Observations XXI

[GoldOnGold]

Our d was real bad tonight, especially Ellis/Josi. Ekholm, unusually, also made a bunch of mistakes.

We were giving up breakaways and odd-man rushes left and right, and of their 5 goals I think 3 or 4 can be attributed directly to odd-man rushes.

Johansen also pretty bad tonight, he really needs to step it up IMO.

 

[sparkle twin]

What is it about Pacific division games that we suck?

Luckily from December 15 - January 21 we don't play a single Pacific division game.

That's a span of 19 games.

 

[Scoresberg]

From top-to-bottom (excluding Rinne) that was a god-awful game. Without Rinne, it would've been ugly.

I think it's time to consider switching the defense pairs, Josi and Ellis just aren't working together. It was painful to watch tonight. If they don't score, they are a liability to this team. Honestly, I thought Hamhuis was our best defenseman tonight.

 

[Armourboy]

Observation: NHL Network Radio is pathetic.

" I didnt see this game coming ". Really we are without our two best wingers, our #2 center, and one of our best Dmen and you didn't see a bad game in our future?

Maybe if you paid attention to something it wouldn't be that shocking

 

[Pred303]

well that wasn't anywhere near what I wanted/expected to see.

as good as we were defensively against Buffalo, well we were just as bad defensively in this one. this team we are icing has zero chance of winning when they don't play well defensively. zero.

 

[bdub24]

Observation: NHL Network Radio is pathetic.

" I didnt see this game coming ". Really we are without our two best wingers, our #2 center, and one of our best Dmen and you didn't see a bad game in our future?

Maybe if you paid attention to something it wouldn't be that shocking

It's gotta be tough to see the rest of the world when your head is crammed up both the Maple Leafs and Conner McDavids asses.

 

[101st_fan]

The positive ... only 2bit, Hamhuis and Richard have not scored a goal ... Irwin was the 21st different Pred with a goal so far this season.

 

[drwpreds]

Observation: NHL Network Radio is pathetic.

" I didnt see this game coming ". Really we are without our two best wingers, our #2 center, and one of our best Dmen and you didn't see a bad game in our future?

Maybe if you paid attention to something it wouldn't be that shocking

Yep, absolutely correct- and based on some the reactions I am seeing from some Preds fans, especially on Twitter, our own fans are doing the same thing.

I keep hearing people say- "we need guys to step up". Well, call me crazy, but we have guys who have been stepping up. Hartman, Fiala, Watson, even Tolvanen helped us win a game.

Since losing Forsberg, and playing with the big 4 who are out, we are 2-1. You simply cannot ask for anything more than that.

Anyone expecting us to be anywhere close to our normal level of play is just completely delusional. The lineup we are throwing out there right now, especially on offense, is probably the worst in the entire NHL.

For me, this is all about survival. Can we at least play .500 hockey the next month or so until we hopefully can get 100% healthy?? To me you just can't ask for much more than that right now- if we can do that we should be fine for the second half of the season- IF we can get everyone back.

I will say that is completely stinks having this many key injuries. It sucks all the fun out of it- I don't know if it is just me but I almost don't even want to turn on a game knowing we are so depleted and shorthanded....

 

[Prediculous]

We just need to hang on, win 50% of our games and get a loss point here and there and we'll be fine when healthy. This is the best team in the league but we're missing our heart and grit (Arvy), our best Dman (PK) and our best player in Forsberg.

Not sure Tolvanen sticks around this time either once everyone gets back. Looks to me like he needs more time in the AHL.

 

[JustaFinnishGuy]

Tolvanen will take his sweet time, and won't be the instant Neal replacement we kinda still need.
Best D in the league plays shit D but the narrative will still be that Rinne plays behind a stacked defense.
Ellis is playing like he is doing a 9-5pm shift and wouldn't care to be present.

Well- We're still 3rd in the league and 6 points from the league lead. It just surely can't be THAT bad, can it?

 

[wadesworld]

It's gotta be tough to see the rest of the world when your head is crammed up both the Maple Leafs and Conner McDavids asses.

While I generally enjoy NHL Radio, it certainly has struck me how little they talked about the Predators, even when we were on top of the NHL. Usually they bring Pete Weber on and spend 75% of the time asking him about old reminiscing stories or teams other than the Preds. It is better and more Pred-focused when they bring Chris Mason on though.

On the positive side, I have consistently heard both hosts and callers continually mention the Preds as one of the "big dog" teams in the league, so that's changed dramatically from most of our history. We're now one of the big dogs, but we still don't rate much conversation.

 

[Drake744]

Happy birthday to Lavy by the way. Happened to stumble on that one today.

 

[FossilFndr]

My spreadsheet alerts me to player birthdays, but I never thought about including coaches in my database.

 

[jwhouk]

Awright, your stat guy coming in with a late one:

That Penalty Shot Pekka gave up to the Canucks' Petterson was the first penalty shot goal scored on the Preds (other than the shootout, of course) since April 4, 2015. That was when Cody Eakin of the Stars scored on a penalty shot in OT to beat the Preds in what was (in review) a pretty meaningless near-end-of-season game.

The Preds went 20,357:54 without surrendering a penalty shot goal, which has to be close to a record. That is the equivalent of 2.32 years worth of actual time elapsed between penalty shots. It's also 354 shots on goal against by opponents in between the two penalty shot goals.

 

[Armourboy]

Can't just win with depth. Hopefully we get some guys back.

 

[Pred303]

where to start? hard to know exactly, but a few random thoughts.

..we have now lost 6 in a row on the road. 6. especially concerning when we have played more home games than road games.
..this is exactly what it was like to be a pred fan in about 01-02. every game you hope somehow we luck in enough goals to win.
..we are icing a complete team of complimentary players at best, with about 3 forwards with no business being on an nhl roster.
..when I was preaching early on about needing another elite level forward, well situations like this is why. after arvy and Forsberg we don't really have any.

..every 1st line rush seemed to end with fiala. for a supposed good stick handler he loses the puck almost whenever he touches it.
..to be fair, fiala is terrible playing the right wing since he has to play everything off his forehand.
..johanson -4, fiala -3.
..on a team that has been so good even strength, fiala is a mind blowing -10. while say sissons is a +16. should tell you something.
..without good wingers johansen looks disinterested.
..when Hartman and sissons are your most dangerous forwards night after night, well that tells you something.
..it's entirely possibly that with this current lineup we are icing the worst team in the NHL right now.
..goal scoring from our d-men has totally dried up right when we need them most.
..d-men goal scoring is always streaky it seems. it's why it's dangerous to depend on d-men scoring for your offense

..saros has allowed the same amount of goals in half as many minutes played as rinne.
..we can talk bad luck whatever. but 3.35, .885 is the worst in the league.
..maybe our window is shorter than we hope.
..saros isn't allowing soft goals, but he also isn't stopping many of the 50/50 chances. you have to have that or you give up 3-4-5 goals every game.
..obviously the wide deflection goal killed us. saros had moved totally out of the goalmouth on that one for no reason. was actually totally outside the near post.

..willy and mase. are total schills for the team.
..every goal against was bad luck, 'he had no chance'. every goal for was 'what a great goal'
..for goodness sake be critical sometime.
..when we are playing poorly I hate listening to these guys. hate it. which is a shame because they are 'nice' guys.
..willy simply doesn't know any better, but mase seems too close to the players. friends, not an analyst.

right now, well it just isn't fun. actually sort of dread most games.

 

[FossilFndr]

.....

..willy and mase. are total schills for the team.
..every goal against was bad luck, 'he had no chance'. every goal for was 'what a great goal'
..for goodness sake be critical sometime.
..when we are playing poorly I hate listening to these guys. hate it. which is a shame because they are 'nice' guys.
..willy simply doesn't know any better, but mase seems too close to the players. friends, not an analyst.

right now, well it just isn't fun. actually sort of dread most games.

Though it was a quick shot Saros wasn't screened on the first goal and my first thought is good g*d Mase, call him out!!

Went to sleep after the first period, but seeing the rest of the game on a Sunday morning, horrible way to start the day. so went out to shovel snow.

 

[bdub24]

where to start? hard to know exactly, but a few random thoughts.

..we have now lost 6 in a row on the road. 6. especially concerning when we have played more home games than road games.
..this is exactly what it was like to be a pred fan in about 01-02. every game you hope somehow we luck in enough goals to win.
..we are icing a complete team of complimentary players at best, with about 3 forwards with no business being on an nhl roster.
..when I was preaching early on about needing another elite level forward, well situations like this is why. after arvy and Forsberg we don't really have any.

..every 1st line rush seemed to end with fiala. for a supposed good stick handler he loses the puck almost whenever he touches it.
..to be fair, fiala is terrible playing the right wing since he has to play everything off his forehand.
..johanson -4, fiala -3.
..on a team that has been so good even strength, fiala is a mind blowing -10. while say sissons is a +16. should tell you something.
..without good wingers johansen looks disinterested.
..when Hartman and sissons are your most dangerous forwards night after night, well that tells you something.
..it's entirely possibly that with this current lineup we are icing the worst team in the NHL right now.
..goal scoring from our d-men has totally dried up right when we need them most.
..d-men goal scoring is always streaky it seems. it's why it's dangerous to depend on d-men scoring for your offense

..saros has allowed the same amount of goals in half as many minutes played as rinne.
..we can talk bad luck whatever. but 3.35, .885 is the worst in the league.
..maybe our window is shorter than we hope.
..saros isn't allowing soft goals, but he also isn't stopping many of the 50/50 chances. you have to have that or you give up 3-4-5 goals every game.
..obviously the wide deflection goal killed us. saros had moved totally out of the goalmouth on that one for no reason. was actually totally outside the near post.

..willy and mase. are total schills for the team.
..every goal against was bad luck, 'he had no chance'. every goal for was 'what a great goal'
..for goodness sake be critical sometime.
..when we are playing poorly I hate listening to these guys. hate it. which is a shame because they are 'nice' guys.
..willy simply doesn't know any better, but mase seems too close to the players. friends, not an analyst.

right now, well it just isn't fun. actually sort of dread most games.

I submit that we could fill our roster with top line forwards, and each would be summarily targeted and taken out by injury from the opposing team. Why? Well why the f*** not? Our power play is no threat and we have no player that is an effective deterrent (the time for that kind of player is past, I know, but we need one if we aren't interested in improving our power play and it appears that we aren't).

 

[Drake744]

I was one of the biggest Vegas haters in the world last year but I'm going to be honest, the way we're playing right now with this roster makes me appreciate what they did a little more. I know it's not the same, but like 303 said, we're basically a lineup of complementary players. Sounds like Vegas for the most part.

 

[PredsV82]

Fact is we are gonna have to have Pekka steal several points for us until we get some guys back. Is Saros now exposed to waivers? If not I'd send him to Milwaukee to play every night. His situation is a viscous circle, we cant afford to play him much but he wont get better unless hes playing more. Maybe have him "tweak" something and send him to Milwaukee for "rehab"

 

[predfan24]

..without good wingers johansen looks disinterested.

Lots to be disappointed with but with the injuries none of this is surprising.

Watching Joey since all the injuries has pissed me off more than anything though. Instead of stepping up as the de facto best forward right now he is playing lazy, lazy, lazy. Great effort and leadership from our 8 million dollar man.

 

[hockey diva]

Saros's size is a problem. Unless, he moves to a more stand up style, he going to get beat high more often then not.

Where is our leadership? They need to step up and pull these guys together. Look at Ottawa, losing guys and still winning games.

And fix the damn pp!

 

[Drake744]

Lots to be disappointed with but with the injuries none of this is surprising.

Watching Joey since all the injuries has pissed me off more than anything though. Instead of stepping up as the de facto best forward right now he is playing lazy, lazy, lazy. Great effort and leadership from our 8 million dollar man.

He's had bouts of lazy, frustrated looking play in the past. When things aren't going his way he seems to get really lackadaisical and what not.....which might explain his falling out in Columbus. (cough) Jackets burn (cough). Even though he's arguably my favorite player, it's annoying.

 

[BigFatCat999]

Fact is we are gonna have to have Pekka steal several points for us until we get some guys back. Is Saros now exposed to waivers? If not I'd send him to Milwaukee to play every night. His situation is a viscous circle, we cant afford to play him much but he wont get better unless hes playing more. Maybe have him "tweak" something and send him to Milwaukee for "rehab"

Saros is waivers exempt

 

[Scoresberg]

We see teams having success in the league even though having injuries but that's not us unfortunately. Our offense relies on odd-man rushes so much, and when we're icing this lineup, we have to be more careful defensively which leads to less chances offensively. We're never scoring from the cycle.

Yes, we have injuries and of course they affect the way we play. But still I think the system is here to blame as well. We have relied on our goalies soo much lately, and when they can't bail us out every night, we're gonna lose more than win.