Nashville Predators: Early Season Standouts and Surprises

Mark Borowiecki

Let me preface this slide by saying that I love a lot of the things Mark Borowiecki brings to the table defensively. He’s getting into the dirty areas, blocking shots, laying out the hits and getting under the skin of the opponent.

Here’s the problem; the Predators are putrid once again at killing off penalties, and Borowiecki is becoming a major liability after being considered one of the crown jewels of the offseason. Well maybe not a crown jewel, but definitely a solid consolation prize.

Borowiecki leads the NHL in penalty minutes (27), with 19 of those 27 coming in one game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The game where the Lightning got seven power play chances and it seemed like every two seconds another arm was being raised for a penalty.

A delicate balance needs to be found for Borowiecki or it’s going to be difficult for the coaching staff to have him as a regular starter. He was a healthy scratch in the most recent game, and Jarred Tinordi got his spot in the lineup.

If Borowiecki can settle down a bit and take smarter penalties and avoid the ones where he just loses his cool, he’ll serve the Predators well as a defensive team.