The Nashville Predators have begun yet another season on the wrong foot. After suffering a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning during the NHL's Frozen Frenzy, Head Coach Andrew Brunette voiced some frustration about the penalty troubles the team consistently finds itself in.
"We're not moving our feet. We're taking way too many. I think [Haula] has taken way too many every night. Just kind of senseless penalties where we put ourselves in 5-on-3." said Brunette via Preds beat reporter at the Tennessean Alex Daugherty.
The Predators have taken 49 penalties, tied for the fifth most in the league. Despite having the third-best penalty kill percentage in the NHL with an impressive 90%, the team is losing games and is now 4-5-2, sixth in the Central.
Brunette is stressing the issue to the team, and to one forward in particular, Haula, who he stated has been taking way too many himself alone. Haula is a penalty killer, so it's extra detrimental to the team's success when he ends up in the box. In his last five games, he has 10 PIMS (penalty minutes).
Haula got off to a hot start scoring-wise with his new team but his points dropped off when his linemate, Jonathan Marchessault, went out with an injury. Haula scored four points in his five games played with Marchessault and had none in the time without him. They'll need him to stay out of the box to focus on getting that secondary scoring back for a team starved of any.
In their last game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Haula skated with Michael Bunting and Luke Evangelista, a new trio Brunette has put together. Haula managed two points after being scoreless in the last six games. Perhaps this new line reignites his scoring touch in the next few games.
The Predators are still struggling to find offense, ranking 27th in goals for, according to Statmuse. If the team keeps finding itself defending down a man, they won't have time to figure out the scoring issues. If the record continues to reflect losses, however, one could wonder if Brunette will be the coach to find the answers.