Nashville Predators Game 3: Offense Has to Wake Up or Get Out the Brooms

Don’t let the low-scoring Game 2 fool you on how this first round series is going between the Nashville Predators and the Colorado Avalanche. One team’s offensive attack is as dry as the Sahara, and one is gliding through the zone making it look effortless.

You can go ahead and guess which team is which, but needless to say, the Nashville Predators are a mess offensively as they head back home for Games 3 and 4.

Luckily, starting goaltender Connor Ingram put up a performance for the ages that was an instant classic for Predators postseason history. His Expected Goals Against was nearly five goals, while only surrendering one goal up until the 8:31 mark of overtime.

An ordinary performance in net and the Avalanche score at least another five goals and run the Predators out of the building yet again.

Game 3 is a fork in the road to the Nashville Predators postseason

“We’ve had lots of opportunities. A lot of guys that were here last year went into Carolina, lost the first two games in Carolina and won the next two at home and extended the series.”-Head Coach John Hynes, per NashvillePredators.com

I’ve always said that Game is the fork in the road to every seven-game series. The Predators win Game 3 and suddenly the narrative will shift considerably and some rumblings of “The Avs might be in trouble” will start to surface.

However, a Game 3 loss and tee times will probably start being arranged for next week. Head Coach John Hynes is keeping his team focused on Game 3 and how it shifted in last year’s playoffs against Carolina after coming home.

As much faith as I have in Ingram to play well enough to give the Predators a chance, he’s not going to be enough if the team in front of him can’t fix their offensive woes.

Per MoneyPuck.com, the Predators have the second-worst Goals Expected at 5v5 among playoff teams:

That’s a disastrous combination regardless of who you’re up against, but especially bad if you’re going up against the team with the second-highest Goals Expected among playoff teams.

This is going to sound a little over-the-top because Filip Forsberg has been so outstanding during the regular season, but has anyone seen him in the first two games. Like seriously, did he play?

I look at the box score and clearly he logged ice time, but I swear he’s been invisible or an imposture is dressed up like him. Either way, we need the real Forsberg back in Games 3 and 4 to give some much-needed goal support to Ingram.

It’s not just on Forsberg to carry the offensvie load. Roman Josi has just one assist, Ryan Johansen also has just one assist, and Tanner Jeannot has zero points. Matt Duchene has two goals, but in garbage time in Game 1. Zero points in Game 2.

The top-ten Predators power play has also been downright lackadaisical. Only one goal on eight attempts, including failing two convert on nearly a full two-minutes 5-on-3 opportunity with the score still tied 1-1 in Game 2. Wasted opportunity.

We know the Avs are going to get their goals. I’m afraid that Game 2 was somewhat of an anomaly and that Ingram will give up three to four goals in Game 3. That doesn’t mean he won’t play well, but the shot totals will almost certainly be enormous again.

Can the Nashville Predators win a track meet style of a game? Probably not, but it’s really their only shot at keeping this from a sweep, much less actually making this series competitive.