Preds Appear to Hit Stride
By Buddy Oakes
Predator fans are basking in the excitement of their current four game win streak that includes wins over the San Jose Sharks - the best team in the West, and the New Jersey Devils - one of the top-2 teams in the East.
As my friend Ryan at the Red Light District points out in a great piece, there are reasons to be excited as he says, "The most positive sign for the Preds is that they are playing the way they did last February when they made their push for a playoff spot. Remember when they were beating everyone in the way and saying, if only they played this way in the first half of the season?
"Well, this stretch is just what the doctor ordered. They are executing in all three zones, playing sound defensive hockey, and actually scoring on the man advantage. Although they came up short last year, they were one of the better teams since the All-Star Break. This has only been a 10-game stretch of an 82-game schedule, but since they are turning it on here in November, it’ll pay dividends down the road in their push to get a taste of the postseason again."
In the pre-season, I too expected to see a return to the level of play in the second half. With many new faces and several young players, especially on defence, it is not surprising that the Preds suffered through the six-game losing streak, at the beginning of the season.
Since that time, the Preds are 9-3 and things on both ends of the ice and in goal are clearly looking up.
Cody Franson seems to have resolved the revolving door, finding the sixth d-man that was on open audition in the first few weeks.
On offence, with everyone but Colin Wilson back from injuries, the current line combinations are really starting to click and all four lines are contributing on both ends of the ice.
Pekka Rinne has returned to last year's form, winning eight of his last nine games, being dominant at times.
We understand that things are never as good as they seem when things go well, nor are they as bad as they seem when they go awry. In a sports world where many teams change coaches like underwear, Barry Trotz and David Poile have a very unique perspective on this.
In the midst of the earlier slide, many fans were ready for a change, while Trotz pointed out the positives in the post-game interviews. Now, during the Pred's success, He is not resting on his laurels and still looking for ways to improve.
This staff is focussed on the end result and refuses to get caught up in the emotional roller-coaster that the fans endure.
Saturday's game against Columbus will probably be a bigger test than the prior two games. Nashville is the Jackets most hated rival. Columbus will be ready.
The game is wedged between games with two great teams and the Preds biggest rival in Detroit. Can this team stay focussed on one game at a time? We will see Saturday night.
