Predators 6, Canucks 5: Not just another late-night snoozefest
by Dirk Hoag on Dec 2, 2011 1:14 AM EST
in Nashville Predators Game Recaps
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PrintTonight may just have been the wildest Nashville Predators victory in recent memory. After jumping out to a 3-1 lead in the 1st period on the strength of two power play goals(!), the wheels appeared to come off the wagon as Vancouver ripped off four goals in the second period to take a 5-3 advantage, chasing Pekka Rinne off the ice.
From there on in, however, it was all sprinkled doughnuts and gummi bears, as Anders Lindback made 19 saves in relief, and the Preds came back with three straight goals of their own to take a 6-5 decision to close out their road trip with 4 points in 5 games, and a return to Bridgestone Arena coming up.
Video highlights and reaction after the jump...
First the video:
Not-so-random observations from this one:
- I can only imagine the level of craziness that will take over Vancouver sports radio in light of the combined goaltending performance tonight. Both Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo gave up 3 goals, further clouding the issue of whether one can take command.
- What you hope the Preds take away from a game like this is a confidence and determination not to give up when they fall behind. Completing a comeback against overwhelming odds can certainly bind the group together.
- That said, this was, most of the time, a terrifying game to watch, given the extended possession that the Canucks maintained in the Predators' zone on many occasions. Vancouver definitely looks like a contender once again, after slogging through the opening weeks of the season.
- This was the first time since February 4, 2010 that the Preds scored 3 power play goals in one game. The fact that they did it on 3 PP opportunities, going 3-for-3, is unprecedented for Nashville.
- Give full marks to the Green Men, who really stepped up their game tonight. Naked Kesler, mustard, they had it working!
| Even Strength | Individual Totals | Team Totals While Player Is On Ice | ||||||||||
| Player | Pos | EV TOI | Shots | Shts Blkd | Missed Shts | Blocks | SOG For | SOG Ag | SOG +/- | Tot SF | Tot SA | Corsi |
| Martin Erat | R | 18:21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 15 | -9 | 8 | 31 | -23 |
| Mike Fisher | C | 16:26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 14 | -9 | 6 | 29 | -23 |
| Craig Smith | C | 15:57 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 | -7 | 8 | 25 | -17 |
| David Legwand | C | 15:53 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 8 | 16 | -8 |
| Nick Spaling | C | 15:48 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 | -8 | 11 | 23 | -12 |
| Jordin Tootoo | R | 15:38 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13 | -9 | 9 | 23 | -14 |
| Colin Wilson | C | 14:19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 7 | 13 | -6 |
| Matt Halischuk | R | 13:10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | -7 | 9 | 16 | -7 |
| Patric Hornqvist | R | 12:09 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 10 | -3 |
| Jerred Smithson | R | 7:53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 7 | 12 | -5 |
| Kyle Wilson | C | 7:23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 6 | 10 | -4 |
| Brian Mcgrattan | R | 5:32 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 7 | 6 | +1 |
| Shea Weber | D | 21:21 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 19 | -6 |
| Ryan Suter | D | 21:11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 18 | -5 |
| Kevin Klein | D | 21:02 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 16 | -13 | 7 | 39 | -32 |
| Jack Hillen | D | 19:31 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 15 | -12 | 7 | 36 | -29 |
| Jonathon Blum | D | 12:33 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 11 | -7 | 12 | 17 | -5 |
| Roman Josi | D | 10:36 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | -6 | 10 | 15 | -5 |
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bad number for corsi, but based on each players toi, it makes me question corsi as a valuable metric.
Why does time on ice matter?
You are either out there for shots for or shots against no matter how much time you are out. Weber and Suter played more and their corsi numbers are -6 and -5. I guess time on ice matters cause Trotz should have played Blum and Josi more, cause Hillen and Klein were getting annihilated? I guess you can just discredit one of the best judges of player accountability cause you don’t like how it reflects on Klein and Hillen.
Well, partly cause they kept getting stuck out there cause they couldn’t clear the zone at all. Plus, it just shows the sorry state of our D after the top pairing.
Ice time is the #1 indicator as to how the coach thinks the player is playing.
Hillen did not have his best game last night. Klein has had worse games than last night. Both were fighting the puck. Burrow’s tip in goal behind Klein should have been better defended. Hansen’s shot from just inside the blue line should have been stopped easily and was the final straw in pulling Rinne.
I am not a big fan of the Corsi statistic because in the modern NHL, where the goalies are bigger and quicker, many teams’ defensive stategy is to cut down on good scoring opportunities, not necessarily shots on goal. That is why many teams win (Nashville and Minnesota for example) while being outshot game after game.
Hillen and Klein got a lot of minutes because they are good penalty killers and Blum and Josi are not. Plus it was the kind of game where whoever scored last was going to win. Vancouver probably has the best 2 lines of forwards in the NHL. Trotz must have felt Hillen/Klein were better equipped to defend against their first and second lines better than Blum/Josi. Like it or not, the strategy worked as the Preds held them scoreless the entire 3rd period and recorded an impressive “character” victory.
thanks for this breakdown. i know klein has his moments, but to me it seems people blame him for 100% of the goals scored against him and never weber or suter. i guess people use the tradeoff of scoring to make up for defensive lapses. the love for zidliscky must have been the greatest and pure hatred for zannon.
people give Klein a hard time and not Weber/Suter because Klein always seems to be on the ice when the other team scores, and Weber/Suter aren’t. When a rare goal is scored against Weber/Suter, fans are willing to give them a little leeway. And it’s not like Weber/Suter are pulling chump match-ups either.
I’m amazed two guys on the D can have a 15/13, and Klein is a -13.
hockey connoisseur. t-shirt addict. not famous. nerd.
Suter and Weber were Minus (-) players in each of their last 5 games.
So go figure. I think +/- is a deceiving stat because there are so many factors that weigh into it, but over the course of a season, I think it is a reasonably good indicator of how well a defenseman plays. I think the three biggest factors to consider when looking at a +/- is how many goals a team scores, the win/loss record of a team, and the goaltender’s save %.
I have been a Klein detractor, so I don't want to speak out of both sides of my mouth but...
The problem in comparing Klein/Hillen/Blum/Josi/Bouillon to Suter and Weber is that none of them are Suter or Weber, probably the best defensive duo in the NHL.
Suter and Weber have their moments. I think they have been playing poorly in the last 4 or 5 games prior to last night. Too lacksadaisacal. Perhaps too many minutes. But last night they were excellent. But as excellent as they played, we were still out shot almost 2-1 and the puck was in the zone probably 2/3 of the time when they were out there.
Klein is responsible for all goals against the Preds...
even when he’s not on the ice, cause dangit, he should have been out there preventing goals! by the way, there were 3 other goals scored by the Nucks while Klein and Hillen weren’t on the ice.
by Only Fan In J.C. ? on Dec 3, 2011 2:11 PM EST up reply actions
FYI
The shading (pink for poor numbers, green for strong ones) is calculated relative to ice time.
Managing Editor of On the Forecheck, SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators, and founder of Hockey Gear HQ, a site devoted to helping you save on hockey equipment, accessories, and NHL apparel.
Why did you choose pink?
Something subliminal?
Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is where the Stanley Cup can be found.
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Dec 3, 2011 2:55 PM EST up reply actions
Whenever they got stuck out there against the Sedin brothers, it was like my worst nightmare come true. I would literally avert my eyes and just hope I didn’t hear that goal horn. They were so outclassed.
by 29thWard on Dec 2, 2011 8:30 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
It seemed like Every time the nucks had extended pressure
It was Klien and Hillen out there.
I don’t think trotz was able to get the match ups he wanted.
Augrattan was the ONLY positive Corsi.
Hahaha. That’s fantastic.
Hands go uuppp..... AND THEY STAY THERE!
-nashvillepredators-
(And yes, I know he only played 5 minutes. It's just amusing.)
Hands go uuppp..... AND THEY STAY THERE!
-nashvillepredators-
but they were 5 great minutes
60% of the time it works every time
by Creeping Death on Dec 2, 2011 1:46 AM EST up reply actions
Wilson is a beast.
I think his solid performance this season is being a little over shadowed by the HB though. This year Wilson has been strong on the puck, is playing a better all around game, and with a little more consistency. I hope he continues and that we can keep him for years to come.
Wilson?
There were 2 Wilsons playing for us. ;)
Yeah, as I said before I am still waiting on a Phillips for that line :)
by Predmonton on Dec 2, 2011 1:30 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Absolutely. Did you see his deke for that goal?!? Beautiful.
Hands go uuppp..... AND THEY STAY THERE!
-nashvillepredators-
Lindy was a ROCK tonight. Very impressive considering the pressure he was under.
R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
Part Predator, part Lightning.
"Breathe deep. Think of smiley puppies"--@FakeLindback
Resiliency
If I spelled that correctly, the comeback could pay dividends in team chemistry. Great fight to win.
you added an ‘R’ to the word
60% of the time it works every time
by Creeping Death on Dec 2, 2011 1:48 AM EST up reply actions
JoshuaCooper JoshuaCooper
Trotz: “We’ll get out of here very, very quiet because I don’t think we deserved to win the game.”
9 minutes ago
R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
Part Predator, part Lightning.
"Breathe deep. Think of smiley puppies"--@FakeLindback
could this have something to do...
With the frosty i ate b4 the game started?
by JBoogie22 on Dec 2, 2011 1:42 AM EST via iPhone app reply actions
if it does...
you are now required to eat frosties before EVERY game starts. same size and everything.
TN Sports fan in Hoosier Country....
my theory has proven to be correct. when I don’t wear a preds shirt on gamedays we win. YOU’RE WELCOME
Okay, I'll say it...
What’s up with Pekka?
There's only two kinds of teams in the NHL: Predators and prey.
disclaimer
I didn’t watch the game last night, so don’t know if his being pulled was due to a mass amount of Kleinisms or if maybe Suter kicked in a couple… it just seems like he’s been pulled twice in a week or so. Fighting injury or the flu or something?
There's only two kinds of teams in the NHL: Predators and prey.
Pekka wasn't great, but...
The team as a whole was TERRIBLE from the 2nd period on. Trotz was right when he said we didn’t deserve to win this one. We were ok in the first, but got lucky that Schneider was off. We scored on our 1st two shots and had 3 goals on 5 shots in the 1st. Pekka let in some weak ones, but I totally don’t blame him, cause he was facing a ridiculous onslaught. Honestly, I have never seen a team so dominated as we were in the third and actually win the game.
domination is definitely the right word
In the postgame, the graphic they put up said the Canucks tried 81 shots, only 37 of which were considered “on goal.” That’s a whooooole lot of shots for a goaltender to track/get ready for. This is an extremely dangerous trend we’ve got going here.
R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
Part Predator, part Lightning.
"Breathe deep. Think of smiley puppies"--@FakeLindback
But the goalie still has to square up for those shots. The origin of the Corsi stat was that it was used to measure the amount of work a goalie faced during a game.
Managing Editor of On the Forecheck, SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators, and founder of Hockey Gear HQ, a site devoted to helping you save on hockey equipment, accessories, and NHL apparel.
i just come from the school of let your goalie see the puck. Just because Blum and Klein block a lot of shots doesn’t mean they are playing good D. The goal is to limit the amount of shots the other team takes.
and to limit the amount of time they are in your zone, because if you are buried in your zone, you have zero chance of scoring, unless the net is empty.
re: letting the goalie see the puck
some goalies (like Brodeur, for instance) are very vocal about that. He wants to see it coming and tells his team not to get in his way. Chris Mason says he wants to see them if they’re relatively close in, but wants them blocked if they’re from beyond the hashmarks or further. Dwayne Roloson says block all of them, just be sure to give him the space to move (i.e., don’t stand where he wants to be.) I’ve never heard Pekka or Lindy address the subject, but the point is the team should be approaching that the way the goalie wants it, not the way the fans want it.
R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
Part Predator, part Lightning.
"Breathe deep. Think of smiley puppies"--@FakeLindback
“I just throw my body. I don’t really go down. Some guys go to one knee and stuff like that, and I just kind of react. I try to get my feet in front of the puck. It’s pretty much just desperation,” Blum Nov 14th, 2011.
This quote by Blum on blocked shots doesn’t inspire confidence. That’s how I see him and Klein most of the time. Acts of desperation by both to make up for their inability to win the puck.
but this strategy seems to work a lot better because they dont give the guy much warning about it. The guys who drop to a knee right away have given the guy with the puck an edge by saying hey im going to block so you can pass it. By waiting till the last second and just reacting they dont give them that advantage.
I don’t disagree with your concerns. I just think that’s a separate thing from letting the goaltender see it. To me there are two decisions a player has to make: (a) whether to block shots and where (in other words a sort of general tendency—that’s where the goalie’s input is valuable), and (b) how to block a particular shot (in other words in the moment). I think it’s probably a fine line guys are walking between doing it too little (and letting shots get through when they shouldn’t) and doing it too much (and giving up good positioning, etc., in favor of low percentage block attempts).
R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
Part Predator, part Lightning.
"Breathe deep. Think of smiley puppies"--@FakeLindback
a lot the problems Pekka had were due to the team in front of him. Trotz said as much post-game. s
Puck And Punk blog: The only music with enough heart for hockey.
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Makes sense. But the last couple games I’ve seen him in, he’s looked a little off. I’m just a little worried, I guess.
There's only two kinds of teams in the NHL: Predators and prey.
Your concerns are not unfounded.
Pekka has been shaky lately. His Superman routine last season has spoiled us.
Colin deserves the love
Colin was the best player out there not named Sedin.
Tootoo was excellent in the offensive zone again. Him, Spaling and Chuk had some great chances, but they did get stuck in our zone a lot.
I honestly have no idea how we won that game. That 3rd period seemed like the Canucks were on the PP the entire time. Wilson’s line had a couple good shifts and we scored that goal, but besides that, we were totally dominated. I mean dominated in the 3rd.
+1 for Wilson.
He coulda done it last year had he been given a chance.
Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is where the Stanley Cup can be found.
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Dec 2, 2011 9:29 AM EST up reply actions
He was
But this year he isn’t wasting it
Keys to the game: GA<GF
by flyalder on Dec 2, 2011 10:19 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Playing 8 minutes a game?
I think not dude.
But what’s done is done. Let us not dwell on the nebulous my friend.
Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is where the Stanley Cup can be found.
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Dec 2, 2011 10:39 AM EST up reply actions
it’s just great to see him working hard even when things aren’t going his way this year.
Keys to the game: GA<GF
I agree.
But I think he’s been our best player so far this year. He’s been strong on the puck and has a pretty good point production to boot. Once he gets hot, he’s gonna be our leading scorer. Just me projecting again.
Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is where the Stanley Cup can be found.
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Dec 2, 2011 11:02 AM EST up reply actions
i hope his production rate increases though. He’s been playing better than his .5 points per game(last time i checked) indicates. Personally i think taking the pointless wonder (hornQ) off his line will help him and legwand.
Keys to the game: GA<GF
by flyalder on Dec 2, 2011 12:25 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I agree. C. Wilson is the only player on the Preds that I would say has been consistently confident with the puck and keeps a level head and strong play regardless of what is happening around him on the ice.
by Only Fan In J.C. ? on Dec 3, 2011 2:25 PM EST up reply actions
Well that was just wacky!
One of the oddest games I’ve seen us play. Who would think that out of the 4 goalies between the 2 teams that Lindback would be the only one who could stop anything?! And keep that PP unit in tack!!!
Seriously though, getting outshot 37-20 to the Canucks won’t lead to a good result most times, but I like that we didn’t deflate after the Nucks put 4 straight goals on us in the 2nd period. And can we settle this already: Smith is a top 6 forward on this team and should stay in that mix. SK74 can man 3rd line duties when he comes back.
It may not have been a defensively pretty game, but it will hopefully get our scoring confidence back to a good place. Sometimes a run and gun type game is exactly what you need to kick start the offense.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 2, 2011 11:16 AM EST via mobile reply actions
That’s intact, not in tack………..head cold not helping my cause today. :/
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 2, 2011 11:17 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Smith is a top 6 forward on this team and should stay in that mix
Amen. He has looked pretty good with Tootoo but he is obviously going to be better with more skilled talent around him, especially as a rookie. I say maximize his value instead of trying to lift that 3rd line with his skill.
by Marcus Newman on Dec 2, 2011 2:07 PM EST up reply actions
On another note.......
I wonder how many times a team has scored on both of their first two shots in a game? Pretty rare thing it would seem.
Everytime I think the Nucks are the team to beat in the west, they falter like they did last night. The talent is there for sure, but they just seem to lack that intangible a team like the Bruins has.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 2, 2011 11:25 AM EST via mobile reply actions
I think the Nucks are overrated defensively. I think their defense is a lot like our offense…a lot of 2nd and 3rd line guys. They keep the SA from being embarrassing (see us) but that’s due in large part to the amount of time they spend in the offensive zone. They still struggle to control play in their end, especially down low.
by Marcus Newman on Dec 2, 2011 2:25 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t think anything is wrong with Peks……other than he KNOWS he must be perfect and that will wear you out mentally. You’d be mentally exhausted if the opposition was getting the puck in PREMIER scoring zones way to many times.
Anders the giant played well……well enough imo to be rewarded with a start Saturday nite. Peks needs a rest mentally.
My hockey team is better than your hockey team
Maybe someone has already commented on this...
but how does Legwand have 0 shots on goal and a managed to score a goal in the game? even the event summary gives him credit for 1 SOG. Where do you get your data?
by Only Fan In J.C. ? on Dec 3, 2011 1:56 PM EST reply actions
The table above is for Even Strength play only, Leggy’s was a PP goal.
Managing Editor of On the Forecheck, SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators, and founder of Hockey Gear HQ, a site devoted to helping you save on hockey equipment, accessories, and NHL apparel.
so only the shots during EV are counted? so all the PP unit people should have have shots that aren’t counted in this table? this makes a lot more sense now, thanks!
by Only Fan In J.C. ? on Dec 3, 2011 4:57 PM EST up reply actions
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