Observations XIX

[drwpreds]

This team is freaking amazing. I would say we had our "C" game at best tonight- trailed after 2 periods- this time I thought for certain we were headed for a loss.

But nope, yet another third period comeback win.

I am just sitting here staring at the standings almost in disbelief- we are 46-14-10.

46-14

We are 23-3-5 in the last 31 games.

41-9-8 since November 1.

10-0-3 in last 13 road games.

You can go on and on and on with the superlatives....

A truly unbelievable season.

 

[drwpreds]

Sissons said "We will have him back when it matters, in the playoffs." So the team is optimistic.

So Sissons said that today????

If so, I will gladly cling to that as at least a ray of hope......

 

[drwpreds]

One other note- we are now 21-7-6 on the road. And we actually started 0-2 and 1-3-1. So since then we are 20-4-5.

7 regulation losses on road- the next best in the league is Boston with 10.

Like I said, you can just go on and on with incredible stats with this team.....

 

[ThirdManIn]

A season in which there are a handful of truly great teams (Nashville, Tampa, Boston, Winnipeg, and Vegas & Toronto if you want to buy into those clubs early) and this team finds a way to stand out. It's pretty amazing. Let's just hope this ride doesn't slow down until the middle of June.

 

[NoNecksCurse]

Sissons said "We will have him back when it matters, in the playoffs." So the team is optimistic.

where did you hear/read this?

 

[Roman Yoshi]

I fear Calgary and LA because we seem to struggle against both teams. I’d rather take my chances against Dallas or Colorado.

 

[Pred303]

first let me be clear, i hate midnight hockey. second, can you believe this team? a few quick observations;

..the first 15 games ekholm was our best d-man. subban the next 20. jois the next 20. and now ellis the last 15 games.
..ellis. 17 points last 16 games. a +18 in his last 12 games. a +18. has been a plus player in each of the last 12 games. one minus game since jan 30th, no minus games in his last 17.
..right now, whatever pair he is on is our best pair.

..we were a one line team. totally. obviously.
..right now, it's not a matter of if we step up, it's who will step up this game.
..thought bitetto was pretty bad.

..rinne. saved us on those pk's. a goal on any of those in the third and we lose.
..the line switching didn't work on the 1st and 3rd. just look at shot distribution by line;
1st 3 (all 3 arvy)
2nd 10
3rd 1
4th 6
..forsberg, johansen, hartnell, salomaki, hartman.. 0 shots between the 5.
..we HAVE to get forsberg going.

we are in uncharted territory for this franchise. obviously. savor this, you never know if it will ever happen again.

 

[TitansVolsPreds615]

Forsberg is my sole worry about this team. I guess that's a good problem to have.

 

[LCPreds]

Forsberg is my sole worry about this team. I guess that's a good problem to have.

He's due for a classic case of playoff breakout.

 

[INDhockeyfan]

I have no idea why Lavy switched Hartnell and Forsberg as both lines were horrible. The Turris line carried us. Forsberg was at least getting assists on the top line and was getting shots that hit the post all the time he got zero on the 3rd line. Just put JOFA back together and Forsberg will hopefully get going again. I am guessing Fisher comes back in tonight.

 

[Pred303]

the PP.
0 for our last 17. including 3 5 on 3's.
1 for our last 24.
1 pp goal in our last 8 games. 1.
in our last ten games, we now have more shorthanded goals (4) than we do PP goals (3).

one of these days we will get both the PP and PK playing well at the same time. maybe.

 

[FossilFndr]

No team has fewer regulation losses than the Nashville Predators.

 

[TitansVolsPreds615]

You could line all 3 defenders up in front of the circles on the PK against our 5 on 3. The defensemen are the only threat anyway.

 

[sighthndlady]

And as of this morning our magic number to clinching a playoff spot is 2. With 12 games left to play. 2 points. It could happen tonight. It's only 2 and not 3, by the way, because Dallas/Colorado play Anaheim/San Jose/Los Angeles and even if every game goes to OT at least one of those five teams has to end up with 103 or fewer points.

So make sure there's money in your checking account on Monday - pay as we play!

 

[SauceMyBiscuit]

No team has fewer regulation losses than the Nashville Predators.

Coincidently no team has more points than the Nashville Predators.

 

[NoNecksCurse]

Coincidently no team has more points than the Nashville Predators.

coincidently-ly no team other than the Nashville Predators are in first place

 

[nomorekids]

I know the point total bears this out, but even without that, this may have been Turris's best game as a Predator. He was a machine all night...must still bear some ill-will toward the team that drafted him.

 

[TitansVolsPreds615]

Turris and Fiala were both amazing last night. Fiala should have had another goal there late. Seems like the predictions that Fiala's jump would be like this year's Arvidsson were pretty close to spot on.

 

[nine_inch_fang]

Slightly off topic, but after tonight I'm really hoping that when Seattle starts the league moves Colorado to the Pacific and puts Edmonton and Calgary in the Central. Even if that means dealing with McDavid more often throughout his career. Midnight is too late for a regular season, division game to end in regulation.

Yeah, all 3 teams are in the same time zone but there's no way they break up the Alberta rivalry. Also, why was the game at 9 instead of 8 last night?

 

[Pred303]

we are on a near record point pace for the last 19 years since we have been in the league. we are on a 119.5 (120) point pace currently with 12 to go. previous full years Presidents Trophy winners;

WAS 118
WAS 120
NYR 113
BOS 117
VAN 111
VAN 117
WAS 121
SJS 117
DET 115
BUF 113
DET 124
DET 109
OTT 113
DET 116
COL 118
STL 114
DAL 114

and these included a lot of pre-cap years where teams like DET and COL's payroll was 3 times higher than ours.

 

[INDhockeyfan]

Yeah, all 3 teams are in the same time zone but there's no way they break up the Alberta rivalry. Also, why was the game at 9 instead of 8 last night?

Arizona doesn't have daylight savings time. So everybody went up an hour while they stayed the same which means they are basically on pacific time during daylight savings time and mountain time during the winter. Game was 7PM local time which is now 2 hours behind Nashville.

 

[Legionnaire11]

Yeah, all 3 teams are in the same time zone but there's no way they break up the Alberta rivalry. Also, why was the game at 9 instead of 8 last night?

It wouldn't break up Alberta, we would get both Edmonton and Calgary. Vancouver would gain a geographic rival in Seattle.

 

[BigFatCat999]

It wouldn't break up Alberta, we would get both Edmonton and Calgary. Vancouver would gain a geographic rival in Seattle.

The only way the Alberta rivalry breaks up is if the Flames go through on their threats to move to Houston.

 

[nine_inch_fang]

Arizona doesn't have daylight savings time. So everybody went up an hour while they stayed the same which means they are basically on pacific time during daylight savings time and mountain time during the winter. Game was 7PM local time which is now 2 hours behind Nashville.

Didn't even think about that. Do they have daylight savings in Alberta.

It wouldn't break up Alberta, we would get both Edmonton and Calgary. Vancouver would gain a geographic rival in Seattle.

I was agreeing with you but worded it horribly.

 

[FossilFndr]

No team has fewer regulation losses than the Nashville Predators.

Coincidently no team has more points than the Nashville Predators.

Yeah I know it wasn't ground breaking analysis, but still made me smile.