Predators: John Hynes Has This Team Clicking Ahead of Schedule

There’s definitely progress being made by the Nashville Predators and their new head coach John Hynes. His system changes are working quickly.

It’s only been just a month since Hynes was brought in as the third head coach in Nashville Predators franchise history. The Predators quickly pulled the trigger on hiring him after letting go of Peter Laviolette.

When Hynes was brought in, the team was obviously in huge disarray. The season was in danger of being completely lost, but it was still salvageable at that point. He’s 7-5 with the Predators, if you want to count his official debut against Boston.

With the Winter Classic collapse hanging over our heads, and the demoralizing loss to a last-place Ducks team, the Predators had to make a bold move. In came Hynes, a guy who had just been fired himself by a struggling franchise.

I’ll be the first to admit I was critical of the decision to fire Laviolette midseason. I thought it was a knee-jerk reaction that could make things worse when the season was still salvageable.

I’m here to tell you I’ve been pleasantly surprised that Hynes is making a direct impact on fixing the issues that were plaguing this team before he came aboard. Now the Predators actually have a realistic chance at not only making the playoffs, but maybe even make some noise once they get in.

Wasting no time

First off, I’m a huge fan of how Hynes conducts himself in interviews and press conferences. I love how candid he is with his responses, and fans appreciate it as well. He’s not hiding anything when problems arise.

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On the flip side, Laviolette had gotten what came off as very defensive and guarded in his responses. It was somewhat understandable considering the rumors of his firing swirling around can’t be easy on anyone, but in the end you have to be forthcoming when your team is struggling so badly and not meeting expectations.

I originally thought that bringing in Hynes meant the season was probably over.  It was going to take time to transition into a new head coach’s philosophies and systems, and the Predators weren’t going to be able to right the ship.

I also had the belief that the players on the team deserved more share of the blame for falling up so short of expectations and potential. That feeling hasn’t completely been let go of just because the team is suddenly one point out of a playoff spot.

Being proven wrong so far

Circling back around to Hynes, he’s really impressed me with how quickly he’s made adjustments on the ice. There’s a noticeable change in how the team plays, defends and attacks. This is especially true on special teams.

The Predators dug themselves in a pretty deep hole on both the power play and penalty kill. In those departments they’re still outside the top-25 league-win, but I’m seeing modest progress being made under Hynes.

As for 5-on-5, the Predators have remained very solid overall. They’re 6th in the NHL in goals for at 5-on-5 with 123, and only 11 behind the league-leading Colorado Avalanche. In comparison, they’re also 12th-best in the NHL in goals against at 5-on-5. So staying a disciplined team is vital for this team under Hynes.

Another big thing sticking out under Hynes is how he’s making direct impacts on particular players that weren’t playing up to their own potentials. Mikael Granlund immediately comes to mind.

Granlund is suddenly looking like the player we thought was coming here last year when he was traded from Minnesota for Kevin Fiala.

Things have never worked out here, up until recently. Granlund has five goals in his last eight games, including the difference-making goal last night in a win over Calgary.

Other players that have looked great under Hynes is Kyle Turris, Ryan Johansen and Rocco Grimaldi. The Predators look like a team that has four lines that can all contribute heavily.

Whether the results end up being good or bad in the end, my judgement of Hynes is going to be reserved until after the season is fully completed. However, my early thought is he’s changing this team for the better way faster than I anticipated.

Sometimes it’s okay to be wrong, and I’m glad I’m being proven wrong right now. Hynes is making quick work of turning this team around, but there’s a lot of work left to do to reinstate full confidence that this team is ready to live up to preseason hype.