Observations XVIII

[Drake744]

It's funny how the day after has several phases...

Like many I actually left the building last night immediately after the game ended. I was pissed and the last thing I wanted to do was get stuck in my car in traffic for an hour while being pissed off. So I left.

Now I'm sitting here wondering if I made a mistake and should have cheered on our boys one last time and at least watched the cup get danced around the ice and handed off once. Anyone else at this point yet?

It's eating at me a little more than it should and I'm hoping it's just something along the lines of the 15th stage of a 100 stage of "losing the SCF at home" grief problem.

I didn't have a choice because I didn't drive, so I was riding with someone in a different part of the arena who stayed to watch.

I thought it was cool to see it all, but if someone would've told me I couldn't watch I don't think I'd have cared. It's pretty much the way you'd envision it in your mind.

 

[Adz]

I stayed and cheered the guys on. My daughter didn't...she could not bear to see their pain nor see the Pens receive the Cup on our ice. So she went out to the concourse and I stayed in the arena. I wanted to see the Cup. I wish I could have seen the Cup by itself without having to sit through the Conn Smythe award because that REALLY sucked. I mean really, that was beyond salt, that was pouring alcohol and lemon juice into the wound. I watched long enough to see the Cup presented and be passed to <expletives deleted><another couple of expletives because that really wasn't quite enough to show my disgust> and when he started to skate around I left.

I thought I could be bigger than that, but I found it really is hard to be gracious under those circumstances.

 

[darth5]

I find it impossible to read on the SCF thread since Game 5.

Penguins fans and doubters just totally dominate the conversation. Talking about all the injuries they had, the long odds, etc. In my mind, our team was a long shot from the word go. I have been a fan since 2001 but its true.

Preds lost fewer players, but their loss had a bigger impact as it destroyed our forward line balance.

Penguins had 2 SC winning goalies on their bench. Preds have Pekka, but somehow the Pens had his number at PPG.

They won it all last year, this team had exactly one player with 5 games of finals experience.

Forwards: Crosbaby (even though I admit he's a generational talent, I hate him and won't call him by real name after Game 5 antics), Malkin, Kessel, all name brand stars that will get the benefit of the doubt from an official. We have Fisher, Forsberg, and they are NOT going to get that latitude.

Defense: Nashville has this one, hands down, but they did not play as consistently on the road in the Finals. Maybe that bottom pair is still too weak for post season. Bitteto is not the answer.

Coaching, really a toss up.

There is only so much scoring you can do from the back end and not risk giving up to many rushes in your own end. Live by 5 man attack, die by 5 man attack.

I really feel those goals waived off hurt this team, mostly due to their lack of experience at this level.
The opportunities were there to score and win those games, especially Game 1. Oh well, I did not see this run coming, but it was truly glorious while it lasted. I think there is a core in place to be back there soon. Need stronger #2C first, IMHO, as others have said. Thanks to the community here, I need SOMEONE I can interact with that understands the game better than me, won't treat me like an idiot, and shares my passion for the Preds!

 

[Cletus Marley]

I'm actually ok about it today. That was one hell of a rollercoaster ride. Yeah it sucks to be so close yet so far but we overachieved like crazy this season. Never thought in a million years we would end up where we did. Yeah there were issues with officiating but what can you do. Every team gets 7 games to prove themselves. It's not like we lost to a scrub team. That was Sid and Malkin and a badass goalie. The defending champs. We did good and I'm proud of the team.

 

[TheJungleHunter]

Losing the SCF really, really sucks, but I still feel better than I did losing in 7 to the Sharks last year or that plain awful series against the Coyotes a few years back.

This team finally made it over some huge humps this season and that makes me more excited and positive for next year.

The constant 2nd-round exits were more disheartening because it felt like that was our ceiling as a franchise.

Now I'm just ready for them to do it all again next season, but win the Cup this time!

 

[Cletus Marley]

Losing the SCF really, really sucks, but I still feel better than I did losing in 7 to the Sharks last year or that plain awful series against the Coyotes a few years back.

This team finally made it over some huge humps this season and that makes me more excited and positive for next year.

The constant 2nd-round exits were more disheartening because it felt like that was our ceiling as a franchise.

Now I'm just ready for them to do it all again next season, but win the Cup this time!

You summed it up for me. Being a Preds fan has been hard over the years. You just get used to getting crushed this time of the year. For whatever reason. Something always seems to happen. This time was a lot better. Stanley Cup finals *****es!!!! lol

 

[romelson]

Ingemar got on the bandwagon, too
Ingemar is this swedish youtube comedy phenomenon, an over-stupid redneck character. Turns out he went to Nashville and recorded an episode during the finals, looking for party, ending up partying with the family members of Arvy & Jarny, going to games and finally meeting his Preds idols. Probably totally impossible to follow for a non-swedish speaker...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7G2Uatr0iU&feature=youtu.be

 

[ILikeItILoveIt]

Losing the SCF really, really sucks, but I still feel better than I did losing in 7 to the Sharks last year or that plain awful series against the Coyotes a few years back.

This team finally made it over some huge humps this season and that makes me more excited and positive for next year.

The constant 2nd-round exits were more disheartening because it felt like that was our ceiling as a franchise.

Now I'm just ready for them to do it all again next season, but win the Cup this time!

I knew if I read the thread long enough, I'd find something I hadn't thought of to make me feel better.

Prior to this run, we've been viewed (and acted like) a perennial playoff contender but not a serious Cup finalist. We all hoped we could be, but we were still "Nashville". The place no "A-List" player would come to if he had other choices (Kariya, P. Forsberg were at the end of their careers). We were the little franchise that could .... maybe ... get to the 2nd Round.

Now, not only did we get to the finals, but we were the stars of the show. Using election lingo, "We won the popular vote". We were the reason for the higher ratings and the prestige bump the NHL got from these Finals. Nashville turned the SCFs into the Super bowl of Hockey. It became a must-see event. The last telecast opened with a short concert from the roof off of Broadway hovering over 50K+ fans.

Nashville made the SCFs and NHL Hockey "cool". And the NHL knows it. Their media knows it. Up to this point, the NHL thought it did Nashville a huge favor giving us a franchise as part of Bettman's Southern Strategy. Early on, it did. But this year, we did the NHL the favor. We gave them something they've never seen before (as the gladiator video always tells us). We made the event bigger than just the game. In the process, we made Pittsburgh look like a minor league city.

...... and we broke the ceiling. We are now a true contender for The Cup, not just the playoffs. Every NHL player on the other 28 teams must have been drooling watching our guys on TV. Did you see Matt Duchene's tweet? Dude wants to be here bad. Jimmy Vesey, how's that decision looking now, Bud. Could have played into the 2nd round last year and in the Finals this year AND burned 2 years on your ELC. Suts, think we're committed to winning enough yet? Rads, we out-draw Putin, man. Ya coulda been a Russian-god in Nashville.

So now, going forward, we're always in the conversation. Always on a list of teams players want to be traded to. People who come to Nashville will need to attend a game to scratch it off their Bucket List.

We are now an "A-List" franchise. When they talk about next year and who could win it, we're right on top of that list. All of a sudden, the goal of winning our tough Division is now thinkable, if not expected.

We're all "Growed Up". The secret is out. Smashville is the new southern capital of NHL hockey.

The loss still stings and I'm still pissed .......... but it does feel good to be the "it" team in the "it" city.

 

[predfan98]

Ingemar got on the bandwagon, too
Ingemar is this swedish youtube comedy phenomenon, an over-stupid redneck character. Turns out he went to Nashville and recorded an episode during the finals, looking for party, ending up partying with the family members of Arvy & Jarny, going to games and finally meeting his Preds idols. Probably totally impossible to follow for a non-swedish speaker...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7G2Uatr0iU&feature=youtu.be

I wish we could understand this! Looks good

 

[JustaFinnishGuy]

Prior to this run, we've been viewed (and acted like) a perennial playoff contender but not a serious Cup finalist.

Don't take this the wrong way, but no one is thinking SJ is a serious Cup finalist after 1 final under their belt. Preds won't be either. The Preds will need a solid regular season to even start a conversation about Finals appearance. Yes, there will be knowledge about us, but I don't consider our team as a perennial Stanley Cup contender.
At least we had the best experience at a hockey game for any fan this year hands down. Regarding the free agent signing ''advantage'' we now 'have' is yet to be proved as well. SJ got Mikkel Bodker who costs them 4 mil the next 2 years. He mustered 26 points in the 82 games of the regular season. Now, this could have been a dud, but no real good players move in free agency unless they're either old or too pricey for the team they originally left from. Free agency signings are usually for money grabbers anyway and the money paid for the free agent won't be nearly as efficient than growing an own talent from the teams own prospect pool and paying that guy. (Case Okposo for example)

We have 17 mil in free cap space right now, and there will be a need to sign Neal, Fisher, Arviddson, Johansen and some others like Gaudreau. I doubt there will be any big fish landing in Nashville just by free agency.

 

[jwhouk]

Ouch.

That is all.




No, wait: that damn rule needs to be changed. The one about offsides and change of possession and wiping out a goal.

 

[PREDilection]

I know i'm supposed to write a melancholy, reflective, what-a-run post here but bear with me, I'm stuck in the "pissed stage".

I want a flippin' answer from the league why Sisson's goal wasn't treated like Flolik's goal earlier in the year. Almost same exact situation. Goalie attempts the save, doesn't secure it, puck free in the blue ice, rebound put in AFTER the whistle. The refs got together and ruled a good goal EVEN THOUGH IT WENT IN AFTER THE WHISTLE.

This, along with the Forsberg non-conclusive off-sides wiping out the first goal in Game 1, are 2 examples of how maddening the NHL is. They claim they want more goals. They change rules to produce more goals. So why isn't every "gray" call viewed with a goal-scoring bias? Sure, if it's conclusive and a goal should be waived off, do it. We want to get it right. But the Forsberg was-the-toe-on-the-ice was a perfect example of "it's not conclusive enough AND IT HAD NO BEARING ON THE ACTUAL GOAL so it shouldn't be waived off. The cluster last night was another example. The ref knew he blew the whistle too early. There's a rule that allows them to be practical and assess whether the blown whistle changed anything about the goal (i.e. other team stopped because they heard the whistle and therefore it changed what happened next). In Sisson's case, it did not. It was bang-bang. Just like the Frolik goal.

WHY DOES THE NHL WORK AGAINST THEIR OWN INTERESTS?? That Subban goal in Game 1 was a huge start to a high profile series. PK is a star, Preds are underdogs, and it was a great goal. Exactly the start the league was looking for. But nooooooooooo, we have knuckle-draggers in Toronto threading the needle and deciding it looks like Filip's blurry skate toe may not be on the ice, we're gonna overturn it.

This series turned on so many first-timers to hockey. EXACTLY WHAT THE NHL SHOULD WANT. RIGHT!?!?? They see two big scoring plays get overturned and the can't understand why when their untrained eyes tell them what seemed to happen (i.e. 2 goals were scored). What a Buzz Kill.

The NHL had a storybook series with the upstart Preds and a city boiling over with the enthusiasm the NHL could only dream most of their franchises had. Could have had a Game 7 and or a Pred win in 6 games if those two calls went the right way.

But instead, the Don Cherry's and Mike F-bury's of the world kiss Crosby's hip pads and make excuses for why things are the way they are. PK deserved it. Pounding on somebody's head as long as the refs can't quite see it is "cagey". Explaining why Forsberg was probably off-sides when our eyes say "how the heck can you tell".

I want a reason from the league why Sissons goal didn't count but Frolik's goal earlier in the year counted.

Grrrrrrrrrrrr.

As for my persistent "pissed" stage, I see no rush in moving to the other stages. I'm a seasoned fan and know the drill. I'm a glass-half-full guy so I'll see the greater good of it all in due time. But right now, I'm stuck at "pissed"!!!!!!!!

There's certainly nothing wrong with lingering in the anger phase. It definitely has its own cathartic benefit. From what I've seen from you though, I doubt it will last long .

As for me, when the goal was disallowed last night I was certainly angry but it dissipated surprisingly quickly. I have expended so much anger at seeing our team get repeatedly mauled by Kessler and Co. without any control by the officials or league, a potentially series defining disallowed goal in game 1, watching Crosby getting away with anything and everything and then being defended and lauded for his play by fans and media, wildly inconsistent and overall poor officiating, and of course, Mike ****ing Millbury. By the time the game ended last night I felt like I had been beaten into submission. Or perhaps I just didn't have anything left in my anger tank. Whatever the case, my transition to post, post season hockey is already well underway. Part of that might also be due to the fact that I had already mentally prepared myself for the end. All of our past experiences with this team have ended with the potential of much more hockey to be played. In this case we all knew the end was nigh, rather it be in victory or defeat. So much emotional investment has been made by all of us it's no wonder that many feel some relief that it's over.

On that note, it's time to remove this hideous growth from my face that was my attempt at a playoff beard and return focus to all the other neglected aspects of my life that bring me joy. As the sting of defeat slowly fades away and I no longer eat, sleep and breath hockey I look forward to the moments when an unexpected trigger causes one of the many wonderful memories of this post season to come flooding back. My tanks will recharge and by September the itch will be back and by October I know I'll be chomping at the bit and screaming "DROP THE FREAKING PUCK ALREADY!" It'll be a much shorter break than we're used to so rest up everyone and be ready, cause the future looks mighty bright!

 

[predfan24]

A couple questions before I wrap up the season in my head:

1. Was there a consensus reached why Lavy dresse Mcleod? I'm guessing he hoped he'd throw some big hits and get the energy from the crowd. That never really materialized. Not that him playing made a difference or not. Just wondering

2. For those that went to games 3 and 4 was it louder than game 6? Six was the only SCF game I went to and I told my dad to bring ear plugs. It got loud a few times but I felt more tension in the air more than anything. Especially as the game went on and we were still 0-0.

3. This one is more of an observation. I'm glad I went to the game and got to take my dad. He was a day 1 STH until 3-4 years ago but he got old and his health took a downturn. He is the one who introduced me to hockey and brought me to many games as a kid. Glad I could repay him back. He had not gone to a game in a few years. The look on his face was priceless. He said he felt like he was home again. That being said I'm glad I did this once but I will never spend that much to go to a game again. (Non STH). It was awesome but in the end it's just a hockey game lol

 

[predfan98]

A couple questions before I wrap up the season in my head:

1. Was there a consensus reached why Lavy dresse Mcleod? I'm guessing he hoped he'd throw some big hits and get the energy from the crowd. That never really materialized. Not that him playing made a difference or not. Just wondering

2. For those that went to games 3 and 4 was it louder than game 6? Six was the only SCF game I went to and I told my dad to bring ear plugs. It got loud a few times but I felt more tension in the air more than anything. Especially as the game went on and we were still 0-0.

3. This one is more of an observation. I'm glad I went to the game and got to take my dad. He was a day 1 STH until 3-4 years ago but he got old and his health took a downturn. He is the one who introduced me to hockey and brought me to many games as a kid. Glad I could repay him back. He had not gone to a game in a few years. The look on his face was priceless. He said he felt like he was home again. That being said I'm glad I did this once but I will never spend that much to go to a game again. (Non STH). It was awesome but in the end it's just a hockey game lol

I felt like the energy and noise in the crowd went down after the wcf and game 3--- way down. Game 4 was less and game 6 was less than that. Still good but not that wow factor of coming together as a crowd.

I think it was what a reflection of what predilection said above--we had seen what the officials /NHL were letting people get away with and we didn't have the energy or the hope

 

[hockey diva]

Game 3 was a Sat night game and we were the big show in town.

I am deeply grateful I was able to be part of the experience. And I was able to take 3 different friends to share it with. Despite my best efforts to not be heartbroken, I was. Now it's time to recharge and repair.

Our impotent pp cost us game 6. That and our OT strategy needs to be better going forward.

I also didn't think Crosby deserved the Conn Smythe.

 

[bdub24]

https://www.nhl.com/predators/news/from-a-nashville-native-perspective-on-the-nashville-predators-historic-season/c-289902340

Pens fans can't let that article go without positioning their team as underestimated and disprespected. Jesus Christ the level of insecurity is a amazing.

 

[LCPreds]

Post-SCF feel good stat of the day:

Chicago's last win: March 31st, 2017.

 

[JackBurtonPreds]

I really feel those goals waived off hurt this team, mostly due to their lack of experience at this level.

You hit the nail on the head on this one. Both times the stoppage in play allowed them to regroup, particularly in game one where we were outplaying them. We obviously handled it better in game 6 because the upped their game once again to take advantage of another huge break.

But back to game 1, if we could have won that game I think it would have changed our entire mental outlook re playing in their arena.

 

[wadesworld]

I stayed and cheered the guys on. My daughter didn't...she could not bear to see their pain nor see the Pens receive the Cup on our ice. So she went out to the concourse and I stayed in the arena. I wanted to see the Cup. I wish I could have seen the Cup by itself without having to sit through the Conn Smythe award because that REALLY sucked. I mean really, that was beyond salt, that was pouring alcohol and lemon juice into the wound. I watched long enough to see the Cup presented and be passed to <expletives deleted><another couple of expletives because that really wasn't quite enough to show my disgust> and when he started to skate around I left.

I thought I could be bigger than that, but I found it really is hard to be gracious under those circumstances.

I stayed and cheered the boys. Then I applauded politely as the Con Smythe was awarded (though I disagreed vehemently with the selection) and applauded politely as the Stanley Cup was presented. I may never get to see another Stanley Cup presented in my lifetime. Hopefully I will, but for that reason, I stayed. I watched to see who Crosby handed it to first, congratulated and shook hands with the Pittsburgh fans sitting next to us, and left.

Before I left, I gave an earful to the Preds fans in front of us whose 20-year-old son was extremely drunk, confrontational and kept flipping off the Pittsburgh fans next to me, who were understandably excited and celebrated when the cup was won. The son tried to start a fight and when I told him to calm down, the 60+ year-old mother stood up and gave the double-bird to me and them. No way to say it but embarrassing trash.

 

[BonMorrison]

Hmm...

I don't see it tbh but you never know, I guess.

 

[MrJoshua]

I don't see four forwards on this roster I'd protect over Neal.

 

[drwpreds]

I don't see four forwards on this roster I'd protect over Neal.

To me losing Neal would be a big mistake. Goal scoring is something that we need more of and he is (when healthy) still the best pure sniper we have (along with Forsberg I guess).

The next two years may be the best chance we will have to get back to the finals and I think we need him here............

 

[Predsboro]

Hmm...

I don't see it tbh but you never know, I guess.

Well, Lebrun is right. I mean it's "possible" Forsberg is left exposed. Big breaking story there Pierre.

 

[wadesworld]

I felt like the energy and noise in the crowd went down after the wcf and game 3--- way down. Game 4 was less and game 6 was less than that. Still good but not that wow factor of coming together as a crowd.

Game 6 was definitely the most quiet I think. The crowd was just so nervous of what might happen - and it did.

The Pittsburgh fans next to me were still blown away and said "hands down, loudest building in the NHL and it's not even close."

 

[Drake744]

To me losing Neal would be a big mistake. Goal scoring is something that we need more of and he is (when healthy) still the best pure sniper we have (along with Forsberg I guess).

The next two years may be the best chance we will have to get back to the finals and I think we need him here............

Yeah I have a bad feeling about leaving him exposed. At times it sounds all fine and dandy but it just reeks of a potentially stupid move.