Predators 2, Hurricanes 1 (OT): Craig Smith gets the last word
by Dirk Hoag on Oct 1, 2011 10:51 PM EDT
in Nashville Predators Game Recaps
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The Nashville Predators wound up their preseason with a 2-1 overtime victory over Carolina, thanks to Craig Smith scoring the winner with just 11 seconds left on the clock in overtime, putting the cap on a sensational training camp run that started with him scoring 6 goals in 2 rookie camp games in Florida. The Preds ended up with a 7-1-0 record, scoring 26 goals and giving up only 16.
The game was scoreless after two periods, with Bryan Allen opening the scoring with a goal for Carolina early in the 3rd, followed by a Patric Hornqvist PP score just over four minutes later. That was all the scoring during regulation, despite the Preds outshooting the Canes 40-21 (Mattias Ekholm fired 9 to lead the way).
Pekka Rinne went the distance for Nashville, making 20 saves for the win. From here, it's all about practice, practice, practice, as the Preds prepare for the regular season opener Friday night at Columbus.
Head over to NHL.com for the boxscore, and follow after the jump for the final scoring stats for the Predators on the preseason...
| Player | G | A | Points |
| Colin Wilson | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Shea Weber | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Jordin Tootoo | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Chris Mueller | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| David Legwand | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Sergei Kostitsyn | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Craig Smith | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Niclas Bergfors | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Patric Hornqvist | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Blake Geoffrion | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Matt Halischuk | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Cal O`Reilly | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Martin Erat | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Jonathon Blum | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Kyle Wilson | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Ryan Suter | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Ryan Thang | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jani Lajunen | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jack Hillen | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Teemu Laakso | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Victor Bartley | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Juuso Puustinen | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Nick Spaling | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Taylor Beck | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Gabriel Bourque | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Tyler Sloan | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Mattias Ekholm | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Ryan Ellis | 0 | 1 | 1 |
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What an awesome ending! Smith was a Monster!
World Wide Weber.
There is no tenderness or humanity in fanaticism.
~Joe Strummer
by cisar on Oct 1, 2011 11:10 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Was happy for Smith that he finally got one before the pre-season wrapped up. He played well, but that goal may have put him over the top in staying with the big club.
Have to think that Bourque & K. Wilson get sent down, with Mueller, Halischuk, Geoffrion and Stortini fighting for, at the most, two roster spots. Depends on whether we carry an extra forward or not (assuming Fisher starts the season on IR).
Ekholm & Ellis clearly both do not want to get sent down, as they had about half of our SOG tonight, LOL! Again, depends on whether we carry 6 or 7 Dmen to start the season. Laakso would seem a more likely 7th Dman candidate, so that 6th spot would seem to be between Ekholm and Ellis. My guess is Ekholm gets the nod, but it’ll be an interesting decision.
As for my Eastern Conf. team, the Canes, it looks like a long season for them. Need to trade Pitkanen for a top 6 forward. Rookie Dmen Murphy and Faulk look pretty good, their forward prospects not so much. The oddity in that is that they’ve drafted with an emphasis on forwards in recent years but their best two rookies are Dmen. How bizarre.
Belarussians play better as a family.......get AK46!
by Grizzledbear on Oct 1, 2011 11:19 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Ekholm isn't ready for the NHL
He needs to stay in North America to get adjusted to the size of the rink. Anybody who has seen Ekholm play in person will tell you he isnt ready to start in the NHL this year. He gets beat way too easily and doesn’t keep forwards to the outside. He has the size but just hasn’t adjusted yet and in the games that I’ve seen him play, hes made far more “poor” plays than he has good plays. I would have to say that Hillen has played very well and Laakso has been a solid player. Ellis has had both good games and bad games but I would keep him up over Ekholm easily. Ellis played well tonight and had almost 8 minutes of PP time and got the primary assist on the PP goal.
Craig Smith has been an animal in every game that hes played and I see no reason at all why he wouldnt start the season with the big club. As much as people love Geoffrion he HAS to be sent down. Geoffrion is a 4th line center, at very most a 3rd line center, whereas Smith could center either of our top 2 lines. Smith hasn’t looked out of place at all when centering the top line the past two games and works his ass off each shift. Lets just hope we carry this success into the regular season. The Preds look much better than I thought they would this year and just might leave the rest of the Central Division in the dust while we hoist the Stanley Cup.
You’re being a tad dogmatic. There’s differing opinions in regards to Ellis and Ekholm.
With Fisher out right now, it creates a spot for both Cal and Smith. But as Dirk noted in another thread, there would seem to be a decision to be made between those two when Fisher returns. They could always put one of them on the wing, so that’s a possibilty.
Belarussians play better as a family.......get AK46!
by Grizzledbear on Oct 2, 2011 12:08 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I agree....
….and then we can send Wilson down to Milwaukee for more defensive seasoning.
The truth is always the right answer....
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Oct 2, 2011 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Trotzy would be proud of you. :D
Belarussians play better as a family.......get AK46!
by Grizzledbear on Oct 2, 2011 1:39 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
LMAO!
The truth is always the right answer....
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Oct 2, 2011 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Is it coincedence
that Faulk’s number is 28?
Hmmm, not sure, but the kid might just start the season with the big club.
Belarussians play better as a family.......get AK46!
by Grizzledbear on Oct 2, 2011 2:40 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I am going to be Smith for Halloween
60% of the time it works every time
by Creeping Death on Oct 1, 2011 11:23 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Especially
after he went 10-0 on the FO dot during the game in Winnipeg
by Only Fan In J.C. ? on Oct 2, 2011 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Mueller will certainly return
I have no doubt about that. But Smith was clutch tonight, and think he certainly earned himself a roster spot. Fast and not afraid of the puck. Ellis was still too timid, which is what I said last year.
I got to be at the game last night
in section 109. I was right there for the twice attack. Despite the puck bouncing all over the place all night, Smith and Wilson continued to drive aggressively to the net all game. I think they will be great together.
by Only Fan In J.C. ? on Oct 2, 2011 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions
From the Preds radio twitter:
Straight from Barry Trotz Craig Smith is not going to Milwaukee. He has made the team.
Good for him.
I haven’t watched him play, but even just listening to the games (and reading the comments on here), he sounds like he’s made one hell of an impression.
Hands go uuppp..... AND THEY STAY THERE!
-nashvillepredators-
Congrats
to Smitty! Hope he can make an impact.
Beer... Now there's a temporary solution.-Homer Simpson
Wait a minute.
How is Horny a -1 when he scored the non-OT goal and the Canes only scored one goal?!
Hornqvist’s was a PP goal, so it doesn’t count towards +/-.
Managing Editor of On the Forecheck, SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators, and founder of HockeyGearHQ, a site devoted to hockey equipment and accessories.
Again, Wilson was the best player on the ice tonight.
As usual. He should’ve been another option…in fact, he was instrumental in Smith’s GWG cause it was the two of them that were forechecking so hard and able to keep the puck in the offensive zone.
Now that he’s being allowed to play HIS game he’s been the best player on the ice BY FAR night in and night out.
Ellis had a pretty good night. Rinne let in the softest goal I’ve seen since last year against Vancouver, so he didn’t deserve the player of the game. Good to see HornQ get into the mix tonight. And I didn’t notice Staal one single time tonight. With Weber and Suter out that’s quite an accomplishment.
The truth is always the right answer....
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Oct 2, 2011 1:35 PM EDT reply actions
Poor Staal has no one to make space for him now that Cole is gone. Take away his space and the Canes can’t score now.
Wilson and Smith keep up this scoring thing and there will be a one way ticket awaiting them for Milwaukee! :D
Belarussians play better as a family.......get AK46!
by Grizzledbear on Oct 2, 2011 1:44 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Wilson is playing far better, so far, this year than he did last year. It isn’t that he is ALLOWED to play HIS game, it’s that he is finally PLAYING his game.
MIssed you, Death! See you at Christmas break, I figure.
World Wide Weber.
There is no tenderness or humanity in fanaticism.
~Joe Strummer
Also, I'm miffed that there's no highlight reel from this game!
Grrr. Not even a crappy youtube video from someone’s cell phone.
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