Excuses should honestly never be accepted in hockey, but they really don't work when you're as deep into a season as the Nashville Predators are right now.
The Predators have appeared to enter another mini slump after going on a brief, but hopeful five-game winning streak in the middle of January. Seemingly their last-ditch effort to make a miraculous run back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs race.
The offense ran dry and the Predators once again couldn't capitalize on scoring chances in their 3-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena. A tale as old as time itself, or at least it feels that way.
Despite the loss, Head Coach Andrew Brunette remains encouraged by the growth and increased chemistry is showing, commenting to the team's website:
"“I think we're much more connected. We’ve got a lot more guys playing… Our four lines are balanced and they're creating, and [they] didn't get results tonight, but I really like our forward group… There’s a better feeling, for sure.""Andrew Brunette, Preds Official Website
Feels like a politically correct response. I'd like to see more accountability for why this team cannot for the life of them finish. They make nearly every goalie they face look like the second coming of Martin Brodeur. Sure, Thatcher Demko is a upper tier goalie when he's healthy, but was rusty coming into this one.
Brunette would also go on to say that it appears there's being more invested by the group. I'm sorry, what? You mean to tell me it has taken almost 50 games into the season for this group to start getting "invested"?
You don't win hockey game purely with "good effort". Sure. that's part of it, but not executing when it matters and having even a few critical errors costs you and this team seems to usually find ways to stub it's toe when the game is within reach to win.
Same old song and dance from the Nashville Predators
The Predators outshot the Canucks by 10, and MoneyPuck gave the Predators a 60 percent deserve to win probability. But their Expected Goals was around 2.5 goals, and the defense did their part to hold the Canucks even lower than that.
It might seem like I'm nitpicking here, and I would agree with you if it was much earlier in the season. But to still be talking about "improving chemistry" is simply unacceptable. We should be way past that and we should be seeing this team playing at their full potential every game.
General Manager Barry Trotz hasn't committed to what his trade deadline strategy will be in five weeks, nor should he. He should keep that close to his chest and not reveal his hand, but I can't imagine he is considering being a heavy buyer. Instead, he has to be realizing by the game, and even by the period, that this collective group of players is never going to get it done in terms of going deep in the playoffs.
The answer is complex and long. I don't see an instant fix. You see the term retool thrown around as more popular and less scary than the term "rebuild". Call it whatever you want that makes you feel better, but Trotz should be considering a large majority of his roster to be tradeable. Listen to every phone call on players, even someone like Ryan O'Reilly who I have been adamant about for weeks that should be a high trade priority.
The loss to the Canucks also puts a dent into any remaining hopes of chasing down the final wildcard spot, which the Canucks occupy. The Predators are now 13 points back and if this team is still focusing on "building chemistry", then yeah, it's too late and a dollar short. Start thinking about 2025-26 if you're the front office and start clearing the deck chairs for newcomers through low-risk trades, offseason free agency and by calling up more prospects.