Head Coach Andrew Brunette talks about the difference between the Predators team that lost twice in one week to the Vancouver Canucks back in October and the Predators team that is climbing in the Central Division standings.
Tonight the Nashville Predators welcome the Vancouver Canucks to Bridgestone Arena. Very few hockey pundits could have imagined that two of the hottest teams in December would be the Predators and Canucks, but each team has put together a string of wins impressive enough to garner notice. Vancouver is second in points only to the Vegas Golden Knights and boasts a 21-9-2 record. The Nashville Predators have the best record in the league since November 15 and are on a four game win streak.
This will be the third meeting between the Predators and Canucks, and Vancouver has bragging rights in both those October games. The Canucks defeated the Predators 3-2 in Nashville on October 24. The Canucks' 5-2 win in Vancouver just a week later kicked off a tough road trip that saw the Predators return home 1-4 in their five game swing out west. Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Quinn Hughes, and the Canucks have continued their impressive season since those October games. Nashville has had to dig in and do some work to find the success they've had more recently.
What is different about the Predators team getting ready to take the ice tonight compared to the Predators team that couldn't get a win against the Canucks seven weeks ago?
"I think lots of things have evolved," head coach Andrew Brunette said.
"When we played them, we were just trying to figure ourselves out a little bit. Now I think we're slowly figuring ourselves out and who we are and what we bring."
Brunette believes the success the Predators have had in their recent stretch is changing this team.
"I think that comes with the confidence that we've had through this stretch of this last month or more where we played some good hockey," Brunette said.
Cody Glass believes the team has progressed since Nashville last faced Vancouver.
"I feel like our game's just coming along really well now," Glass said. "We're getting everyone back. Everybody's skating. We're all fitting into the system right now."
In the two late October games against the Canucks, the Predators were missing defenseman Luke Schenn and Glass was out with a lower body injury he sustained in a game against the New York Rangers earlier in October. Now everyone is healthy.
When Alexandre Carrier was asked what is different about the Preds now, he credited the team's improvement in one specific area of their game.
"I think we are a faster team than we were at the beginning of this season," Carrier said. "We learned from the last two games we played against them, We know how fast they play. We've just got to match that and then execute our game plan."
Brunette believes the experience and confidence the Predators have gained recently have helped Nashville understand what they need to do to be successful.
"I think what's really improved is understanding the key moments in the game," Brunette said. "Early in the year we were having trouble with that — shifts after goals, penalties to start periods, those little things that got us behind the eight ball where we had to chase games. I think we've gotten that for the most part out of our game and kind of understood how to win a little bit."
How far the Predators have come is fairly evident. Tonight's game may show the team how much further they have to go to compete against the best in the league.
"I think it's going to be a good test for us," Brunette said. "It will be a good measuring stick for where we're at right now."
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