Maybe it was the comparison from Tuesday night’s up and down speedfest, but the first period of last night’s Predators 5-1 win over Anaheim felt like watching paint dry. Slow, plodding, clutch and grab... the Ducks found a way to slow down the Predators in the period. They just couldn’t solve Pekka Rinne and the Predator’s blueline.
You could see it on the faces and the body language from Anaheim… they were waiting for the roof to fall in. That process began 3:40 into the second period as the fourth line sparked the Preds as Austin Watson got his first assist of the year setting up Eric Nystrom’s first goal of the campaign, putting the Predators up 1-0 and the Ducks deeper into their funk. That goal was the kick start for the best second period this team has played all season. Watson’s assist doesn’t tell the entire tale… the youngster made the goal happen by chipping the puck over a defender, chasing that puck down then put a sweet pass right on Nystrom’s stick.
Ryan Ellis got his first of the season on a power play continuation that simply grinded down the Ducks with exceptional cycling, leaving Ellis wide open at the top of the circle, he took two short strides and put a bullet by Ducks goalie Anton Kudobin. The Preds domination continued as Mike Ribiero got his first of the season with 3 minutes to go in the second period and the teams went to the room with the Predators up by three.
First of the season… a pattern is definitely emerging here.
Nashville did not let up off the gas pedal in the third period as 3:03 in, Mattias Ekholm got his first of the season on a bomb of a shot from the high slot… a place that Anaheim left uncovered for much of the game… highly unusual for the Ducks. The goal gave Pred Nation its second consecutive game where they got Goo Goo’s and Frosty’s, but alas… the Wilford Brimley Hat Trick was not to be as the Ducks managed to score their first power play goal of the season (and no… that is not a typo) at 12:15 f the third, ruining Pekka Rinne’s shutout bid and Pred Nation’s free donut. Colin Wilson closed out the scoring with a power play goal with 1:42 to go in the game, that was his first of the season as well.
The 5-1 win kept the Predators unbeaten at home and was the first win over Anaheim on home ice since 2011. On the other side, you have to wonder what the heck is going on with the Ducks. They have played six games and have scored six goals and no one on the team has more than one tally. Their big guns of Getzlaf, Perry, Kesler and Silfverberg all have goose eggs in the goal column. Frankly, something simply doesn’t feel right with this team and to be frank… they don’t have a lot of time to get the ship righted, considering that the 6th place team in the Central would be tied for the lead in the Pacific, you get the sense that five teams are going to make the post season from the Central. That shortens the opportunity for Anaheim as well… the Ducks appear to be in trouble.
Nashville now sits tied for 2nd in the NHL with the Dallas Stars, each with 12 points behind Montreal’s 14. The Predators finish their homestand tomorrow night against the Penguins before heading out on the annual CMA Roadie.
Here are the highlights from NHL.com…
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Repost from yesterday…
Before I get to today’s preview, I wanted to let you know about an event coming up on November 9th at the Belcourt Theatre. I had the great honor of meeting the family of Mitchell Mielnik on Tuesday night before the Predators / Lightning game. Their son Carson was the Blueliner of the Game. Mike and Tara are going through a hell that most of us cannot imagine and they seem to be doing everything they can to get from one day to the next with grace… a grace that I am not sure, were I in that same position, that I could muster.
You may recall the name, Mitchell, a member of the Jr. Predators, passed away early this summer after a battle with a rather condition. You may recall the hashtags on Twitter #18Strong and #PrayforMitch.
Burying your child is something that no parent should ever have to do… but what makes it even harder to get over, is the seven figure medical bill that this family is dealing with. To help alleviate this, there is an event scheduled for Monday, November 9th at the Belcourt Theater in Hillsboro Village. “Play for Mitch – A Tribute to Mitchell MIelnik… will feature a reception, live auction, and music… lots of music from great artists like Emerson Drive and Sixwire. The reception and silent auction begin at 5:30pm… music gets going at 7:30pm… you can get tickets online… here is the link.
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Random Notes
- In seven games, the Predators have yet to allow a first period goal.
- Pred Nation needs to keep in mind that traffic will be bad Saturday getting to the game… the Fast Fix Bridge Project will be shutting down I-40 from 8pm Friday night through Early Monday morning… Leave early to allow for traffic!
- New coach, better effort, same results. Columbus is 0-8 now after dropping a 3-2 decision at the Xcel Energy Center last night. New head coach John Tortorella did see progress as the Jackets did show better goaltending and a better compete level.
- Don’t look now, but here come the Kings. After starting the season 0-3, they have reeled off three straight wins including last night’s win over San Jose at SAP Center.
- San Jose, on the other hand, lost their third straight after starting the season 3-0.
- Frustration that has been flying under the radar is the start that Colorado is off to, 2-3-1 won’t cut it in the hyper competitive Central. You can add a lack of scoring to the team’s defensive woes as real issues that need to be solved.
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