Agrred. (All yeses to above.)

We'll be the underdog albeit with plenty of patronizing, de rigueur comments thrown in to fill space. However, if (when?) we win the first series, we might get a bit more respect. If we get to the WC finals, every commentator on the planet will begin their obligatory drooling and suddenly say how they knew all along that we were the team on the cusp.

However, I'll take it.
- blueline

The talking heads on 1607 and 1711 were proclaiming the Nashville-Pittsburgh game to be a preview of the SC Final...but not anymore!!

With the exception of not having a true sniper, except/maybe Radulov, why do some people assume the players we have are mediocre? Could it be that our players are at least better than average and Trotz is not getting the most out of them?

We have this conversation every year. While it has been great to make the playoffs 7/8 years, when is that model no longer acceptable? Seriously, do we give Trotz another 10 years of making the playoffs with a first or second round exit? Making the playoffs is good for the bottom line, but at some point fans will want a cup. If Poile's perception is that he has given Trotz the necessary tools and some commentators/writers have said the same, then the perception is that the Preds are a POTENTIAL SC winner. At what point does it fall in Trotz' lap to make it happen?
- Polecat

Rads is that dynamic forward. If he ends up here next season, he will be a point per game player - bet on it.

It sounds weird, but anything less than playing for the confernce championship this season would be a failure in my opinion. Yet I don't think anyone would be shocked if we went out in the first round. For good or bad, I think the playoffs are going to be crazy.

Other than watching the Preds, I really want to see a Pens-Flyers playoff series. That would be epic.

Firing Trotz... thats a laugh.

That would be like if Columbus ever fired Hitchcock, they would probably fall apart as a team, try to trade their star player, and finish last in the league. Wait a sec... thats EXACTLY what happened!!!!

Firing Trotz... thats a laugh.

That would be like if Columbus ever fired Hitchcock, they would probably fall apart as a team, try to trade their star player, and finish last in the league. Wait a sec... thats EXACTLY what happened!!!!
- brisco61

What about when STL fired Payne and hired Hitch? Goes both ways....

I've said it before...Ill say it again. Trotzy is a great coach in the sense that he coaches to the "mean". He coaches DOWN great players and coaches UP mediocre players. Getting a very balanced team - aka "The Predators Way" as we have heard.

BTW - while I would have fired Trotzy in the past...no way you can this year. #1 in PP, #10 in PK, #9 in goals for and #10 in goals aga. Besides Poile will never fire Trotzy.

Anyone selling tickets tonight? I thought I had 2 lined up but that fell through.

What about when STL fired Payne and hired Hitch? Goes both ways....


- buelleo

That was my point, Hitch is a great coach and CBJ screwed up firing him. Same goes for Trotz... unless we could get Hitch or Tippet I dont know if there is another coach who can do what he has.

Hitch stepped in at STL and turned that program around. Same with Tippett at PHX.

I do agree that Trotz does down coach star players because he wants everyone to play two way hockey. Nothing wrong with that, but sometimes you do gotta take the dog off the leash.

That was my point, Hitch is a great coach and CBJ screwed up firing him. Same goes for Trotz... unless we could get Hitch or Tippet I dont know if there is another coach who can do what he has.

Hitch stepped in at STL and turned that program around. Same with Tippett at PHX.

I do agree that Trotz does down coach star players because he wants everyone to play two way hockey. Nothing wrong with that, but sometimes you do gotta take the dog off the leash.
- brisco61

Or with Wilson, get the dog out of the doghouse....Seriously, we need to sit Yip and insert Wilson...he's too strong on the puck and can create so much havoc to not have in there for the playoffs.

Or with Wilson, get the dog out of the doghouse....Seriously, we need to sit Yip and insert Wilson...he's too strong on the puck and can create so much havoc to not have in there for the playoffs.
- HardCorePredFan316

Trotz was praising Yip's work on the penalty kill, and subsequently said that Wilson doesn't kill penalties.

Trotz was praising Yip's work on the penalty kill, and subsequently said that Wilson doesn't kill penalties.
- Predaceous

Neither does AK, Hornqvist, toots, Rads, Smith... thats a pretty weak argument on Trotz part.

There are plenty of PK'ers. I would not consider Yip our GO-TO PK guy by any means.

Neither does AK, Hornqvist, toots, Rads, Smith... thats a pretty weak argument on Trotz part.

There are plenty of PK'ers. I would not consider Yip our GO-TO PK guy by any means.
- brisco61

Until 33 quits playing offense, he will be in the press box.

Or with Wilson, get the dog out of the doghouse....Seriously, we need to sit Yip and insert Wilson...he's too strong on the puck and can create so much havoc to not have in there for the playoffs.
- HardCorePredFan316

Wilson is not a replacement for Yip. To get Wilson in the line-up, you'd have to sit one of AK46 or Rads. Which one would you sit? I could see an argument for AK, but it's not as clear cut when you look at it that way.

Halischuk is a replacement for Yip (and one I would personally prefer). Wilson is not defensively responsible enough to play Yip's role.

And when did Wilson become the savior of the franchise? There are people on here acting like it is a total travesty that Wilson is not playing. We only know about 20-30% of the story. How can you make any kind of judgement based on that. We don't know what Wilson is like in the locker room, at practice, in team meetings, etc. I know one quote I saw a few weeks back leads me to believe he has a lot of maturing to do. He said something to the effect, "I've got one of the highest goal totals on the team, so I must be doing something right. I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing." WTF is that? Wilson needs to stop running his yap, open up his ears, and soak in what the coaching staff is telling him. I'll take Trotz's track record over Wilson's any day of the week.

And while we're on the subject, firing Trotz is the dumbest thing that is suggested every year on these boards. We are one of 2 teams in the entire league that has made the playoffs 7 of the last 8 years. One of 2 teams in the entire league!!! Winning a Stanley Cup is one of the most difficult trophies to win in sports, and some people act like if you're not in the finals every other year you're a failure. How many times has Detroit played in the WCF or SCF in the last 10 years? It's not every freakin' year! And Trotz has done the same thing they have over the last 8 years with unarguably much less talented teams.

Any year when you make the playoffs can not be looked at as a failure IMO. A disappointement maybe if you don't go as far as you think you should, but never a failure. Once you make the playoffs, anything can happen; good or bad.

Neither does AK, Hornqvist, toots, Rads, Smith... thats a pretty weak argument on Trotz part.

There are plenty of PK'ers. I would not consider Yip our GO-TO PK guy by any means.
- brisco61

I wasn't convinced by Trotz's response to the question about why Wilson hasn't been playing. I realize there's a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes that we aren't privy to, nor should we be, but he stammered a lot when saying the Wilson's game has slipped and that he needs to move his feet (there's that phrase again) and focus on the details.

This is where I think Trotz needs to be more malleable and adapt to his players' strengths rather than pigeon-hole them into a role they may not be suited for. Surely there's room for this allowance in Trotz's system. He's done it for vets like Arnott in the past. It seems that it's only the younger players that have to endure the Trotz Gauntlet.

Wilson is not a replacement for Yip. To get Wilson in the line-up, you'd have to sit one of AK46 or Rads. Which one would you sit? I could see an argument for AK, but it's not as clear cut when you look at it that way.

Halischuk is a replacement for Yip (and one I would personally prefer). Wilson is not defensively responsible enough to play Yip's role.

And when did Wilson become the savior of the franchise? There are people on here acting like it is a total travesty that Wilson is not playing. We only know about 20-30% of the story. How can you make any kind of judgement based on that. We don't know what Wilson is like in the locker room, at practice, in team meetings, etc. I know one quote I saw a few weeks back leads me to believe he has a lot of maturing to do. He said something to the effect, "I've got one of the highest goal totals on the team, so I must be doing something right. I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing." WTF is that? Wilson needs to stop running his yap, open up his ears, and soak in what the coaching staff is telling him. I'll take Trotz's track record over Wilson's any day of the week.

And while we're on the subject, firing Trotz is the dumbest thing that is suggested every year on these boards. We are one of 2 teams in the entire league that has made the playoffs 7 of the last 8 years. One of 2 teams in the entire league!!! Winning a Stanley Cup is one of the most difficult trophies to win in sports, and some people act like if you're not in the finals every other year you're a failure. How many times has Detroit played in the WCF or SCF in the last 10 years? It's not every freakin' year! And Trotz has done the same thing they have over the last 8 years with unarguably much less talented teams.

Any year when you make the playoffs can not be looked at as a failure IMO. A disappointement maybe if you don't go as far as you think you should, but never a failure. Once you make the playoffs, anything can happen; good or bad.
- preds24

Very well said. I couldn't agree more. Your valid points are so easily dismissed and overlooked by so many fans. Obviously we all would like nothing more concerning the Preds than to win it all - too bad there are 30 other teams that have the same goals and desires. If it were as easy as firing/hiring new GM's & coaches every other month there would be a dozen or so SC winners every season.

Parity in the league is as tight as ever. Anybody can win.

Wilson is not a replacement for Yip. To get Wilson in the line-up, you'd have to sit one of AK46 or Rads. Which one would you sit? I could see an argument for AK, but it's not as clear cut when you look at it that way.

Halischuk is a replacement for Yip (and one I would personally prefer). Wilson is not defensively responsible enough to play Yip's role.

And when did Wilson become the savior of the franchise? There are people on here acting like it is a total travesty that Wilson is not playing. We only know about 20-30% of the story. How can you make any kind of judgement based on that. We don't know what Wilson is like in the locker room, at practice, in team meetings, etc. I know one quote I saw a few weeks back leads me to believe he has a lot of maturing to do. He said something to the effect, "I've got one of the highest goal totals on the team, so I must be doing something right. I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing." WTF is that? Wilson needs to stop running his yap, open up his ears, and soak in what the coaching staff is telling him. I'll take Trotz's track record over Wilson's any day of the week.

And while we're on the subject, firing Trotz is the dumbest thing that is suggested every year on these boards. We are one of 2 teams in the entire league that has made the playoffs 7 of the last 8 years. One of 2 teams in the entire league!!! Winning a Stanley Cup is one of the most difficult trophies to win in sports, and some people act like if you're not in the finals every other year you're a failure. How many times has Detroit played in the WCF or SCF in the last 10 years? It's not every freakin' year! And Trotz has done the same thing they have over the last 8 years with unarguably much less talented teams.

Any year when you make the playoffs can not be looked at as a failure IMO. A disappointement maybe if you don't go as far as you think you should, but never a failure. Once you make the playoffs, anything can happen; good or bad.
- preds24

Well... the Detroit Red Wings have been in the Stanley Cup Final 6 times since 1995 and won it 4 times. That's the definition of success.

Well... the Detroit Red Wings have been in the Stanley Cup Final 6 times since 1995 and won it 4 times. That's the definition of success.
- Section106

True, but that's over almost twenty years; there was no such thing as the Nashville Predators in 1995! What's the percentage of years going to the finals throughout the entirety of their existence? What the Predators have accomplished in such a short amount of time is quite impressive.