Embarrassing Effort By the Predators as They Are Demolished by the Ducks

The Nashville Predators embarked on another West coast road trip, with their first stop at the Honda Center to face the red hot Anaheim Ducks. This road trip was going to be important for the Predators as they were looking to get consistent scoring and put some distance between themselves and the teams chancing them in the standings.

The Predators had their workhorse, Pekka Rinne, in net, while the Ducks had Viktor Fasth, he of the sterling 8-1 record, between the pipes.

The Ducks struck first at 2:48 of the first period as Pekka Rinne went behind the net to play the puck and Emerson Etem tied him up and stole the puck. He got the puck to a wide open Nick Bonino and he fired the puck into a wide open net. Rinne misplayed the puck and the defense lost sight of Bonino and he got an easy goal.

The Ducks made it 2-0 at 3:49 of the first period as Kyle Palmieri took the puck just inside of the face off circle and drove the net. He beat Shea Weber to the front and slid the puck past Rinne for anothe quick- and bad for the the Predators- goal.

For the Predators, this was an absolutely horrific start. The goals energized the Ducks and the Predators had to respond quickly or this game would be out of hand before the few fans at the Honda Center got settled into their seats.

It didn't get any better for the Predators as Kyle Palmieri scored his second goal at 16:57 to make it 3-0 Ducks. Palmieri cruised into the low slot and eleuded Mike Fisher, who had the coverage. Palmieri took a pass from Corey Perry and was totally alone and able to beat Rinne.

The Predators defensive coverage had been atrocious to start the game. It was now horrific.

Worse yet, there was absolutely no push back from the Predators.

Thankfully, the Ducks did not score again in the remainder of the period. One could only imagine what Head Coach Barry Trotz was going to say to his charges in the locker room.

Would the Predators have any kind of a response?

It was certainly going to be a test of their character.

The Ducks had 1:27 of power play time as the Predators were guilty of too many men on the ice late in the first period.  The Ducks made the Predators pay as Kyle Palmieri was alone sliding down the right side of the ice. He took a pass from Corey Perry who was driving the net and  forced Rinne to respect the shot. Palmieri had a wide open net to deposit the puck for his third goal of the game just 1:07 into the period.

The Predators were beyond awful.

They were embarrassing.

The Predators finally responded at 9:27 of the second period as Rich Clune took the puck low to the corner. He found Kevin Klein pinching from his defense position and got the puck to him. Klein quickly slid the puck to Craig Smith and he beat Fasth with a one timer to make it 4-1.

After a phantom goaltender interference call against Rich Clune, the Ducks tallied again once again on the power play as Saku Koivu got his stick on a bouncing puck in the blue paint and knocked the puck home at 19:20 of the second period.

Given the effort of the Predators through the first two periods, the best they could hope for is that the third period would end quickly and they wouldn't be further embarrassed.

Chris Mason was in net to open the third period for the Predators. While Rinne was on the bench, I hope that his teammates were apologizing for the sorry effort in front of him tonight.

The good news: the Ducks didn't score in the third period.

The bad news: neither did the Predators.

Some observations:

• This team wasn't ready to play tonight. One can argue about where to place the blame, but ultimately, the responsibility for effort, drive, and character rests with the players. The Predators have not consistently shown the type of effort that has characterized past teams, and this is troubling. This is a problem that has to get corrected quickly, and it starts with the Leadership group of Weber, Fisher, and Erat.

• There were too many players that were invisible on the ice. Not only with shots (that's a blinding flash of the obvious), but with grittiness and effort. For too long, David Legwand, Marty Erat, and Sergei Kostitsyn have not produced. This team will not succeed unless these players- and most of the roster- begin to elevate their game.

• This team has relied on the outstanding goaltending of Pekka Rinne. Tonight, the first Ducks goal was off a bad play that Rinne made behind the net. The other goals? The team in front of Rinne hung him out to dry.  This team has to commit to sound defense, and recently, that has been sorely lacking. 

• Obviously, this was an embarrassing effort. A good Ducks team took the Predators to the woodshed. But what is especially disturbing about the effort- or lack thereof- tonight was that there was no push back from anyone on the Predators roster. No anger, no emotion, no fire, no heart. This team is in trouble if this is the type of response to a debacle like this was.

• This team is offensively challenged (another brilliant insight) and the concern is that once the Predators go down a goal, the morale of this team seems to sag markedly. It is as if they seem to believe they cannot overcome even a one goal deficit. This has to change and there has to be a more positive response to adversity.

As a fan, I am embarrassed by this non-effort. No, I am appalled, disgusted, and frustrated. And as bad as I feel, I hope that it feels even worse for this team. I hope it burns and makes them angry.

And they need to use those emotions to bring a better effort in their next game.

Or they will be embarrassed again.

My three stars:

1. Kyle Palmieri

2. Corey Perry

3. Viktor Fasth

Predators Down the Ducks 4-2, Take the Series 4-2

If the Nashville Predators were going to defeat the Anaheim Ducks, they were going to have to get scoring from their bottom 6 forwards, stay out of the box, and play very strong defense in front of Pekka Rinne in their game 6 match up at Bridgestone Arena.

Mission accomplished.

The Predators defeated the Ducks 4-2 to capture their first round series by a similar margin of 4-2 and in the process the Predators captured their first ever Stanley Cup playoff series.

The understatement of the year would be to say that this was a huge step for this franchise.

More times than I care to recount, the denizens of Smashville have watched their heroes skate off the ice after a game 6 clinching victory for the opposition. The disappointment and frustration were palpable.

Not tonight.

Everyone knew that the Ducks were going to come out with a sense of desperation as they were attempting to stave off elimination. It was going to be imperative that the Predators match their intensity and control the play, especially early on in the contest.

The Predators did a great job of thwarting the pressure of the Ducks in the first period as they limited the Ducks to just 4 shots. However, one of those shot was an amazing goal by Teemu Selanne as he found the tiniest of openings between Rinne and the post to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead at 10:22 of the first period.

I want to say that Selanne is just flat out unbelievable. His play was outstanding throughout the series and he did not engage in the cheap shots and extra-curricular activity that so many of the Ducks chose to do. His play almost single handedly carried the Ducks to victory in the series as he tallied 6 goals.

The Selanne goal was an "uh-oh" moment for the Predators. No team in this series had won two consecutive games, and his goal put the Smashville faithful in a state of high anxiety.

That tension was relieved at 19:32 f the first period as Nick Spaling tied the game as he buried the puck off a rebound of a Jordin Tootoo shot past Ray Emery. All along, the Predators knew they were going to have to get scoring from their bottom six forwards to have a chance in this series, and time and again, they came up big time.

Thank you, Mr. Spaling.

The Predators would take a 2-1 lead at 3:29 of the second period as Steve Sullivan absolutely undressed Emery with a nice forehand to backhand move. Sullivan was playing on the fourth line with Blake Geoffrion and J.P. Dumont, but that did not mean this line wasn't a threat. Sullivan used his speed to create the opportnity and his wiles to fake out Emery. A veteran move and a big time goal for the Predators.

The Ducks weren't going to go away quietly, however. Jason Blake tallied a power play marker at 18:23 of the second to tie the game heading into the third period.


Once again, the potent Ducks power play had torched the Predators. In this series, it was apparent that the Ducks could not beat the Predators 5 on 5, and it was going to be incumbent on the Predators to stay out of the box to have a chance to close out this series. A transgression by J.P. Dumont for tripping had allowed the Ducks to get back in the contest, and it set up a tense third period.

A period where heart and character would shine through. A period where the team with the biggest heart and strongest character would emerge victorious.

That team would be the Predators.

The Predators appeared to have taken a 3-2 lead as Patric Hornqvist tipped the puck past Emery early in the third period. However, the goal was waved off as it was deemed that Hornqvist had played the puck with a high stick.

Deflating? Yes. Defeating? No.


Nick Spaling would strike again at 4:23 of the third period off an assist from Pekka Rinne and Jordin Tootoo. Tootoo took a pass from Rinne and put the puck on net. Spaling was right where he should have been, crashing the net. Spaling gathered in the rebound from Rinne and potted his second marker of the game to give the Predators a 3-2 lead.


Once again, the play was created by the hustle and the shot of Tootoo. He was very solid in this series and played the best hockey that he has played since donning a Predators sweater. One could argue that he was the difference maker in this series.

The Predators did a good job in the bulk of the period keeping the Ducks to the outside and not allowing prime scoring chances. Rinne made several good saves to hold the Ducks off the board, and the offense continued to press the Ducks.

As the period wore on, one could see the frustration, desperation, and fatigue hit the Ducks. You knew that the overtime loss in Anaheim on Friday had to weigh mentally on the Ducks, and it showed in their play.

With the 7th Man in full throat, exhorting their team on to victory, the Predators caught a break as Saku Koivu was called for interference at 19:22. With the net empty for an extra attacker, David Legwand buried an empty netter at 19:50 to give the Predators a 4-2 victory.

The demons for this franchise had been exorcised! The 8000 pound gorilla of never winning a first round series was gone! The Predators were now advancing to the second round and this franchise had made a huge- HUGE- step forward.

The Predators survived the cheap shots that the Ducks threw at them all throughout the series. The dirty play of the Ducks was uncalled for and off the chart. Yet this team persevered and fought through the adversity of losing one of their top scorers to a blatant head shot. They were able to win this series without a "star" but with a team concept that would not be daunted and refused to yield in the face of the talent and thuggery of the Ducks.

Congratulations to head Coach Barry Trotz. Trotzy has nursed this franchise through its infancy and growth pains to this point. This team is a reflection of his steady hand and determination.

The Predators await their second round opponent, which will be determined by the outcome of the Chicago/Vancouver series, which is going to a 7th game. Now is the time to heal and get ready for another war.

Savor the win, boys. Congratulations! You deserve the kudos and the adulation of Smashville.

This is the first step. A big step. A monumental achievement for this franchise.

You can't rest on your laurels, however.

There are new steps to take.

My three stars:

1. Nick Spaling

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Teemu Selanne

Predators Outlast the Ducks 4-3, Take 2-1 Series Lead

The Anaheim Ducks ventured into Bridgestone Arena and found out that the fans in Nashville aren't granola eating, patchouli wearing, tie dyed types as the raucous sellout crowd willed the Predators to victory over the Ducks by a 4-3 margin. Frankly, the game was much closer than it should have been as the Predators dominated the Ducks in all phases of the game.

With the win, the Predators now have a 2-1 lead in the series.

It is apparent that the Ducks need the power play to generate their offense. Five on five, the Ducks have been quashed by the Predators. Should the Predators decide to stop taking stupid penalties- I'm talking to you Shane O'Brien- this series could be over quickly.

Ray Emery got the start for the Ducks, and he was outstanding early on, making some big saves to keep the Predators off the board. Pekka Rinne, on the other hand, had plenty of time to listen to his I-Pod and relax as the the Predators only allowed 10 shots through two periods. Although Rinne didn't get a tremendous amount of work- the Ducks only mustered 16 shots total for the game- he was still challenged and was called upon to make some big saves for the Predators.

The Predators fired 37 shots on Emery.

The Ducks were without Stompy McStomperson Stompin' Bobby Ryan, who is serving a two game suspension for an egregious stomp with his skate on the foot of Jonathan Blum in game two.

The Predators opened the game with good pressure in the offensive zone and a stifling defense that throttled the Ducks. As good as the pressure was by the Predators, they could not get a puck past Ray Emery, who was solid and made some good saves to thwart the Predators.

That would change in a 38 second span of the first period.Marty Erat would lift a puck over the shoulder of Emery at the 15:00 mark while the Predators were on the power play. Erat tallied with just 8 seconds left on the man advantage as he took a pass from Cody Franson and was able to beat Emery with the high shot.

On the next shift, Jordin Tootoo would drive hard to the net and bang a shot off the post. Tootoo followed his shot and backhanded the puck into the net to give the Predators a 2-0 advantage.

The Predators would continue their domination of the Ducks in the second period, creating some good scoring chances but unable to pot the nest goal. While the Predators looked in control of the game, one knew that the Ducks would assert themselves at some point in the contest.

That would occur with just under two minutes left in the second period. The Predators took an ill-advised penalty for elbowing- I'm looking at you Shane O'Brien- and the Ducks made them pay. Teemu Selanne was the beneficiary of a nice cross ice pass from Corey Perry to beat Rinne to make the score 2-1 at 18:10.

Selanne would strike again just 30 seconds later as he tallied an even strength goal off an assist from Perry. This was just the Ducks 4th even strength goal in the series, and we were knotted at 2-2 going into the third period.

The third period would see the Predators take a 3-2 lead on a goal by David Legwand, his first of the playoffs.Legwand's tally came at 5:25 of the third period off an assist from Ryan Suter.

Anaheim tied the game at 6:48 of the third as Saku Koivu launched a shot from the point. The puck hit a falling Matt Blelesky and caromed off the skate of Cody Franson and past Rinne to tie the game at 3. At best, this was a fluke goal, but a goal nevertheless.

The Predators would take a 4-3 lead as Mike Fisher nailed the game winner off a beautiful pass from Sergei Kostitsyn at 10:21 of the third. Kostitsyn had the puck outside the faceoff circle and spied Fisher driving the net. He rifled a nifty backhand pass to Fisher who beat Emery for the game winner.

The final 10:21 of the contest saw the Predators defense choke the life out the Ducks, as they mustered only three shots on goal in the remainder of the contest. Saku Koivu was called for a hooking penalty at 17:10, effectively limiting the chances of the Ducks to get Emery off the ice for the extra attacker.

As this series unfolds, the Predators have shown that they can absolutely dominate the Ducks five on five. The key for the Predators is to stay out of the box, as the Ducks are dangerous and have made the Predators pay for their crimes.

I'm talking to you, Shane O'Brien.

It was good to see the third and fourth lines have such a strong game. Jordin Tootoo has been very strong in this series, and it was good to see him rewarded with a goal tonight. The Predators are going to have to continue to have strong play out of these lines in this series.

The acquisition of Mike Fisher looks better and better. Fisher now has 3 goals in this series, has been solid on defense, and tonight continued to frustrate Ryan Getzlaf. Getzlaf got so frustrated, he dropped the gloves with Fisher, who got in some very good shots before the linesmen stepped in to separate them.

The Predators are going to have to play another strong game in the fourth game. I expect another push back from the Ducks. If the Predators play their game, it won't matter. They are better than the Ducks.

This win feels good. You got to get two more in this series, boys.

Continue to take care of business. Continue to play the strong game that you are playing. Continue to frustrate the Ducks and this series is yours.

Oh yeah, stay out of the box.

The Ducks can't score otherwise.

My three stars:

1. Mike Fisher

2. Teemu Selanne

3. Jordin Tootoo