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Nashville Predators Awards for January

By Steve Cook

NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 23: Viktor Arvidsson #33 of the Nashville Predators celebrates his goal against Martin Jones #31 of the San Jose Sharks at Bridgestone Arena on October 23, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 23: Viktor Arvidsson #33 of the Nashville Predators celebrates his goal against Martin Jones #31 of the San Jose Sharks at Bridgestone Arena on October 23, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 23: Viktor Arvidsson #33 of the Nashville Predators skates with the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first period of their game at T-Mobile Arena on January 23, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Predators defeated the Golden Knights 2-1. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 23: Viktor Arvidsson #33 of the Nashville Predators skates with the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first period of their game at T-Mobile Arena on January 23, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Predators defeated the Golden Knights 2-1. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Worst Predators Performance: January 13 (Carolina 6, Nashville 3)

For whatever reason, the Nashville Predators have always struggled against the dregs of the NHL. They play up to their competition, which means that lesser teams have an advantage. That’s exactly what happened on this Sunday afternoon encounter.

The Carolina Hurricanes, as has tended to happen recently, stepped their game up against their former Stanley Cup-winning coach, Peter Laviolette. The Predators, for their part, played as if they’d been out too late the night before. Teams will have nights like this.

The fact it happens so often for Nashville against lesser teams is disconcerting. You’d like to shrug it off as “one of those things”, but you’d also like to think the Predators would get over it eventually.

Most Valuable Predator: Viktor Arvidsson

Ten goals is a pretty good season for most of the Nashville Predators. Arvidsson got that done in the month of January. Filip Forsberg did the same thing in October & got Hart Trophy talk. I don’t think Arvidsson will ever get that kind of talk, nor will any Predator in the long run, because it’s too difficult to figure out which player is most important to this team.

Forsberg certainly took that title early on. Since then, it’s been traded between Arvidsson & Ryan Johansen, who does all the little things on the JoFA line & gets little credit for it. Oh, and then there’s Mattias Ekholm, who has quietly been the best Predators defenseman. Of course, there’s Pekka Rinne, but dang if Juuse Saros hasn’t been looking better lately.

Let’s just stick with January. Arvidsson was out for most of the season prior due to injury, but he came back at the end of December. After shaking the cobwebs for a couple of games, he was on fire for the entirety of January. There were four games he didn’t get a point in, and he made up for that in the other games. He got two goals against Philadelphia, three against Washington & spread the other five out over the month.

Next. Austin Watson Suspended by NHL. dark

He also did some other things. Arvy Hustle is always a thing, and whenever he’s on the ice & in the lineup there’s an extra pep in the Nashville Predators’ step. Unless they’re playing lesser competition…

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