Nashville Predators Are Clicking On Most Cylinders
As the Nashville Predators were set to take on the L.A. Kings a few nights ago in their first meeting of the season, all I heard was how this would be the Predators’ first real test of the season.
Those sentiments were based simply on how well, offensively at least, the Kings have been playing lately, and also on what I believe is a pessimistic doubt about the resilience and talent of this Nashville team.
L.A. had scored at least four goal in four of their last seven games, and while they’ve struggled defensively this year, most believed it would be one of the toughest tests that the Predators and net tender Pekka Rinne would face. Of course I’m sure you know the result by now. The Predators took the game 4-3 in an exciting six-round tiebreaker on a score by James Neal.
I didn’t disagree it would be a test, and it was, but this Nashville Predators’ team continues to get less respect than they deserve, and are much better than some hockey writers would have you believe. I keep hearing, for example, that the Predators cannot sustain their current level of play, and that sooner or later we’ll see a marked regression.
Live Feed
Predlines
I’m a huge baseball fan and a bit of a saberist, and while I appreciate the relatively new hockey analytics such as GF, GA, Corsi and Fenwick, paper will only take you so far, and is certainly NEVER a definitive predictor of any sure outcome. Just ask the baseball teams that run their organizations with such emphasis.
I prefer the good ole’ fashioned, tried and true eye test. It has rarely let me down even in baseball, and I’m saying all this simply to say that those who have run certain numbers and think the Predators will regress have so far been in for a rude awakening, and there’s nothing to suggest such a regression in play. The L.A. Kings were a test, but a test that the Predators passed!
All this doubt is really just pessimism about a team that has never really been stellar, and a team that no one, even die-hard fans, expected to be playing this well in the first year of a new head coach. In short, Peter Laviolette came into Nashville with a plan to build a team, focus on a new up-tempo approach, and run with it. They have, and it’s working!
Even on paper, the truth is that the Nashville Predators stand out above many.
According to PuckAlytics.com (an updated stats tool for HockeyAnalysis.com), the Predators are in the top five in numerous, overall team stats, including straight 5 on 5 play, 5 on 5 at home AND on the road, five on five when close and tied, five on five when up 1 or down 1, when down 2, and when trailing. Not bad for a team that some still insist will regress.
Granted, the Predators leave a little something to be desired on both the power play and the penalty kill, and going down the stretch that could be the one Achilles heel that undoes them, but so far the Predators have more than made up for those deficits at even strength.
Leading the Central Division, the Predators are 14-5-2 in 21 games, have scored 30 points, have a GF/GA ratio of 61 to 45, and are 7-3-0 in their last ten games.
According to stats provided by Hockey Reference, the following table illustrates why the Nashville Predators are currently ranked fourth in the NHL overall, and shows their road and home records, as well as how they have fared so far against opponents in each conference, their own division, margins, and records the last two months…
| Place | Conference | Division | Margin | Month | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Team | Overall | Home | Road | EAS | WES | CEN | ≤1 | ≥3 | Oct | Nov |
| 1 | Montreal Canadiens | 16-6-1 | 9-3-0 | 7-3-1 | 11-3-0 | 5-3-1 | 4-1-0 | 7-0-1 | 6-6-0 | 8-2-1 | 8-4-0 |
| 2 | Anaheim Ducks | 13-4-5 | 6-2-3 | 7-2-2 | 5-2-1 | 8-2-4 | 5-1-0 | 9-0-5 | 4-2-0 | 9-3-0 | 4-1-5 |
| 3 | Vancouver Canucks | 15-6-1 | 7-3-1 | 8-3-0 | 5-1-0 | 10-5-1 | 3-3-0 | 7-0-1 | 4-4-0 | 7-3-0 | 8-3-1 |
| 4 | Nashville Predators | 14-5-2 | 8-1-1 | 6-4-1 | 3-2-0 | 11-3-2 | 6-2-1 | 9-3-2 | 3-1-0 | 6-2-2 | 8-3-0 |
Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/26/2014.
Without a doubt the main reason for the Predators’ success has been outstanding net tending by Pekka Rinne. Rinne is currently 2nd in the NHL on GAA (Goals Against Average) with 1.97, and third in the league on SAVE % with .927.
In addition to Rinne, the outstanding play of rookie Filip Forsberg cannot be emphasized enough. His value to this team is aptly illustrated in his leading the league in PLUS-MINUS with 18! That means that when Forsberg is on the ice things happen, and beyond that divisive statistic, Forsberg is also top 20 in the league in assists, close to that at a rank of 21 in goals, and is in the top 15 in total points.
You know this team though, and you know it doesn’t end with Rinne or Forsberg. The Predators’ top lines from the top down are functioning like a well-oiled machine these days, and while there’s always room for improvement, this Predators’ teams is clearly clicking on most, if not all cylinders.