Nashville looks to avoid a 0-4 start to the season for only the second time in Franchise History
By Anthony Pellegrino @Pellegrinoap50 IceInsider.com Predators All Access Reporter
BOSTON--It's game two of Nashville's four-game homestand at Bridgestone Arena tonight. Marking the Predators fourth game of the regular season, the team is still searching for their first win of the campaign. Amid the new additions of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei, the Predators still cannot seem to execute and time offensive zone as well as defensive zone plays.
This evening, the opposition in the Edmonton Oilers can testify to the situation the Predators currently sit in.
Prior to the Oilers 4-3 overtime win against Philidelphia on Tuesday, they found themselves winless in three games, where the Predators currently stand. While Edmonton didn't acquire a player the caliber of Marchessault, Stamkos, or Skjei, the team had high expectations leading into this season after pushing to the Stanley Cup Finals last season, falling to the Panthers in seven.
Much like Steven Stamkos, Connor McDavid (4 A) still searches for his first goal of the season, heading into game five.
A lot is certainly on the line this evening for Nashville. A downward spiral at the beginning of the season historically leads to teams parting ways with the coaching staff.
Ask the Oilers; following a 3-9-1 record and Sitting second-last in the NHL standings last season, the team fired former head coach Jay Woodcroft in replacement for Kris Knoblauch.
Leading into the matchup against Edmonton, Nashville canceled all practice sessions yesterday amid holding team meetings before media availability.
Nashville's Projected Lineup
Forsberg-O'Reilly-Nyquist
Stamkos-Novak-Evangelista
Jankowski-Sissons-Marchessault
Smith-McCarron-Tomasino
Josi-Fabbro
Skjei-Schenn
Lauzon-Carrier
**Saros
Wedgewood
**=Unconfirmed
Head Coach Andrew Brunette said that everything is on the table in regard to lines for tonight. Assuming he keeps them the same, they'll look like the lines above. The only change since against Seattle, Smith is back down to the fourth line, and Tomasino is back in for Parssinen.
The fourth line against Seattle seemed to be the team's most complete line until the plus/minus spoke their tune. Mike McCarron, who beat Daccord with an incredible backhand, ended the night as a minus-four. He was on the ice for five out of the six Seattle goals.
Following the Predators team meetings yesterday, Brunette tried to answer why he thinks the group, as a whole, cannot seem to execute and win games:
“As a whole, we can all pull the rope a little better, and it's every guy. I think none of us are pulling it together. We're kind of pulling it on our own little program here, a bit at times, and we're looking for an easier way out than a hard way."
Edmonton's Projected Lineup:
Draisaitl-McDavid-Hyman
Podkolzin-Nuget Hopkins-Arvidsson
Skinner-Henrique-Brown
Janmark-Ryan-Perry
Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Stecher
Kulak-Emberson
**Skinner
Pickard
**=Unconfirmed
Injuries: Kane
No one will ask Connor McDavid. Yet it's the elephant in the room. In four games, he's yet to find the back of the net; although registering four assists. Nashville can expect McDavid's urgency to be a test defensively throughout the night.
With Evan Bouchard on the ice, seen mostly with the notable top unit of Draisaitl-McDavid-Hyman, has outshot the opposition in the first four games 128 to just 57, with a plus 71.
Evander Kane remains injured due to undergoing procedures to repair two torn hip adductor muscles, two hernias, and two torn lower abdominal muscles from playing through a hernia last season.
Who to watch for Nashville:
Luke Evangelista seems to be a player that subtly makes plays that lead into conversations for Nashville. A year older, his game shows more patience, and maturity than ever.
So far, playing three games with the Predators, Evangelista has two asssits in his showings.
Juuse Saros has been known for having bounce-back games, especially at the beginning of the season. For context, in game one of last season, he posted a .879 SV% in a four-goal loss to Tampa.
The next game? It was a 23-save shutout to Seattle.
Who to watch for Edmonton:
Leon Drastil's performance has found a spark, ever since Head Coach Kris Knoblauch decided to sit the forward against Philadelphia due to cross-checking Garnet Hathaway. Ever since, he's played just that much grittier for the team.
Also to note-in the past seven games against the Predators, Drastil has a staggering nine goals and 11 assists, for 20 points. Saros will have tabs on the natural-born point scorer tonight.
All Mattias Ekholm knew was Nashville. He spent parts of twelve seasons with the team, dating back to the 2011-2012 season. Drafted by the Predators in the fourth round of the 2009 draft, Nashville quickly took in Ekholm as their own. He returns again to Nashville tonight.
Third-line forward Jeff Skinner inked a one-year, 3 million dollar contract following the buyout of the remaining three years under contract by the Buffalo Sabres. In four games, he has a goal and two assists. The Oilers seem to sacrifice goaltending for an all-around team. If Nashville takes any shift off, the game can quickly turn for the worse.
Starting Goaltenders:
Goaltender Juuse Saros is slated to start in goal tonight for Nashville. He looks to rebound after an unstable performance against Seattle. While the blame didn't fall on Saros, as the team gave up an unreasonable amount of two-on-ones, Saros has to find a way to be ready right from puck drop.
So far, in his two appearances, Saros is 0-2, with a .855 SV% and 4.19 GAA. Both the defense and Saros have to perform tonight against the McDavid-Draisaitl line.
Upon falling in the Stanley Cup Finals last season, Stuart Skinner has started a trend performed by just a handful of goaltenders in the leauge: Dark pads at home and white pads away.
In three games this season, Skinner is 1-2, with a .845 SV% and 4.42 GAA.
Storylines for Nashville:
Don't break down: Against both Dallas and Seattle, the Predators have allowed the opposition to score two in less than two minutes. How the team responds after allowing a goal will be a factor in the outcome.
The maturity of veteran leadership within the group has shown late efforts to push back into games in the final minutes. The notable veterans have to step up their response to allowing a goal through the game.
Open the scoring: The Predators have not yet scored first, a root cause of not finding ways to win. Thus far, in every game has the team been trailing, trying to climb back into games. Scoring first will help the team to control the game and further the outcome to victory.
Schenn's 1,000th:
Luke Schenn, a free agent acquisition by Nashville two seasons ago, has shown during his time with Nashville that not every player has to see retirement on their horizon at 34 years old.
Tonight marks the defenseman's 1,000th game in the National Hockey Leauge:
“I’m proud of the longevity, and I think the biggest thing, too, is to have lots of family and friends to be in town to help experience it with me,” Schenn said. “I just have a great support system of family and friends, and they're all going to be here tomorrow and Saturday. I’m just proud I get to celebrate with all of them.”
Schenn, 34, has played parts of 17 seasons in the NHL to achieve the milestone. He began his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, playing four seasons with the team that drafted the defenseman 5th overall in the 2008 draft. Following Toronto, he spent time with Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Arizona, Anaheim, Vancouver, and Tampa, then back to Vancouver and Toronto before finding his way to Nashville.
Schenn spoke on the beginning of the season thus far:
“The ultimate goal is to try to win here. We’re obviously not off to a great start, but at the end of the day, that's why you play the game. No other reason than that."
Game Prediction:
The Predators can't lose every game, right? Heading into game four still in search of the win, it should be evident by the end of the first period where the game will sway. As I said before the Seattle matchup, they have to find a way to open the scoring.
My prediction: Nashville falls 5-2 to the Oilers. Connor McDavid to score his first two of the season, and Roman Josi to earn a goal.
Predators Hurricane Helene Relief: Donate Here
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