Phil Tomasino scored the game winning goal for the Predators last night against the Washington Capitals, and Tomasino's recent success comes after a challenging start to the season for the young forward.
Last night Phil Tomasino scored the Predators' game winning goal on a breakaway chance in the second period that put Nashville up 2-1 over the Washington Capitals on the way to a 3-1 win. It was Tomasino's second goal of the season, a season that has had its challenges for the 22-year-old forward. Tomasino has played 23 of the Predators' 31 games and was a healthy scratch under Andrew Brunette eight times.
Brunette talked last night about Tomasino being a healthy scratch in those eight games.
"We scratched him and played him less and tried to help him understand what my expectations are for him, and the style I'd like him to play, and how much pace he needs to play at to play, at least to my expectations," Brunette said.
"It's not easy. It's hard. It's different. I'm sure he wasn't sure early."
Tomasino, like every player in an NHL locker room, wanted to play every game.
"I just want to be a guy that is in consistently and helping our team win consistently," Tomasino said after the win over Washington.
Instead of pushing back against the coaching staff during a stretch of hockey where he was in and out of the lineup, Tomasino went to work on the things that Brunette talked with him about. The work didn't go unnoticed.
"He's been working really hard doing the right things for us," Ryan McDonagh when asked about Tomasino's performance last night.
"I'm actually really proud of him because he put a lot of work in and he hung in there," Brunette said. "The last ten, twelve games he's played really well. He's played up to those expectations, and it's nice to see him get rewarded for the work that he's put in."
The reward last night came on a breakaway chance for Tomasino in the second period as Nashville was facing sustained offensive pressure from the Capitals. Line mate Cole Smith pushed the puck towards Tomasino at the blue line who took it down the ice and beat Charlie Lindgren to give the Predators the 2-1 lead.
"I used to do that move a little bit in juniors, so a throw back a little bit," Tomasino said of his goal. "It worked out, so it was a good one for me for sure."
Tomasino hadn't scored a goal since November 9 but has had a few chances recently that didn't find the back of the net.
"He created chances," team mate Yakov Trenin said after the game. "And finally happy he got rewarded."
Andrew Brunette agreed.
"Your resounding message is if you get those chances, sooner or later they're going to go in," Brunette said.
"It went in tonight."
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