What a great feeling it was to be back in Bridgestone Arena last night, October 2, a pre-season game but a great feeling and environment, nonetheless.
The team looked poised and motivated to get the season going. From the goaltending and defense, I found this lineup to likely be the opening night roster on the backend, while the forward arrangement is still up for grabs in some areas. The roster for the game and who generally played with who may be found below.
As the lineup is still taking shape and Tampa Bay played very few players that are likely to start for them on opening night, saying the Preds dominated all aspects of the game does not provide for much. However, they did dominate which is better than the contrary. But penalties were a real problem in the second period. This continues to be a Preds problem that hopefully does not continue.
Systematically, I think that Hynes having a training camp has done the system some good instead of having to learn on the fly whether mid-season or during a COVID crazy year. All players were actively trying to remain on the defensive side of the puck (meaning they were keeping their bodies between the puck and Saros in order to block lanes). Instead of forcing passes to the wings for a “natural” breakout, the D were checking up the middle first to allow the wings to break and open the ice more. If the middle wasn’t there, they carried until pressure was given that then opened the lanes for the first pass. This was even more encouraging as it translated to the PP with the long stretch pass being the first look (not too different from the flip pass that the Preds used in their Cup run in 2017). This was put on display multiple times and perfected with Fabbro’s pass to Grimaldi as he was breaking across the far blue line that helped him use his speed to get behind Tampa Bay’s D and then have an easy pass to Cousins for the goal. When a system is built into the game whether 5-on-5, the PP, or PK, it allows a much more natural flow of the game with the players not having to think about ok I have to do this because we’re on the PP, or this because we’re now at even strength. How this translates from pre-season to regular season, we shall see. But it is an encouraging sign to see an actual system taking shape that can be applicable across all facets of the game. Even the PK had a similar trend with a tight box and maintaining D-side positioning.
Here are some quick notes I wrote while watching individual players or player combinations:
Jeannot
Looked very poised. Not as all-out physical like we saw last season. Can tell he has really worked on his hands and has become more cerebral both on and off the puck. Nice to see him evolving. If this trend continues, I am hopeful for his potential. Size with skill is a rare commodity. Cheers to Jeannot. His destiny is within his own hands this year. Was caught off guard when Poile protected him earlier in the summer, but maybe he and the scouts saw this coming. Still hesitant but I like the risk here. High ceiling, moderate floor.
Tomasino
Virtually non-existent. I saw him because I was actively looking, not because he did anything stellar. He’s still young and has a lot to learn. Still seems to be a step behind. He has the right thought when passing, etc. but the window closes before the move is made. He can bury the puck in the net when given the chance though. The goal was dirty on the right side from his forehand, but he finished and that’s an encouraging sign. Star players can step up when needed even when they’re hidden at other times. The jury is still out on this young player, but there is no reason to think he cannot excel. I'm still fully in his camp and cannot wait to see him progress. It’s much easier to sharpen skills to the NHL level than to teach hockey sense. I could tell he was looking for the right move and saw it. Just not quite there when it comes to execution.
Glass
Nothing stellar, but always seemed to be in the right spot. Always looked to be on the D-side of the puck and would help the D low in the D-zone. Cut low to help the middle breakout pass and almost always got the puck out of the zone whether off the glass or carrying himself. Strong first pass. Will be great to see him get going. Had nice chemistry with Tomasino and Tolvanen but for that to be a legitimate line is a slim possibility with them all being unproven and still developing.
Myers
Myers has nice skill and very strong on the first pass out of the zone, but his speed is lacking especially in the transition. I would like for him to be more physical, but I like this pickup. It’s sad to see Ellis go. But the new Preds are taking shape and I like what Myers brings to the table. Poile is searching for more size with skill. In Myers, he found some of it.
Tolvanen
His skill is undeniable and that shot, believe it or not, from the left side has gotten even better. He’s starting to feel comfortable at the top on the PP. He performs well when there’s lots of space, this is evident in his past success in the KHL where they play on bigger ice. When it comes to tight spaces, he still has some development to go to make things happen. This year we should begin to see what he truly has to offer in North America.
Novak
Really great hands and a quick thinker. He was drafted in 2015 and entered the system in 2019 and has remained in the minors since then. He stood out last night, but I do not see him being in the lineup much, if at all, this season, although I hope he is. If he is, then consider me pleasantly surprised as it would be interesting to see him get a shot. I enjoyed watching his play on the puck last night, especially on the half boards in the O-zone. He has looked great throughout camp this year. 82 was frequently involved in the action and had a sweet pass on Carrier’s goal. Not always looking for the direct pass and frequently used the boards to see different angles. He's only 24 despite being in the system for a bit. Still plenty of potential here.
Saros
Saros was typical Saros. Making excellent saves and it can be immediately observed that he worked strongly on his side-to-side movement. That was a weakness of his last year that continued to be exploited. But his smaller stature is still unfortunately a hindrance on some moves side to side as seen in the lone Tampa Bay goal. Katchouk came down the right side and pulled Saros all the way to his right post and pulled it in tight and tucked the puck in far side at Saros’ left post when he attempted to reach his feet from post to post. He was strong, especially when he was getting relentless shots on the PK. But remember this was not Tampa Bay’s best lineup. So it went how it should’ve gone. The Tampa PP was no Stamkos, Pointe, etc. last night that it will be during the regular season.
Josi-Fabbro
This was a nice pairing. I’ve been constantly thinking since last season that Josi would be paired with Carrier. But Fabbro is continuing to demonstrate his hockey sense. Past articles have kept this viewpoint but that he was not quite there when it came to acting up to NHL speed. Playing with the fast-paced Josi may be an excellent option. I really liked their chemistry. Assuming this pair goes forward, I would be curious to how Carrier falls into the lineup. He will absolutely be present. Last night he played with Borowieski.
Ekholm-Myers
This seems to be the pairing for now. Both big guys with skill. I do wish they would use their bodies more considering their size. Having both Ekholm and Myers could cause some concern with the faster teams on the rush, but this looks like the pairing for now.
The roster for last night:
Forwards:
Cody Glass – 8
Luke Kunin – 11
Nick Cousins – 21
Rocco Grimaldi – 23
Matt Luff – 24
Mathieu Olivier – 25
Philip Tomasino – 26
Eeli Tolvanen – 28
Michael McCarron – 47
Mikael Granlund – 64
Tommy Novak – 82
Tanner Jeannot – 84
Defense:
Mattias Ekholm – 14
Alexandre Carrier – 45
Phillippe Myers – 55
Dante Fabbro – 57
Roman Josi – 59
Mark Borowiecski – 90
Goalies:
Juuse Saros – 74
David Rittich – 33
Line Arrangements Generally:
Jeannot – Granlund - Kunin
Tolvanen – Glass – Tomasino
Grimaldi – Cousins – Novak
Olivier – McCarron – Luff
Josi – Fabbro
Ekholm – Myers
Borowiecski – Carrier
Saros
Training camp continues and there are two more pre-season games before Opening Night against the Kraken. The battle for the final few spots continues and we shall see who makes it and who are the ones who don’t quite make the cut to start. I’ve been watching the livestream practice today, October 3, and for those in this group on the ice, the lines remained the same as they did in the game last night for the most part. When it comes to the D pairings for the practice, it remains the same with Josi-Fabbro; Ekholm-Myers; Borowiecki-Carrier with Matt Donovan cycling in with them too.
Forward lines for the practice are:
Novak-Cousins-Tomasino
Afanasyev-Glass-Jeannot
Tolvanen-Granlund-Kunin
Here’s a link to the livestream practice for this morning. I believe it can be accessed at any time if you would like to watch it later and not live.
Preds Practice Livestream October 3
In case the above link does not work, copy and paste this: https://www.nhl.com/predators/video/nsh-predators-preseason-practice/t-277437416/c-40473603
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