As we approach the ten game mark of this young season, you can say that this Predator team is getting points anyway they know how, but there are a few things to work on for a team that is leading the NHL in points. What would a 7-1-0 team need to work on? Two words…Special teams.
The Predators have not been great on special teams so far this season, their penalty kill is ranked 19th in the league 77.3%... giving up 5 power play goals in 22 opportunities. That is certainly not good, but the power play… ugh.
The team is in a three-way tie for 25th in the league and just barely above the 28 and 29th ranked teams. Nashville has managed just three power play goals in 27 attempts. Now two of those have come in the last three games, so it may be on the road to recovery, but it still needs to remain a vigilance point.
I wrote that on Monday. It turned out to be kinda prescient a special team failures were a key point in the game. Their poor special teams play finally bit them, and bit them hard.
The Nashville Predators were cruising… five straight wins, a 4-2 lead over a frustrated San Jose Sharks team heading into the third period, springboarded by a back breaker goal at the end of the second. What could go wrong?
Well, as Pred Nation surveys the wreckage of a 5-4 loss to the Sharks, you can answer that by saying quite a lot.
After an even first period that saw the teams trade goals, Timo Meier on the power play for the Sharks, Viktor Arvidsson on a breakaway for Nashville, the second period started out with a sweet Filip Forsberg goal just :21 seconds in, San Jose’s Tomas Hertl tied it up seven minutes later before the JoFA line scored their best goal ever. A masterpiece of effort that generated three high quality scoring chances in a :11 second span… Sharks goalie Martin Jones stopped the first two, but couldn’t stop the third as Viktor Arvidsson buried his second of the night to put the Preds back up by one. After San Jose killing off a late period penalty, it looked to go to the locker room 3-2, but a nice reversal of a Sharks chance sprung Viktor Arvidsson who found Craig Smith, who finished off the 2-on-1 to give the Preds a 4-2 lead.
The sold out Bridgestone Arena crowd got Frosty’s and a Big Mac on the same goal… and it may have been the last thing to cheer about in the game.
The teams came out even in the third, but you felt things start to shift… a hi-sticking called on Colton Sissons, two Nashville power plays frittered away, the second one resulting in a short handed goal on a total snipe from Brenden Dillon that gave the Sharks hope and renewed energy. :36 seconds later, Joe Pavelski tied it up and you could see it coming, rumbling down Broadway big as life and twice as ugly. The inevitable penalty call came at 15:15, a phantom high sticking call on Viktor Arvidsson, then the power play goal from Brent Burns… game over.
It fell apart so fast… and it should be an object lesson for Nashville. You can’t let up for a second…
To give the team credit, they took accountability in post-game, didn’t complain about the call on Arvidsson, they knew that had very little to do with the loss. The sense of anger was palpable post game, they knew they gave one away. Lessons to learn and apply going forward, one of many over an 82 game season.
I will still take a 7-2-0 start and I won’t freak out too hard on the special teams issue, but it needs to be fixed… and soon. The Predators head to New Jersey today for a Thursday night tilt in Newark against the resurgent Devils… game time is 6pm.
Here are the highlights…
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Random Notes
- Eeli Tolvanen update – Tolvanen was held scoreless last night in the Ad’s 3-0 win over San Antonio. The Admirals stand on top of the AHL’s Central Division at 6-1-1. Milwaukee is back in action Friday Night. Here are the highlights from last night’s action…
- Could a line be any hotter? The JoFA line posted seven points last night, 3 goals and 4 assists, bring their season total to 14 goals and 16 assists for 28 points in 9 games. All three players at on a point-per-game pace. Not a bad start at all.
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