Daily Faceoff Live: Nashville Predators’ early struggles
In the latest edition of Daily Faceoff Live, Frank Seravalli and Mike McKenna discussed the struggles facing the Nashville Predators and where the concern is coming from.
Frank Seravalli: Let’s talk about the Nashville Predators, who lost to the Oilers, they’re off to a rocky start and they continue their Western Canadian swing in Calgary on Thursday. When you look at this team, what’s interesting to unpack, Mike, is they had so many question marks heading into the season. Can Filip Forsberg, Matt Duchene, and Ryan Johansen get back to the level they were at last season when they picked those guys up and basically pulled the Preds into the playoffs?
What’s shocking about this year is really how much Juuse Saros has struggled. Eight games played, .898 save percentage from a guy that is not only a workhorse but is also one of the best goaltenders in the league. First off, it goes to show you, I think, how reliant teams are on goaltending at times. And second, if they’re not getting it, what are the Preds? Are they potentially in the lottery conversation?
Mike McKenna: I’m not bullish on the Preds, I wasn’t bullish last year and what you’re seeing is yeah, Juuse Saros has looked completely human, previously he carried that club. And you saw towards the end of last season a little bit that Saros couldn’t keep it going the whole time and he was hurt at the very end of his playoffs. I just think in general this club is missing, it’s thin, like you look at the forward group and there’s been an attempt to have someone jump in and take a top-six spot.
You’re looking at Sherwood, Glass, Tolvanen, nobody’s grabbed it and that’s missing. They’ve not been able to score goals and I’ve always said this about this club that everything always goes through Roman Josi and sure he’s got a big pile of shots on goal, leading NHL defencemen with 46 shots, the things that he usually does. But he’s -10 in his last eight games and that’s not normal.
And its not just on one player but it just shows that when your best player is on the ice for that many goals against, it’s not just goaltending, I think this is just a thin lineup, Frank. I said at the beginning of the year too that if Johansen, Forsberg, Duchene, all of them didn’t have outstanding years, just good years, this team would be in trouble. And I think we’re kinda seeing that right now.
Frank Seravalli: When you’re relying on one player like Josi to really drive such a huge part of your play is it easier to shut that down if you’re the opposition if that one player is also a defenseman, given basically the length of ice that he needs to cover?
Mike McKenna: Well, think about where his shots are going to come from, how he’s going to do it diving down from the point, like when you’re not as scared of those top-six forwards yeah you can clue in on the guy who’s driving all the traffic. And to my eyes, a lot of Josi’s shots have been perimeter this year, so there’s room for growth but I think teams have just figured out this club in Nashville. You take away those top players, you get shots and you get a pretty good opportunity. I still like their D-core, Frank I just don’t think they’re getting enough help from the forwards in a lot of areas.
Frank Seravalli: One-word answer, level of concern for the Preds on a scale of 1-10?
Mike McKenna: High, oh 1-10 OK. Let’s go eight.
Frank Seravalli: Eight, OK, well that is pretty high and I would be right there with you.