The difference is that the Preds stopped playing defense. Controlled possession that one game against Detroit and seem like they're trying to replicate it. It's not working. Play tight defense and the series will come back to Phoenix tied.
Hell, I have been too pissed to talk about it. The Predators will either win the next two at home or get swept. I don't see it going any other way.
The Blues aren't playing as well and they've run into a buzz saw in the Kings. Not a good combination.
Replace Blues with Predators and Kings with Coyotes. I bet 3 people watch the Wetern Confrence finals.
The preds played just as bad defensively in the Detroit series. Only difference in this series is that Pecker hasn't been playing like a goalie god and bailing their asses out
Preds have outchanced Phoenix in three of the four games. They don't need bailing out by a goalie, they need some friggin shots to go in. And for the intent to blow rule to die a fiery death. Three Nashville goals overturned in the last six games by that rule.
Pekka is certainly one of the best players on the team, but Nashville has outchanced their opponents in four of their last five games. That doesn't fit the narrative of weak team being carried by a great goalie.
Philly up against the wall and not having Giroux in game 5 is going to make it that much harder to advance. Someone is going to have to step up in a major way.
True, especially when Suter signs with the Wings or some other team. This was their best chance to play for the Cup and they blew it.
Preds bandwagon is no worse than either of the two teams in the WCF. Hell, at least the Preds could fill up their arena all year, unlike Phoenix and LA, who had about 7 fans between them in March
It really wasn't. Preds can stand the loss of Suter as long as Weber stays. They will also finally spend to the cap next year.
I don't care about fans that actually go to games. That's what fans do. I don't know how you don't figure a drop off next year. Right now the only thing they have going for them is Weber being an RFA.
Radulov is an RFA, though the outcome is anyone's guess. He put up a decent number of points all told and a full season would hopefully kick him up a gear or two. A lot of the likely departures weren't on the team until trade deadline day or thereabouts anyways (of course, it was the post-deadline team that were viewed as Cup contenders). It also helps that Colin Wilson and Craig Smith are still going to be around barring a trade. Two keys for me are 1) resigning/effectively replacing Suter (neither are exactly likely, IMO) and 2) acquiring a 1st line center to bump Fisher and Legwand down to more effective roles. I think they're close to last year's point total if both happen. I'd guess they end up downgrading from Suter and finish in the 6-8 range. If they have a legitimately bad offseason, all bets are off and the window is shut for a while.
I figure a drop off damn near every year, and they somehow manage to play as well or better. Heck, going into this year I thought they were an 8 seed. When the season started I thought they would miss entirely.
