Sharks vs Predators advanced stats tell a familiar tale

Stop me if you've heard this one before - the Nashville Predators were sorely outgunned in the shot totals, and were kept in the game by Pekka Rinne before ultimately coughing it up in the third period. It's a familiar story, but a relevant one; they've been outshot in every single game so far.

And before you ask, no, Virginia, there's no indication that teams can, over the course of a season, play a strategy of "fewer, but higher quality shots" to any significant advantage. The Preds are simply spending way too much time scrambling in their own end, and not enough time making opponents do the same.

Follow after the jump for the advanced even-strength numbers from last night's game, and a few quick-hit observations...

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• I was amazed at how much work Mike Fisher got last night, and he didn't look tentative at all. He jumped right into the mix and banged bodies consistently. While he's never been a big force in the possession game, he's still a major upgrade at center.
• The Cube was also a welcome sight on the blueline, and even if he can just shore up the 3rd pair, that's another marginal improvement that helps things get moving in the right direction.
• The entire current roster of the team is underwater in terms of cumulative Corsi rating. Numbers don't tell the whole story, but that's a scary sight right there.
• SK74 has 9 shots in 8 games. Like I've said before, it's very rare for guys to significantly bump up their shooting rates from one year to the next, especially for a guy who's been around for a while like Kostitsyn has.
• I don't see how the Preds can continue to use a spot in the lineup for an enforcer. This team isn't talented enough up front to just run 3 lines along with a few specialists.
• A gold star goes to Craig Smith, who continues to fire away and cash in the rewards.