Now that was Predator hockey! Great forecheck, Great effort everywhere on the ice. The battle factor was improved 100 percent from game 2. Puck support was great and players were blocking shots. Pekka came up huge when he had too. Honestly I can't think of one negative thing. Oh wait PP2 with Yip,SK and them was awful. Erat,Gill,Gaustad,Willy were monsters.
This was just a stepping stone game. Game 4 has always been the big game. Win that game and it's a brand new series where the Preds have all the momentum. Lose and their done. Keep AK and Rads out. These guys have earned their playing time.
The battled factor improved because of what happened!
. Preds tried to get away from it and subsequently lost two games.
You are forgetting our goaltender didn't play to his normal level, and we have major defensive lapses (among other things). Both of those were significantly improved tonight and big reason why we won. It had little to do with Radulov not being in the lineup. We were also very fortunately to get two bounces that lead to our only 2 goals.
Happy to win, but we're going to need more offense if we plan to win the series. Maybe Fisher and SK magically catch fire after 20 games of nothing... Maybe Tootoo turns into a scoring machine like vs Anaheim.... Maybe all our defensemen score the goals... but my money is on getting Radulov back in the linuep.
You are forgetting our goaltender didn't play to his normal level, and we have major defensive lapses (among other things). Both of those were significantly improved tonight and big reason why we won. It had little to do with Radulov not being in the lineup. We were also very fortunately to get two bounces that lead to our only 2 goals.
Happy to win, but we're going to need more offense if we plan to win the series. Maybe Fisher and SK magically catch fire after 20 games of nothing... Maybe Tootoo turns into a scoring machine like vs Anaheim.... Maybe all our defensemen score the goals... but my money is on getting Radulov back in the linuep.
Well if Radulov gets back on the lineup, hope he works on his defense and hussle on both ends of the ice. Same for the rest of the team to keep it up like they did tonight cause that's what we need for this series it seems.
Anybody wished we still had that #1 draft pick instead of Gaustad out there tonight? So very, VERY happy Willy and Toots had good games. A couple of more hours to savor this, then get the TEAM ready to play TEAM hockey again in another must win situation.
Anybody wished we still had that #1 draft pick instead of Gaustad out there tonight? So very, VERY happy Willy and Toots had good games. A couple of more hours to savor this, then get the TEAM ready to play TEAM hockey again in another must win situation.
I actually thought Gaustad played well and was working hard. He was great on the FO and played great defensively and had some offensive hussle.
My post was on the sarcastic side, as I was highly, highly impressed with Goose. It was amazing (and a bit ironic) that he and Gill, (along with Kleiner) the 2 late season pick-ups who follow the team rules, were instrumental in that 5 on 3 kill.
Anybody wished we still had that #1 draft pick instead of Gaustad out there tonight? So very, VERY happy Willy and Toots had good games. A couple of more hours to savor this, then get the TEAM ready to play TEAM hockey again in another must win situation.
No. Gaustad did exactly what we needed him to do. He was 15 of 22 from the faceoff dot. Outside of him, the Preds were 16 of 38.
Would have liked to see better scoring chances from us, but great game all around. I liked how we continued to pressure late in the game and didn't sit back too much. Rinne came up big when needed, but wasn't tested all that much until the end
My post was on the sarcastic side, as I was highly, highly impressed with Goose. It was amazing (and a bit ironic) that he and Gill, (along with Kleiner) the 2 late season pick-ups who follow the team rules, were instrumental in that 5 on 3 kill.
Yes they were great. I think for the most part everybody was more committed in this game.
Awesome win!! Rinne was a beast and the Defense made sure to help him out for the most part. Lots of backchecking in the slot. Wilson, Hali and Tootoo looked good.
Quick question folks, specifically those who watched HNIC tonight or know what Trotz talked about in his post-game. I only had room on my PVR tonight to tape the Preds Game & Survivor and I didn't tape Hockey Night in Canada.
On local sports radio I heard Trotz mention someone from HNIC who he heard about between periods disagreed with the move but didn't say a name. I'd love to know who it was since I gotta believe it couldn't possibly be Cherry.
No I'm focused on what will win the series. We will win some games playing like we did tonight, but totally relying on Rinne and a couple lucky bounces offensively likely won't win us the series.
It was more than a few lucky bounces. We had at least 3 point-blank chances on Smith and he stopped them. The offense did what it needed to do - just couldn't a couple past Smith. He is incredible.
I'm not saying we were dominant offensively - just that we played the game we wanted to play and the chances were there.
Quick question folks, specifically those who watched HNIC tonight or know what Trotz talked about in his post-game. I only had room on my PVR tonight to tape the Preds Game & Survivor and I didn't tape Hockey Night in Canada.
On local sports radio I heard Trotz mention someone from HNIC who he heard about between periods disagreed with the move but didn't say a name. I'd love to know who it was since I gotta believe it couldn't possibly be Cherry.
Thanks ahead time for the help.
On the post game presser Trotz said during one of the intermissions he had the CBC feed on and one of the anaylsts was dogging him for benching the players. Trotz said he makes that decision all day every day and that he doesn't regret anything. He never named the person though.
No I'm focused on what will win the series. We will win some games playing like we did tonight, but totally relying on Rinne and a couple lucky bounces offensively likely won't win us the series.
Just like after Game One I was quick to praise the team despite the L, we need to keep tonight's overall performance in perspective. Feel free to re-read my post.
Lucky is Yip's goal in the first game taking a weird bounce off the glass. The first goal was caused by hustle and a great forecheck by our guys. Smith got himself out of position because we were pressing so hard on him and our guys made him pay. Same thing with the second goal, hard work and the only thing that was lucky was the puck going off of Smith's stick. If he doesn't put his stick out there, SK buries that chance anyway.
Tonight's performance was a team effort. Everyone played D, everyone gave up their body to block shots, the team forechecked hard, the big players played big.
I'm curious, what do we need to do to win this series at this point?
Quick question folks, specifically those who watched HNIC tonight or know what Trotz talked about in his post-game. I only had room on my PVR tonight to tape the Preds Game & Survivor and I didn't tape Hockey Night in Canada.
On local sports radio I heard Trotz mention someone from HNIC who he heard about between periods disagreed with the move but didn't say a name. I'd love to know who it was since I gotta believe it couldn't possibly be Cherry.
Thanks ahead time for the help.
It was in fact Cherry. I couldn't believe what I was hearing He was saying its the playoffs and that shooting yourself in the foot just to take the high ground and seem PC is not the way to do it... Naturally at one point he did have to question "what? do you think you're gunna teach those Russians discipline?" or something along those lines It was actually quite interesting but then CBC cut to commercial while he was midsentence
didn't stay up for the 3rd, blame some thing called work (on top of a long and emotionally painful day) and the 8pm start...
but looks like the Preds hung on 2-0 and from what I watched they played exactly like they have to play to win this series. Totally frustrated the Coyotes offfensively, they didn't give up the odd-man rushes that plagued them in gm 1 and 2, and Rinne benefited from always having a guy covering the weak side. Preds definitely protected their end first tonight and got just enough offense to outscore the Coyotes.
Lucky is Yip's goal in the first game taking a weird bounce off the glass. The first goal was caused by hustle and a great forecheck by our guys. Smith got himself out of position because we were pressing so hard on him and our guys made him pay. Same thing with the second goal, hard work and the only thing that was lucky was the puck going off of Smith's stick. If he doesn't put his stick out there, SK buries that chance anyway.
Tonight's performance was a team effort. Everyone played D, everyone gave up their body to block shots, the team forechecked hard, the big players played big.
I'm curious, what do we need to do to win this series at this point?
I thought our goals were off 2 Smith **** ups. First one playing the puck, secong, it went off of him. Granted, his **** ups were caused by hard forechecking, and you can't one without the other in this case.
I didn't like that in the 2nd period, when Doan went to throw his body to spark the team, we started to play like gm 1 and 2 preds swapping 3 on 2's. Luckily it was late in the period and it got fixed real quick.
It was in fact Cherry. I couldn't believe what I was hearing He was saying its the playoffs and that shooting yourself in the foot just to take the high ground and seem PC is not the way to do it... Naturally at one point he did have to question "what? do you think you're gunna teach those Russians discipline?" or something along those lines It was actually quite interesting but then CBC cut to commercial while he was midsentence
Thanks f1nn. I got the answer when I asked on FB about it. My brother taped the rant for me so I am going to be able to watch it later today. Cherry was the LAST person I would have thought who would have gone against Trotz, I totally expected him to support the move.
Thanks f1nn. I got the answer when I asked on FB about it. My brother taped the rant for me so I am going to be able to watch it later today. Cherry was the LAST person I would have thought who would have gone against Trotz, I totally expected him to support the move.
He was saying its the playoffs and that shooting yourself in the foot just to take the high ground and seem PC is not the way to do it... Naturally at one point he did have to question "what? do you think you're gunna teach those Russians discipline?" or something along those lines 
