Nashville Predators: Searching For That Elusive First Win

Despite all of the scouting reports, player movement, and the insertion of a few younger players into the lineup, expectations are still very high for the Nashville Predators to produce. Bottom six changes are coming as Head Coach John Hynes searches for the right line combinations, but will it be enough to secure that first win?

Nashville Predators tweak the lineup

On Sunday, Cap Friendly Transactions released a Tweet saying Nashville had moved Cody Glass to the Milwaukee Admirals after only two games. The Predators confirmed this on Monday in a press release stating that they had reassigned Glass and recalled Tommy Novak to Nashville as well.

In a Tweet today by Brooks Bratten, Hynes was quoted as saying that he felt that Glass needed some top-line minutes in the AHL to get himself up and running. And while he has no NHL experience, Novak’s stats for the Admirals, Chicago Wolves, and Florida Everblades for the past two seasons have been exemplary.

After two losses, Hynes is ready to make some tweaks to the lineup, as evidenced by the Glass relegation. We can only assume that Novak will be centering Nick Cousins and PhilipTomasino/Rocco Grimaldi. The other three lines have been somewhat producing, so surely we wouldn’t see any major changes just yet.

It’s all about the line combinations

The first line of Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, and Matt Duchene has scored five points between the three. We obviously need more from this trio, especially Duchene, who has zero points, but it is still early in the season.

The second line consisting of Mikael Granlund, Eeli Tolvanen, and Luke Kunin has five points as well and is emerging as a great lineup. Granlund especially has passed the eye test and been the standout player for Nashville through two games.

The Herd line of Tanner Jeannot, Yakov Trenin, and Colton Sissons hasn’t scored any points, but they lead the team in hits with 12. This line keeps other teams in check with their defensive play and tenacity. The points will come for them sooner rather than later.

That leaves the third line. With either Tomasino or Grimaldi on the wing, this line hasn’t produced anything to this point and is the only viable line to make changes to at the beginning of this young season. For this reason alone, the third line seems like Novak’s destination.

It’s way early in the season

Even though the Predators looked rusty in their loss to Seattle, they were still in a position to win the game. There were some defensive lapses, but the score could have been different if the goal that featured the most glaring lapse hadn’t happened.

And while it is hard to accept any loss, the defeat at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes was a little easier to swallow. The Predators looked much more competitive and way better than they did against Seattle. However, the struggle to find consistent goal scoring is real and probably the most pressing issue they face right now.

There is always hope, and the Predators may surprise us like they did last season, but only time will tell. Remember, there have been only two games, and they were against tough opponents. Once things get rolling, a better Nashville team will emerge.

At this point, my suggestion for Nashville fans would be to temper their expectations a bit. The Predators will more than likely be fighting for wins all season. But, there is talent on this team. The wins will come.