Paul McCann: Home Win Streak at 8

This team is super fun to watch. Just thinking back to last March. Just 10 months ago, when I witnessed this team lose 4 straight games at home, scoring a grand total of 3 goals in 4 games. It was miserable to go to a game at Bridgestone Arena. What a difference a year makes! Wow.

This Preds team has some weaknesses. Hutton still gives up one groaner per game. The team struggles shorthanded - whether on the penalty kill or empty net situations. The third line really struggles to finish plays on the offensive end when they get chances.

But overall, they are fun to root for. They seem to work just as hard as the "grinding" teams of the past - but its clearly a more exciting brand of hockey. And the team clearly has some great chemistry that you just don't see that often. I'm all for Poile trying to improve the team at the trade deadline, but unless you can get a great value, or lock up a bona fide star for a long-term deal (Kessel, etc.) then I say, just let this group play out the string!

Paul McCann: Home Win Streak at 8
- pmccann

Sindey!!!

I know you are loving that.

Typo or disgruntled insider or a Philly plant or sub-conscious/repressed hostile tendency - all good candidates. Ha!

This team is super fun to watch. Just thinking back to last March. Just 10 months ago, when I witnessed this team lose 4 straight games at home, scoring a grand total of 3 goals in 4 games. It was miserable to go to a game at Bridgestone Arena. What a difference a year makes! Wow.

This Preds team has some weaknesses. Hutton still gives up one groaner per game. The team struggles shorthanded - whether on the penalty kill or empty net situations. The third line really struggles to finish plays on the offensive end when they get chances.

But overall, they are fun to root for. They seem to work just as hard as the "grinding" teams of the past - but its clearly a more exciting brand of hockey. And the team clearly has some great chemistry that you just don't see that often. I'm all for Poile trying to improve the team at the trade deadline, but unless you can get a great value, or lock up a bona fide star for a long-term deal (Kessel, etc.) then I say, just let this group play out the string!
- holycow_75

Agree. There were times last year where I showed up out of a sense of duty as a STH. It was an absolute chore. Combine Trotz's style of hockey with losing and it quickly became an unwatchable product. I've often said that the only thing making Trotz hockey bearable was the fact that the team was winning, so everyone was having a good time, and I didn't care what other fan bases thought of the team. Now, however.... What a change. I love their aggressiveness and uptempo style.

They really, really, REALLY need to work on that 6 on 5 situation though. Constantly flicking the puck out of the zone and going right back on defense only generates multiple chances for the other team. The Preds are wayyy too timid in those pulled goalie situations. Whatever needs to happen needs to happen soon. This has been going on for a while now.

Sindey!!!

I know you are loving that.

Typo or inside mole or a Philly plant inside Pens or sub-conscious/repressed hostile tendency - all good candidates. Ha!
- blueline

Remember the Preds' first season when they had to put a label over the program because someone spelled Bruins 'Brewins'? That was lame.

Agree. There were times last year where I showed up out of a sense of duty as a STH. It was an absolute chore. Combine Trotz's style of hockey with losing and it quickly became an unwatchable product. I've often said that the only thing making Trotz hockey bearable was the fact that the team was winning, so everyone was having a good time, and I didn't care what other fan bases thought of the team. Now, however.... What a change. I love their aggressiveness and uptempo style.

They really, really, REALLY need to work on that 6 on 5 situation though. Constantly flicking the puck out of the zone and going right back on defense only generates multiple chances for the other team. The Preds are wayyy too timid in those pulled goalie situations. Whatever needs to happen needs to happen soon. This has been going on for a while now.
- Predaceous

Yeah, we need to figure something out. Every time a goalie is pulled against us, I am like "welp, here comes overtime." We have been winning in overtime which is great because we don't let that late goal deflate us, but we have to get it fixed. Stop giving teams a chance to win in OT and that extra point to other Central teams.

Nice spelling on the cover there. We hide our errors better. Last night's book said Gaustad had something like 14 goals and 17 assists so far this season.

Nice spelling on the cover there. We hide our errors better. Last night's book said Gaustad had something like 14 goals and 17 assists so far this season.
- sbrambo

Ribs only played 17 games and had 7 points......

They really, really, REALLY need to work on that 6 on 5 situation though. Constantly flicking the puck out of the zone and going right back on defense only generates multiple chances for the other team. The Preds are wayyy too timid in those pulled goalie situations. Whatever needs to happen needs to happen soon. This has been going on for a while now.
- Predaceous

I think some of the issues when the Preds are shorthanded (especially 6 on 5 empty net situations) go back to old habits. You tend to have Weber, Josi, Gaustad, Nystrom & maybe Fisher out there during those shorthanded situations. They probably still hear Trotz in their heads! For several years, they were basically told to clear the puck as quickly as possible in every situation & dump it to the other end of the ice.

That's all well and good, but the Preds have better skaters now, and defensemen who have proven themselves more than capable of holding the puck for an extra beat & then moving the puck to a forward in the neutral zone. If any of the Preds forwards get the puck in the Neutral zone with any space at all, the game is over in those situations.

It's the "get rid of the puck at all costs" mentality that creeps in at times. I swear, Trotz must've told some of those guys that the puck is pure evil. Get it out of the D zone, and just throw it to the other team. That must be why the possession numbers were so bad the last few years!

Sindey!!!

I know you are loving that.

Typo or disgruntled insider or a Philly plant or sub-conscious/repressed hostile tendency - all good candidates. Ha!
- blueline

He's been called worse.