Flying Back to Nashville
Monday, 04.30.2012 / 5:34 PM
By Tom Callahan - Nashville Predators / Tom Callahan's 2012 Playoffs Blog
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So the Preds head back home down 0-2 after opening the series in Phoenix. Certainly not a pair of games most people would have ascribed to this series after the way both teams played stifling team defense and saw excellent goaltending from their respective starters in the regular season. But hey, this is the playoffs… things happen.
Indeed things happened in odd ways to open the series: crazy bounces, odd kicks off the glass, mistakes and miscues, plus a lot of shots for and against. Yes Nashville knows to a man it has to be better than it was for thefirst two games, yet if you look at stretches like the third period and overtime of Game One you wonder how this team comes home without at least asplit. Of course OT is a crapshoot, and after the Preds were turned away countless times in the Phoenix end the Coyotes managed to poke one past Pekka Rinne to nab the opening contest.
While I know there may be some out there who are thinking dire things and expecting the team to fall off the face of the earth, consider this: I don’t think the team has played back-to-back games of that ilk all season long. And while you might be tempted to think “why now?” and I don’t blame you, I do see as encouragement the fact that the Preds haven’t put together an extended stretch of poor play in a long time. This team has been solid. It has weathered bumps in the road and responded with quality play. And they’re returning to Bridgestone Arena where they were extremely good this season for the next two games.
As much as we all would have loved a split in Phoenix, the Coyotes held serve. Now it’s up to the Predators to do the same on home ice, and they can only win one game at a time. Colin Wilson showed some good jump in Game Two and the fourth line was a welcome presence, providing zip and energy when they took the ice. I’ve liked Hal Gill and Francis Bouillon together quite a bit, although they ended up split later in Game Two when the Klein/Josi pairing struggled again. Don’t forget Josi and Gill played well earlier this year after the latter’s acquisition from Montreal, so perhaps that’s something we might see a little of back in Nashville.
Credit the Coyotes for doing a good job of keeping Nashville outside and helping its goaltender, but thePredators know they must reduce defensive zone mistakes and breakdowns. They’ve reached three goals in each of the first two games of the series and the power play is suddenly clicking – two indicators that usually add up to wins in the post-season. It really comes down to assignments and mistakes, and making sure that things are taken care of in front of Rinne. If that works itself out for Nashville I can’t see why they wouldn’t be able to climb right back into this series. This is still a very good team with a lot of talent and a game-stealing goalie. Phoenix knows that and is working as hard as it can to keep Nashville at bay. But now the Predators must take its game to another level in Game Three. Moving on means raising the bar and finding even more in the tank. It’s been a long season, but it’s not time to end it. Not yet.
Some random thoughts:
-- I really like Radim Vrbata this series. While he’s spent a little too much time in the box for my taste, he’s still right in the mix and creating for the Coyotes every time you turn around. He’s been a handful.
-- Nashville has popped three in past Mike Smith each game they’ve played. During the only meeting of the regular season between the two teams, the Predators scored four and got a fifth in the shootout for a 5-4 win. Offense isn’t the issue.
-- It’s great to see Hal Gill back out there on defense. You forget exactly how many plays he’s able to break up with his active stick and shot blocking, not to mention how he helps the penalty kill. And as Barry Trotz says, he’s 6-7 every shift.
-- The Preds have shown some (uncharacteristic) frustration at times in this series, but it means they are facing some adversity. Each test they past and respond to makes the team better. Wednesday will be the first chance to bounce back, and will really be a milepost in this series.
-- I miss Matt Halischuk out there.
-- I’m finally on the bandwagon too: Marty Erat deserves a lot more credit defensively and offensively.
-- Nashville’s zone entries must be better. Thwarting your own rushes with an offside call is, as Barry Trotz put it, basically giving the other team a free backcheck.
-- Don’t panic. This is a best-of-seven and I expect it will take every bit of that for the dust to settle.
Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.
Indeed things happened in odd ways to open the series: crazy bounces, odd kicks off the glass, mistakes and miscues, plus a lot of shots for and against. Yes Nashville knows to a man it has to be better than it was for thefirst two games, yet if you look at stretches like the third period and overtime of Game One you wonder how this team comes home without at least asplit. Of course OT is a crapshoot, and after the Preds were turned away countless times in the Phoenix end the Coyotes managed to poke one past Pekka Rinne to nab the opening contest.
While I know there may be some out there who are thinking dire things and expecting the team to fall off the face of the earth, consider this: I don’t think the team has played back-to-back games of that ilk all season long. And while you might be tempted to think “why now?” and I don’t blame you, I do see as encouragement the fact that the Preds haven’t put together an extended stretch of poor play in a long time. This team has been solid. It has weathered bumps in the road and responded with quality play. And they’re returning to Bridgestone Arena where they were extremely good this season for the next two games.
As much as we all would have loved a split in Phoenix, the Coyotes held serve. Now it’s up to the Predators to do the same on home ice, and they can only win one game at a time. Colin Wilson showed some good jump in Game Two and the fourth line was a welcome presence, providing zip and energy when they took the ice. I’ve liked Hal Gill and Francis Bouillon together quite a bit, although they ended up split later in Game Two when the Klein/Josi pairing struggled again. Don’t forget Josi and Gill played well earlier this year after the latter’s acquisition from Montreal, so perhaps that’s something we might see a little of back in Nashville.
Credit the Coyotes for doing a good job of keeping Nashville outside and helping its goaltender, but thePredators know they must reduce defensive zone mistakes and breakdowns. They’ve reached three goals in each of the first two games of the series and the power play is suddenly clicking – two indicators that usually add up to wins in the post-season. It really comes down to assignments and mistakes, and making sure that things are taken care of in front of Rinne. If that works itself out for Nashville I can’t see why they wouldn’t be able to climb right back into this series. This is still a very good team with a lot of talent and a game-stealing goalie. Phoenix knows that and is working as hard as it can to keep Nashville at bay. But now the Predators must take its game to another level in Game Three. Moving on means raising the bar and finding even more in the tank. It’s been a long season, but it’s not time to end it. Not yet.
Some random thoughts:
-- I really like Radim Vrbata this series. While he’s spent a little too much time in the box for my taste, he’s still right in the mix and creating for the Coyotes every time you turn around. He’s been a handful.
-- Nashville has popped three in past Mike Smith each game they’ve played. During the only meeting of the regular season between the two teams, the Predators scored four and got a fifth in the shootout for a 5-4 win. Offense isn’t the issue.
-- It’s great to see Hal Gill back out there on defense. You forget exactly how many plays he’s able to break up with his active stick and shot blocking, not to mention how he helps the penalty kill. And as Barry Trotz says, he’s 6-7 every shift.
-- The Preds have shown some (uncharacteristic) frustration at times in this series, but it means they are facing some adversity. Each test they past and respond to makes the team better. Wednesday will be the first chance to bounce back, and will really be a milepost in this series.
-- I miss Matt Halischuk out there.
-- I’m finally on the bandwagon too: Marty Erat deserves a lot more credit defensively and offensively.
-- Nashville’s zone entries must be better. Thwarting your own rushes with an offside call is, as Barry Trotz put it, basically giving the other team a free backcheck.
-- Don’t panic. This is a best-of-seven and I expect it will take every bit of that for the dust to settle.
Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.
