Displaying items by tag: Nashville Predators
GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Nashville Predators made a series of changes at the trade deadline in order to beef up their offense and toughness -- and transform themselves into a fairer fight with the Detroit Red Wings, the Chicago Blackhawks and the other elite teams in the Western Conference.
And for one playoff series against the Red Wings, the plan worked to perfection. There was just one problem: The Blackhawks weren't waiting for them in the second round.
It was the Phoenix Coyotes, a team built more like the plucky Nashville teams of the past, who weren't interested in matching skill and were more than happy to grind in front of elite goaltender Mike Smith.
Start with some frustration, add in a little team dissention and, just like that, the Predators are going home much earlier than they expected – just like the Blackhawks. Monday's 2-1 loss in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals capped 11 days of frustration that included defensive breakdowns, suspensions to forwards Andrei Kostitsyn and Alexander Radulov and enough blown scoring chances to fill an entire postseason.
"It's the worst feeling in the world," said Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne, who allowed three goals in the last three games of the series and came out a loser twice. "You think that if this would have happened or that … but they worked hard and their goalie was unreal. He was the difference in the series.
"It's tough to swallow. The series goes by so fast it is over before you ever realize it. We played a lot of good hockey, but now it's done."
Nashville brought in defenseman Hal Gill, center and faceoff specialist Paul Gaustad and a scorer in Kostitsyn at the deadline; they brought Radulov back from Russia to beef up its team for the postseason. But the Preds' work ethic wasn't there in the first two games, and the distraction of the Kostitsyn and Radulov suspensions hung over the team the rest of the way.
But Smith stoned Nashville at every turn, and the Predators allowed the first goal in all four games they lost – and never led in any of them.
"As (general manager) David (Poile) said, he was 'All in,' " Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "We gave up some draft choices to get some pieces that we needed -- the Hal Gills the Gaustads -- and they were big pieces. We had high expectations as an organization and we didn't get it done.
"I don't want to take anything away from the Coyotes. They found a way to beat us and they've beaten two pretty good hockey teams now. [The] Chicago Blackhawks are a good hockey team. We're a good hockey team, and they found a way to get it done with a really good goaltender, a strong defensive commitment and some timely goals and they got it done."
Nashville captain Shea Weber said the first two games in Phoenix -- where Nashville lost 4-3 in overtime and 5-3 in an uncharacteristic, high-scoring affair -- was where the series was lost.
"We didn't play our style early in the series and they took advantage early and we dug ourselves a big hole. After that, it's tough to beat a team like (four times five games)," Weber said. "In Game 1 we deserved a better fate, even though they played well defensively. In Game 2, we weren't ourselves at all. They definitely deserved that game."
Now the Predators have decisions to make. Weber is a restricted free agent, while defense partner Ryan Suter is unrestricted. The draft picks cashed in for immediate help are gone. And there are no assurances those rent-a-players acquired at the deadline will be re-signed.
"You know that every year it's going to be a different team and it's always one of the things that stings the most," Rinne said. "You battle for your teammates and then next year, maybe they aren't here. You never know."
Author: Jerry Brown | NHL.com Correspondent
The Nashville Predators have received a permit from the city to close Broadway between 4th and 6th Avenues on Friday between 2:30 p.m. and midnight for a festival before and after game four of the NHL playoff series against the Phoenix Coyotes.
Traffic after the closure will have to turn off Broadway by 4th Avenue (westbound) or 7th Avenue (eastbound).
A contingent of extra-duty police officers will be staffing a number of fixed posts in the downtown area Friday afternoon and evening to assist motorists as they arrive and depart.
Commuters and hockey fans alike are urged to be mindful of the Broadway closure Friday afternoon and to plan accordingly.
ASHVILLE – Earlier in the day, Pekka Rinne's goaltending coach said the two-time Vezina Trophy finalist did not have a chance to be dominant because of the way his team played in front of him in the first two games of its Western Conference Semifinal series with Phoenix.
On Wednesday, the Preds returned to form and Rinne returned to his dominance, posting a 32-save shutout in a 2-0 win over the Coyotes in Game 3 at Bridgestone Arena that cut Nashville's deficit to 2-1 in the series.
Rinne entered having allowed nine goals in the first two games of the series -- as many as he had yielded in all five of the Preds' series victory against Detroit in the first round. Yet Mitch Korn, the Preds' goaltending coach, said he felt good about the way Rinne had played despite an .857 save percentage in the first two games against Phoenix.
"Yeah, it feels good, obviously," Rinne said. "It's always tough, obviously, when you give up a lot of goals and you lose two games in a row, you put a lot of pressure on yourself and for sure it feels good to win this one. It makes this series totally different now."
Even though Nashville jumped out to a two-goal lead in the first period -- their first lead of the series -- the Preds had to fend off some dicey moments at the end.
At 12:59 of the third period, Sergei Kostitsyn was whistled for hooking Phoenix's Martin Hanzal along the boards. Then at 14:18, Martin Erat earned a tripping minor for taking down Oliver Ekman-Larsson along the Nashville blue line as the Preds were about to clear the puck from their zone. That set up a 41-second 5-on-3 for the Coyotes.
Preds captain Shea Weber cited the old hockey maxim that the goaltender has to be his team's best penalty killer, and that Rinne was in that sequence.
"It could've changed on that 5-on-3," Preds coach Barry Trotz said of the series' momentum. "They score two goals and we could be playing for a couple of hours here."
The Coyotes had a couple of glorious chances, but did not capitalize. Shane Doan set one up with a long slap shot that Rinne stopped. The puck bounced out to the left side to Radim Vrbata, a 35-goal scorer during the regular season. From close range near the goal line, Vrbata let a snap shot go and with Rinne on his stomach, the 6-foot-5 Finn flipped his long legs up into the air. The goalie wasn't sure if it hit him or not, but the puck went off course.
"That hit Hal Gill," Rinne said. "I might've got a piece of it afterwards, and he made a nice block there."
Rinne was aggressive during the kill, jumping out of his net to freeze pucks to help short-circuit the Coyotes' momentum.
Coyotes coach Dave Tippett counted two wide-open looks for Vrbata on those power plays.
"He throws his leg up, laying on his stomach," Tippett said. "Vrbata, that's one that goes in a lot of times for him. Tonight, it didn't go in."
In the two days off between Games 2 and 3 – during which the Preds had to suspend two of their top offensive players, Alex Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn, for a violation of team rules – Trotz talked about how disappointed he was in his team's defensive effort, how the Preds failed to box out and prevent second-chances on rebounds and how they didn't tie up the Coyotes with their sticks. On Wednesday, he said the team's "compete level" was much better. It showed in those areas.
Rinne talked earlier in the day about the symbiotic relationship between goalie and team and emphasized it again after the win. But, he also knew he could be better.
"When everyone's battling it, it becomes contagious," he said. "Everyone seemed to spark up and do their best."
Including the goaltender.
Author: John Manasso | NHL.com Correspondent
Nashville, Tenn. (May 1, 2012) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that forwards Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn will not play Game Three of the team’s Western Conference Semifinals series vs. the Phoenix Coyotes as result of violating team rules.
“The Nashville Predators have a few simple rules centered around doing the right things,” Poile said. “We have always operated with a team-first mentality and philosophy. Violating team rules is not fair to our team and their teammates.”
The Predators practice today at 11 a.m. CT at Centennial Sportsplex and play Game Three at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, May 2 at 8 p.m. CT
By Jay Levin, Nashville Predators
Each time the Preds appeared to gain some momentum, Phoenix would take advantage of a Nashville misplay to wrestle momentum away from the Preds, en route to a 5-3 Coyotes win in Game 2 on Sunday evening. The Preds surrendered a goal to Pyatt just 30 seconds after Hornqvist’s power-play goal brought the Preds to 3-2 and temporarily quieted the crowd. Nashville again appeared to gain some momentum when Suter scored on the power-play 53 seconds into the third period, but the Preds struggled the remainder of the four-on-four and the Coyotes cashed in on a faceoff play at the 3:36 mark of the third to regain the two goal lead.
Pekka Rinne surrendered five goals, but he had little chance on each of the scoring plays and made a handful of big-time saves to give the Preds chances to hang around the game.
The Preds will have two days to regroup and refocus before Game 3 of the series back home in Nashville on Wednesday night.
Now on to the musings…
THREE MUSINGS:
Power-Play – Nashville scored two goals on the power-play and added a third on a delayed call. With teams trying to take away Weber’s big shot from the point, Suter stepped up firing the shots from the point on both of the Preds PPGs. In the second period, Hornqvist deflected Suter’s point shot to pull the Preds to 3-2. In the third period, Suter one-timed a feed from Weber to make the score 4-3.
Own Mistakes – Each of Phoenix’s five goals were the direct result of “detail” mistakes by the Preds. The first one was a bad puck decision by Klein followed in short order with poor read by Weber to leave Vermette wide open at the back door for an easy tap-in. The Preds defenders watched idly by as Coyotes trail forwards scored rebound attempts on Phoenix’s second and fourth goals. Legwand threw the puck into the center slot instead of the nearside corner to hand the Coyotes their fourth goal. Klein had a bad turnover early in the third period --- instead of an easy clear, and potential counter-attack opportunity --- which was bailed out by a tremendous save by Rinne, but the Coyotes scored right off the ensuing faceoff.
Momentum Changer – One sequence early in the second period represented the biggest momentum swing in the game. With the Coyotes holding a 2-1 lead, the Preds put together a strong offensive flurry from the Legwand line, winning battles along the boards to keep possession alive and ultimately triggering a point shot from Klein that beat Smith, but rang off the far post. Phoenix got the rebound and counter-attacked, ending in Vrbata's goal to make it 3-1 just seconds after Klein's post that would have evened the score at two. The Coyotes lead the remainder of the way through to pick up the Game 2 win.
THREE STARS:
1) PHX F Radim Vrbata – 1 goal, 1 assist, +2, 3 shots on goal; the Vrbata-Hanzal-Whitney line was very good tonight; his goal gave Phoenix its initial two goal lead and established the tone for the remainder of the game
2) NSH D Ryan Suter – 1 goal, 1 assist, 30:20 ice time; game-high 6 shots on goal; keyed both of Nashville’s power-play goals; was dangerous from the point
3) PHX D Keith Yandle – 2 assists, +3, 26:50 ice time; drew primary assist on Phoenix’s first and third goals
By JAY LEVIN, Nashville Predators
Nashville played a very un-Preds like game tonight, but still nearly came away with a win; as Coach Barry Trotz referenced in his post-game press conference, the Preds got off to a very slow start and didn’t play a gritty enough “detailed” game in falling 4-3 in overtime.
Still, for all the Preds didn’t do right tonight, Martin Erat’s power-play goal late in regulation forced overtime. In OT, Nashville did look a lot more like itself, creating several elite chances, before taking an ill-advised icing which the Coyotes converted into a faceoff win and OT goal.
This is just Game 1 of what promises to be a long series, so expect the Preds – who looked like the fresher team the longer the game wore on – to put forth a more complete effort in Game 2 on Sunday.
Now on to the musings…
THREE MUSINGS:
3rd Period Dominance – The Preds outscored Detroit 7-3 in Period 3s during Round 1; tonight the Preds got the lone third period goal in the game while holding a 16-1 edge in shots on goal in tonight’s Period 3.
Slow Start – Nashville spent all week talking about the slow start in last year’s Conference Semifinals series against Vancouver. Tonight was a sense of déjà vu as the Preds struggled out of the gate in the first period and never really seemed to get 100% into “Predators-style hockey” tonight. Nashville did get better as the game went along, but through regulation the top forwards --- with the exception of Martin Erat --- were not nearly involved in the game as Nashville needs to win this series. In OT, the Preds forwards stepped up their play, particularly Radulov and Sergei Kostitsyn.
Faceoff Circle – Nashville was very strong in the faceoff circle during Round 1 against Detroit, but tonight the Phoenix Coyotes owned the faceoff dots. The Preds won only 32 of the 78 faceoffs during Game 1, just 41%. Several of Phoenix’s faceoff wins were clean draws, allowing the Coyotes to set up their plays off the draws, including, ultimately the game-winning goal in overtime.
THREE STARS:
1) PHX F Ray Whitney – 1 goal, 1 assist, +1; scored the OT winner; creative with the puck on his stick tonight; was in line for one of the three stars even before scoring the OT goal
2) NSH F Martin Erat –1 goal, game-high 5 shots on goal; good energy tonight, strong on the puck, strong on the forecheck; even before his OT-forcing goal Erat was in line for one of the three stars
3) NSH D Francis Bouillon– 2 assists, +2; 3 hits, 1 blocked shot; steady defensively; was robbed by Smith on great chance early in P3 and had another great chance in overtime
The National Hockey League announced the schedule for the first four games for both of the Stanley Cup Playoff Western Conference Semifinals.
The series between the Phoenix Coyotes and Nashville Predators will begin on Friday, April 27th, and will continue with Game 2 on Sunday, April 29th, with both games being played in Phoenix. Game 3, in Nashville, is scheduled for Wednesday, May 2nd and Game 4 will be Friday, May 4th, also in Nashville.
The series featuring the St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings will begin on Saturday, April 28th, in St. Louis. Game 2 will be Monday, April 30th, also in St. Louis. Games 3 and 4 will be played in Los Angeles on Thursday, May 3rd and Sunday, May 6th, respectively.
The complete Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals schedule, including start times and television information, will be released upon conclusion of the Conference Quarterfinal round Thursday night.
Two of the game's best coaches and two of the game's best goaltenders will go head-to-head in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Indeed, goals will be hard to come by as the Coyotes and Predators will meet in a Western Conference Semifinal after the Phoenix franchise advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 25 years with Monday's 4-0 win at Chicago.
Each team won twice during its four-game, regular-season series. The Coyotes, though, went 2-1-1 as it dropped a 5-4 shootout decision to Nashville on March 12.
Both teams finished in the top 10 in the League in goals allowed per game. Phoenix, led by coach Dave Tippett and goaltender Mike Smith, finished fifth at 2.37 goals per game. Some felt the Coyotes were in trouble after losing Ilya Bryzgalov last summer, but Smith has been a rock between the pipes for Phoenix all season long.
Nashville, guided by world-class netminder Pekka Rinne, ranked 10th at 2.50 goals per game. An eighth-round draft pick (No. 258) in 2004, Rinne reached the 40-win plateau for the first time this season while recording five shutouts.
Not much has changed this postseason. The Predators disposed of the Detroit Red Wings in five games, as Rinne allowed just nine goals in five games while boasting a .944 save percentage.
Rinne has a very formidable opponent in Round 2, as Smith has been nothing short of sensational for Phoenix. Smith stopped all 39 shots he faced in Monday's series-clinching 4-0 win at Chicago and boasted a 1.81 goals-against average in six games against the Blackhawks with a .950 save percentage.
Two of the game's best leaders will go head-to-head in this series. Phoenix captain Shane Doan has been with the club since being drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in 1995, one year before the franchise relocated to the desert. Shea Weber, meanwhile, has emerged as the go-to guy in the Nashville dressing room and is unquestionably one of the top defensemen in the League.
Alexander Radulov has played a huge role for Nashville since returning from the KHL in March. The Russian forward had a goal and four assists against the Red Wings in the opening round after going 3-4-7 in nine games down the stretch. With Radulov on board, the Preds were able to secure the No. 4 seed and home-ice advantage against Detroit.
They won't have home-ice advantage in Round 2, however. Despite some fierce competition, Phoenix managed to secure the No. 3 seed with a record of 42-27-13. While the Predators finished with seven more points, the Coyotes were able to claim the Pacific Division crown.
Phoenix went 22-13-6 on home ice during the regular season, while Nashville finished 22-16-3 on the road.
Follow Brian Compton on Twitter: @BComptonNHL
Author: Brian Compton | NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor
By Jay Levin, Nashville Predators
Sunday's Stanley Cup Playoff Schedule saw only one Western Conference game, but that game brought a good deal of clarity to the Preds Round 2 playoff opponent.
The Los Angeles Kings overcame a 1-0 third period deficit for a 2-1 overtime win at Vancouver to close out the Western Conference Quarterfinals series 4 games to 1. The win made the Kings the third Western Conference team to advance to Round 2. Los Angeles will face St. Louis in the Conference Semifinals.
The Preds will face the winner of the Phoenix/Chicago Series. The Coyotes lead the Hawks 3 games to 2 with Game 6 scheduled for tomorrow night (Monday, April 23) in Chicago. If necessary, Game 7 will be held Wednesday (April 25) in Phoenix.
The two potential options for Nashville in Round 2 are...
-- If No. 3 seed Phoenix wins --- Nashville will open Round 2 in Phoenix. The Preds went 2-2-0 against the Coyotes during the regular season with one win in a shootout. The road team won all four games, each team winning a one-goal game and a three-goal game.
-- If No. 6 seed Chicago wins --- Nashville will open Round 2 at home against Chicago. The Preds went 4-1-1 against the Hawks during the regular season with just one overtime game (a Chicago OT win). The Preds won two-of-three meetings in Nashville, as well as two-of-three meetings in Chicago. Three of Nashville's six games in the regular season series were back end of back-to-back sets for the Preds, while one of the six games in the season series was a back end of a back-to-back set for the Hawks.
Nashville, TN - With Friday’s win over the Detroit Red Wings, the Nashville Predators have advanced to Round Two of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the team’s second consecutive foray into the Western Conference Semifinals.
Tickets to the Predators WCS matchup are now on sale and can be purchased at nashvillepredators.com, by calling 615-770-PUCK (7825), stopping by the Bridgestone Arena box office, all Ticketmaster outlets or by visiting ticketmaster.com.
“The fact that we were able to clinch in front of 17,113 of the best fans in the League made this a win really special,” Nashville Predators Chief Executive Officer Jeff Cogen said. “This city has rallied around this team and having all of our fans ‘Stand With Us’ really helped push us to our second consecutive Western Conference Semifinal. If people thought this building was loud and energized in Round One, just wait until Round Two!”
As an ongoing benefit to season ticketholders, a limited number of tickets for the second round have been held in reserve. Please call or email your account representative to secure these seats prior to this Monday, April 23 at 5 p.m. If you are not a season ticketholder, now is the best time to secure your 2012-13 season tickets to save on all remaining playoff tickets and enjoy additional benefits offered to all season ticketholders.
Opponent, dates and start times for the Predators Western Conference Semifinals matchup will be confirmed with the NHL after the completion of all Western Conference Quarterfinal series. An update will be announced at that time.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE---SATURDAY GAMES
Since the Preds wrapped up their series on Friday night, the focus shifts to Round 2 and possible opponents. There were Western Conference games on Saturday --- both potential elimination games.
The St. Louis Blues closed out its series with a 3-1 home win over the San Jose Sharks, claiming a 4 games to 1 series victory. In the late night game, the Chicago Blackhawks rallied from a 1-0 deficit to pick up a 2-1 overtime win and stave off elimination. The Coyotes still lead the best-of-seven series 3 games to 2, though, with Game 6 set for Monday night in Chicago. If the Hawks win on Monday night, they would force a Game 7 in Phoenix on Wednesday night (April 25).
In the other Western Conference series, Los Angeles holds a 3 games to 1 lead over Vancouver heading into Sunday night’s Game 5 in Vancouver. If necessary Game 6 would be held Tuesday night (April 24) in LA and potentially Game 7 on Thursday (April 26) back in Vancouver.
After today’s action there is still four potential Round 2 opponents for the Preds --- No. 1 seed Vancouver, No. 2 seed St. Louis, No. 3 seed Phoenix, or No. 6 seed Chicago. Check below for the potential outcomes and what they mean for Nashville.
