Nashville Predators: The Five Predators you meet at Thanksgiving Dinner
Thanksgiving gatherings are filled with characters and unique personalities. So, who are the five Nashville Predators you meet at Thanksgiving dinner?
It is a time-honored tradition, filled with stereotypes and food. A day family, feasting and football across the nation. Aunts and uncles, grandparents and children all gather at a home to enjoy the holiday. If you watch the commercials or movies, the day is filled with merriment. Of course, if the Nashville Predators were playing hockey, it would help.
All of this is a Utopian picture of the American ideal. And, within this picture comes the characters and personalities of the various family members. The crazy uncle that knows everything about every sport, and reeks of Old Spice. A new boyfriend or girlfriend escorting the cousin who is trying to impress everyone. Grandmother insisting you eat more food, and Grandfather in a food-induced slumber in his recliner.
All this got me thinking, what players on the Predators roster would fill the family stereotypes? Now, this is not to suggest any deep insight into who each player really is. I don’t. I have never sat down and ate a meal with any of the players. How fun would it be, though, to have Thanksgiving dinner with the Predators?
Let’s have some fun, friends. Using some of our favorite family gathering stereotypes, who are the five Nashville Predators you meet at Thanksgiving dinner? To say that it would be an interesting meal, and probably the most entertaining, is an understatement.
The cousin nobody really likes
There is always one cousin the rest of the family can’t stand. Except for their mom. Get their dad in a room alone and he will admit the cousin is annoying. They are the ones that wants to be the all-time quarterback for the annual football game. If they play, it is terrible. Or, maybe they are the one exaggerating their life exploits. We all know this person…..or are this person. And, every year, we either hope they don’t come to dinner or maybe become less annoying.
If a Predators’ player would be this way, it is Alexei Emelin. How many times have we watched games and just put our head in our hands because of him this year?
When the Nashville Predators made the trade for Emelin this offseason, fans speculated another trade was to follow. You know, the one to bring Matt Duchene to Nashville. It didn’t happen. And, he was not part of the trade to bring in Kyle Turris. We are stuck with Emelin.
Now, it has not been all bad. There are a few moments in which Emelin provided a spark and helped the Predators. However, not too many. We all remember the play against the New York Rangers. Emelin whiffed on a puck clear, leading to a goal. In 19 games played, Emelin achieved seven CorsiFor ratings below 40%. He is on pace for a career-low in that category.
Plus, he keeps giving the puck away. Sure, Filip Forsberg and P.K. Subban have more giveaways this season than Emelin, but they are commonly pushing the puck forward and handle it far more. The defensive zone is where Emelin turns the puck over.
The non-supervised little kid
Kids are great. They are fun, lively, and full of life. But, there is one kid that runs around, screaming and making a ruckus. The adults look around searching for the kid’s parents. One minute, the kid is in the kitchen licking a dessert spoon. The next, they are spinning around on the floor in front of the television. Then they start a military style operation with a fully loaded Nerf gun, stalking the old cat.
For the Predators, this kid is Craig Smith. He is everywhere.
You have seen it this year. Smith’s speed allows him to press the opponent one moment then push the puck to the net the next. So far, he leads the team in takeaways. His energy and play provide a refreshing presence on the Predators second line.
Now slotted with Kyle Turris and Kevin Fiala, Smith’s abilities are highlighted. In five games, the trio have a CorsiFor of 51.92, and tallied four goals combined. And, opponents only have one goal against the new Predators’ second line. Could it be better than last year’s line?
The crazy uncle
There is always one. Every family has a crazy uncle, the one relative that knows everything about everything. They are philosophers, sports-betting geniuses, and well established fashionistas. And, while we opine about them during the days leading up to the holiday gathering, the event would be dull without them.
The obvious choice here is P.K. Subban.
Subban knows how to play hockey. And he does it well. While doing it, he doesn’t mind playing some mind games, frustrating his opponent. There was a moment during the win over the Winnipeg Jets in which Subban held the puck behind the Nashville Predators’ net, letting time tick off the clock. During this extended moment, he taunted the Jets by spinning back and forth, never leaving the net area. It was a great watch.
We know of his antics against Sidney Crosby. Whether or not the Listerine comment was due to a sponsorship already in place, it led to fantastic trolling. Add to his play on the ice his life off the ice, you have the makings of the crazy uncle. He has his own line of suits for a Canadian department store. His social media postings include travel and people from all over the world. He is a renaissance man.
The new boyfriend
You look out the window as a car drives up. It is not car you recognize, so you wonder who is inside. The doors open and a pair of adults step out. The woman looks familiar, though her hair is different from what you remember. The man? No idea.
They get closer and you realize, it is your cousin and her new boyfriend. It is the not the first time she showed up with a boyfriend, but there is something a bit different now.
Enter Kyle Turris. Before he entered the picture, the Predators were good. A few ups and downs, but they won enough to be comfortable. After Turris, it is a whole new ballgame. The arrival of Turris set a spark in the entire Predators’ lineup. Not only is the second line playing at a higher level, so is the rest of the team.
Like the new boyfriend, there is new intrigue. The eyes of the NHL are turned to the Predators, who boast depth at the center position and defensive pairings others salivate over. Since the trade, the Predators have taken off, winning four of Turris’s five games.
Will the new relationship last or does it fade as time goes on? Only time will tell.
The executive chef
If I learned anything about Thanksgiving dinner preparation, it was to stay out of the kitchen. Those that were in there had it all under control, and usually under the supervision of one “executive chef.” One person was orchestrating the symphony of flavors that will soon be devoured.
For the Nashville Predators, that would be Roman Josi.
On the season, Josi has five goals and nine assists. You can almost split those numbers into even strength and power play points evenly. He averages more minutes than any other skater. And, he ranks in the top for in both CorsiFor and Fenwick ratings. Only Rinne ranks higher in point-shares this year.
It is clear that Josi the glue that holds things together. That is why coach Peter Laviolette chose Josi as the captain of the Predators. Looks like a great choice. Josi is the leader of the team. The Predators won two of three games in which Josi missed, but won 10 with Josi in the lineup. When he shoots five or more times, they team is 6-1.
Next: Preds climb in power rankings
As he goes, do will the Predators. That makes him the executive chef.