The Skid Continues: Predators Fall to the Islanders 4-3

The Nashville Predators dropped their 5th game in a row, falling to the New York Islanders 4-3 at Bridgestone Arena.

Once again, the Predators dug a hole that they had to climb out by allowing the Islanders to jump to a 2-0 lead.

John Tavares scored at even strength and Anders Lee scored on the power play to stake the Isles to that 2-0 lead.

Colin Wilson scored off a rebound and scramble around the crease with just 1.2 seconds remaining on the clock in the first period to cut the deficit to 2-1.

The Islanders extended their lead to 3-1 in the third period as Nick Leddy beat Pekka Rinne under his arm. This was definitely a stoppable goal that Rinne just didn't play well.

The Predators came storming back to tie the game as a shot from Ryan Ellis that was going over the crossbar hit Mike Ribeiro in the arm and deflected down and past Jaroslav Halak.

31 seconds after that goal, Craig Smith took a sweet pass through the slot from Filip Forsberg and roofed it from in close to tie the game.

Brock nelson got the game winner when a puck bounced over the stick of Seth Jones in the slot and he buried a shot past Rinne.

Some observations:

• As good as Pekka Rinne has been this season, he was not sharp tonight. The goal by Leddy was very stoppable. The first goal from Tavares should have never happened. Tavares threw the puck at the crease from a sharp angle and it hit Rinne in the leg and slid through the five hole. Look, Rinne has carried this team this year and has been stellar, but right now he is not cleaning up every mistake. In this skid, there have been some bad defensive breakdowns in front of him. Tonight, he just didn't have his best game. I still believe in him and think he will be fine, but he- and this team- are going to have to fight through this funk.
• For the 10th straight game, the Predators have given up the first goal. Look guys, this is getting old. No, it is old. In the past five games that we have lost, we have held a lead just once (3-2 going into the third period against Detroit). The task at hand gets a lot easier if you are playing with a lead instead of trying to claw your way back into a game.
• Colin Wilson's goal was his 20th of the year. This is the first time in his career that Wilson has recorded 20 goals.
• Filip Forsberg picked up an assist and is tied for the team lead in points with 53 (tied with Ribeiro).
• During this skid, their has been some miserable periods of hockey played by this team. I cannot fault the effort tonight. The out shot the Islanders 31-26 and played with some good jump for most of the game. That said, the Islanders third goal was a direct result of the Isles outworking the Predators in their zone and keeping them hemmed in for a long stretch.
• Jaroslav Halak played a good game and made some great stops. The Predators consistently put pressure and shots on the net, and if they continue to do that, they will reverse this skid.
• Mike Fisher has been playing some inspired hockey and picked up an assist tonight. Fisher has 7 points (3G-4A) in his last nine games.

This is not a fun time for the team or its fans. Let's just let go that "best team in the NHL" line and realize that every team goes through these stretches. The critical aspect is how this team is going to respond to this adversity. The objective now should be to play sound, fundamental hockey and to play with heart and effort.

If they play like they did tonight with that kind of effort, they will get back to their winning ways.

My three stars:

1. Jaroslav Halak

2. Nick Leddy

3. Craig Smith

Predators Run Aground Against the Islanders

The New York Islanders rode a three goal outburst in the first period and added two more goals in the third period in a 5-2 drubbing of the Nashville Predators at Nassau Coliseum.

The resurgent and talented Islanders are the best team in the East, and they showed it in this game, using their speed and tenacity and a bit of puck luck to dominate the Predators.

Brian Strait, Johnny Boychuk, and John Tavares scored in the first period before Filip Forsberg was able to score late in the period to make it 3-1.

James Neal notched his 21st goal of the season in the second period to make it 3-2 going into the third.

The wheels came off for the Predators as Nick Leddy scored off a rush and Roman Josi tried to clear a rebound and banged it off Pekka Rinne's pads and into the goal to make it 5-2 Islanders. Josh Bailey had taken the shot and was credited with the goal.

Jaroslav Halak had a fairly easy night, stopping 30 of the 32 shots he faced.

By contrast, Pekka Rinne was under siege for most of the night as the Isles got an abundance of quality scoring chances as the Predators defense was spotty at best.

Thankfully for the Predators, the Islanders didn't score again and make it worse.

Some observations:

• Nice gesture by the team to let Anthony Bitetto lead the team on the ice for the pre-skate. Bitetto is a native of Island Park, NY and had family in attendance.
• The Islanders had significantly more jump than the Predators in the first period and that set the tone for the game. Rinne was under assault with some quality scoring chances by the Islanders and if he had not made some good saves, the score could have been much worse.
• Filip Forsberg gave the Predators some life in the first period, recording his 20th goal of the season with an Isles defender hanging all over him. We have all marveled at his skill set, but an underrated aspect of his game is his strength. He is surprisingly strong and very hard to knock off the puck.
• Eric Nystrom leveled Mikhail Grabovski with a booming hit in the first period. Nystrom caught Grabovski with his head down and planted his shoulder in the chest of the Isles forward. Grabovski was rattled by the hit and hit his head on the ice when he fell. Scary moment off a clean hit as Grabovsky didn't move for quite a while. The stretcher was called, but eventually Grabovsky got to his feet and skated to the locker room. Hopefully he did not sustain a serious injury. No penalty was called on Nystrom on the play.
• James Neal just has a wickedly good release on his shot. He displayed that release on a rocket for his 21st goal of the year.
• Lines were juggled as Forsberg was reunited with Craig Smith and joined by Mike Fisher on the top line. Forsberg needs dynamic and creative line mates and frankly, I don't think he had them with Beck and Jarnkrok. Mike Ribeiro dropped down to the second kline to center James Neal and Colin Wilson.
• Uncharacteristic turnovers and defensive breakdowns hung Pekka Rinne out to dry. The Isles got numerous uncontested shots from the slot and quality chances off the rush. Rinne would have had to been perfect to stop the onslaught from the Isles. He wasn't and he got very little help from the team in front of him.
•  The Islanders did a great job of winning most of the puck battles and throttling the Predators rush through the neutral zone. The offense never seemed to find its rhythm and get in gear. This has been a problem for this team at times this season and is one that will have to be corrected.
• The Predators had 17 shots on net in the first period. After that, they had 8 in the second and 7 in the third. They were outworked and outhustled by the Islanders in the final 40 minutes, and that is reflected in the score. by contrast, the Islanders consistently brought offensive pressure, netting 40 shots on Rinne. 
• Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli have cleared their paperwork and should be in the line up for Saturday's game.

After winning 6 straight games, the Predators couldn't bring the effort and intensity to capture a 7th consecutive win against a very talented Islanders squad.

If this is a measuring stick game, the Predators came up woefully short.

If this is a learning experience, then it will be good for the Predators.

Time to get back on the horse on Saturday against the Flyers.

My three stars:

1. John Tavares

2. Nick Leddy

3. James Neal

Hawks Power Play the Difference in 3-1 Win Over the Predators

When you are facing one of the most potent power play units in the NHL, it is not wise to put them on the ice very often.

The Nashville Predators did just that and were burned for two power play goals by the Chicago Blackhawks in a 3-1 Chicago victory at Bridgestone Arena.

The Predators and goaltender Carter Hutton had their 3  game win streak snapped.

The Hawks scored on their first shot of the game as Duncan Keith fired a shot from the point that got through Hutton on the stick side and trickled over the goal line at 1:29 of the first period.

The Predators answered back at 3:03 of the first on the power play as Shea Weber blasted a puck from the top of the face off circle past Antti Raanta to tie the game at 1.

Patrick Kane made it 2-1 with a beautiful goal, lifting a backhand over the shoulder of Hutton into a tight space in the top corner. The goal came at 16:14 of the first period and with the Hawks on the power play with Colin Wilson in the box for holding.

The Predators had a great first period. They swarmed the net and fired 17 shots on Raanta, who made some good saves to keep the Predators off the board.

Unfortunately, the first period was where the solid effort by the Predators ended.

The Hawks out shot the Predators 8-4 in the second period and got a Nick Leddy power play goal at 11:33 as he banged home a big rebound kicked out to the weak side by Hutton.

That was all the scoring that the Hawks would need as they shut down the Predators for the remainder of the game. The Predators could muster only 7 shots in the third period to 9 for Chicago.

Some observations:

• The Predators were 1 for 5 on the power play, including 3:23 of power play time because of a double minor for high sticking. The power play was... not good. The Predators had difficulty entering the zone and once in the zone, controlling the puck. The lack of movement by the power play unit makes it easy to defend. Until this unit can improve and become more effective and dangerous, the Predators will continue to struggle.

• The Predators gave the Hawks 5 power plays, and they capitalized on 2 of them and this was the difference in the game. The Predators were called for too many men on the ice twice, which is hard to understand.

• The lack of elite puck movers in the forward ranks plagued the Predators on the power play and at even strength as the game wore on. The Hawks were able to thwart the Predators entry into the zone and were able to disrupt the offensive effort in the zone. This continues to be a problem for the Predators against tight checking teams.

• I may be in the minority, but my view is that David Legwand has become an offensive liability. He lacks creativity with the puck and has become prone to numerous turnovers. He is not hard on the puck and kills the flow of his line.

• I don't fault Hutton on the two power play goals that he gave up, but he cannot give up that first goal, a puck that went through him for the score. Hutton made some good saves tonight and kept his team in the game, but the soft goal on the first shot seemed to take some steam out of the Predators.

Obviously, the Hawks are a great team. The effort tonight was good, but to be a great team, the effort has to be exceptional.

That was not the case.

The Predators have an opportunity to get back in the win column Thursday night on the road in Tampa Bay.

My three stars:

1. Duncan Keith

2. Patrick Kane

3. Shea Weber