The Preds got off to a slow start, but I have learned over the past year not to panic when that happens. For some reason, it is part of this team's identity.
The Avs have definitely improved. Varlamov is playing great or the Preds would've scored another 2-3 goals easily. But beyond that, the Avs D is playing better in front of him than they did last year.
Forsberg is a force of nature right now. He is really coming into his own & looks dangerous every shift. The past several games, this team has been excellent. They got shafted a bit in the Blackhawks game, but still got a point. The only line that really puzzles me right now is the 2nd line, and that is a shifting target due to the Bonino injury. Even so, each of the guys that have worked on/off that line are contributing (Jarnkrok, Hartnell, etc.)
This is a team that can score 4-5 goals every night. (For those of you not familiar with the Preds, scoring 4-5 goals per game is an almost unbelievable thing to imagine for a long-term Preds fan. For about 10-12 years, we were happy to see 2 goals and hope we played well enough to scrap out a win or tie.).
They have enough talent, speed and intensity to score and overcome the occasional missed assignment or bad call. If they play to their capabilities, it could be another special year.
