Three Takeaways from Predators' 8-3 Win Over Blues
The Nashville Predators earned another important Central Division win, their third divisional win in this four game win streak, and they did it in decisive fashion. The Predators topped the St. Louis Blues by a score of 8-3 and once they got the lead compliments of a Filip Forsberg goal, Nashville never surrendered that lead. Getting a lead wasn't Nashville's issue in some of their games during a mid-November four game losing streak, but keeping a lead was not a guarantee for the Predators during that stretch either.
What went so well for the Predators against the Blues?
Offense from everywhere.
The Predators put 35 shots on goal and chased Joel Hofer out of the net at the beginning of the second period when Spencer Stastney scored his first NHL goal to give Nashville a 4-1 lead. Filip Forsberg and Luke Evangelista each scored twice, but almost as impressive as the quantity of goals was the fact that Nashville scored them in a variety of ways. Flip Forsberg got the Predators on the board first cleaning up a loose puck behind Hofer, Stastney and Trenin scored off the rush, Ryan O'Reilly netted a power play goal, Evangelista cleaned up a rebound, and Cole Smith's board battle win led to another Forsberg goal.
Five Nashville players are on a four game point streak though these last four wins. The top line of Forsberg, O'Reilly, and Gus Nyquist along with Colton Sissons, Cole Smith, and Phil Tomasino each have one or more points in that stretch. Yakov Trenin has three goals in his last four games and Evangelista had the third multi goal game of his 42 game NHL career.
Weathering storms.
For as lopsided as the final score was against the Blues, the game definitely had momentum shifts. After the Predators went up 3-0 in the first, the Blues finished the period with a strong offensive push and a goal by Pavel Buchnevich. The Predators have struggled to weather those momentum changes, especially at the end of periods, but yesterday the team came out and threw the first punch of the second period to take control of the game again when Stastney scored on the rush. There were other ebbs and flows to this game that an 8-3 final score may not indicate, but Nashville was able to stick to their game plan and weather the storms.
Finding their footing as a team.
It may be too soon to say the Predators will continue this kind of play through the remaining 63 games, but it is evident that the team is getting more comfortable executing Andrew Brunette's new system. Unlearning old habits was as big a challenge earlier this season as executing Brunette's new vision. Now the new is becoming second nature.
The Predators are also gaining confidence and growing as a team. Even through the four game losing streak, the locker room stayed tight, and now the group is growing through success. Jeremy Lauzon flew on the ice and dropped the gloves with Blues' captain Brayden Schenn after a hard hit on Roman Josi in the first period, and that decision encapsulates the confidence and comraderie that is growing in a new locker room.
Recommended Articles
Nov 24, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman Jeremy Lauzon (3) fights St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn (10) during the first period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
After the win over Calgary Wednesday night, Brunette talked about the group and the locker room vibe.
"In our game, momentum and riding a feeling is a big thing, and it becomes contagious," Brunette said.
"We've been on teams and coached teams where maybe two, three guys on the bench get excited. When the whole team gets excited as a coach that feels good because we have that commitment to togetherness."
Turning a four game losing streak into a four game win streak may end up being a turning point for this Predators team, but there are still plenty of challenges ahead including tomorrow's game against the Winnipeg Jets. The 8-3 win over the Blues will certainly give the Predators confidence going into another Central Division game, but Nashville can't get too high off their recent successes if they hope to continue collecting important divisional points.
Predators Will Have Defensive Decisions to Make When Luke Schenn Returns to Lineup
Ryan McDonagh's Return Means "Everything" as Predators Defeat Flames
Luke Evangelista Talks Locker Room Vibes, Changing Line Mates, and Being a Healthy Scratch
