With apologies to the Grateful Dead, what a long strange week it’s been as the Nashville Predators encapsulated this entire season in a three game stretch. Going 1-1-1 ain’t gonna cut it when it comes to this team making the playoffs and everyone knows it. This team is driving it’s fans to distraction, with inconsistent performances that seem to be frustrating everyone involved with this team.
The return for the Christmas break was bad, a flat third period, a tease of a comeback, before succumbing in overtime to a streaking Minnesota Wild team… OK… that’s understandable… a little… then came Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena.
The Nashville Predators were in the process of playing their best game of the season… coming back from a 1-0 deficit to take the lead in the third period… a rather curious phantom slashing call on Mattias Ekholm at the end of the second period, a badly missed too many men call and then … while hanging onto a tenuous one goal lead, Kevin Fiala skated through Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford’s crease, Crawford stuck his leg out and executed a clearly dangerous trip on the youngster that went uncalled (never mind the flop that happened after, also uncalled)
OK... stuff happens, a goaltender trying to defend his crease could be the (rather weak) excuse given. Then, just a few minutes later, Craig Smith did the same thing, skated through the crease and once again, Crawford initiated contact, clearly tripping Smith… then, looking like a Brazilian soccer player, the Chicago netminder flopped to the ice in a dive worth of Oscar consideration.
Annnnnd the rookie referee bought it hook, line and sinker...
He went about assessing a two minute minor to Smith for tripping… the rookie didn’t even call it goaltender interference!!! Sheesh… It is play like that that makes me want to say that goaltenders should be fair game in this league. In this observer’s opinion, if you are going to try and play like a defenseman or if you are going to initiate contact, which Crawford CLEARLY did, you are fair game.
The rest of the story was simple… ensuing power play yields a goal, another goal and the game is done.
So the team has to gather itself, regroup for a game against the St. Louis Blues the next night. Honestly, a gut check game for this team and what direction it would go. A tight first period, where no one could score led to a second period that saw the game blown open with three Nashville goals, chasing Jake Allen… an insurance marker on Carter Hutton and the week is salvaged. A gut check game for this team... but can they find that on a regular basis? That is the question confounding Pred Nation.
An interesting point made by Stu Grimson on last night’s telecast… the team is in a very similar situation to last year at the same time. They got hot on a pre-All-Star Weekend Western Canada trip and never looked back. We can only hope for the same in 2017.
The team is off until Monday, where they have an open practice at Ford Ice Center and a gathering for folks to get together to watch the Winter Classic.
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Random Notes
- Took a little holiday break to spend time with family, back at the blog with a vengeance! I want to wish each and every one of you a very happy, healthy and successful 2017!
- The first look at SportsClubStats.com at playoff odds show an interesting picture for Nashville. The Predators chances for the playoffs stand at 62.3% and the playoff Mendoza line looks to be about 94 points. The Preds have 38 points in 36 games. That pace won’t get the team where they need to be.
- Viktor Arvidsson is simply the breakout story of the NHL this year… in my mind, he has played himself into protection status come expansion draft time.
- Juuse Saros posted the first shutout of his NHL career last night. The future in Nashville’s goal is definitely bright.
- Eleven games in the NHL tonight, all times CST – Noon – BUF @ BOS, WSH @ NJD. 5pm – CBJ @ MIN. 6pm – NYI @ WPG, MTL @ PIT, CAR @ TBL. 7pm – NYR @ COL, FLA @ DAL. 9pm – VAN @ EDM, ARI @ CGY. 9:30pm – SJS @ LAK.
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