From yesterday’s blog…
“We have to be on our toes and play every game like it’s our last.”
That was the quote from Pekka Rinne yesterday before Nashville headed out to California… oh… and here’s another one…
"We have to play with a lot of desperation is these last 12 games."
Welp… so much for desperation in the first and second period and half of the third… if you see a well-rested Preds fan today, you know they turned the game off after the first or second period and went to sleep, comforted in the results from Winnipeg and St. Louis.
The 3-2 loss in Anaheim last night was disheartening at best and alarming in many ways. It figures, that a game where the Predators power play
finally broke through for two goals in a :58 second span late in the third period made the final score much closer than the game actually was. It was certainly nice to see Filip Forsberg get back on track, Nashville will need his production, but the rest of the game was not good.
The desperation factor is huge here… and it has gone missing in the first period of the last couple of games and last night, it cost the Preds a chance to take over first in the division again and to put some needed distance on St. Louis.
At this point… I really don’t know what this team needs to do. This team has the needed parts, it has the leadership, it has the talent, it has the coaching… but somehow, the team can’t seem to summon the will to get on their toes at the start of the game.
As my mom used to say… “It’s not the IQ… it’s the I Will.”
The problem is between the ears, which makes this even more maddening. There is now 11 games to go… and the playoffs begin four weeks from tonight. The runway is growing shorter. The Preds play LA at Staples Center tomorrow night.
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The
Where We Stand section
Nashville is in second place in the Central Division, one point behind the Winnipeg Jets, Winnipeg holds two games in hand over Nashville. The Preds lead St. Louis (2 GIH) by four points, Dallas by six points and Arizona by eight.
Nashville currently holds the 4 seed in the Western Conference playoff race, no significant damage from the loss last night as both the Jets and Blues lost.
Impact Games Tonight – None
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Random Notes
- Milwaukee Update – The Admirals are back in action is a matinee against Cleveland today… 10:30am faceoff.
- Playing through it – Viktor Arvidsson was a game time decision last night, he missed practice Monday and skated with the scratches yesterday. He ended up playing.
- Ugh… – The Preds have lost three of their last five and five of their last eight.
- What a finish! – The Winnipeg Jets tied their game late in the third period last night, surely sending the game to OT… right? Ummm… nope… Joe Pavelski scored with five seconds remaining in regulation to win it. A devastating loss for Winnipeg. San Jose is for real folks…
- Not a typo – Calgary put up nine goals last night, with Johnny Gaudreau getting a hatti, plus three assists.
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