The Preds begin their arduous November tonight in Calgary where they will spend two weeks on the road following a three-game winning streak that has now brought the team to .500. This road trip alone will be a critical test for this young team, but the month of November will truly demonstrate their tenacity as well as begin to present where they truly stand among the league’s best.
The win against the Isles was a great, hard-fought victory, but the general mistakes were still there that would have had everyone complaining if it had not been for the successful matinee result. The Hynes system is, in theory, similar to that of Trotz in that shot suppression and quick counters are the means to success with victories resulting from close, gritty games, not blowouts. The only problem that was abundantly clear on Saturday afternoon was the fact that a defensive-minded, counter-attacking team had 38 shots on net against a supposed defensive-minded, counter-attacking team. 38! That is unsustainable, and I promise you that this road trip visiting the likes of McDavid and Draisaitl tomorrow will be a rude awakening if shots are not kept to a premium by the Preds defensively.
No matter how well a team plays, excessive shots like this will inevitably catch up to them. One of two things will happen sooner rather than later if the defensive posture does not bear down. Either (1) Saros regresses back to the mean after this hot start he has had, thus resulting to more goals against; or (2) Saros continues being Superman while the relentless work ends up being his kryptonite and he’s exhausted, both mentally and physically, over the course of an 82-game season. Either way, something needs to change.
The excessive penalties do not help the welcoming of shots either, so everything revolves back to positioning and keeping the opponent to the outside. As soon as players get above the circles, it creates an opening where shots come at will whether from the slot or from deflections.
Now the team has started to find ways to win, which is always an encouraging sign. The players that need to step up are beginning to pull some of their own weight, Duchene in particular. Forsberg and Johansen are still performing way below their potential that we all know they can reach. Trenin is on the precipice of breaking out, while Jeannot continues to demonstrate his promise as a Pred. Both of these players are performing above expectations, which is never a bad thing. Sissons is a nice fit with these two, while Granlund is always going to perform as expected. The rest of the forward lineup have had their bright moments, but nothing truly substantial night-to-night. It’s not a bad thing necessarily, just this team needs everyone pulling equal weight to truly be successful.
The youth continue to get their chances on the ice, but it’s going to take some learning to really produce. Tomasino and Tolvanen have a bright future. It’s not going to happen overnight. Unfortunately, they’re both put in a tough spot where we are wanting them to be 30 goal scorers when they barely have the training wheels taken off. Kunin is being put in the right positions to succeed but the breakout is not quite there. I think it’s coming. I’d like to see Glass and Afanasyev return but I do not see this being a reality in the coming weeks or months. Maybe Glass, but Egor most certainly not yet.
The true test on the defensive, as we will see on this road trip, is what is truly there on defense. Josi and Ekholm will always be solid. How Carrier and Fabbro continue to evolve with these two high-quality partners will be the ultimate unknown. I still have great faith in Fabbro’s ability and think that him and Carrier have extreme potential. They’re still super young and defenseman always take a bit more time to evolve than others. The speed of the game at both ends of the ice along with the incredible difficulty that the transition at the NHL level can bring is most certainly not for the faint of heart. Righting off anyone in their early to mid-twenties is something I will not do although pundits will try to convince you it’s the right thing to do. Count me out. These players pass the eye test.
This month will provide a lot of answers that many fans are looking for and will begin to determine the direction of truly where the Preds are headed. I for one am optimistic in the potential but cannot even speculate as to what the reality can be. We’ve seen a few different teams over the first 8 games and without significantly lessening the shots that get through, there will be issues to address quite soon.
Then again, we’re only 8 games in so let’s just enjoy the hockey for now! Big back-to-back with Calgary tonight then Edmonton tomorrow, along with an additional throughout the month totaling 15 in 30 days. Quite the test indeed.
I anticipate Saros to start tonight with Ingram, although Rittich is back with the team, getting the biggest test of his young career tomorrow. I understand maybe swapping and putting Ingram tonight and Saros tomorrow. But I think it’s best to just stick to the ordinary. There’s no need for any funny business this early in the season. Let the men play their game and the results will follow. There’s no time like the present to let the young guns fly.