Check out the pics from Opening Night in Smashville at Bridgestone Arena.
Photos courtesy DLM
The Nashville Predators dropped their home opener last night to an opportunistic Phoenix Coyote team that took advantage of breakdown after breakdown in an eight minute first period flurry that literally put the game out of reach .
The biggest breakdown was a Predator team that came out flat in front of a sold out Bridgestone Arena crowd that was ready to roar. The roar had to wait until a little over halfway through the second period when Ryan Suter took a nice little pass in the high slot and put a twisted wrister past a screened Jason Labarbera for a short handed goal. That seemed to wake up the slumbering Preds and sparked a rally attempt, the Preds outshooting the Coyotes 10-3 in the third period and carrying the play for much of the second half of the game... but they had just dug too deep a hole to crawl out of.
The issues that showed in the first two road games reared their ugly head again last night, giveaways, poor defensive positioning, bad breakouts... only this time Pekka Rinne was hung out to dry one too many times… better make that four too many times.
Another familiar refrain to Pred Nation is the injury bug. With a team that will score by committee, it's hard to get that committee in session when you have two of your top line players on the shelf as Mike Fisher continues to recover from off-season shoulder surgery and Martin Erat being placed on IR for the ubiquitous "upper body injury."
But injuries aren't an excuse to come out flat like that in your home opener. I often wonder if all the pomp and circumstance of the first game at home, the big opening, the introductions of the entire team and staff, the emotional tribute video... if they all contribute to not being at the top of your game. It certainly takes the team out of their rhythm. I think Nashville may have taken advantage of that very same thing in Columbus and St. Louis last weekend.
So now the grind begins, and routine takes over. The Predators hit the Centennial Sportsplex ice for practice at 10:30, I can only assume that Head Coach Barry Trotz will be working on the issues revealed in the first three games, only this time, the team may pay a little more attention, as the coach was quoted in today’s Tennessean…
“Sometimes you need to get whooped a little bit to bring you back to reality,” Predators Coach Barry Trotz said. “I didn’t think we deserved the two wins on the road, and we showed you why.”
Tomorrow night we get to see how this young Predator team reacts to that whoopin’ as New Jersey comes to town. Limited tickets are available.
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Random Notes
- The Predators announced an exclusive multi-year partnership with Nissan yesterday before the home opener. More corporate partnerships equals more corporate money, more good moves from the front office.
- Preds season ticket holder and virtuoso guitarist/singer/songwriter Vince Gill was honored between the first and second period of last night’s game for his charitable contributions to Nashville… he then turned around and did a three song set with the intermission band, highlighted by a duet with his daughter Jenny and a moving tribute song that he dedicated to the family of Wade Belak.
- For some, the most exciting news was the announcement of a Vince Gill bobblehead showing Vince in a gold Pred Jersey. BTW... Vince has a new album coming out at the end of the month called "Guitar Slinger."
- The injury situation is showing signs of improvement, both Mike Fisher and Francis Bouillon are getting closer, Patric Hornqvist may be back on Saturday. Martin Erat is still an open question.
- Shea Weber and Ryan Suter led the Preds in ice time last night, each logging in excess of 27 minutes.
- In last night’s Caps/Pens game, Arron Asham and Jay Beagle went at it and Asham just dropped him like a bad habit, knocking out the Capital winger. Asham went a little overboard with his “sleeping” rection right after the fight and he apologized after the game, calling the move “classless” on his part.
- So far, there are xxx unbeaten teams in the NHL, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Toronto, and Washington in the East… Detroit and San Jose in the West.
- The schedule maker got a little weird this year… One week into the season and Pittsburgh has already played five games! San Jose, only one.
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You are invited to follow me on Twitter. Search for @PredPAPaul… Not only will I be updating when I get news or updates, but we are having a bit of fun by getting your input on Gnash introductions, weigh in on Twitter and who knows, we may use your introduction for the best mascot in the NHL at the next Preds game!
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On the next SlapShot Radio
Great interview with Stu Grimson on Wednesday’s SlapShot Radio, also had a nice conversation with Phoenix radio voice Bob Heethuis… Wait what? You say you were spinning around the wrong places on the dial… you missed it???
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