination of good saves by Svedberg and the inability to finish kept the Predators off the board.

That changed at 18:04 of the period as the Bruins got caught in a bad change. Mike Fisher carried the puck into the zone and fired a shot that Svedberg kicked out to the tape of Viktor Stalberg. Stalberg buried the shot into the open net to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

The second period ended with the Predators on the penalty kill, which would carry over into the third period for 1:48.

As for that imperative to get shots on Svedberg...

The Predators had 16 shots in the second period to 3 for the Bruins.

The Bruins tied the game a 4:55 of the third period as Johnny Boychuk was left alone in the high slot and he blew a shot past Mazanec. The third period opened with the Bruins putting pressure on the Predators, and their jump and effort paid off with the tying goal.

That goal energized the Bruins and the Predators were back on their heels. The dominance and momentum of the Predators in the second period was now securely on the side of the Bruins and the Predators were going to have to step up and wrest it back.

The Bruins took a 2-1 lead at 12:29 as Jerome Iginla beat roman Josi driving to the net. he took a pass off the boards from Milam Lucic and tapped it past Mazanec. Iginla got inside of Josi and just overpowered him on the drive to the net.

The Predators responded at 14:35 as Svedberg gave up a long rebound of a Mike Fisher shot. The puck came to Shea Weber and he hammered a shot through traffic that beat Svedberg between his arm and his body to tie the game at 2.

In the remaining time, both teams created some scoring opportunities, but could not find the back of the net.

The Bruins won the game just 54  seconds into overtime as Brad Marchand beat a screened Mazanec from just outside the face off circle.

Some observations:

• The second period was a solid period of hockey for the Predators, one of the best they have played this season. They out skated the Bruins, won puck battles, and got the puck to the net to challenge Svedberg.

• As good as the second period was, the Predators were back on their heels for most of the third period. The talented Bruins had more jump and won the puck battles for most of the period.
• It was good to see the Predators respond, however. The Garden was rocking and the Bruins had all the momentum. Tying the game with just over 5 minutes to go gave the Predators life and they started skating, winning puck battles, and attacking the net.

• The Predators had 35 shots on net for the game including 16 in the second period. Their old nemesis- not finishing their chances- came back to bite the Preds in this game.

• Mazanec made some good saves and looked poised in the face of the pressure from the Bruins. while neither he nor Carter Hutton have firmly established themselves as the starter, Mazanec seems to have an edge.

• This was a much better effort by the Predators than their last outing against the Bruins, where they stunk it up and did not compete.

This team has shown that they can compete and win against some of the best teams in the NHL. They need to consistently apply that effort every night.

My three stars:

1. Brad Marchand

2. Shea Weber

3. Mike Fisher

Predators Stop Losing Streak, Romp Over the Rangers 4-1

The New York Rangers left the ice to boos from the home crowd at Madison Square Garden at the end of the first period of their game against the Nashville Predators.

The crowd was agitated because the Predators had a 2-0 lead against the home team. Henrik Lundqvist had given up two goals on 6 shots. The first Predators goal had come on some nice passing in the low slot between David Legwand, Patric Hornqvist, and Nick Spaling. Spaling was the beneficiary of that effort and he buried a snap shot over the shoulder of Lundqvist at 13:45 of the first period.

The Predators took a 2-0 lead as Rich Clune took a pass from Matt Hendricks and beat Lundqvist with a backhand on a good drive to the net at 17:52.

Carter Hutton, getting his first start in net in 13 games, turned away all 10 shots he faced in the first period.

The Rangers cut the lead to 2-1 at 6:38 of the second period as the Predators got caught in a bad line change, which opened the ice up for Rick Nash. Nash got free down low and beat Hutton in close with a back hand.

The Predators were going to need a strong third period to break their five game losing streak. Through two periods, they had done a good job of attacking the Rangers net and forcing Lundqvist to make some good saves.

They were going to have to keep up that effort in the third period.

The Predators did just that 2:38 into the third period as Paul Gaustad drove below the goal line and drew two Ranger defenders to him. He slipped the puck out into the slot where Matt Hendricks controlled the puck and lifted it over a sprawling Lundqvist to make it 3-1.

The Predators were getting scoring from their fourth line, which had accounted for two goals in this contest. This is something that the Predators have been lacking during their losing streak.

After this goal, both teams went back and forth at each other with good rushes and scoring chances, but both netminders were able to keep the puck out of the net.

Paul Gaustad sealed the win for the Predators with an empty net goal at 18:54.

The Predators had snapped their five game losing streak with a solid 4-1 win.

Some observations:

• Carter Hutton looked good in net. He was poised, moved well, and was positionally sound. Hutton appeared to have his confidence shaken after a few rough starts, and apparently had lost the confidence of the coaching staff as he sat for 13 games. Hopefully this solid outing will help his confidence and get him back on track. The Predators need some strong efforts by Hutton. and this 28 save effort is a good way to get his game going.

• The effort by the Gaustad, Clune, and Hendricks line was exceptional. These guys had a nose for the net and great jump in their game. The Predators need contributions from all lines, which they had not been getting, and to get this effort from the fourth line guys was key to securing this win. They need to build on this momentum and establish consistency in their game.

• The defense in front of Hutton played well. There had been too many holes in the coverage in the defensive zone during this losing streak. Tonight, the blue liners played sound defense and did a good job of protecting Hutton. Once again, Shea Weber and Roman Josi did yeoman's work,  with Weber logging 30:25 of ice time and Josi 29:20. Victor Bartley had 19:02 of ice time, while surprisingly, Seth Jones logged only 9:29.

• The Predators had 26 shots on net, and all lines did a good job of creating some opportunities. Colin Wilson, Mike Fisher, and Gabriel Bourque each had one shot on net, and the Predators need to get these guys rolling. They have too much talent not to produce some shots on goal and some scoring opportunities.

This was a solid, 60 minute game by the Predators.

The type of game they needed to break the losing streak. They showed a nose for the net and a willingness to shot the puck and create some offensive chances.

This kind of effort has to continue for the Predators to win games.

My three stars:

1. Paul Gaustad

2. Matt Hendricks

3. Carter Hutton

Predators Blow 3 Goal Lead, Fall in SO to the Coyotes

The Nashville Predators embarked on their longest road trip in team history- 7 games in 17 days and over 6,000 miles of travel- by facing the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena.

The Predators faced a big challenge in the Coyotes, who always play the Predators tough and are playing some very good hockey right now.

Unfortunately for the Predators, a game that started so well ended in a collapse that never should have happened.

Carter Hutton was in net for the Preds, while the Coyotes had Thomas Greiss in between the pipes.

The Coyotes opened the game with a ferocious forecheck, but credit the Predators for responding to the pressure and getting their legs going.

The Predators opened the scoring at the 11:00 of the first period as Matt Hendricks came off the bench on a change and David Legwand found him behind the defense with a cross ice pass. Hendricks ripped a shot from outside the face off circle that beat Greiss to the far post for a 1-0 lead.This was Hendricks first goal as a Predator.

The Predators made it 2-0 at 14:12 of the first period as Patric Hornqvist threw a puck at the front of the net. The puck deflected off Eric Nystrom and past Greiss. This was a prototypical Predator goal as the puck was sent to the front of the net with players crashing the net. For the Predators to have success, this was the style of hockey they needed to play.

The Predators had a 5 on 3 power play for just over a minute when David Legwand scored at 18:24 to make it 3-0.

A superb first period saw the Predators out shoot the Coyotes 11-5 and capitalize on their scoring chances. Again, this was the kind of start- and response- that the Predators needed against a very good team.

The challenge would be to continue this level of play over the next 40 minutes.

The Coyotes got in the board at 17:39 of the second period as Jordan Szwarz took a harmless shot at the net that Hutton misplayed. The puck slid under his glove and into the net to make it 3-1. Certainly not the type of goal that the Predators wanted to give up and hopefully it would not be a turning point for momentum in this game.

The Coyotes made it 3-2 at 10:09 as Derek Morris walked in from the blue line a ripped a shot past Hutton. The Coyotes D corps has some prolific scorers, but the Predators made it easy for the Coyotes as the defense had rotated to one side of the ice and Morris took advantage of an open lane to notch his 4th goal of the season.

The Predators needed an answer to the Coyotes push to swing momentum back to their side.

There was no answer by the Predators, but fortunately, they were able to hold off the pressure of the Coyotes for the remainder of the period.

The Predators out shot the Coyotes 8-6 in the second period, but there were stretches where the Coyotes had a decided territorial advantage.

The third period was shaping up to be a war, and the Predators were going to have to answer the inevitable push that the Coyotes would bring.

The Predators came out skating hard and putting pressure on the Coyotes. Nick Spaling put a shot on net from the boards that Greiss kicked out onto the stick of Paul Gaustad. Gaustad banged home the rebound at 15:45 to make it 4-2 Predators.

That was a huge goal for the Predators, not only to extend the lead back to 2, but also to take some of the momentum away from the Coyotes.

That regained momentum did not last long.

The Coyotes answered right back on the power play at 13:44 as Shane Doan hammered a shot from the right circle to make it 4-3.

The Coyotes tied the game at 11;43 as Antoine Vermette broke in on a breakaway and tucked the puck through the five hole of Hutton. The breakaway occurred as the Predators were trying to get a change and left the middle of the ice open for Vermette.

Neither team could get the winning goal in regulation, and after blowing a 3 goal first period lead, the Predators were now facing overtime.

David Legwand was called for holding early in the overtime period, and the Predators were going to have to rely on their penalty killers to salvage their chances.

And they did just that.

The Predators were able to survive the OT and now the second point would be claimed in the shootout.

In the first round of the shootout, Mike Ribeiro and Craig Smith were stopped. Radim Vrbata and Matt Cullen were stopped in the second round. Oliver Ekman-Larsson was stopped by Hutton and Mike Fisher hit the pipe. In the fourth round, David Rundblad and Gabriel Bourque were stopped by the netminders.

Mikael Boedker scored in the fifth round for the Coyotes and David Legwand was stoned by Greiss.

The Predators epic collapse was complete, dropping a 5-4 decision in overtime.

Some observations:

• Hutton gave up a soft first goal to the Coyotes, but was generally sound in net. The goals he gave up after the first one were solid goals that the Coyotes worked for along with some defensive breakdowns that assisted their effort.
• Mike Fisher didn't score, but played a very physical and competitive game. I liked his effort, and if he keeps up this level of play, he will find the back of the net.
• The Predators lost Matt Hendricks after a clean hit by Derek Morris in the second period. He is called out with an upper body injury.
• Viktor Stalberg was back in the line up. He showed good jump and saved a goal in the second period by sweeping a puck off the goal line. The Predators desperately need him to get his offensive game going.

This was a game that the Predators never should have lost. Yes, the Coyotes are an excellent team, but when you have a 3 goal lead, you have to lock down the other team. This game is evidence that this young team doesn't yet have a killer instinct.

They are going to have to develop one quickly.

My three stars:

1. David Legwand

2. Shane Doan

3. Keith Yandle

Predators Drop their Second Game 3-1 to the Avs

The Nashville Predators looked to rebound from a rough start in their season opening loss by getting right back on the ice against the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center. The Predators had Pekka Rinne in net while the Avalanche went with Semyon Varlomov.

Once again, the Predators opened the contest skating well and creating some chances in the offensive zone off their forecheck. Once again, though, the Predators were not able to finish their chances and were held off the board despite ten shots on goal.

The Predators gave up a late goal at 18:50 of the first period as the puck was batted around in the slot and P.A. Parenteau gathered in the rebound of a Rinne pad save and slid the puck inside the post for a 1-0 Avalanche lead. The scoring play was set up when Matt Hendricks collided violently with teammate Paul Gaustad in the offensive zone, leaving the Predators shorthanded in the defensive zone as both players struggled to get back to the bench for a change. Mattias Ekholm lost Parenteau, allowing him to slam the rebound past Rinne.

For the period, the Avs out shot the Predators 13-10.

The Predators offense struggled to get anything going in the second period as the Avs defense disrupted any flow and limited scoring chances. The Avs stepped up their forecheck and started to gain a territorial advantage over the Preds as the period unfolded.

The Predators failed to clear the zone and the Avs made them pay. Patrick Bordeleau re-directed a Nate Guenin shot from the point past Rinne at 7:54 of the period to make it 2-0.

The Predators lost defenseman Roman Josi near the 10 minute mark of the second period. The Avs Steve Downie took a blatant cheap shot, leaving his feet and launching himself at the head of Josi. Josi went to the locker room and was called out for the rest of the game with an upper body injury. The hope is that he is not concussed.

The Predators got on the board just as a power play expired. Mike Fisher carried the puck into the zone and flipped a pass into the slot. Paul Gaustad gathered in the pass a roofed a shot over the shoulder of Varlamov to make it 2-1 at 14:10 of the period.

The period ended with the Avs having a carryover power play. They out shot the Predators 12-7 in the second.

The Predators offense could not get untracked in the third period and did not create many quality scoring chances. The offensive rhythm was hampered by several penalties and general ineffectiveness. P.A. Parenteau iced the game for the Avs with his second goal of the game, an empty net goal that made the final score 3-1.

The Avs out shot the Predators 12-10 in the third period.

Some observations:

• Downie's hit was a flagrant cheap shot. While there will be ample opportunity for retribution, the bigger concern is the health of Roman Josi. The concern is that the talented defenseman has suffered a concussion.

• I like the play of the grinders. They have shown the most jump and effectiveness in the first two games. Gaustad, Clune, and Nystrom in particular are disruptive but have shown some creativity in the offensive zone.

• Rinne looked better in this game, but part of that is attributable to the fact that the defense looked better in front of him. I continue to be impressed with the poise and presence of Seth Jones. Victor Bartley was sound in the defensive zone and Mattias Ekholm has been generally good. Ek did get beat on the Avs second goal, but generally played a sound if unspectacular game.

• The Predators need more- much more- out of Colin Wilson and Patric Hornqvist. They have been invisible in the first two games and they have to get their offensive game going.

This team has the potential to be a very solid team. It is going to take time for them to gel and get their confidence.

It can't take too long.

It's time to start stepping up.

My three stars:

1. P.A. Parenteau

2. Semyon Varlamov

3. Paul Gaustad

Predators Add Five in Free Agency and What It Means For the Team

The Nashville Predators have not usually been active in free agency, but they broke their pattern at the start of the 2013 free agency frenzy, signing five players that will change the look of this team.

The Predators signed Viktor Stalberg from the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4 year, $12 million contract that will pay Stalberg $2.5 million in each of the first two years and $3.5 million in years three and four.

Matt Cullen was signed to a two year, $7 million contract that pays $3 million in the first year and $4 million in the second year. Cullen played with the  Minnesota Wild last year.

Matt Hendricks was signed to a 4 year, $7.4 million contract that pays $1.85 million each year. Hendricks was originally drafted by the Predators in the 2000 Entry Draft in the 5th round and was on the Washington Capitals roster last season.

Eric Nystrom was signed to a 4 year, $10 million contract that will pay him $2 million in each of the first two years and $3 million in the last two years. Nystrom was with the Dallas Stars last year.

With the Predators not re-signing Chris Mason, the team was in need of a back up goaltender. They signed Carter Hutton from the Chicago Blackhawks system to a one year, two way contract that pays him $550,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 at the AHL level. Hutton appeared in one game for the Blackhawks last season, and posted a 26-22-1 record for the Hawks AHL affiliate in Rockford. Hutton had a .908 save % and a 2.72 GAA last year for the Icehogs.

So what are we to make of these signings?

When the Predators parted ways with Marty Erat, they lost their leading scorer, a talented and somewhat enigmatic winger who was a streaky scorer. There was no doubt that the team needed to replace and hopefully improve upon his scoring and talent.

In Stalberg, the Predators get... a talented and somewhat enigmatic winger that has shown flashes of potential but lacked consistency with the Hawks. Stalberg brings speed, which the Predators love and that a player has to have to play for this team, and the potential for offensive upside. Stalberg at times seemed to get lost in the shuffle with the talent of the Hawks, and saw the ice only 14 minutes a game on average. If he plays the same minutes that Erat played (nearly 19 minutes a game), one would have to believe that his production would increase. Stalberg brings an explosiveness to the forwards that the Predators have lacked for the most. Channeling that explosiveness and talent will be a challenge for Stalberg and for the coaching staff.

The Predators will give Stalberg every opportunity to settle into a top six role on the wing, and hopefully Stalberg will seize upon the chance to play a much bigger role with this team. If- and the jury is still out- Stalberg plays to his skill set and the potential that he has shown, this can be a significant add for the Predators. It will be interesting to see how he meshes with the other players on the Predators roster and the coaches. The adaptation to the Predators system should not be much of a challenge as the Blackhawks play a similar system to the Predators.

With the addition of Cullen, the Predators added a player that immediately becomes the most veteran player on the roster. Cullen has played in 1,073 regular season games in his career. Cullen adds a veteran presence to a squad that has a number of young forwards, and that experience will be good both on and off the ice. Cullen is good in the face off dot, winning 53% of his draws, a while he will not score a number of goals, he will add a solid presence in the offensive and defensive zone. Cullen provides experienced depth at center, something that the Predators need.

Matt Hendricks returns to the team that originally drafted him, and is another depth addition to the Predators roster. Hendricks has not been a prolific scorer but has surprisingly shown himself to be adept at shootouts, something the Predators need. Hendricks adds some size and grit to the Predators roster of forwards and is another player that is solid in all zones. Hendricks is durable, steady, and tough to play against.

Eric Nystrom brings grit and toughness to the forward corps of the Predators. Outside of Rich Clune this past season, this was something the Predators sorely lacked. Nystrom is certainly not going to add scoring, but he has been signed to be an agitator and a disruptor, roles that he can fill very well.

Carter Hutton is a project for Mitch Korn, the Predators goaltending coach. Hutton has the tools and potential to be good, and it will be up to Korn to develop him into a quality NHL goaltender. I have faith that Korn can do this, and the addition of Hutton gives the Predators the luxury of being patient with Magnus Hellberg, their netminder in Milwaukee. The Predators are high on Hellberg, but don't want to rush him into the backup role. The addition of Hutton sets up some serious competition for the role of backup to Pekka Rinne, and it will be interesting to see which of these young netminders can and will rise to the occasion.

So, the question still remains.

What are we to make of these signings?

Three things come to mind.

Potential, personality, and physicality.

The addition of Stalberg gives the Predators a potentially explosive an game changing top 6 forward. This is a change- a dramatic change- from the current composition of the forwards on the team. With the exception of Colin Wilson and the wildly erratic Craig Smith, the Predators have lacked the talented forward that can skate AND score. The question for the Predators and for Stalberg is can he fulfill that potential. if he can blossom into the player that can consistently be an offensive threat, then both sides win. This is the opportunity for Stalberg to be the offensive star on a team that desperately needs offensive stars.

Additionally, these free agent acquisitions set up the potential for additional roster moves. The Predators have already begun to re-shape their roster by releasing Brandon Yip and Mat Halischuk from the group of forwards that were on last season's roster. Jonathan Blum is gone from the blue line. With the addition of this depth, and with several talented youngsters waiting in the wings, there could be some additional roster moves via trade. It would not be surprising to see the Predators make trades to bolster the roster. These additions insure that there will be serious competition for roster spots, and that will be good for the team.

The personality of this team has also changed. The veteran presence of these additions will be a benefit to the locker room and especially to some of the younger players. The existing veteran leadership core will be augmented by proven veterans that are now on the roster. That experience in other programs will provide a fresh perspective and the proven voices of players that have been successful in the League. This is not only good for the players, but the coaches as well.

There was no doubt that the Predators needed to get tougher. The addition of Hendricks and especially Nystrom provide an element of physicality that makes the Predators a tougher team to play against. Adding the size and grit is a plus for a team that lacked both elements with their forwards last season.

The Predators did not pull off a mega trade, but they quietly made some very good additions to the roster that will change the face and character of this team.

And it will be for the better.