Nashville Predators vs Phoenix Coyotes: Keys and Prediction

The Nashville Predators return home after a small road trip, and will host the Arizona Coyotes tonight in the Coyotes first road trip of the season.

For a team that hasn’t performed well at all, it could be a rude road awakening facing a tough and growing Predators team on their home ice.

The biggest issues facing the Coyotes have been poor net tending, and now they also have to deal near the net with an injury to top center Martin Hanzal.

Keys For the Coyotes

In terms of net tending, these two teams are a study in opposites, as the Nashville Predators and Pekka Rinne (primarily) are tied for the second best in the NHL in terms of Goals Against Average, with a cool 1.40 GAA. That’s exceptional!

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In stark contrast, the Coyotes are one of the worst, with a pitiful 4.50 GAA, and Coyote net tender Mike Smith‘s 5.33 GAA is also among the worst.

It’s obvious then, that Smith will need to somehow find a new game facing a Predators team that come at you fast and often under new coach Phil Laviolette.

I’ve waxed often about the Predators new style of offense, so I won’t bore you, except to say Smith’s adrenaline needs to be high for the Coyotes tonight.

The other issue that could be a huge factor for the Coyotes is the strong possibility that Martin Hanzal may not take to the ice tonight.

Hanzal suffered a lower body injury recently and actually had to be helped off the ice. He’s reportedly day-to-day, but his injury didn’t look good.

That could be a huge blow to the Coyotes because Hanzal is one of their best players, and a top line center for the Coyotes.

The only way the Coyotes win this game is either luck, Mike Smith playing above his typical net tending abilities, Hanzal somehow back in the lineup at center on the top line, or a combination of at least two of those.

Keys For the Predators

For the Nashville Predators, after a tough loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, they just need to keep doing what they’ve been doing, and perhaps need to start doing a few things a little better. They’ve played well, but there’s always room for improvement, and there are some key elements we need to see more of.

The Chicago Blackhawks won that game on a breakaway mistake by the Predators, but the real issue in that game was the Predators allowing Chicago to put a kink in their up-tempo offense.

The hawks held the preds to a meager six shots on goal through the first two periods, and it was only great defense for Nashville to that held the hawks tight against a barrage of shots on backup goalie Carter Hutton (35 saves, with the exception of one early miss he should have defended, and not defending the late breakaway which shouldn’t be blamed on him!).

• Improve On Power Play
  • The Predators have played extremely well on special teams, but they have been lacking in bringing that strength to bear on their power play opportunities. They are clearly not moving into sound offensive positions quickly enough to provide ample opportunity to score on puck possessions. That needs to change.

• The Pekka Factor
  • Pekka Rinne has been good, and a major reason for the Predators’ success so far. With 57 saves against 59 shots on goal, an SV% of .948, and a cool 1.22 GAA, Rinne needs to be in as many games as he can, and the hope is that he can sustain that kind of play through a whole season. Some doubt that, but he’s healthy again, and I see no reason why he cannot.
  • When Rinne needs rest, it’s great to know that Carter Hutton is in the wings. He hiccuped on an early shot against him against the Blackhawks, and failed to defend on a breakaway late, but other than that, Hutton was good. He still got 35 saves against a barrage of Blackhawk slaps, and has a nice .946 SV%.

• Forsberg Factor
  • I could talk about many players on this Nashville lineup that have been key to the Predators’ success, but I think even casual fans have noticed how well Filip Forsberg has played, and what a difference he has made when used on the top line for the Predators.
  • Forsberg has a goal, but where he has been incredible in in his assists (4), and how well he is effective in creating opportunities on the top line for prolific goal scorer James Neal. The Neal/Forsberg combo needs to continue to be utilized by Laviolette to give Neal more chances to score against dual pressure.

Game Details and Prediction

Matchup: (2-2-0) Arizona Coyotes vs. Nashville Predators (3-0-2)
When and Where: 7 P.M. CST | Bridgestone Arena
Media: TV: FS-TN | Radio: 102.5 The Game
Fan Mood: Pumped! Me, anyway!

I have the Predators winning this one, and maintaining their status of not (yet) having lost a game in regulation. Certainly the Coyotes will come out hungry, but their lack of net tending and injury issues will be a factor in this contest, and the Predators will get a shutout. That’s my positive viewpoint!