Wednesday's notes: Fisher and Bouillon back in business
by Dirk Hoag on Oct 26, 2011 10:00 AM EDT
in Nashville Predators News
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PrintThe Nashville Predators get back to work today integrating Mike Fisher and Francis Bouillon into the lineup and preparing for tomorrow's game against Tampa Bay, and while it may take the two veterans a little time to get back up to speed, one encouraging sign we can take from last night is that both players took on heavy minutes and tough duty right from the start, and appeared to hold up well. At least they'll have two more home games this week to get acclimated before the Preds head out on a five-game road trip...
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Franson
I don’t think he is the answer to any of our problems…but I liked him better on the right point of the 2nd PP unit better than Klein. He has that sneaky wrister. Hope he finds a better home.
As much as everyone hates on Klein
I saw him make a lot of great blocks. I noticed him doing a lot of good things. I know some are blaming him for the SH goal. I also saw Weber nearly turn it over right in front of the goalie. The puck didn’t seem to want to settle. I also noticed and I think it has been mentioned before, that the preds take a lot of time to get control of the puck on the stick compared to other teams. This keeps us from moving the puck before the defender has time to anticipate the next move. Is this a natural skill or is it something that can be taught?
Beer... Now there's a temporary solution.-Homer Simpson
While I have cringed at some of our defensive plays, defense isn’t this teams main issue. Zone time is. Zone time lessens shots against.
We can’t keep it in our zone because we are not good in the corners.(anymore).
How did we get bad in the corners?
"I am you, you are me, and we are all together" Beatles
by amyinsparta on Oct 26, 2011 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions
re
I assume you were alseep during the regular season. We arent talking the post season with Ward. Try again.
True...
but when he actually played he was hell on wheels in the corners…also Goc came pretty handy in those areas..the Preds ingeneral aren’t getting their hands dirty or playing with any grit. Put a check on somebody…anybody…EVERYBODY!
Tootoo can’t do it all.
by HardCorePredFan316 on Oct 26, 2011 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Speaking of Joel
Last night Terry said “gotta get the puck toward the net” or something like that and at first I heard “gotta get the puck to Ward” and then I got sad since he isnt there anymore.
by Joel Ward is my Homeboy on Oct 26, 2011 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions
In no way do I have even an ounce of desire for Turris to come to Nashville,
but I can not believe what’s happening with him.
Where do you guys think he ends up playing (if at all) past December 1st?
Proud owner of a fantasy hockey team named "Lonely Wristshots."
by TerryCrispisms on Oct 26, 2011 12:13 PM EDT reply actions
If you watch our play in the corners, we are pushed off the puck. We need a forward who can push a little, not thrust their stick in and hope to somehow steal the puck away.
“the predator way” cannot work if we do not have the type players to do the dirty work in the corners. So, we need a trading partner, someone needing more speed and less of what we need.
Continuing on your thoughts...
I have noticed more than ever that we are getting beat to the puck no matter where we are on the ice. The wait for the puck approach is not working. I’ve seen this play from the Predators in the past but it was only a shift or two anomlay, not every shift every player (except for Tootoo, Halischuk, and Smith)
I thought one of the first things they teach you when playing hockey is skate hard to the puck. When I see players like Murray who is as clunky as Optimus Prime beat Kostitsyn or Legwand to the puck in the corner, there is something wrong with that. Maybe it’s that lack of aggression that is keeping the Preds from getting into the offensive zone or controlling the play at all. It seems to always be us playing catch-up and the other team dominating the transition game.
We have to make quicker decisions with the puck as someone else said. This waiting game with the puck while the other team changes lines and sets up a wall isn’t cutting it either. This is especially obvious when another team “full-court” presses us and we make a mistake on the clear and lo and behold we have an odd-man rush coming the other way.
If this is Trotz’ problem, then someone needs to call him out on it. We are too young a team and we have too much speed to burn to constantly be behind the play and not tearing into the offensive zone rather than the same old dump-and-chase that 99.9% of the time gets collected and quickly moved out of their zone by the other team.
Rant over.
by HardCorePredFan316 on Oct 26, 2011 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions
To the puck
In the past, the leggys and kostitans played what I’ll call a supporting roll when the puck is in the corner. Kinda the 2nd one in to create the mismatch. They gotta be there first now.
We have Lso become predictable again, teams head to the boards because they know it’s where we are throwing the puck. It’s what inexperience does. Sharks, many times in their zone, will make that first pass to the middle of ice and off they go. Hopefully, playing time will correct some of the issue, but we are a gritty forward short. It would be nice to have a sniper, but snipers cant score if we don’t have the right person ell corralling the puck.
by Predator Don on Oct 26, 2011 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Getting a Ward type player would be helpful in some areas of play for us, but it doesn’t address our inabilty to get set up in the offensive zone by bringing the puck up ice and over the opposing teams blueline. It appears to me that teams picked up something from what the Canucks did to us in the playoffs last spring: just challange the puck carrier as soon as he enters their Dzone and cause a turnover. Until we address that issue, our inability to generate offense will continue.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Oct 26, 2011 8:27 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
This has Lambert written all over it
The Admirals turned into a dump and chase team even on the powerplay which pissed me off to no end.
Why when you have possesion of the puck, get to the blueline, and turn it into a 50-50 boggles me.
Unless you don’t have the players that can actually aquire the zone with any kind of skill or system, then it explains the problem perfectly.
What happens on the ice...stays on the ice...
the point of the dump and chase
The D is just going to try to isolate the player skating over the blue line with the puck, and not give him any kind of passing or skating lane. Instead of the player with the puck getting trapped, and turning the puck over, he dumps it to the end board. This puts the puck past the opposing D making them have to turn for it and putting them on their heels. IF DONE CORRECTLY it gives the attacking team a chance to pass or at least close the gap on the D in the race for the puck.
The problems with the preds dump and chase this season has been poor execution. They’ve been dumping too early (with too much gap between them and the D, D easily wins the race) and into poor areas (where the forwards can’t beat the D to it, or at least out number them)
The only ways around having to use the dump and chase against a good defensive team is to transition the game quickly enough to not give the opposing team time to set up, or to have a player that can skate or pass the puck through the opposing defense. The 2nd option always has to have a good bit of luck with it (where the D just doesn’t execute the way they should), and won’t work against the best defensive teams. That pretty much leaves the other 2 options, and the transition one rarely works on the PP where the opposing team is almost constantly in Defensive position at their blue line.
right now the only thing the preds have going for them consistently for gaining the blue line is the few times a game they can out-transition the other team, but that can’t be relied upon as a primary scheme.
Keys to the game: GA<GF
what i would like the preds to try more.
with the plethora of puck moving Dmen and younger team i would like to see the preds try to get through the Nzone with a lot more speed. IF they can set it up where 1 forward crosses the blue line with speed and the puck, then they can tilt the opposing teams D, turning it into a miniature 1on1. then when the opposing D starts to close the gap a simple bank off the side boards and into the near side corner sets the forward up with an easy race to the puck with a trailing defender. It forces the Defender to either chase the guy down, or take a penalty when the attacker side steps him.It’s a simple and effective,when done properly, variation of the dump and chase. The key to the whole play is speed through the Nzone and a speedy entry.
Keys to the game: GA<GF
good call, coach!
60% of the time it works every time
by Creeping Death on Oct 26, 2011 11:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Of course teams will try and stop players from carrying the puck over the blueline if they can, but that’s where skill comes into play. If a player has the skill to force defenders to back off (obvious examples would be Crosby, Ovechkin, among others), then you can get set up offensively. The other added benefit is that by drawing defenders attention towards that skilled player, you’re opening up lanes for the other forwards on that line. If you lack the skill to do this as we do, then you either dump and chase or get taken off the puck trying to bring it thru the offensive zone.
Of course, obtaining a player talented enough to back off the other teams defenders isn’t an easy task, but it’s one that needs to be persued.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Oct 26, 2011 11:50 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Which is why the preds should focus more on fixing the problem within the roster they have. Even if acquire 1 guy talented enough to consistently pull of a carry or play, that’s just one guy on one line. Unless that guy is truly an elite level talent they would be easy to isolate, and the current problems would still exist amongst the other lines.
Keys to the game: GA<GF
It’s the domino theory of a player currently on the 1st line moving to the 2nd line to make room for (add new players name) and so on that strengthens all of the lines.
Of course we need to find ways to improve things prior to making some player movements, but as predator don has pointed out, even with a dump and chase approach, we lack enough players who are effective at working the corners. And retrieving
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Oct 27, 2011 1:17 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Oops, hit the post button by accident to soon. Meant to say that working the corners and retrieving those dump ins isn’t a strong suit of this team as it’s currently set up. Doesn’t leave us with many good options at the moment.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Oct 27, 2011 1:20 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
dump and chase
dump it right at the goalie and get a faceoff in the offensive zone would probably be a better win percentage that dumping it into the corners nowadays.
Actually, that's not a bad idea
Particularly for the 3rd & 4th lines, ending a shift by creating an offensive zone faceoff for one of the scoring lines to take advantage of is a minor victory.
Managing Editor of On the Forecheck, SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators, and founder of Hockey Gear HQ, a site devoted to hockey equipment and accessories.
I think you’re on to something with that tie-in to the Vancouver series. We haven’t really had the puck since Anaheim. If you stretch the SOG tally back that far, I’m sure it’s pretty ugly.
by el pucko on Oct 26, 2011 9:48 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Numbers don't lie
Did I hear someone say this is the youngest NHL team? It is what it is. Poile can spin it with statements about counting on youth and layers of sparkling, new gold – but this is a “rebuilding” year. We have gone to the youth to rebuild and that’s just the way it is. I have no idea why Poile would do this after last year’s playoff success, but I can surely understand why it would anger an elite defenseman looking for some real gold in his hands.
Maybe this youthful team will gel and we’ll make a playoff berth. After all, there is a lot more hockey to play. We can only hope!
On another note, what’s up with all the Stortini clips in the guardian video they showed between periods? If you’re gonna use his face to advertise the team, DP, bring him back. At least the fans liked him! Maybe he’d add some spark to the squad.
Hockey Fights Cancer and so do I
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I think you are right about the youth on the team
I think the best we can hope for is that after some games and with Fisher and Boullion and hopefully Erat back that they can get it going. I don’t see the Preds bringing in a veteran unless we are in playoff position near the deadline. Smith sure looks good. I did see a lot of shot attempts last night, not many were getting through though.
Beer... Now there's a temporary solution.-Homer Simpson
I do wish they would bring in somebody. Someone like a Jarome Iginla would be nice. Maybe the Flames will go down in flames and have to deal him out.
Hockey Fights Cancer and so do I
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Depends on how much he is making
That may be in the grand plan. A high priced forward, but only from the trade deadline on. Problem is, you have to be in position to make the playoffs.
Beer... Now there's a temporary solution.-Homer Simpson
You also have to be lucky enough to be able to entice one of the few sellers near the deadline to take whatever package of players/picks/prospects you’re offering up over what other teams are willing to part with for those same players. It’s why, among other reasons, I don’t like the wait and hope approach to filling needs that your team has. If you have a need as obvious as ours, you should address it as soon as possible, or you may well end up being one of the sellers come February.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Oct 26, 2011 11:38 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I am beginning to agree
but, I don’t think at this point they would spend more than 4 mil. Who could they get?
Beer... Now there's a temporary solution.-Homer Simpson
Well, at the moment I’d say Montreal is a team that might be looking to do something, maybe Calgary or Winnipeg as well. A.Kostitsyn isn’t the perfect solution, but he could be helpful. If we could move some salary the other way (O’Reilly for example), it could help balance out the money situation at least somewhat.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Oct 27, 2011 1:30 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Seriously doubt AK’s available. He’s been one of few bright spots for the Habs this month.
R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
Lightning Goalies--0 for 4 on the poke check in October 2011
Part Predator, part Lightning.
as I (and soon to be you) know....
… since he is on my fantasy hockey team!
I would like to see AK here, I would love to see Iginla here, but don’t see that happening. You have to think that any momentum with the fans can disappear fairly quickly if we don’t get a win at home. Also, as others have mentioned, the pregame video montage, “I’m Coming Home” does nothing to get fans worked up. It is sentimental to the playoff series, but not really helpful. I would be happier with the old computer animation of the Predator beating on the division rivals throughout the city.
Beer... Now there's a temporary solution.-Homer Simpson
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