It's the playoffs, so I'm starting a new blog to keep up on all of the post-season action. I'm looking forward to a long fun ride! To look back through all my 2010-11 regular season posts, click here.

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Tom Callahan
Predators Radio Voice

It isn't much of a stretch to say that not many media pundits saw this series going six games after the Canucks took a 3-1 lead. But lo and behold, there were your Predators pushing things back to Nashville with a gritty effort Saturday night in Vancouver.

David Legwand and Joel Ward made sure the series returned home by scoring twice each, and it almost sounds like a broken record at this point but Pekka Rinne was outstanding again. For the first time in the series perhaps his performance might be overlooked considering Ryan Kelser also scored twice in the game and as Vancouver's best player right now is grabbing a good share of the attention. So there are other places for media focus, and as the series wears on the story lines will only continue to splinter and fragment.

It is a great sign to see the Predators put up points they way they did in the last game, especially after trailing 2-1 and really needing its best effort of the playoffs to come back against a confident Canucks team. You and I were wondering if it was going to happen after the first period weren't we? But fortunately for us there was an early bounce in the second period that just seemed to instill some life in the Preds and push this team on to a must-win. You cant overestimate what a little break like that does for a team's belief. It just gives you that little thought in the back of your head that perhaps tonight is our night. And the Preds weren't wrong.

Heading back home for Game Six on Monday night means that Nashville is very much alive, and that suddenly we have a series on our hands!

Don't forget that Games Six and Seven will be carried on local TV with Pete and Terry on FSTN so you can get the hometown perspective you've been missing!

So the Preds split the first two games against the Canucks in Vancouver and head home for Game Three on Tuesday night at Bridgestone Arena. Oddly enough, the two teams have scored exactly two goals each in the first couple of games.

While some are awaiting the Canucks to break out and explode against the Predators in the post-season (and for that reason alone don’t seem to think Nashville will be able to emerge victorious) I would like to simply point to the “it doesn’t matter anymore” regular season record between the two clubs. They split the series 2-2, with each team winning once on the road. Pekka Rinne’s goals against average? 1.26. How about Roberto Luongo’s? 1.77. There was exactly one power play goal in the series (Vancouver’s) in a combined 30 chances.

The point is while both teams would obviously like to score more, Nashville has seen this from the Canucks before and found ways to win. I think the pressure can only mount on Vancouver, a team known for scoring in the regular season. Look at it this way: if name guys like the Sedin twins and Ryan Kesler continue to not put up points, that’s exactly where the media focus goes. Nashville scores once or twice a game? Great! Who was it this time? There’s no one player to point fingers at and say “you’re not producing”… at least on a national stage. Barry Trotz may have his thoughts on the matter, but he’s been involved with it all season. Through the long lens of national media, there’s not a single player on this team who would bear that weight. Vancouver has several.

How anyone can expect this to be a high-scoring series is beyond me. Not to say there might not be a breakout game here or there. But everything points to a continuation of what we’ve seen so far. And that should suit the Preds just fine. Let the pressure build, let the Canucks feel the weight of “not scoring”, otherwise known as playoff hockey. It amazes me in the haste to crown the Canucks kings of the west that some of these obvious things get overlooked. But then again, I have a slightly different perspective – and I don’t mind the way things look right now.

PS – The goaltenders will continue to stand on their respective heads. These guys weren’t voted two of the three best from the regular season for no reason. Cherish this entire series, you may not see one with as much clutch puckstopping going head-to-head for a very long time.

Tonight the waiting stops and the pucks drops. Game One of the Western Conference Semifinal series between the Preds and Vancouver Canucks kicks off in B.C.

Heading into this game the Predators are fresh off its first ever playoff series win over the Anaheim Ducks in six games, while the Canucks needed seven after blowing a 3-0 series lead against the Chicago Blackhawks. Storylines seem obvious enough between two Vezina-nominated goaltenders, the Art Ross (league scoring) champion in Daniel Sedin and last year’s Art Ross winner and twin brother Henrik on the same line, Vancouver’s depth and defense, and Nashville’s plucky determination and unheralded cast of superstars in their own right.

I think goaltending will be a legitimate storyline in this series, but more like NASCAR where you’re waiting for the wreck. Will Luongo keep it together? Will one bad game shake his confidence, the team’s confidence, or head coach Alain Vigneault’s confidence? Can the Canucks endure another bad performance without really facing a mental block after the way the ‘Hawks came back in the first round? And on Nashville’s side, will Pekka Rinne’s continued improvement throughout the opening round continue to manifest itself, or will the mental clock re-set itself somewhat? Those are the reasons I think the crease is compelling this series.

That's a little counter to the regular season series between the two teams. The season series was a low-scoring affair. Pekka Rinne posted a 1.26 GAA against the Canucks in four games this year yet went 2-2. I’m not  predicting the same for this post-season. In the first round, both teams showed they can score goals in bunches and allow goals in bunches at times, so, much like the Anaheim series, I think four goals will be the magic number to win games in this series.

Nashville will need its depth lines to continue to produce and be effective in whatever matchup they are handed. Vancouver is a deeper team than Anaheim and so the difference won’t be quite as striking for forwards 7-12 as it was last series. That also serves as an indication of how important the defense will be on both sides of the coin. If the blueline can chip in with some points for Nashville, it could be the tipping point in the series.

One more thing to watch will be Shane O’Brien and Dan Hamhuis. Both have their motivation amped up even more playing former teammates. Each wants to make a difference and help his team advance. I don’t know that the series will swing on any single player on either side, but they could at some point factor in during key plays in the series.

There are still several hours before faceoff, and all I want to do is get to the rink! Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Since the Predators have moved on to Round Two and await the result of tonight’s Vancouver/Chicago game to determine where the plane heads for Game One, I thought I’d turn the light inward on this team and ask one of those questions everyone wonders: why is this year’s team different? Why did this edition advance?

As it turns out there are many responses that came out of our locker room. Here is what I got back, starting with head coach Barry Trotz.

“Mindset. Belief. Hardness of our team. And I don’t mean physically, I’m talking about the resiliency factor, determination factor, and focus factor. It’s been a strong backbone, and it’s based more on the resiliency, work ethic and commitment than some of the skill teams. Sometimes when you have a really skilled group, they’re not as committed, they’re going to do it the skilled way. Well, this group has had to do it in different ways – with skill elements, work elements, and some real character elements. It’s just a good combination.

“I think it starts with our leadership group. They’ve grown up. They’re winners, they’re hard guys, and they’re good players.”

Cue the captain, Shea Webeard. Uh, Weber.

“We won in Game Five?”

We both actually laughed at that one. See, he does have a sense of humor! But seriously, he did continue.

“I don’t know,” he pondered. “We have a lot of the same guys in this room from last year, and as much as you’d like to say we learned from last year we were 30 seconds away from being down 3-2 (in the series). But we just found a way. It was a resilient effort and we didn’t back down. We had to come back a couple of times. That effort pulled us through to Game Six.”

He also hearkened back to the post-All-Star Break schedule.

“I think after the All-Star Break it was a race to the end of the year. You look at how many teams played well down the stretch, we really didn’t have a choice, we had to play our best hockey of the year just to get in.”

Steve Sullivan has been around for every Preds playoff team thus far. He thinks the team did take something out from last year, perhaps mostly mental.

“We’ve learned from last year that (the Chicago series) was a missed opportunity. Because of that I think the guys are that much more focused and the roles are even more specific. The guys know what their roles are and are willing to do it.

“You don’t look back at last year and think ‘man (Chicago) could have been us’ because there’s no way to say that. If we had one better game in that series, whether it was Game Two, Game Four, or Game Five, I think we win – the series is over. But I do think we let (that series) slip away and definitely should have won it.

So are those the games Nashville won this year?

“We were the team that scored with less than a minute left and won in overtime. We came home and took care of business. It was the exact opposite of Game Six last year. We had a power play at the end of Game Six, and don’t think that everyone on the bench wasn’t thinking about it. Everyone kept yelling ‘throw it deep, keep it behind the net’. Those memories pop in your head. The thing is we weren’t scared of them, we knew we had learned from them and knew what to do and got the job done.”

Cody Franson knows the team took something away from its previous experiences, but added an important factor of his own.

“We made a lot of little mistakes that were easily correctable last year. But in the playoffs – will wins. There are a lot of more-skilled teams that it doesn’t work out for. There’s only one team that wins, and it’s the team that wants it more. That’s just the way the playoffs work.”

Sounds an awful lot like Predators Hockey to me.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Last night’s Game Six was incredible. I haven’t heard Bridgestone Arena so loud, so jacked up, so ready to explode in my three years here. You as fans have really elevated the mood and the feeling inside the arena and deserve a lot of credit. Fantastic job and great energy that just continues to prove the doubters wrong and show what a great hockey city Nashville is. Thanks for that.

* * *

Already the questions have begun: which team would you rather face in the second round? I don’t know that Nashville has a preference. Let’s face it – there are four teams left after this round ends and all four will be battle-tested and a bit weary, but still very good teams. All have respective strengths and weaknesses, and no matter which opponent Nashville draws, you can bet the excitement level will be even higher than it was for Game Six. The Predators have crept one step closer.

As far as the next round goes for opponents, I can boil it down like this:
 - If both higher seeds win (VAN, SJ) we get VAN

 - If both lower seeds win (CHI, LA) we get LA with home ice advantage

 - If one high and one low win, we get DET

* * *

An odd thing, I don't feel we've seen the best of the Nashville Predators in the playoffs; something to feel good about moving forward. Think about that - Nashville drew a team in the Ducks no one wanted to face in the first round, and we beat them. To me that just says there is far more to come from this hockey team. Rinne will be better, our defense was just starting to get into the groove, and you can definitely look at every player up front to ramp up his game come round two. Also, don't forget Marty Erat may be back as well, putting a bit more offensive jump back into the Legwand/Ward pair as well.

On top of this you have Smithson, Spaling, and Tootoo playing quite possibly the best hockey of the season and contributions from Sullivan and Dumont too. Yes Preds fans, you have a lot to be excited about right now. Once you've made that second round, anything can happen. Let's hang on for the ride!

As we head back to Anaheim with the series tied at two, Nashville knows that it's Game Four effort was the worst of the young series. Nothing seemed to go right for the Preds, which included goaltending, defense, and forward play. Sure that seems like an awful lot to go wrong, but the series is now a best of three that resumes Friday night.

Erat Update

Just a little side note, didn't really fit in with the rest of the blog, so I'm throwing it out here on the side. Martin Erat did not make the trip out West with the team; he was injured on Jarkko Ruutu's hit in the second period last night. Coach didn't tip his hand during practice, but would expect either J-P Dumont or Colin Wilson to fill Erat's roster spot.

I do take some comfort from the fact that the Preds have had to fight back from worse. Over the course of the year injuries and losing streaks have beset this team and yet they found ways to overcome it all and make the playoffs with a great stretch of hockey through March and April. It wasn't much before that run began that you could hear the grumbling already from some outlets that the Preds were not going to make it this year.

After Game Three, Anaheim rallied off scathing comments from Teemu Selanne and a day away from the rink for a pool tournament. It seemed to do them a world of good for getting the house back in order mentally. Perhaps the Preds need to do the same, cleaning the house mentally to get things in order for Friday night. Nashville's young leadership corps will be tested in this series, and the veterans on the team must also step up and shoulder the responsibility as well. Face it, the Preds needs that kick in the pants that will have them come out firing in Game Five. Then they need that second, more important kick that keeps the intensity up for all 60 minutes.

To that end I think whatever the lineup is for Nashville has to be committed from the opening puck drop. The Preds must play physical but not take penalties that result from a lack of moving one's feet: hooking, holding, tripping and interference. Any more than four power plays against could spell disaster. And speaking of moving your feet, doing that in the offensive zone will generate more chances for nashville's man advantage, which will help wear down a Ducks team that will have a boost from the return of Bobby Ryan to the lineup.

Nashville hasn't been bad in the series thus far offensively. But they absolutely must clamp down on D now. The pressure is on Pekka Rinne and company to deliver the best game of the series so far in order for the Preds to push the Ducks to the brink of elimination. If the energy level is high right away, the Preds will far well. If they start flat, it might turn into a long night.

Make sure you're ready on Friday, and we'll see you back in Smashville for Game Six on Sunday! Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

As I blow the gold towel lint off my keyboard from Game Three I am also just digesting thoughts from Monday’s practice at Centennial Sportsplex.

First of all, I loved our fan response in Game Three. The towels were flying and everyone brought the “A” game intensity level. It was great! Keep that going for Game Four on Wednesday!

Second, I like that the Predators still don’t feel as if they’ve played the best they can. There is an understanding that mistakes were made, efforts need to be doubled, and things are only going to get more difficult from here on in. I feel like this Nashville team still has another level or two in front of it yet as far as effort and execution.

Now I’m going off on a tangent about Bob Murray (Anaheim’s GM) talking about diving in the series, to the point where he is now suggesting perhaps his players should dive. Some are saying this is tongue-in-cheek, others are saying it might be more serious. What he’s clearly trying to do is bring attention to his team and curry favor and sympathy from the NHL on-ice officials. Do I buy into Murray’s claims of diving? No. I’ve been watching this series the whole time and I haven’t really materialized thoughts of one side getting battered by the officials any more than the other. But what will upset me is if the games are suddenly tilted towards the Ducks’ side of the ice from this whine. There’s always the slight possibility it could backfire against the Ducks too.

There is plenty to pick on from both sides that hasn’t been called, whether it’s the slew foot by Marchant on Ward during the Preds’ fourth goal (watch the replay as Ward has his leg kicked out by Marchant – and he never saw him coming) and Corey Perry spearing Pekka Rinne in a rather sensitive lower body area (Erat’s getting a butt end in the teeth… I could go on). So before Murray decides all the calls have gone against his team, they’re no (Anaheim) angels either. Plain and simple, the Predators have outplayed the Ducks two of the first three and have won accordingly.

That said this series isn’t over yet and there is plenty of hockey left. How will Murray’s rant affect Game Four? We’ll find out Wednesday night at Bridgestone Arena! Don’t forget – special 7:30 pm CST start time.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Game One is in the books and I’m still mulling it all over from last night. Just a few seconds into the first shift of the contest, Shea Weber attempted to defenestrate (look it up – it’s a great word) Teemu Selanne and set the tone for what would be come quite a physical battle.

Shea wasn’t done making his impact early however, as just a short time later his bomb from the right point went over the shoulder of Dan Ellis for a power play goal that put the Predators up 1-0 early. As Wade Belak and I discussed at the outset of the opening power play, Barry Trotz has said that the power play may not run at a 30% clip, but what was important was the timeliness of the goals it does score. To that end, clicking to give your team an early lead – on the road – in Game One was a huge plus.

When your captain steps up and sets that type of tone for your team, the message is clear: no passengers, 100% effort. I feel like the Predators did play well against the Ducks, and make no mistake the Ducks has its chances to score and make it a game. But between the goaltending of Pekka Rinne and solid defense to help out when needed, the Preds really did a nice job shutting down a high-flying attack.

That said, don’t expect a sweep or a cakewalk. This Ducks club is tough and has more than enough talent to float itself to a few goal lead at any given moment. I also don’t blame Ellis for the goals that went in. Both of Mike Fisher’s goals were absolute snipes, and Weber’s cannon beats most goalies on their best days. (Remember the exchange between Tim Thomas and Carey Price at the All-Star Game this year?)

Steve Sullivan scored the other Nashville goal in the game, and I liked what I saw from him. He definitely had it in gear and was able to show bursts of speed when needed. His ice time ended at 6:15 for the game, and while you might be temped to say “move him up a line or two” I think where he sits is perfect for the time being. Remember this is only his second game back, so plenty of in-game rest insures he will have lots of gas when needed. Plus timing comes back slowly too, and being able to work back in on what is usually a fourth line versus fourth line situation will be a massive bonus to the Preds. You won’t find a guy with hands like his lurking on the fourth unit too often. Combined with Blake Geoffrion and Matt Halischuk, I like that line’s chance of making an impact in games.

You also can’t get out of Game One without talking about Pekka Rinne’s play. The Ducks drove the net, went after him with late post-whistle slashes and spears in the third, and yet he remained unflappable in the face of it all, allowing only Selanne’s five-on-three power play goal in the third period. The little mini-duel between those two has been especially entertaining. Consider Selanne has four goals against the Preds this year, but three of those are of the five-on-three variety. Plus Rinne has stoned Selanne with several amazing saves, causing the latter to muse before Game One yesterday that when Rinne robbed him during the regular season of what he thought was a sure goal that the Preds goaltender seemed “like an octopus.” This game within the game will take place throughout the series, and is worth watching.

Oh, and one more guy worth watching is Shane O’Brien. He ended up in the box twice during the game, and I’m hoping he was basically seeing where the bar is set for the series. Knowing where the line is now and coming out with a win in Game One, I’ll let those transgressions slide as long as he continues his prickly, annoying play against the opposition. He may have doled out more facewashes yesterday than all of April, and smiling at the frustrated Corey Perry in the closing moments of Game One really spoke volumes for where the Predators were at the end of that game… and where the Ducks wished they were.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

In talking with the Predators defensemen the past few days, I’ve noticed a theme coming up when talking about Anaheim’s attack: head on a swivel.

Having one’s head on a swivel means that you are constantly aware of what’s going on around you, not only with your man, but the others involved in the play as well. Coverage may change rapidly when facing a team such as the Ducks, and defensemen must be aware that at any given point they may be called on to pick up another player in coverage (a switch). To help facilitate that switch and keep gaps in coverage to a minimum, you must be aware of the player you’re switching to and his location on the ice. So now you’re tracking three things as a defenseman: 1) puck position 2) your check 3) other players’ movement.

This is where Anaheim looks to create confusion. We’ve explained the cycle before, when three players work in a circular motion on the boards, often leaving the puck behind with a bank pass off the dasher to the next player who is following behind until a coverage breakdown occurs and a scoring chance may be had. What the Ducks do is jump the defenseman on that side of the ice down the wall as well, and make it a four-person event. If the winger covering the defenseman is napping, that defenseman may have a chance to go straight to the net for a scoring chance. If the winger stays with the defenseman, the point position opens up and the puck may then be carried high for a shot by any forward out of the cycle. Or you may just simply get a confused defender on the play and suddenly there is an odd-man situation created by the coverage breakdown.

Defending this is tricky and the Nashville defense knows it.

Shea Weber: The forward has to track that man (the defenseman coming down into the play) and stay with him. If he stays down low, the winger stays with him. But if the d-man comes down low and the forward pops out high (towards the point) we might make a switch where we try to leave the d-man down low (assuming that a defenseman is less of a threat to score in that situation) and that way I can take the forward who is up at the blueline. That’s where communication is so important – you want to be aware of the situation and make sure you’re directing traffic as much as you can.

Kevin Klein: We just have to play ‘stick and pin’ (stick the Ducks to the wall and pin them for as long as possible without an interference call). Those guys are always moving, heading to the back post and throwing pucks there. (Again, this is all about breaking down coverage and finding holes to generate scoring.) We have to be good with our sticks. (Meaning blocking or tipping both passes and shots.)

Ryan Suter: It’s going to be a big challenge for us, they have a lot of big, strong guys. If it’s not (Perry, Getzlaf and Ryan) it’s Koivu, Selanne… Blake… they have a lot of talent over there that’s won before. We just have to play hard and play our game. And we have to stay out of the box.

The last statement is something we saw a bit of during the regular season, especially in the final meeting between the teams. The Ducks all but erased a 5-1 Nashville lead before falling 5-4 at the end thanks in part to a pair of 5-on-3 power play goals by Teemu Selanne on March 24 at Bridgestone Arena. That’s exactly what Suter is talking about with regards to penalty trouble. You simply can’t win a series shorthanded like that. Even if you kill those penalties off, you still have the fatigue for your top penalty killers that has an effect both immediate and series-long.

Finally, as to the point Suter makes about how many weapons the Ducks have, consider that Perry, Ryan and Getzlaf posted 10 points against Nashville this year (2-8-10), while Selanne, Koivu and Blake notched 12 points (7-5-12) in the season series. Koivu scored four goals alone! So the Predators must get not only good efforts from the defense, but the rest of the squad as well.

Anaheim will have the ability to work matchups on home ice to start the series, meaning those top six players will be kept away from Suter and Weber as much as possible during the game by Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle. This will place tremendous emphasis on Nashville’s two-way play at center from David Legwand, Mike Fisher, Jerred Smithson and Blake Geoffrion (plus Cal O’Reilly if he ends up playing at any point). The center’s job is to be the first forward back defensively and the Predators usually do a very good job on the backcheck. If the backcheck breaks down in the series Anaheim will have several odd-man chances and could easily blow games open. Keep an eye on the forwards coming back – it will be a major key to how well the team does defensively.

Well, I think that might be enough for you to deal with just now. Absorb what you can and get ready for Game One tomorrow night! Until next time keep your stick on the ice.