It was a wild weekend for the Nashville Predators as they clawed their way back into their game against the Vancouver Canucks Saturday night. Nashville found themselves down 3-0 after a disastrous first period but went on to find a way to tie the game in the third period and eventually get the shootout win. While this was certainly not a win that would earn the Predators any style points, recovering from a tough start and getting a win is reassuring when it comes to a team still trying to find its footing early in the season. The Predators showed their mental resiliency in a rough game against the Canucks on Saturday. Some who are not yet sold on the direction Nashville is taking may look at a rough game like this and extrapolate that winning two points provides Head Coach John Hynes and General Manager David Poile with a false sense of reassurance about the team. Certainly Hynes has a handful of issues to address before Tuesday's game against the Seattle Kraken, but there is something to be said for getting a hard fought win. Does a win like Saturday's give Hynes a false sense of security in the direction of the team? Juuse Saros had his worst start to a game this season and ended the game saving the most shots so far of 2022-2023. Navigating the lows and highs of those 65 minutes and coming out with two points should earn Saros some credit. After a difficult start, Juuse Saros battled back in net to finish the Canucks game with a shootout win. Two unexpected players who showed up big, not just in the game against the Canucks, but in the Calgary win as well, were Nashville's recent call ups from Milwaukee. Both Jordan Gross and Mark Jankowski impressed Hynes in training camp, but neither made the final Preds roster once they returned from the Global Series. Since joining the team, Jankowski got Nashville on the scoreboard first against the Flames and Gross earned his first two NHL goals in Saturday's win. Jordan Gross and Mark Jankowski have helped the Predators in the games they've played since being called up from the Milwaukee Admirals. Even though there was nothing pretty about Saturday's two points, Nashville gained ground in the Central Division standings and walking out what it takes to overcome early mistakes and find a way to get a win. Execution and special teams need to improve as the Predators face the Seattle Kraken Tuesday night and the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. Getting two wins in a row over Calgary and Vancouver could give the team the momentum they'll need to close out this west coast road trip well. Related Reading/Viewing: Locked On Predators Podcast [https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnPredators] Preds - 4, Canucks - 3: Saros Overcomes Rough Start as Gross Earns NHL Goals in Shootout Win [https://www.si.com/nhl/predators/game-day/predators-4-canucks-3-so-saros-overcomes-rough-start-as-gross-earns-first-nhl-goals] Juuse Saros True to Form After Rough Start Against Vancouver [https://www.si.com/nhl/predators/preds-talk/juuse-saros-true-to-form-in-rough-start-against-vancouver]
