The Nashville Predators held a team meeting Saturday after a disastrous game against the St. Louis Blues and have now won three in a row after the "real" team conversation.
While the team is being discreet about what exactly was said in Saturday morning's players and coaches meeting, credit is being given to one member of the core group who spoke up - Ryan Johansen.
After the Predators 6-4 win last night over the New Jersey Devils, head coach John Hynes and several players credited Johansen with inspiring the team and speaking vulnerably to his teammates.
"He said some things that were from the heart, that were very truthful, that aren't sometimes easy to say for a player to other guys," Hynes shared. "I thought he did a good job."
Captain Roman Josi agreed.
"He was great. Joey had some very inspiring words. Obviously he is one of our leaders, he's a great person, he really cares. He had some great words."
What those words were? Matt Duchene isn't interested in elaborating.
"That's between us," Duchene said with a smile. "You don't have to worry about that."
But Duchene was quick to echo what Hynes and Josi said about Johansen's importance in the meeting.
"He stood up, he stepped up and said something really good that registered with all of us. It was a good moment."
While Johansen was lauded as a big inspiration, Hynes was quick to point out how valuable the other core players were as well.
"You need a guy like Joey to be able to stand up and put himself out there. But I also think he was backed up in the meeting by other guys in the leadership group which is important. From that is the action - the action from the team."
Whatever was said has clearly resonated with the Predators. After the 5-2 loss in St. Louis, Nashville headed home to face three playoff contending teams. The Preds beat the L.A. Kings, central division rival Winnipeg Jets, and last night pulled out a strong win over the New Jersey Devils. Veterans like Duchene, who scored three goals and one assist in these last three games, aren't the only players who were impacted by what was said in that room on Saturday.
Juuso Pärssinen was asked about those conversations as a young player on the team.
"As a young guy, you've got to listen."
While fans will likely never know the details of what was said, it's clear that the conversations were real and meaningful. Ryan Johansen's words definitely connected with the team.
"Sometimes guys have the right thing to say at the right time," Duchene shared. "It was a good moment for us."
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