Observations, Part XI

[Enoch]

I said this in the GDT, but I will say it again here.

This team is tired. Just tired. The only team without a built in day off. They have had the most games in the tightest window of days, and they have doubled the travel of EVERY team in the league, and tripled/quadrupled or more most of the other teams. The Preds aren't practicing right now, they are recovering.

Gear up for game 6. The stars and veterans on this team are going to have to will them to victory. It starts with Rinne. It ends with Weber, Fisher, and Neal.

This isn't an excuse. It is reality. It is worth remembering when evaluating some of these players. The Sharks are an excellent team and could win outright irregardless of the situation. So can the Predators.

 

[triggrman]

I just want to point out if Weber had played as bad as Josi and Ekholm did last night, there would be 800 post about it. Weber actually looked like the only defenseman that came to play last night, Josi continued his streak of bad penalties and poor coverage and Ellis/Ekholm gave up another ridiculous breakaway.

I know, no defense is perfect and you have to take some of the bad with the good, but just wanted to point out the double standard this board has with Weber.

 

[Enoch]

I just want to point out if Weber had played as bad as Josi and Ekholm did last night, there would be 800 post about it. Weber actually looked like the only defenseman that came to play last night, Josi continued his streak of bad penalties and poor coverage and Ellis/Ekholm gave up another ridiculous breakaway.

I know, no defense is perfect and you have to take some of the bad with the good, but just wanted to point out the double standard this board has with Weber.

Good post.

Josi has had a mediocre playoffs. He has had some bad reads and gotten beat more than is normal. He has also taken way too many dumb penalties. He is also one of the few with the skating ability to break up the neutral zone play of the Sharks/Ducks. This has been vital.

As for Ellis/Ekholm, they have been great and awful at times. Ellis was fantastic in the first series, but he has times where he just gets flat out beat (and badly). Ekholm was not that good in OT, but he made a great read and shot on net which led to the OT win.

Again, I think fatigue is playing a role here. The other thing I notice is we simply cannot slow the Sharks down through the neutral zone, and it is causing significant matchup difficulties. It isn't just their skill and talent. It is the size of the Sharks forwards. THey simply cannot move Burns, Thornton, etc.

 

[Armourboy]

I'm really not surprised by the outcome of this last game, considering the difference in rest and travel I'm still shocked we managed to win the 3OT game.

I think part of last night was a result of that, not to mention I think many are still learning how to deal with big wins and then coming back for the next ready to go.

It's part of the reason I think that even if we do manage to win this series the next may not last long.

As said it isn't really an excuse, you still gotta fight through it. It would be foolish to think it isn't a factor though.

 

[sparkle twin]

Whats tough the Preds have not lost a playoff game this year when they score 3 goals. They have not won a playoff game this year if they score 2 or less.

We won game 7 vs Anaheim 2-1.

It's kind of been like this for years though, if we get 3 goals in a game we usually win.

If we do end up winning this series in 7, do you think we would play another Friday/Sunday on the road leaving us with yet another series with no weekend games at home or do you think the league would start it probably on Saturday?

I have been looking at that myself and I'm assuming that since game 7 would be Thursday, the next round would likely start Saturday or Sunday. I'm going to believe the league would not make us play Thur/Fri back to back. A Saturday start would likely give us a Wed/Fri set. A Sunday start would likely give us a Thur/Sat set. Even with an extra day off somewhere, we would likely get a Friday or Saturday game. .....but I'd rather not think too far ahead...

 

[PredsV82]

.... we still havent lost a game at home this series.

thats all I got.

win *****es.

 

[deanwormer]

I just want to point out if Weber had played as bad as Josi and Ekholm did last night, there would be 800 post about it. Weber actually looked like the only defenseman that came to play last night, Josi continued his streak of bad penalties and poor coverage and Ellis/Ekholm gave up another ridiculous breakaway.

I know, no defense is perfect and you have to take some of the bad with the good, but just wanted to point out the double standard this board has with Weber.

I didn't realize that Josi and Ekholm signed offer sheets for $8mil/yr when they were captain? huh - I figured that'd be headline news.

and really, Potato gets more grief than most of our guys, and he's our minimum salary 6th Dman....

 

[predfan98]

Don't know where the gdt is or who is making it, so...... Go Preds, we'll be there ... Clap your hands if you believe....

 

[triggrman]

I didn't realize that Josi and Ekholm signed offer sheets for $8mil/yr when they were captain? huh - I figured that'd be headline news.

and really, Potato gets more grief than most of our guys, and he's our minimum salary 6th Dman....

So they get passes to play like crap? Because they don'tmake as much money?

I could care less what they make they played like crap, Josi, defensively has been bad all playoffs. Ellis has also been exposed.

 

[FossilFndr]

Don't know where the gdt is or who is making it, so...... Go Preds, we'll be there ... Clap your hands if you believe....

I'm packed for the trip, filled gas tank, cleaned the windshield, so excited to go to my first second round game @ Nashville.

I'll be the guy in a gold Predators tee shirt and hat in the first row of the upper deck. Different seat but same clothes as the Monday Kings game 3/21 when we won 5 - 2. Eating same dinner at Joe's, parking in same lot @ Nissan Stadium, same parking place if possible.

I'm doing my part ... Go Preds.

 

[PredsV82]

how nice would it be for just one time for the other team to unexpectedly crap the bed and have a really bad game??

 

[Pred303]

let's go preds, get it done one more time and get us to a winner take all game 7. then the pressure shifts back to the sharks big time.

 

[MrJoshua]

I don't know what's going to happen tonight. Anything could. I said from the beginning that these were two very evenly-matched teams (which the Sharks fans did not appreciate hearing any more than the Ducks fans did in round 1) and it wouldn't surprise me to see another long, close series. Well that's what we've had.

What I do know is that this has been a really enjoyable season topped by a very fun playoff run so far. I hope it keeps going after tonight but either way this has been a solid step forward by the younger players. I see this team as being on the rise for the next few years.

 

[drwpreds]

I know one thing- I can't wait until next year's playoffs where we will hopefully have a somewhat regular playoff schedule. No matter what it CANNOT be as bad as this year. Was looking at some numbers today:

We are the only team of the 16 playoff teams that has not had an extra day off. Have had to play every other day since day one.

Because we wound up playing the Pacific, we have had more travel than several teams combined. There isn't a single team that is anywhere close to the amount of travel we have had.

Almost every game has had an 8:00, 9:00 or 9:30 CST start, brutal, brutal, brutal for the local fans.

Finally, even though we may wind up having two 7 game series, we never got even one weekend home game. That is just some bad luck there. Out of 16 playoff teams, 14 of the 16 had at least 1 weekend home date. The only other team that didn't was the NYR, and that was only because they got knocked out in 5 games and only had 2 home games.

Just some terrible scheduling luck for us this year. And I know someone will pop up and say "its our own fault- if we wanted a better schedule we should have finished higher in the standings". Well, that is not entirely true because even the WC2 teams in each conference had a much more manageable schedule than we did.......

 

[NoNecksCurse]

yep we got the short end of the stick

 

[FossilFndr]

yep we got the short end of the stick

But we got the stick and are still running with it.

 

[drwpreds]

Another observation- the NHL playoffs are such a LONG grind. I was thinking about it this morning regarding the Preds. With all the playoff drama the team (and us fans) have been through this year, it feels like the playoffs have been going on for months. Living and dying with all the extreme highs and extreme lows that go with long playoff series, sometimes I honestly feel mentally (and even physically) fatigued just being a fan. I can’t even imagine how the players do it.

But the thing is, if we were to go on a run and actually make the Stanley Cup finals, that means at this point right now, we aren’t even HALF WAY through the playoffs. It feels like we have been through a season’s worth of excitement and drama and we aren’t even half way done if we were to win the Cup.

That is crazy.

It is why I really believe winning the Stanley Cup is the hardest championship to win of any sport.

 

[NoNecksCurse]

it's by far the hardest. it's not even really close. unless the team is winning it and just rolling.. like the Kings sweeping everyone that one year.. but 4 series' of 6-7 games ... no other sport comes close to the NHL's playoffs.

 

[Pred303]

tonight we need the fans to rise up and help us thru any early adversity and simply will us to a win. no other place has as big a home ice advantage in the playoffs as we do. no one else has this atmosphere. you know the players are tired, and they have to be nervous. the crowd needs to get them thru that.

steal a win tonight and i'll bet on us in a game 7 even on their ice. get to a game seven and pressure shifts hard to them. no telling what happens then.

 

[PredsV82]

I really wish I could be there. The atmosphere will be amazing.

that said, we have lost every game 6 I have ever attended, so probably just as well I stay gone

 

[Legionnaire11]

Another observation- the NHL playoffs are such a LONG grind. I was thinking about it this morning regarding the Preds. With all the playoff drama the team (and us fans) have been through this year, it feels like the playoffs have been going on for months. Living and dying with all the extreme highs and extreme lows that go with long playoff series, sometimes I honestly feel mentally (and even physically) fatigued just being a fan. I can’t even imagine how the players do it.

But the thing is, if we were to go on a run and actually make the Stanley Cup finals, that means at this point right now, we aren’t even HALF WAY through the playoffs. It feels like we have been through a season’s worth of excitement and drama and we aren’t even half way done if we were to win the Cup.

That is crazy.

It is why I really believe winning the Stanley Cup is the hardest championship to win of any sport.

I've done it twice, as a Flyers fan in '97 and last year in Tampa... By the time the Finals get going, you barely remember the 2nd round. And when it's all over, it's kind of a shock to your system to go about day-to-day life again without monumentally important games to stress about.

Plus side is that it stays with you forever. And the offseason is really short!

 

[triggrman]

Nice.

 

[Scoresberg]

This team just won't give up no matter how dead they may look. Unbelievable.

 

[drwpreds]

Another quick thought- SJ was one of the best road teams in NHL history and went 3-0 in LA in the first round. And the Preds just won all 3 home games against them- I did not think that was possible...... Wow..

 

[bdub24]

Nice? That's it? You must not have watched the game. It was AWEOME! Overcoming so many obstacles in the game. Rinne was a head case. It was a sheer display of will and teamwork tonight. It was way more than Nice