Confidence tends to be a mentality at the NHL level. It can separate Juuse Saros from a shoutout and allowing the game's first shot. Causing Roman Josi to stay back in the defensive end from going coast-to-coast for a highlight reel play.
It's what fueled the early start for the Predators on Tuesday night.
In the wake of the injured Ryan O'Reilly, Brunette promoted Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos to the first line.
Confidence--the same objective that could cause Stamkos, Marchessault, and Filip Forsberg the Predators now top line, to have a combined one goal and two assists individually, leading to puck drop.
Who historically, have been top producers in the NHL.
The Nashville Predators' lack of confidence could be part of why they are dead last in goals per game (2.21).
Finding the first goal has been a key variable the Predators have tried to search for.
Last night, it was a visibly relieved Jonathan Marchessault, tipping in Steven Stamkos' feed to open scoring for the Predators eight minutes in.
Three minutes later, Nazam Kadri got credited with a goal where Juuse Saros believed to have the puck in his glove, although it remained in his five hole and found it's way into the net, tying the game at one.
Nashville's confident response seemed to be a result of scoring the initial goal, as Tommy Novak finished Mark Jankowski's slick backhand feed with a quick snapshot into the net, his
first goal since October 22nd against the Boston Bruins, doubling as his 100th career point. Ending an almost two-month scoreless drought:
""It was kind of a slow-developing three-on-two," Novak said at the end of the first period..."A great play by my linemates, I was lucky to just be there for the shot. Me and (Luke Evangelista) always enjoy playing together. It's a joy, we're trying to bring the energy and get out of this funk. Do what we can to help the team."""Nashville Predators Official Website
The Preds first-period momentum didn't necessarily carry into the rest of the game.
Roman Josi was absent from Nashville's bench to start the second period. Later in the game, it was announced that he would not return to the game due to a lower-body injury.
Leaving the team with five defensemen to play.
Two minutes into the second, Calgary's two-on-one play saw Walker Duehr beat an angling Brady Skjei feeding Kevin Rooney a puck that beat Juuse Saros to tie the game at two.
"A couple of bad breakouts. We got to not managing the puck well for parts of the game," Head Coach Andrew Brunette said postgame, per the official team website.
Marchessault scored his second goal of the game on a backhand feed from Forsberg to regain the Predators lead.
Brayden Pachal walked in all alone firing the puck past a screened Juuse Saros to tie the game at three, for his first goal of his season.
Jonathan Huberdeau would convert on the power-play, burying a backhand shot in tight to give the Flames a 1-goal lead in the waning minutes of the 2nd period.
Meaning Nashville would trail for the first time in the game.
"We got caught running around on a couple of those goals. It happens, but obviously the power-play goal with a little bit of time left kind of hurts," Brunette explained.
Filip Forsberg described the disappointing second period, per the Nashville Predators official team website:
""Second period, was not good enough. Turned the puck over a lot, that was obviously the momentum swing. They got two goals right at the end there. It kind of set it up for them.""Nashville Predators Postgame Interview
The third period saw the Predators searching for a game-tying goal, which never evidently happened, but the effort to tie the game was as evident as ever this season. Marchessault told reporters that this team has to face the adversity the Predators are up against right now.
""You've got to embrace the grind, the adversity that you face as a team and as an individual," Marchessault said postgame."Nashville Predators postgame interview
Nashville now finds themselves without a win in the last seven (0-4-3). They look onward, traveling to Dallas to face the Stars for the second time this season.