Predators Steal 2 Points with Late Comeback, SO Win Over the Canucks

Sometimes, a team steals a point. Occasionally, they steal two.

Tonight, the Nashville Predators did just that, playing lackluster and sloppy hockey for 52 minutes against the Vancouver Canucks before getting goals from James Neal and Filip Forsberg to tie the game in regulation.

In a shootout, Ryan Johansen and Craig Smith scored while only Jared McCann was able to tally for the Canucks, and improbably the Predators escaped with a 3-2 win.

The Canucks had not scored in 235 minutes, yet hung 2 goals on the Predators in the first period.

Let that sink in for a minute.

Bo Horvat gathered in a puck that bounced over the stick of Roman Josi and slid the puck past Pekka Rinne to give the Canucks a 1-0 lead.

The Canucks extended the lead to 2-0 on the power play as Daniel Sedin was alone in the slot and he blasted a puck past Rinne.

The Predators were out worked and out skated for most of the game. That changed 11:56 into the third as James Neal spun loose down low and sniped a shot past Ryan Miller to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Filip Forsberg wrapped in a puck from behind the net to tie the game at 2.

The overtime was scoreless (AT LEAST THE PREDATORS DIDN'T LOSE IN OT!) before the shootout heroics from Johansen and Smith and stop excellent stops from Rinne to secure the win.

Some observations:

• As horrific as the Predators have been in OT, with this win they go to 4-1 in the shootout.
• The Predators are 11-2-2 in their last 15 games.
• When the game is on the line, your key players have to step up. Tonight, James Neal and Filip Forsberg did just that. Neal notched his 29th goal with a perfectly placed shot to the far post. Forsberg was in the high traffic area and beat Miller from behind to tuck the puck inside the post to tie the game. Leadership and effort paid off for two players that have been huge contributors for the Preds during this run.
• The first 52 minutes of play by the Predators were some of the most putrid hockey they have played in quite some time. They were out worked and out skated and the Canucks forecheck and trap seemed to befuddle the Predators for most of the game. Lazy and sloppy play almost cost them this game. But once they started skating and getting the puck deep, they created some problems for the Canucks. Let's just not wait so late in the game to get it going, mmmkay, boys?
• The 31st sellout for the team, a new franchise record. Big ups to the fans in Smashville. This was the 12th consecutive sellout for the Predators.
• Colin Wilson picked up an assist on Neal's goal for his 200th NHL point.
• Ryan Ellis had an assist on Forsberg's goal for his 100th NHL point.
• The Predators have played 36 1 goal games this season and have picked up points in 29 of those games (16-7-13).
• The Predators gave up a power play goal for the first time in 8 games.
• The Predators held the Canucks without a shot in OT. They had some opportunities to pick up only their second OT win of the season with a 4 on 3 power play for the final 1:59 but could not get good looks and shots. Which is typical of this team in OT.

This game was flat out ugly for most of regulation. Yet the Predators found a way to win and get 2 critical points. The big take away- when this team skates, they are usually going to have a good chance to win. When they stand around, anyone can beat them.

That almost happened tonight.

Learn this lesson.

And keep the points coming.

My three stars:

1. Filip Forsberg

2. James Neal

3. Pekka Rinne

Slow Start and Sloppy Defense Cost the Predators In 4-2 Loss to the Canucks

The Nashville Predators have picked up points in 14 straight games. They were looking to make it 15 with a stop at Rogers Arena to take on the Vancouver Canucks.

The Predators started the game acting like just showing up would be good for a win. The Canucks out worked and out skated the Predators all over the ice and for a full 20 minutes. That effort resulted in 2 goals in spite of Pekka Rinne standing on his head to make some great saves. Sven Baertschi and Derek Dorsett both scored off defensive breakdowns to give the Canucks a 2-0 lead.

The Predators showed some life in the second period, getting shots on net and scoring twice. Both goals were set up by great assists by Roman Josi as he set up Mike fisher for the first Predators goal. Fisher drove the slot and redirected Josi's pass past Ryan Miller. His second assist set up Colton Sissons for a sweet goal.

Unfortunately, the Predators defense broke down once again as those 2 Predator goals were sandwiched around a goal by Bo Harvat, who beat the Predators defenders to the front of the net for an easy goal.

The Predators pulled Rinne late in the third period for the extra attacker and Daniel Sedin scored the empty netter to seal the Predators fate and the game by a 4-2 margin.

Some observations:

•  How about Prince Filip dropping the gloves? Forsberg took exception to a hit on Mike Ribeiro and dropped them with Jake Virtanen. Forsberg picked up his first fighting major of his career. Good to see his response, but you hate to see him run the risk of an injury on that type of play.
• Rinne has to be superb in the first period. The Predators offense didn't bother to show up and he was under siege. The big netminder was equal to the task, including making a couple of spectacular saves to keep the game from getting out of hand. Unfortunately, the Canucks pressure and defensive breakdowns finally succeeded in getting shots past Rinne.
• The Predators sluggish starts are disconcerting to say the least. Trying to dig out of a hole is not a formula for success. Tonight, the Predators were sleepwalking in the first period and it bit them in the ass. Standing around and watching a team that will not sniff the playoffs out skate you all over the ice is incredibly disappointing.
• The Canucks first 2 goals came as a result of Predators defenders getting beat down low (Baertschi) and losing a player in the low slot (Dorsett). The defensive breakdowns left Rinne out to dry and have to be cleaned up. 
• Good to see the Predators finally wake up in the second period as their relentless pressure finally resulted in a Mike Fisher goal. Fisher's line has been playing some very good hockey of late and they have been getting some positive results.
• And yet once again,  the Predators D gets beat by a Canuck driving the net. This is ridiculous to see this happen so consistently. Horvat had a clear path to the front of the net by out hustling Ryan Ellis down the ice and to the net.
• Goodness gracious is Roman Josi good or what? What a fantastic assist on Fisher's goal and then an even better one on the goal by Sissons. Josi is a solid defenseman and an exceptional offensive talent that is so dangerous carrying the puck.
• The Predators PK has done an excellent job, killing the last 14 man advantage attempts. Some of those have been extended power plays and the Preds have shown great hustle and perseverance in killing the penalties.
• On the other side, the Predators power play has sputtered, failing on the their last 13 attempts.

The Predators were totally inept in the first period and it cost them.

Oh, and some really sloppy defense that gave the Canucks plenty of prime opportunities.

More disturbing is the fact that the Predators have look disengaged and lethargic for good stretches of their last 2 games, games against teams that are out of the playoff race.

This is an aspect of the Predators game that has to change. It's late in the season and crunch time, and the Predators have got to bring a much better effort if they want to win these games.

Bring this same kind of effort against Edmonton on Monday night and they will get embarrassed.

My three stars:

1. Bo Horvat

2. Roman Josi

3. Ryan Miller

Predators Rally Late to Defeat the Canucks 2-1

The Nashville Predators looked to build on the momentum of their first back to back wins in over a month as they traveled to Vancouver to take on a Canucks team that stood one point behind them in the Western Conference standings.

The Predators opened the scoring 59 seconds into the game as Craig Smith drove the net and flipped a perfect pass from Mike Fisher over the shoulder of Ryan Miller.

That opening burst by the Predators was all they could muster over the next 40 minutes as the Canucks out skated the Predators up and down the ice.

Brandon Sutter, in his first game after missing 33 games for sports hernia surgery, took a nice pass through the slot and beat Pekka Rinne to tie the game at 1 midway of the first period.

Rinne had to sharp as the Canucks unleashed a barrage of shots at the net and generated some quality scoring chances. Through 2 periods, the Canucks owned the shots on goal by a 24-11 margin.

The paint must have been peeled off the walls of the locker room by the coaching staff at the second intermission as the Predators opened the third period with more jump and urgency. Their efforts paid off with a goal by James Neal with 5 minutes to go in the third period to give the Predators a 2-1 lead.

The Predators had to end regulation on the penalty kill with Mattias Ekholm in the box for interference.

The Predators PK did their job and the kill allowed the the Predators to win their third game in a row with a 2-1 win.

Some observations:

• Predators first goal came from a simple hockey play. Craig Smith drove the net and was able to lift a perfect pass from Mike Fisher over the shoulder of Ryan Miller. When the Predators drive the net, they have a high degree of success. Simple hockey, but is the kind of game the Predators have to play every night. Smith's goal was his 11th of the season and his second in two games.
• Over the last 12 games, the Predators power play was ranked 3rd in the NHL. Tonight, there was not much movement with the man advantage and the first two power plays yielded only one shot. No urgency and being too casual is not a formula for success for this unit.
• Petter Granberg was back in the line up on the blue line, and it is obvious that he is still trying to find his way and get settled in. I think the big blueliner has a lot of upside, but it is going to take a while for him to get settled into a regular role.
• The Predators got outskated through the first 40 minutes, and that is disappointing as the Predators should have realized the import of this game. This team has played themselves out of the playoffs and they need wins desperately to get back into the race. This was not the type of game that allowed the Predators to build on the momentum of the last 2 games. Fortunately, the Predators were able to turn up the intensity and effort in the third period. Their response in the third period was excellent and will be a huge confidence booster for the team.
• Craig Smith had a solid effort tonight. He drove the net hard for the Predators first goal and had a nose for the net and and a desire to shot the puck. He created some good opportunities by moving his feet and using his speed. This is the kind of game that Smith has to play to be productive.
• I thought that Austin Watson played with a lot of grit and jump tonight. He is a big body that really needs to find his game, and if he does, the Predators will benefit.
• James Neal is just flat out a sniper. When he has some room to get off that quick release, he can be deadly.
• Pekka Rinne really looked like the Pekka Rinne of old. He had to make some very good stops to keep the Canucks off the board and you could tell the team was growing in confidence behind the way he was playing. This team will need more of that form Rinne as this season grinds on. In this 3 game winning streak, Rinne has stopped 80 of 83 shots.

After getting badly outplayed in the first 40 minutes, the Predators responded in a huge way. This is the kind of game that wasn't pretty, but the team never quit and elevated their game enough in the third period to capture a critical win.

That showed some character and an unwillingness to wilt under the pressure.

That is the kind of hockey this team is going to have to play down the stretch.

My three stars:

1. James Neal

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Craig Smith

Blues Pound the Predators 4-1

The Nashville Predators have not beaten the St. Louis Blues this season.

Given the breathtaking talent gap between the two teams, the Predators may not neat the Blues for a long time.

The Blues came into Bridgestone Arena and owned the Predators in a 4-1 victory.

Patrick Bergland scored twice; Vladamir Tarasenko scored off a flukey play; and Alexander Steen finished the Blues scoring. Eric Nystrom scored for the Predators.

Pekka Rinne started the second game of a back to back, having won in Chicago last night, and was under siege all night long. Ryan Miller got the start for the Blues and the was rarely challenged by the Predators.

Not much to say about this game except the Predators were dominated all night and had very little push back against the talented Blues.

Some observations:

• Several years ago, when the Predators were regularly beating the Blues, only a handful of their fans would show up at the Bridge for a game against the Predators. Tonight, the crowd may have been about 40% Blues fans. I have heard some say that they have a bunch of bandwagon fans. I say good on them. That is what winning does. It attracts new fans. Yes, there are some asshats among the Blues fans, but every team has those. The fact is that the Blues are winning and they have energized their fans, both long time fans and newcomers. The Predators need to take note, because playing boring, dump and chase .500 hockey is not going to energize any of your fans.

• Speaking of dump and chase, the Predators seem to have that as their only option offensively. While that can be an effective strategy, it cannot be the only strategy. Especially when the team is losing the majority of those puck battles while employing that strategy.

• Of course, if you do not have the talent to do anything other than dump and chase, the odds that you are going to win a majority of your games are not good.

• It should tell Predator fans where this team is going when Rich Clune and Eric Nystrom are your best forwards on the ice. The disappearance of Colin Wilson, Gabriel Bourque, Nick Spaling and others does not portend good times for the Predators.

• I still don't understand the Viktor Stalberg on the 4th line logic. He did move up in the third period, but from my view that is a gross waste of talent.

Not much else to say about this game.

Wait...

Yes there is.

The Blues have done an excellent job of drafting and developing talented players that have elevated their game to the upper echelons of the League.

The Predators have not.

And until they do, they will continue to struggle mightily in the highly competitive Western Conference.

My three stars:

1. Patrick Bergland

2. Ryan Miller

3. Vladamir Tarasenko

Predators Feeling Blue: Drop 4th Straight to St. Louis

Remember when the Nashville Predators used to have their way with the St. Louis Blues?

Go back several seasons and a game against the Blues was almost a guaranteed win for the Predators.

Over that span of time, the Blues have drafted well and developed their offensive talent, and that talent has developed into one of the elite teams in the NHL.

By contrast, the Predators have devolved into a bunch of grinders that give a good effort but have a woeful lack of skill.

That yawning gap in talent was on display at the Bridgestone Arena as the Blues beat the Predators for the 4th straight time by a score of 2-1. that score belies the fact that the blues were the clearly dominant team and controlled play for much of the game.

Ian Cole opened the scoring at 4:03 of the first period as he fired a shot off a face off win through traffic that beat a screened Pekka Rinne to give the Blues a 1-0 lead.

The Predators answered at 10:28 of the first as Patric Hornqvist threw a shot to the front of the net from the goal line that was re-directed by Nick Spaling over the shoulder of Ryan Miller to tie the game at 1.

That was it for the Predators as they rarely challenged Miller.

The blues scored the game winner as Magnus Paarjarvi took a pass from roman Polak and skated past Ryan Ellis and beat Rinne to the far side post at 15:27 of the second period.

The Predators could rarely muster any offense and struggled just getting the puck through the neutral zone and establishing any offensive flow.

This was an ugly loss as it clearly exposed the talent gap between the Predators and a team that was consistently below them in the standings just a few years ago.

The troubling aspect of this game is that it clearly shows that this talent gap will not quickly or easily be closed by the Predators.

Some observations:

• The Predators have now lost 6 of their last 7 games. This team is not bound for the playoffs, and the lack of talent is going to haunt this team and their fans for several years.

• Patric Hornqvists assist was his 100th of his career.

• The Predators do not have a forward that can cosnsitently carry the puck into the offensive zone against a talented defense. The Predators had to almost exclusively resort to a dump and chase game, and they lost most of those puck battles all night.

• Puck support by the Predators was awful. Often, when the Predators got the puck in the zone, the Blues out numbered the puck carrier and forced turnovers. The Predators had 10 giveaways to 4 by the Blues.

• How ineffective were the Predators forwards? The Predators had 21 shots on goal, and 13 of those came from defensemen.

• Newly acquired Patrick Eaves was in the lineup, playing on the fourth line with Paul Gaustad and Rich Clune. Eaves had 6:59 of ice time and was a -1 for the night.

• This was the Predators first game without David Legwand. Those that know me or read this blog know that he has not been a favorite of mine. My problem with Legwand was simply that I believe that he did not play with heart and was grossly overpaid for what he brought to the ice. That is simply my opinion, and I don't expect all of you (any of you) to agree with me. It is telling to me that the management of the team could not answer the question of whether or not the Predators would be a better team without Legwand. And there is the enigma: Legwand was a talented player that never played to his potential or his talent level. Time will tell if this team is better or not without him. I think his absence will not affect this team adversely.

• Rinne was called upon to make some  huge saves once again to keep an opponent off the board. He also stopped Alex Steen on a penalty shot.

• The woeful Predators offense has scored just one goal in each of their last three games.

• I do not like the defensive pairing of Michael Del Zotto and Ryan Ellis. You have two puck moving defensemen that do not play a physical game. The larger and more physical forwards of the Blues pushed around Ellis in particular all night. I thought the pairing of MDZ and Seth Jones that had been used in previous games was a more effective tandem.

With the playoffs out of the picture, the Predators now have to focus on improving their game and building for next season. It is encouraging to see that this group is still competing.

It would be even more encouraging to see this team begin to produce consistent scoring.

My three stars:

1. Magnus Paarjarvi

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Ian Cole

Buffalo Victimized by another Miracle from Nashville, Fall to the Predators in OT 4-3

The Nashville Predators staged an improbable comeback to beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in overtime at HSBC Arena. Improbable may not be strong enough to describe the outcome of this game.

Blake Geoffrion continued his strong play of late, tallying his second goal in as many games as he banked a shot off Paul Gaustad's skates and past Ryan Miller to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 6:44 of the first period.

Anders Lindback got the start for the Predators in net, and made some good saves in the first period to keep the Sabres off the board. Buffalo had some good scoring chances and Lindback turned aside all 11 shots he faced in the period.

In the second period, the Predators opened with good jump and had several glorious scoring chances. Marty Erat had a breakaway that Miller stopped with his blocker. There were several scoring chances with the Predators shooting the puck and crashing the net, but they could not get a puck past Miller.

Unlike the Predators, the Sabres capitalized on their opportunities and mistakes by the Nashville Predators to build a 3-1 lead.

Nathan Gerbe tied the game for the Sabres as he spun away from Kevin Klein  at the front of the net and whipped a shot under the pad of Lindback at 7:04 of the second. Gerbe had a solid game for the Sabres, creating good offensive pressure throughout the night.

That goal energized the Sabres, and just 40 seconds later, Tim Connolly blistered a wrist shot over the shoulder of Lindback for his 11th goal of the year and a 2-1 lead for the Sabres.

Those two quick goals jacked up the Sabres and put the Predators on their heels. Buffalo controlled much of the play for the remainder of the second period, while the Predators mustered scant little offensive effort.

Buffalo would extend the lead to 3-1 at 19:00 of the second period while on the power play. Cody Franson took a... what word am I looking for...stupid slashing penalty at 17:22. Tyler Ennis made the Predators pay as his shot from the slot slipped between Lindback's arm and his body.

Down 3-1 and with Miller looking unbeatable and the Sabres clogging the neutral zone, things did not look good for the Predators. It was going to be essential that the Predators get a goal fairly early in the period to loosen up the Sabres defense and to give them a chance to get back into the game.

That did not happen for the Predators. The Sabres defense trapped them in the neutral zone and did a great job of limiting chances once the Predators got into the offensive zone. With the clock winding down, it looked as if an important contest and 2 critical points were going to slip away.

A funny thing happened on the way to what appeared to be a certain Buffalo win, though.

Jonathan Blum fought for the puck in the corner and outworked two Sabres to get control. Blum slipped a pass to Geoffrion, who was stationed to the right of the net. Miller moved to the post as Geoffrion shoved the puck toward the net. Miller did not control the puck and Geoffrion kept whacking at it until he knocked it under Miller's pad to make the score 3-2 Buffalo with 2:27 remaining in the game.

Nashville forced a face off in the Buffalo zone after Miller froze the puck on a shot to the net. Geoffrion won the draw back to Cody Franson, who walked the blue line and let go a quick wrist shot. On the way to the net, Geoffrion tipped the puck and re-directed it past Miller for the game tying goal at 18:37 and his first hat trick in the NHL. The hattie came in only Geoffrion's 11th game in the NHL.

Neither team could score in the waning moments of the third period, and although both teams got a point, the Sabres were stunned. All the energy and momentum was now on the side of the Predators.

The Predators ended the overtime period quickly. Ryan Suter drove the puck inside the face off circle, drawing the defense to him. He slipped a quick pass to Marty Erat who scorched a one-timer past a defenseless Miller for the game winner just 27 seconds into overtime.

When the Predators were facing a 3-1 deficit and little time on the clock, it would have been easy to fold and say this game wasn't meant to be. The aspect of this team that cannot be measured is the heart and character of the players that put on the Predators sweater. They didn't look good at times, but they kept battling and refused to fold. This win can be a hallmark win for the Predators this season, one that they can use to build upon and do great things.

Because they didn't quit.

Head Coach Barry Trotz talks about defining moments- games and sequences in games that show that of which you are made. He says it so much it sometimes becomes cliche among the fans. While running the risk of sounding just as cliche as Trotzy, this was a defining moment game. This was a game that showed this team they are never out of it.

Blake Geoffrion has shown that he is NHL ready. The young man is going to be quite a player for the Predators. Jonathan Blum has exceeded any expectations that I had when he was called up. The young players are getting a baptism by fire and they are showing that they can handle the pressure.

With the win, the Predators are 38-25-10 and have jumped into 6th in the Western Conference for the time being with 86 points.

You now have a 9 game season, boys, and 7 of them are at home. Each of these games will be a game in which you can define yourself as a player and as a team.

Time to bring it.

My three stars:

1. Blake Geoffrion

2. Marty Erat

3. Nathan Gerbe





































































































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