The point I'm trying to make is that it's not that Poile went for it but it's what he did in his moves. He made the wrong ones IMO because I don't think he understood the nuances of the situation.

Poile is a smart guy and any owner would be lucky to have him on their side but he was in new territory for him and he made a tactical error. Many would have made similar ones but I think other GMs would have looked for different or understood that having Radulov come back was too big a gamble.
- Peter.Tessier

I think you were wrong on pretty much all points. Poile's moves enabled Nashville to beat Detroit (which is something that we have had as a franchise goal since inception), and they were the only team in the West to advance to the 2nd round in back-to-back years. Read that sentence again in case you missed it. Sounds pretty respectable to me.

They scored in 7 straight periods against Mike Smith (2 by AK) before hitting a stone wall of 7 straight scoreless periods. The team held Phoenix to 3 goals total in games 3-5. We lost two games where we scored 3 goals, and lost two more games while only giving up 3 goals between the two games. It was a series of bounces, inches, creative officiating, etc...typical playoff hockey. Phoenix did what it took to win.

To recap why his moves were made and what the Preds got from them:

Toward the end of December, the Preds were in a funk that ended with a loss to Detroit the day after Christmas, leaving them with a record of 18-14-4, well out of playoff position and in 4th in the division. The team went on a hot streak, winning 12 of 14 games between then and the All Star Break, catapulting us into 2nd in the division. We lost 5 of the next 8, including another loss to Detroit...on the day we acquired Hal Gill...to help solve Detroit's permanent occupancy of the top of Rinne's crease. The Blues were hot (they had a 7 point lead on us in the standings, Detroit was still playing great (they had a 10 point lead on us in the standings), and Poile saw that we still had missing pieces and went after AK and Gaustad. When Radulov joined the team 3 weeks later with 10 games to go, we were tied with Detroit in the standings and trailed the Blues by 8 points. By the end of the season, we were 5 points behind the Blues and 2 points ahead of the Red Wings.

Radulov was a gamble? He led the team in scoring in the playoffs despite the constant drivel about how awful the KHL was and how Radulov would not be able to play effectively in the NHL this year. He scored 7 points in 9 regular season games with a +3 averaging over 19 minutes per game before scoring 6 points in 8 playoff games with a +2 averaging over 18 minutes per game (played). Sounds to me like Poile should be picking my lottery numbers if that was a gamble.

AK scored 3 goals in the playoffs, leading the team, adding an assist with a +3. Gaustad won over 60% of his 158 faceoffs while adding a goal and an assist. Hal Gill played injured and limited ice time after sitting out the entire Detroit series because of the injury. When he played he helped kill penalties and kept the crease empty of Coyotes for the most part. The team didn't lose because of Radulov, or AK, or Gill or Gaustad. They lost because the other team beat them at their own game.

Poile did a great job, putting the team in position to compete, albeit more focused on opponents like Detroit/Vancouver/Chicago, the teams that he felt we would need to beat to advance further in the playoffs. The team on the ice got beat on the ice by a team that is flying right now, playing the type of hockey that has made Nashville successful in the last several seasons. Hats off to Phoenix...but before you jump on the "Poile screwed up" bandwagon, you should realize that he did his job as well, if not better, than anyone in his position in the league this year. Second-guessing with hind-sight being 20-20 is pretty easy...

I think you were wrong on pretty much all points. Poile's moves enabled Nashville to beat Detroit (which is something that we have had as a franchise goal since inception), and they were the only team in the West to advance to the 2nd round in back-to-back years. Read that sentence again in case you missed it. Sounds pretty respectable to me.

They scored in 7 straight periods against Mike Smith (2 by AK) before hitting a stone wall of 7 straight scoreless periods. The team held Phoenix to 3 goals total in games 3-5. We lost two games where we scored 3 goals, and lost two more games while only giving up 3 goals between the two games. It was a series of bounces, inches, creative officiating, etc...typical playoff hockey. Phoenix did what it took to win.

To recap why his moves were made and what the Preds got from them:

Toward the end of December, the Preds were in a funk that ended with a loss to Detroit the day after Christmas, leaving them with a record of 18-14-4, well out of playoff position and in 4th in the division. The team went on a hot streak, winning 12 of 14 games between then and the All Star Break, catapulting us into 2nd in the division. We lost 5 of the next 8, including another loss to Detroit...on the day we acquired Hal Gill...to help solve Detroit's permanent occupancy of the top of Rinne's crease. The Blues were hot (they had a 7 point lead on us in the standings, Detroit was still playing great (they had a 10 point lead on us in the standings), and Poile saw that we still had missing pieces and went after AK and Gaustad. When Radulov joined the team 3 weeks later with 10 games to go, we were tied with Detroit in the standings and trailed the Blues by 8 points. By the end of the season, we were 5 points behind the Blues and 2 points ahead of the Red Wings.

Radulov was a gamble? He led the team in scoring in the playoffs despite the constant drivel about how awful the KHL was and how Radulov would not be able to play effectively in the NHL this year. He scored 7 points in 9 regular season games with a +3 averaging over 19 minutes per game before scoring 6 points in 8 playoff games with a +2 averaging over 18 minutes per game (played). Sounds to me like Poile should be picking my lottery numbers if that was a gamble.

AK scored 3 goals in the playoffs, leading the team, adding an assist with a +3. Gaustad won over 60% of his 158 faceoffs while adding a goal and an assist. Hal Gill played injured and limited ice time after sitting out the entire Detroit series because of the injury. When he played he helped kill penalties and kept the crease empty of Coyotes for the most part. The team didn't lose because of Radulov, or AK, or Gill or Gaustad. They lost because the other team beat them at their own game.

Poile did a great job, putting the team in position to compete, albeit more focused on opponents like Detroit/Vancouver/Chicago, the teams that he felt we would need to beat to advance further in the playoffs. The team on the ice got beat on the ice by a team that is flying right now, playing the type of hockey that has made Nashville successful in the last several seasons. Hats off to Phoenix...but before you jump on the "Poile screwed up" bandwagon, you should realize that he did his job as well, if not better, than anyone in his position in the league this year. Second-guessing with hind-sight being 20-20 is pretty easy...
- famousjon

totally agree... Preds just ran into wrong team.

i had Preds going too the Finals..with those two Booze hounds....floating it ,for the preds...fire u r GM..get rid of Tit & Rads...... free up money to sign suter & weber....the real players....hey ..love too Have Tootoo on the canucks...lol..jus sayn

Peter Tessier: Don't let Poile Decorate Your Living Room.
Poile attempted to do the right thing but you have to have a centrepiece of furniture before you add accent pieces.
- Peter.Tessier

It's not as to who is doing the decorating but who is rearranging the new pieces also. Hindsight makes it easy to criticize also I guess.

I think you were wrong on pretty much all points. --- Respectfully snipped
- famousjon

I agree with you on this, and I'll add that the commentary by Jones on Radulov was a bunch of crap. He used a clip where Radulov was just completing a shift that lasted over a minute, a shift where he was trying to make things happen on offense as an illustration on how he doesn't get back on defense. Add to that the fact that Radulov was playing on a bum knee and I think you can begin to understand why he might not have been flying back into the defensive zone on that ONE play.

There were plenty of other times where he absolutely did play a strong defensive game. Radulov was one of our top players in the playoffs. One ill-advised night out did not change that, and I, for one, hope he comes back to finish what he started.

D

I agree with you on this, and I'll add that the commentary by Jones on Radulov was a bunch of crap. He used a clip where Radulov was just completing a shift that lasted over a minute, a shift where he was trying to make things happen on offense as an illustration on how he doesn't get back on defense. Add to that the fact that Radulov was playing on a bum knee and I think you can begin to understand why he might not have been flying back into the defensive zone on that ONE play.

There were plenty of other times where he absolutely did play a strong defensive game. Radulov was one of our top players in the playoffs. One ill-advised night out did not change that, and I, for one, hope he comes back to finish what he started.

D
- Predaceous

Goose won 60% of faceoffs.......

Gill took some time from Weber & Suter, helped our PK (86%) and made Josi a much better D-man.

AK 4 points +3 - playing with the 3rd line

Rads 6 points +2 - playing with the 2nd line

I dont think any GM can look back and say they hurt our chances in the playoffs.

Goose won 60% of faceoffs.......

Gill took some time from Weber & Suter, helped our PK (86%) and made Josi a much better D-man.

AK 4 points +3 - playing with the 3rd line

Rads 6 points +2 - playing with the 2nd line

I dont think any GM can look back and say they hurt our chances in the playoffs.
- buelleo

More good points. Besides, wasn't it Suter who was whining about getting more 'pieces'? I'm sure much of what happened at the trade deadline was with the purpose of proving to Suter and, to a lesser extent, Weber that the team is willling to do what it takes to win.

More good points. Besides, wasn't it Suter who was whining about getting more 'pieces'? I'm sure much of what happened at the trade deadline was with the purpose of proving to Suter and, to a lesser extent, Weber that the team is willling to do what it takes to win.
- Predaceous

Webs was calling for more talent too. I can see how people look at the moves and think Poile didn't get the right pieces...and to an extent I agree. However, I don't think the "right" pieces were out there for the Preds. We needed a power forward type of player who could score and create plays. That player really wasn't out there for the taking. Poile went out and got what he could...I think it's a bit ridiculous to blame to put much blame on him for the Preds bombing out. If anything, people should point their finger at the coaching and veteran leadership of this team for getting destroyed by an inferior team,

Cogent analysis Pete... good read... money isn't going to be an issue for now. Corporate support is way up, ticket sales are up, season tickets are up... affording to do things isn't going to be near the issue it was a few years back...

Valid after the fact analysis on the moves David Poile made, I liked the Gill and Gaustad acquisitions, AK46 was questionable, even though he seemed to fit in well with the team prior to Radulov's return.

Radulov was a high risk move that showed mixed success... no one could have foreseen the curfew incident.

Poile took some chances that weren't typical for him, getting to the second round wasn't the success it was last year and no one is saying it is, expectations have changed in Nashville, both with the team and the city.

I think you were wrong on pretty much all points. Poile's moves enabled Nashville to beat Detroit (which is something that we have had as a franchise goal since inception), and they were the only team in the West to advance to the 2nd round in back-to-back years. Read that sentence again in case you missed it. Sounds pretty respectable to me.

They scored in 7 straight periods against Mike Smith (2 by AK) before hitting a stone wall of 7 straight scoreless periods. The team held Phoenix to 3 goals total in games 3-5. We lost two games where we scored 3 goals, and lost two more games while only giving up 3 goals between the two games. It was a series of bounces, inches, creative officiating, etc...typical playoff hockey. Phoenix did what it took to win.

To recap why his moves were made and what the Preds got from them:

Toward the end of December, the Preds were in a funk that ended with a loss to Detroit the day after Christmas, leaving them with a record of 18-14-4, well out of playoff position and in 4th in the division. The team went on a hot streak, winning 12 of 14 games between then and the All Star Break, catapulting us into 2nd in the division. We lost 5 of the next 8, including another loss to Detroit...on the day we acquired Hal Gill...to help solve Detroit's permanent occupancy of the top of Rinne's crease. The Blues were hot (they had a 7 point lead on us in the standings, Detroit was still playing great (they had a 10 point lead on us in the standings), and Poile saw that we still had missing pieces and went after AK and Gaustad. When Radulov joined the team 3 weeks later with 10 games to go, we were tied with Detroit in the standings and trailed the Blues by 8 points. By the end of the season, we were 5 points behind the Blues and 2 points ahead of the Red Wings.

Radulov was a gamble? He led the team in scoring in the playoffs despite the constant drivel about how awful the KHL was and how Radulov would not be able to play effectively in the NHL this year. He scored 7 points in 9 regular season games with a +3 averaging over 19 minutes per game before scoring 6 points in 8 playoff games with a +2 averaging over 18 minutes per game (played). Sounds to me like Poile should be picking my lottery numbers if that was a gamble.

AK scored 3 goals in the playoffs, leading the team, adding an assist with a +3. Gaustad won over 60% of his 158 faceoffs while adding a goal and an assist. Hal Gill played injured and limited ice time after sitting out the entire Detroit series because of the injury. When he played he helped kill penalties and kept the crease empty of Coyotes for the most part. The team didn't lose because of Radulov, or AK, or Gill or Gaustad. They lost because the other team beat them at their own game.

Poile did a great job, putting the team in position to compete, albeit more focused on opponents like Detroit/Vancouver/Chicago, the teams that he felt we would need to beat to advance further in the playoffs. The team on the ice got beat on the ice by a team that is flying right now, playing the type of hockey that has made Nashville successful in the last several seasons. Hats off to Phoenix...but before you jump on the "Poile screwed up" bandwagon, you should realize that he did his job as well, if not better, than anyone in his position in the league this year. Second-guessing with hind-sight being 20-20 is pretty easy...
- famousjon

I don't think Poile didn't make the right choice to go all in it's how he did it and who he may have based it around.

Radulov had 6 points in 9 games in the post season. 3 of those assists are 2nd assists meaning of the puck hit him in the back of the head, deflected to a player who passed it to the goal scorer he was on the score sheet.

He had one goal to open scoring in game five against Detroit.

In one game where his team fired 42 shots he had 0 in 21:38 of ice time

In another game where the Preds only fired 17 shots he also had 0. In that game the Preds had a high 17.6% shooting rate.

The notion that Poile put his team in a position to win against Detroit/Vancouver is fine except you cannot control your opposition and his team, especially if being built and completed on the trade deadline. It's too early to predictmatchups and the team has to be able to take all comers.

AK did not score a goal in any game the Preds won. He did not score at all in the third period and he did his goals never gave the Preds a lead.

AK also had 8 points in his previous 24 games with Montreal. He did show an improvement with 12 in 19 for the Preds.

In those 19 games where he was on the score sheet, only two games had opposition where the goalie had above .900 goaltending against the Preds. And what happened in the playoffs?

They were the wrong pieces at the right time.


My point is that the additions of the players did not affect Nashville in a positive way because that's not the type of players they needed.

Toward the end of December, the Preds were in a funk that ended with a loss to Detroit the day after Christmas, leaving them with a record of 18-14-4, well out of playoff position and in 4th in the division.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/st...&type=CON&date=12/26/2011

The day after Christmas (boxing Day) the Preds were 18-13-4 for 40 points and 8th in the West. In fact they had climbed to 7th by Jan 2nd.

Poile spent a lot of assets to aquire a few guys and I'm not sure it was money well spent, not worth spending. There's a difference. Poile had every reason to load up I just don't believe he looked at

Cogent analysis Pete... good read... money isn't going to be an issue for now. Corporate support is way up, ticket sales are up, season tickets are up... affording to do things isn't going to be near the issue it was a few years back...

Valid after the fact analysis on the moves David Poile made, I liked the Gill and Gaustad acquisitions, AK46 was questionable, even though he seemed to fit in well with the team prior to Radulov's return.

Radulov was a high risk move that showed mixed success... no one could have foreseen the curfew incident.

Poile took some chances that weren't typical for him, getting to the second round wasn't the success it was last year and no one is saying it is, expectations have changed in Nashville, both with the team and the city.
- pmccann

If I were Poile, not convincing ownership to go 'all-in' was worse than doing it I just don't think he understood what he was getting vs what he needed. It's a huge loss for the city not to have the team through to the next round though.

As a person who knows the Jets I'm sure Kevin Chevaldayoff would love some of Poile's problems and challenges!!

If I were Poile, not convincing ownership to go 'all-in' was worse than doing it I just don't think he understood what he was getting vs what he needed. It's a huge loss for the city not to have the team through to the next round though.

As a person who knows the Jets I'm sure Kevin Chevaldayoff would love some of Poile's problems and challenges!!
- Peter.Tessier

I just do not get this logic Pete. The Preds are almost certain to lose Suter after this season, have a boatload of UFA/RFA's, and have Suter/Weber/Rinne and other players all at their prime. A small market team has a very small window. I just do not understand what you think the Preds should have waited for.

Look, I was not a fan of some of the moves either (AK especially), but if your team is light on scoring you go get guys who can put it in the net. Sure, I would have loved to add a Dustin Brown, Rick Nash, or a Ryan Getzlaf, but those guys were not there for the taking.

I guess I just don't understand what you think Poile should have done.

Hindsight is always 20/20

The Preds ran into a hot goalie, but even more, had chances but couldn't capitalize. Not Poile's fault.

They could've swept the Coyotes and today people would be saying those moves were genius.

Can't fault the guy for trying to add some scoring to a defense first team.

Hindsight is always 20/20

The Preds ran into a hot goalie, but even more, had chances but couldn't capitalize. Not Poile's fault.

They could've swept the Coyotes and today people would be saying those moves were genius.

Can't fault the guy for trying to add some scoring to a defense first team.
- Desert_Dog

If anything, blame the coaching and leadership of the team. Trotz proves time and time again that he is incapable of using offensively talented players to the teams benefit.

The day after Christmas (boxing Day) the Preds were 18-13-4 for 40 points and 8th in the West. In fact they had climbed to 7th by Jan 2nd.

- Peter.Tessier

After that day was over, and we lost to the Red Wings, the Preds were 18-4-4 for 40 points and 8th in the West, but only 2 points ahead of 12th in the West, and seemingly headed downhill fast. I stand corrected that we weren't out of playoff position, but there weren't many people who thought we would stay in 8th based on a pretty mediocre December.

I don't think Poile didn't make the right choice to go all in it's how he did it and who he may have based it around.

Radulov had 6 points in 9 games in the post season. 3 of those assists are 2nd assists meaning of the puck hit him in the back of the head, deflected to a player who passed it to the goal scorer he was on the score sheet.

He had one goal to open scoring in game five against Detroit.

In one game where his team fired 42 shots he had 0 in 21:38 of ice time

In another game where the Preds only fired 17 shots he also had 0. In that game the Preds had a high 17.6% shooting rate.

The notion that Poile put his team in a position to win against Detroit/Vancouver is fine except you cannot control your opposition and his team, especially if being built and completed on the trade deadline. It's too early to predictmatchups and the team has to be able to take all comers.

AK did not score a goal in any game the Preds won. He did not score at all in the third period and he did his goals never gave the Preds a lead.

AK also had 8 points in his previous 24 games with Montreal. He did show an improvement with 12 in 19 for the Preds.

In those 19 games where he was on the score sheet, only two games had opposition where the goalie had above .900 goaltending against the Preds. And what happened in the playoffs?

They were the wrong pieces at the right time.

My point is that the additions of the players did not affect Nashville in a positive way because that's not the type of players they needed.

Poile spent a lot of assets to aquire a few guys and I'm not sure it was money well spent, not worth spending. There's a difference. Poile had every reason to load up I just don't believe he looked at
- Peter.Tessier

Somehow you believe that AK was a wrong pick-up because we didn't win the games that he scored in or his goal wasn't the go-ahead goal or that he didn't score in the third period? Huh? Compare what he did in scoring for us to what he did for Montreal.

How many games did you see Radulov play in the regular season? I saw all ten, and I can tell you that he was immediately one of the better players on the ice and that his defense had improved/matured tremendously. He is not, and was not, expected to be a superstar...he was an upgrade in skill, though. Poile is somehow to blame because Radulov didn't play like Datsyuk or Malkin or Crosby or Giroux? Give me a break. Without a doubt, all four additions to the lineup increased Nashville's chance to win. His team could "take all comers"...it just so happened that they got beat in a pretty close series.

They were the best available pieces at the right time...they just ran into a team that was able to beat them in a best-of-7 series. It's that simple...over-analyzing whether they were the right choices is a bit ridiculous, because it's pretty easy to make statistics say whatever you want them to. At the end of the day, the Predators were favored to win a playoff series for the first time ever (and second time) because of the players Poile added to the team after Christmas. The players he picked up filled exactly the type of roleplayers that nearly every hockey expert/analyst associated with the NHL said he needed...and pretty much every one of them agreed that the Predators were the most successful at the deadline. The fact that a bunch of them are changing their opinion now that the team has lost is rather amusing.

If anything, blame the coaching and leadership of the team. Trotz proves time and time again that he is incapable of using offensively talented players to the teams benefit.
- nikoli1206

If you're going to blame anyone (as opposed to simply giving Phoenix credit for a well-played series), it was a team effort, not just the ones with the "C" and the "A". They got beat as a team by another team.

Trotz proves time and time again that he is able to coach less talented players to step up their game and be part of a system that lets the team be successful consistently. We have not had a top 5 draft pick since Legwand in 1998. We have had one of the smaller budgets for salaries in the league. And yet we are:

The ONLY team in the West to advance to the 2nd round last year and this year...
The ONLY team in the NHL to win at least 23 home games in seven consecutive seasons...
One of three teams in the NHL to post at least 40 wins in seven consecutive seasons...(Detroit & SJ)
One of five teams in the NHL to make the postseason in 7 of the last 8 seasons...(Detroit, NJ, Phil, SJ)

If winning the Cup is all about coaching, do you find it odd that there is not a single active coach that has won more than one Cup? Which coach should we go get to replace ours? Is Scotty Bowman considering opportunities? Not. How many active team captains have won more than one Cup? None. How many active Conn Smythe trophy winners have multiple awards? None. If it was all about leadership, the best leaders would have multiple Cups. But, they don't...because it is a team game.

Hindsight is always 20/20

The Preds ran into a hot goalie, but even more, had chances but couldn't capitalize. Not Poile's fault.

They could've swept the Coyotes and today people would be saying those moves were genius.

Can't fault the guy for trying to add some scoring to a defense first team.
- Desert_Dog

Funny thing is that many of those experts were either unusually quiet, or were saying those moves were genius right after we beat Detroit.

If you're going to blame anyone (as opposed to simply giving Phoenix credit for a well-played series), it was a team effort, not just the ones with the "C" and the "A". They got beat as a team by another team.

Trotz proves time and time again that he is able to coach less talented players to step up their game and be part of a system that lets the team be successful consistently. We have not had a top 5 draft pick since Legwand in 1998. We have had one of the smaller budgets for salaries in the league. And yet we are:

The ONLY team in the West to advance to the 2nd round last year and this year...
The ONLY team in the NHL to win at least 23 home games in seven consecutive seasons...
One of three teams in the NHL to post at least 40 wins in seven consecutive seasons...(Detroit & SJ)
One of five teams in the NHL to make the postseason in 7 of the last 8 seasons...(Detroit, NJ, Phil, SJ)

If winning the Cup is all about coaching, do you find it odd that there is not a single active coach that has won more than one Cup? Which coach should we go get to replace ours? Is Scotty Bowman considering opportunities? Not. How many active team captains have won more than one Cup? None. How many active Conn Smythe trophy winners have multiple awards? None. If it was all about leadership, the best leaders would have multiple Cups. But, they don't...because it is a team game.
- famousjon

You don't have that much talent on one team and get beat 4-1 in a series without some coaching issues. I never incited that Nashville should get rid of Trotz. What I am saying is that he had a superior roster and his team got smoked out of the 2nd round. He doesn't seem to know what to do with offensive talent when provided with it. That is a problem.

You don't have that much talent on one team and get beat 4-1 in a series without some coaching issues. I never incited that Nashville should get rid of Trotz. What I am saying is that he had a superior roster and his team got smoked out of the 2nd round. He doesn't seem to know what to do with offensive talent when provided with it. That is a problem.
- nikoli1206

As far as "that much talent"...most of that talent was developed by said coach. We lost a lot of our "talent" last summer. Why don't you give Trotz credit for once again producing a team that finished the year a heck of a lot better than ANYONE gave the team credit for at the beginning of the year. He seemed to do pretty well coaching the team when Kariya was on the team. Forsberg was damaged goods. He got the more out of Sullivan & Dumont than their previous coaches. He was given 10 regular season games to try to integrate Radulov into the team...what did you or anyone realistically expect?

I guess Vigneault, Babcock, Hitchcock, Quenville, etc. were all at fault? At the end of the season, there can be only one team that wins it all. It doesn't mean that the other 29 didn't do as well as they should have. We fought most of the year to get a playoff position, and then we fought to get the #4 seed...what part of that team made anyone expect that the Preds should advance to the WCF? Poile and Trotz gave the team a decent chance, but we were hardly Cup favorites in anyone's mind.

I got through about two paragraphs of the blog & gave up. Gotta learn grammar Peter. Hope you wrote this on an ipad or something.

The Wings outshot, out faceoffed, out special teamed the Preds... they were periods that the Preds has a little as one shot. Doesn't sound like a "fall apart" to me rather than one team capitalizing on their breaks more than the other.

The Wings ran into the injury bug with the top units and couldnt recover. The same Wings team, was leading the NHL at one this season...

We have a young goalie who is learning and Howard did nothing to lost that series... Rinne was their best player, just like Mike Smith was the Yotes best player.

a few tweaks are needed in MoTown, but count the Wings out, please do...
- BooBoo997

You can continue to say that the Red Wings out whatevered until October. It doesnt change the fact that what you are calling an inferior team rolled the Red Wings with very little difficulty.

Hindsight is always 20/20

The Preds ran into a hot goalie, but even more, had chances but couldn't capitalize. Not Poile's fault.

They could've swept the Coyotes and today people would be saying those moves were genius.

Can't fault the guy for trying to add some scoring to a defense first team.
- Desert_Dog

Thank you. Always 20/20.

I always love the "after the series" analysis of what went wrong with a team.

Here is reality. Once you are in the playoffs, anything can happen.

Who would have predicted Detroit, Chicago, Vancouver, Pittsburg, Boston, Philly etc etc would all be out of the conference finals ? No one. On the flip who would have ever predicted outside of team fans that LA and PHX would be in the conference finals? No one.

But that is why you play the games.

Poile, this coaching staff and team put a great product on the ice. Year after year we are expected to finish last and each time end up in the hunt where anything could happen.

This year, The Yotes outplayed us and caught the hot goalie train at the right time. Congrats. This was not a Poile miscue or anything else. Its the Cup and anything can happen.

And the Preds are not going down some "road" again....I can tell you are a day 1 season ticket holder this franchise is in way better shape than ever.

An old joke...funny. Haven't heard that one every year either...yet the Wings are always a contender for the cup.

3 players over 35 (Lidstrom, Holmstrom and Bertuzzi) that bring the averge age up and one or two of them might retire. 5 more between 30 and 33 years old with the rest all under 30 years old. You call it old and the Wings call it experience...Wings have the cup rings so i will go with experience.

As for Suter or Weber i didn't imply anything other than they will be more active than they have been in a long time and if they can't get what they need from UFA's they will look at trades to get what they need. I'm sure they will try and get Parise and/or Suter if they hit the market though and there is no way of knowing where those guys will sign unless you know them personally.
- dcz28

They've been looking pretty old the last couple years bro.