The Predators head into Game 2 at home tonight.
Nashville Predators
I was largely unimpressed with Luke Schenn on Tuesday night, and I think that sentiment is shared, at least on the Twitterverse (X-verse?). Dante Fabbro deserves a shot in the lineup…I wish I understood why he was scratched, but I’m not meant to understand a lot of things.
I was very impressed with the Tomasino-Novak-Evangelista line, and Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly were dynamic. The fourth line was average, in my opinion, and I’m not entirely sure I like the way that line looks…however, it’s only Game 2. The frequent penalties were a massive problem, as noted by Head Coach Andrew Brunette: “Against this team, you can’t get in trouble. They gain all their momentum; their power play’s elite. I’ve seen this record play too many times in this building with the penalties in the third period and changing the course of the game.”
Does Nashville have a full 60 minutes of play within their reach? They responded well on Tuesday afternoon, but I was not happy with the tone set in the first period. It’s up to the team’s leadership to set that standard. There’s the element of “building chemistry,” and I’m hopeful that things settle into a solid rhythm soon.
At morning skate, Andrew Brunette had some updates on tonight’s roster:
Seattle Kraken
The Kraken also dropped their first contest of the season. They played a confusing game against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Knights, of course, are fresh off a Cup win and are defending their championship. Jared McCann scored the Kraken’s only goal on Tuesday. Brandon Tanev took a weird hit from Knights forward Brett Howden and may not be available tonight.
Youngster Matty Beniers is worth keeping your eye on tonight. He’s dynamic, fairly underrated, and quite exciting. We’ll also see our friend Eeli Tolvanen tonight, and I know he’ll be looking for more goals against the team that waived him last fall. Yanni Gourde, Jared McCann, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Jordan Eberle are likely to be looking to make an impact, as well as summer waiver pickup Kailer Yamamoto. Tye Kartye absolutely terrorized in last spring’s AHL Calder Cup Playoffs, and he’s looking to be a difference-maker in the NHL.
Brian Dumolin, Vince Dunn, and Jamie Oleksiak will be patrolling the blue line. In net, I expect Philipp Grubbauer. He’s backed up by Joey Daccord. Daccord was excellent in the Firebirds’ Calder Cup run, and he deserves a chance to see some further NHL action this season.
Reasons to Watch
Keep Your Eye on This Guy
Tommy Novak scored on Tuesday night, and I’m looking for his line, the “Admiral Line,” to perhaps set the game’s tone. He centers Phil Tomasino and Luke Evangelista.
Tonight’s Theme Song
How to Watch
Tonight, puck drop is at the more usual time of 7:00 Central. Bally Sports-TN has the broadcast, and 102.5 The Game has the radio call.