So far the Predators have been an entertaining team, but it hasn’t given us a definitive result. The team continues to find their way through their tough opening month and alternates from looking good to looking less than stellar.
The consistency is inconsistency at the moment. Though we can look at some of the players and find some interesting things to watch.
Week 4 Record: 1-1 Overall Record, 5-7-0 (10 points) 7th in the Central Division, 12th in the Western Conference, 27th in the NHL
Carrier Coming Alive
After an injury plagued down year, Alexandre Carrier needed to make good on his recent contract extension. So far he’s racked up four assists for four points. It isn’t a lot, but after last year’s nine points in 43 games it’s good to see the form return.
Carrier is also playing nearly 20 minutes a night and has piled up 40 blocks, and will need to continue to do so for the time being. His play will be vastly important for keeping the defensive core stable.
Predators All Tied Up
Thus far, the Predators have scored 34 goals. This is in the bottom half of the league. They have given up 36 goals, which puts their scoring margin at minus-2.
After a month they’ve scored almost as much as they’ve given up. It is a weird coincidence, but one that shows that the offense is still trying to figure it out. The defense is playing well enough and both goalies have played well, but the team is spending too much time on the defense and not enough on offense. Look for those numbers to shift, hopefully in favor of goals for.
Sherwood Hockey
Kiefer Sherwood has been very visible for the first portion of the season. He tallied his third goal of the season last night in the loss to the Calgary Flames. He’s flying around the ice, scoring, creating opportunities, and throwing hits.
It is an entertaining brand of hockey. His five points doesn’t jump off the stat sheet, but his plus minus is a +6 and he’s playing up on the 2nd line. He hasn’t managed to get a full season of play under his belt yet, but right now it is looking like Sherwood is going to be a permanent fixture for the team this season.