Nashville Predators: Predators November Awards
The Nashville Predators had a busy month of November. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest happenings around the team.
To say that November was a good month for the Nashville Predators would be an understatement. The Predators collected 21 of a possible 28 points & spring-boarded their way into the top three of the Central Division. There were games where Nashville showed the form that makes people consider them Stanley Cup contenders.
There were games where the flaws were on full display.
Here’s some of the many highlights and a few lowlights of the month of November.
Most Shocking Moment: Trading For Kyle Turris
We knew something was coming. It always is with David Poile & Nashville Predators management. If they feel like there’s a move to be made that’ll improve the team, they’ll do it. Most NHL front offices hide behind excuses & keep their heads firmly planted in the sand to avoid doing anything. Not David Poile. He isn’t batting 1.000, but he’s got more at-bats than anybody else.
Matt Duchene was rumored to be heading to Nashville for a couple of years. Although the Predators & the Colorado Avalanche made some deals, that one never got done. Joe Sakic always wanted more than the Predators were willing to give up for Duchene. Sakic finally got what he wanted, and the Predators were involved, but Duchene didn’t go to Nashville.
Kyle Turris did. A center for the Ottawa Senators in the final season of his contract, Turris was having a tough time getting a deal done. He immediately got a long-term deal done with Nashville shortly after the trade. So far, it seems like a perfect fit. Turris has already formed a quality line with Craig Smith & Kevin Fiala, taking some of the pressure off of Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg & Viktor Arvidsson. The spark he provided to the team was a large part of the Predators’ successful November.
For the longest time, the knock on the Nashville Predators was that they were lacking at center. People can’t say that now.
Biggest Question Mark: Backup Goalie
We’ve been here before as Nashville Predators fans. As well as Pekka Rinne is doing this season, there’s always the question of what happens when he doesn’t play. It isn’t often, and it seems like he’s playing even more often this season than most. The thing is that Pekka pretty much has to play because of lack of other options.
People thought Juuse Saros was the answer. Maybe he will be. Right now, Saros is going through a horrendous slump. Coach Peter Laviolette won’t throw him under the bus because that wouldn’t help things, but Saros can’t win games no matter where he plays right now. He went down to Milwaukee for a couple of games and got torched by AHL teams. He’s off his game right now & not showing the form that had people thinking about trading Pekka last season.
Anders Lindback may get his chance to play in Nashville at some point, if Rinne ever feels like taking a day off. Lindback leads the AHL with 11 wins this season and has at least earned a start. Pekka can’t play every game, and the Predators can’t forfeit games he doesn’t play. Something has to give.
Best Off-Ice Story: Lyndsay Rowley helps Hockey Fight Cancer
November was all about #HockeyFightsCancer. Of course there were various mustaches grown in honor of No-Shave November. Nashville Predators broadcaster Lyndsay Rowley took it up a notch by donating some of her hair to Children With Hair Loss. CWHL provides wigs to children that lose their hair during treatment for medical issues.
In honor of #HockeyFightsCancer I donated my hair to @CWHL_org! Hope my donation brightens 1 child’s day! Thanks @harlowsalon! @PredsNHL pic.twitter.com/CbQSDFGID0
— Lyndsay Rowley (@LyndsayRowley) November 14, 2017
Lyndsay has become a fan favorite in Nashville due to her professionalism & performance on camera, and it’s no surprise that she does whatever she can to help others. The Predators are lucky to have her as part of their broadcast crew.
Best Former Predator: Samuel Girard
Girard quickly became a Predlines favorite with his offensive production, but Nashville management was reticent to give him playing time. The Predators defensive corps is stacked with talent, even with Ryan Ellis on the shelf. Nashville seemed unsure of what to do with Girard, so switching locations was probably for the best for him.
The Colorado Avalanche aren’t as deep as the Nashville Predators. Nashville is playing for glory right now while Colorado hopes it’ll come down the road. The Kyle Turris/Matt Duchene trade sent a ton of young prospects the Avs’ way, and Girard has gone from wondering if he was heading back to junior hockey to being one of Colorado’s top defensemen.
Girard got an assist in his first game with Colorado and has played over twenty minutes in most of his games with the team. That wasn’t going to happen in Nashville anytime soon. Sometimes moving to a objectively inferior team works out for the best.
Best Nashville Predators GIF: Viktor Arvidsson
https://twitter.com/PredsNHL/status/934854319551246336
You know it’s a nice play when it actually gets on SportsCenter.
Best Annoying Discussion Topic: Cody McLeod’s spot on the roster
I’m on record as supporting Cody McLeod & his spot on the Nashville Predators roster. This puts me on the opposite side of most people writing about hockey these days, including my Predlines colleagues. I’m ok with this. Even when I consider all the fancy statistics and some of the plays he makes, I recognize the importance of Cody McLeod.
What never ceases to amaze me is how deadset the McLeod haters are against him. They spend hours upon hours complaining about his spot on the team. This leads to McLeod defenders sticking up for him, and many, many tweets. All this about a hockey player that’s either the last guy on the active roster or the first guy sitting in the press box. Or the penalty box, if he happens to be playing that evening.
To me, a guy like McLeod is who you want in that spot. I want Frederick Gaudreau & Pontus Aberg playing constant minutes and getting better. If they can in Nashville, that’s great. If they can’t, I don’t want to see them sitting up in the press box when they could be in Milwaukee getting ice time. There’s no reason to send McLeod to Milwaukee.
There’s no real reason to release him either. He’s on the last season of his contract and everybody on the team likes him. If he was a locker room cancer I’d be all about getting rid of him, but he’s one of those guys that hockey players love having on their side. Nashville has been a better team since his arrival. Getting rid of him because you’d rather have a young guy sit in the press box & take notes or something doesn’t make much sense to me.
Best Game: Nashville 5, Pittsburgh 4 (SO) on November 11
There were many contenders for this award. The wins over St. Louis, Winnipeg & Chicago were good division tone setters. Wins in Anaheim & Los Angeles to start the month got the Predators’ road play on track. As far as on-ice excitement & playoff feel goes, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ visit to Bridgestone Arena is tough to beat.
Kyle Turris made his debut with the Nashville Predators a memorable one, scoring Nashville’s first goal of the night. Pittsburgh led 1-0 after one period, but the Predators scored three goals in the first six minutes of the second to take the lead. Pittsburgh would come back to tie it, and in a rarity, Nashville actually survived overtime & won a shootout.
I don’t know how other Predator fans feel about it, but beating Pittsburgh feels better to me than wins against anybody else. Even Chicago.
Worst Game: Minnesota 6, Nashville 4 on November 16
This one was frustrating. Going into this game the Wild had been on quite the offensive slump. They were on a two-game winning streak purely because of their goalie Devan Dubnyk. When the Predators got off to a 3-0 lead, it felt like Nashville could put it in the win column.
Not so fast. The Wild stormed back into the game and scored four times in the last 6:56 to send the Nashville Predators home with the L. Nashville let two points that they should have had get away. You hope it doesn’t affect things down the road.
MVP: Craig Smith
When Craig Smith is on, he’s a very dangerous man. After three straight seasons scoring over twenty goals, Smith dropped to twelve in 2016-17. Many, myself included, wondered if he had a future on this team. He has silenced the doubters thus far in 2017-18, and his game went to another level after being paired with Kyle Turris & Kevin Fiala.
Next: December May Have Preds Saying Merry Smithmas
Smith scored six goals in November and has nine so far in this season. It’s the fastest start of his career by a pretty wide margin. His Corsi & Fenwick scores are among the best on the Predators. I remember saying during the preseason that the Predators needed a big season out of Smith, and it looks like that’s what they’ll get.