Observations IV

[ILikeItILoveIt]

lol ilikeit. once playoffs start, whether we're the 3rd or 8th seed it will be a different season to me.

but. i admit. i will never forget or forgive the disappointments and lost promises of this regular season.

I know. We've probably lost all the individual awards, a banner for the Bridge, and the specialness of what might-have-been. It's hard not to think of the "just-think's". Like just-think, if all we did was play .500 hockey for the last 15 games, we'd have 100 points by now and still rule the league. We'll never know if the hockey world would have given #9, #6, #35 (twice), Lavy, and Poile their due if we had ended with 120 points.

However, the real "specialness" is a Conference championship and a Cup. No amount of regular season stuff stacks up to that stuff. If we ended with 120 points and got one-and-done'd by the Wild, you'd be more depressed than you are now.

I'm not saying your reaction isn't appropriate. I feel the same way inside but I'm choosing to be "Karate Man" and putting on a good front in hopes this is all temporary.

 

[jwhouk]

Can I say something that'll probably drive people nuts?

We actually played a pretty good game last night. We just lost when it counted.

Let me explain: a while back, I came up with this simple counting metric that looked at a whole bunch of areas within a game as to whether or not a team met a particular criteria - more shots, fewer penalties, etc.

The whole list:

• Score after 1 Period (2 for ahead, 1 for tie, 0 for trailing)
• Score after 2 Periods (2 for ahead, 1 for tie, 0 for trailing)
• Final Score (2 for win, 1 for regulation tie, 0 for loss)
• Shots after 1 Period (2 for more, 1 for same, 0 for fewer)
• Shots after 2 Periods (2 for more, 1 for same, 0 for fewer)
• Shots for game (2 for more, 1 for same, 0 for fewer)
• Power Plays (2 for more, 1 for same, 0 for fewer)
• Power Play Goals (2 for more, 1 for same, 0 for fewer)
• Penalty Minutes (2 for fewer, 1 for same, 0 for more)
• Short-handed Goals Scored (2 for 2 or more, 1 for one, 0 for none)
• Short-handed Goals Allowed (0 for 2 or more, 1 for one, 2 for none)
• Empty-Net Goals Scored (2 for 2 or more, 1 for one, 0 for none)
• Empty-Net Goals Allowed (0 for 2 or more, 1 for one, 2 for none)
• Penalty Shot Goal Scored (2 for 2 or more, 1 for one, 0 for none)
• Penalty Shot Goal Allowed (0 for 2 or more, 1 for one, 2 for none)
• Shootout Goals (2 for more, 1 if game didn't go to shootout, 0 for fewer)
• Shootout Rounds (-2 points if 4 or more rounds)
• Playoff Game (2 if yes, 0 if no)
• Overtime Total Minutes (2 if more than 65 minutes played, 0 if 65 or less)
• Home Game Attendance (2 if 17,000 or more at home, 0 if not)

An "average" game would garner 16 points. 10 points would be horrible games; about one out of every 8 games in franchise history has been this bad. 23 points would be pretty good games; about one out of every 9 games in franchise history hit this mark.

You would think that this loss was a "bad" game. It wasn't - it was a 23-point game. We did practically everything right except win the game.

 

[Dave is a killer]

Listen to the radio broadcast. Brent Peterson has no patience for weak play.

He's impossible to listen to, its like it takes him forever to express what he's seeing.

 

[Pred303]

see, i'm the exact opposite, while i know we have a 'chance' in the playoffs, every team always does, and rinne is capable of going into superman mode for a month and carrying us, i don't think we're deep enough up front yet to really go far in all probability. that's why i wanted those banners and awards now, so that we would have something tangible to show for what had been a really great regular season. now how the season is percieved is all going to hang on a deep playoff run. something i'm not very confident in at this point.

 

[Pred303]

We did practically everything right except win the game.

which is the only stat that actually counts for anything

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

which is the only stat that actually counts for anything

Yeah. If we had gone on a 5-5 or 4-6 skid, but outplayed the other teams for many of those losses, that's one thing. 2-8-1 over the last 11, I'm not taking much comfort in moral victories and "good tries."

 

[Drake744]

Yeah. If we had gone on a 5-5 or 4-6 skid, but outplayed the other teams for many of those losses, that's one thing. 2-8-1 over the last 11, I'm not taking much comfort in moral victories and "good tries."

While I agree, the 2-8-1 stretch is basically an 0-6 stretch and our 2-2-1 in the last 5 where we haven't been quite as bad.

As someone posted a few weeks ago, Detroit had a 1-8-2 stretch late in the season they won the Cup in 2008. There were probably quite a few unhappy campers in Wing Land during that time as well. In fact I'm sure it can be found on these boards in the archives.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

While I agree, the 2-8-1 stretch is basically an 0-6 stretch and our 2-2-1 in the last 5 where we haven't been quite as bad.

True enough, while also grasping 2 defeats from the clutches of victory. Still, too much poor play throughout that whole span for me to hold onto any silver linings.

 

[dougie1107]

IMO our defense is just too inexperienced in the playoffs to make a run.

 

[101st_fan]

IMO our defense is just too inexperienced in the playoffs to make a run.

Josi is a legit top pair guy although still young, Franson is in his 7th full season with three trips to the playoffs, Weber is a 2003 guy, Volchenkov has three deep runs into the post season.

That leaves Ellis, Ekholm, Jones, Bartley ... as the inexperienced ones.

 

[ILikeItILoveIt]

10 games left:

Sabres 2
Canadians 2
@Lightening 0
@Capitals 1
Flames 2
Canucks 0
Stars 2
@Aves 2
Wild 2
@Stars 2

Total Pts 15

Season 109

This is totally doable. We'd end the season winning 5 out of our last 6. Probably still end up in 3rd but who cares. Our outlook will feel totally different if the last 10 games goes like this.

 

[Softball99]

Perspective https://www.facebook.com/PredneckNa...9835623/836889943071493/?type=1&fref=nfctive: I remember people hoping Ribs would be willing to resign at a reasonable rate what is a reasonable rate for a 2/3 C. I made a comment to Glenn the other day that I had kept a reasonable optimism as this season got more "promising": This year is gravy and I expect GMDP to do his job and this team be a Hoss next year.

 

[Pred303]

I like it, so you think we go 5-1 at home when we've lost our last 5 home games, including 4 of which are playoff teams when we haven't beaten a single one in six weeks? and 2-1-1 on the road and two more playoff bound teams.. 7-2-1, .750 hockey beginning Saturday? I would certainly take it, but I don't have that much hope at this point. but I would certainly agree if we could pull off that type miracle finish it would change the playoff hope. lol.

and drake, this streak of bad play goes back farther than the 6 game losing streak. in fact 15 games now since the offense failed and the goaltending became average.

it's good to be optimistic guys, it makes it all more bearable and enjoyable. but i'm not there yet.

 

[jwhouk]

That sound you hear is the Predators slowly sliding down the standings in the Central.

Chicago just beat the Rags and wundergoalie Cam Talbot, 1-0.

 

[drwpreds]

That sound you hear is the Predators slowly sliding down the standings in the Central.

Chicago just beat the Rags and wundergoalie Cam Talbot, 1-0.

The misery just won't let up- not only are we falling apart ourselves, but every single time we need some help we don't get it. The NYR have been almost unbeatable but of course lay an egg tonight when we really needed some help.

And it is pretty depressing when you watch this game and goalies named Darling and Talbot both are playing better than Pekka.........

 

[drwpreds]

I like it, so you think we go 5-1 at home when we've lost our last 5 home games, including 4 of which are playoff teams when we haven't beaten a single one in six weeks? and 2-1-1 on the road and two more playoff bound teams.. 7-2-1, .750 hockey beginning Saturday? I would certainly take it, but I don't have that much hope at this point. but I would certainly agree if we could pull off that type miracle finish it would change the playoff hope. lol.

and drake, this streak of bad play goes back farther than the 6 game losing streak. in fact 15 games now since the offense failed and the goaltending became average.

it's good to be optimistic guys, it makes it all more bearable and enjoyable. but i'm not there yet.

5-1 at home is perfectly doable. The home losing streak isn't going to last forever.

And for the record, we have beaten a playoff team- LA is in right now- they are on the bubble but we all know they are a playoff team and will make it. (They were also in when we played them- we temporarily knocked them out)

 

[jstreet]

5-1 at home .....The home losing streak isn't going to last forever....out)

Yeah, well, I hope not but I've kinda been saying that to myself for three weeks now. Our scorers won't go cold forever, Rinne won't go without stealing a game forever, special teams can't suck forever

 

[Armourboy]

You know whats bad is we keep saying our forwards have been horrible, but really its been the top 6 that have been killing us. I mean hell the 4th line has come alive since Nystrom went down, even the 3rd has looked better with Stalberg joining them.

Whats really bad is not only have they been cold offensively, they haven't been very good on the defensive side of things either. I don't care how well our blue line and goalie plays, if Forsberg, Neal, Fisher, Wilson, Smith, and Ribs don't get their crap together, its not going to last long.

 

[Byrddog]

Armour your exactly right, the majority of this rests directly on the shoulders of the top 6. I am not giving Pekka a pass whatsoever but the play of those in front of him has effected his game as well. Since Feb 19 one month today the team has played 15 games of which 13 the team has scored two or less go back to Jan 1st and that number is 19 out of 34 games scoring 2 or less. Add in 12 of those games were also decided in OT or the SO. Now Jan and the first part of Feb the team was still winning but the scoring woes were really intensified during this period not just the month when the top 6 has pretty much went on vacation. Since Jan 1 the team has played 36 games losing 18. In Jan they lost 5 games out of 12 with 6 of the 12 decided in OT or SO.

Basically .500 hockey since Jan 1 and much worse since Feb 19. There is nothing to indicate in the last 10 games this will turn around. Neal being out is a red flag, also how long has he been dealing with this NAGGING injury? As usual the team is tight lipped about this. Could this injury be the same as the one he missed time with starting in Dec? Has this been the reason for his so so scoring? Is this really the reason Lavi has played Chinese checkers with the lines since he went down in Dec? If this was a concern why did Poile not address it prior to the trade deadline? Who shot Kennedy? Is Jimmy Hoffa in a Buick trunk in Detroit? If you have an erection for more than 4 hours is that inherently a bad thing? I know a whole lot of questions we will never know the answer too, but the top 6 stinks right now and there no end in sight. I expect the team will rack up 4 to 6 points in the last 10 and were not gonna be happy about it.

Post game after the Elf game Lavi talked about the lack of practice as his concern and poopooed the being tired part and pointed out every other team has went thru the same streaches. So 3 days off followed by some another 3 days of the same and back to it. The practice issue will be put to bed by the Habs game 7 day streach with the Sabres game in the middle. If Lavi can coach and practice them out of this funk It should show in the Habs game. If not the Habs, Lightning, Caps all in a row could seal the post season fate.

 

[handtrick]

A painfully accurate article in the Chicago Tribune today
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...wks-predators-rosenbloom-20150318-column.html

 

[PredsV82]

A painfully accurate article in the Chicago Tribune today
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...wks-predators-rosenbloom-20150318-column.html

Have playoff tix gone on sale yet? If so I imagine sales are lackluster to say the least.

I can see our barn half red or more for the playoffs. What a catastrophe.

thank God for college basketball.

 

[Dave is a killer]

Have playoff tix gone on sale yet? If so I imagine sales are lackluster to say the least.

I can see our barn half red or more for the playoffs. What a catastrophe.

thank God for college basketball.

Dollar, dollar bills y'all

 

[ILikeItILoveIt]

Only season ticket holders have been able to buy playoff tix so far. I expect a large contingent from the Windy City. Their size will depend on whether Pred fans look to make money reselling their tickets. I don't think there will be many tickets available to the general public.

Even if there's a lot of Red, blip 'em. We'll win and shut their mouths.

I like the Preds-Hawks matchup. Teams will be flying back and forth. Beating Chicago would provide another milestone for our franchise, just like beating the Wings in 2012.

Hey, if you're going to the Cup, you have to beat everyone eventually. Why not beat up the Big Dog first and get some playoff-street-cred.

 

[drwpreds]

Only season ticket holders have been able to buy playoff tix so far. I expect a large contingent from the Windy City. Their size will depend on whether Pred fans look to make money reselling their tickets. I don't think there will be many tickets available to the general public.

Even if there's a lot of Red, blip 'em. We'll win and shut their mouths.

I like the Preds-Hawks matchup. Teams will be flying back and forth. Beating Chicago would provide another milestone for our franchise, just like beating the Wings in 2012.

Hey, if you're going to the Cup, you have to beat everyone eventually. Why not beat up the Big Dog first and get some playoff-street-cred.

It will be interesting to see how this shakes out as far as Hawks fans in the building- there is no way it should be as bad for a playoff game as a regular season one. If it is then our fans will be largely to blame. For a regular season game I completely understand giving up your tix because you don't want to deal with the negatives regarding Hawks games- but in the playoffs its a whole different deal- we need every single season ticket holder in their seats....

I know we used to also have issues with Detroit fans flooding the building, but in the 2012 playoff series it wasn't really an issue at all- there were some Detroit fans but way less than regular season matchups....

(If they restrict public ticket sales based on area, I hope they allow sales to Alabama...)

 

[jstreet]

A painfully accurate article in the Chicago Tribune today
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...wks-predators-rosenbloom-20150318-column.html

Well it is accurate reporting so you can't say much there.

However, there is an irony in a piece that highlights our organization's amateurish behavior. This is an article in a legit publication that reads like, "Yeah, the Preds are choking! Hawks are gonna wizz all over them in the playoffs and we are all gonna be in their house to see it!"

I would expect that on a blog somewhere but not in an online newspaper.