Paul McCann: Desperate Times...

SK74 showed us what i figured out 1 big hit into the ducks series 2 years ago. we need roster changes and he may as well be 1st.

I really hope that this turns into a purge of this roster. I know we have some NMC's on the team...but good grief I am ready for some change. They aren't going to get alot for the pieces they have, but we are in need of some serious turnover. Time for a culture change.

SK74 showed us what i figured out 1 big hit into the ducks series 2 years ago. we need roster changes and he may as well be 1st.
- predswilrule

He has no heart. Send him back to the KHL. He will never change. He was the same in Montreal.

I was at the game last night, that line change was ridiculous, never seen anything like that before. Was awesome for us though haha. How do you just change lines while chasing someone down giving them a 2 on 1 while short handed?

I was at the game last night, that line change was ridiculous, never seen anything like that before. Was awesome for us though haha. How do you just change lines while chasing someone down giving them a 2 on 1 while short handed?
- SpoiledByOil

I just question if he thought it was gagner one on one with the defender and he didn't see petrell, because my god was that bad.

As for the preds, I really don't know what to expect. It's as if they are heading down a long ugly road. It's all fine and dandy to pick guys up off waivers to fill a void, but eventually you'll need good bodies.

I just question if he thought it was gagner one on one with the defender and he didn't see petrell, because my god was that bad.

As for the preds, I really don't know what to expect. It's as if they are heading down a long ugly road. It's all fine and dandy to pick guys up off waivers to fill a void, but eventually you'll need good bodies.
- Lahey

I maintain that he either quit on the play or had an immensely egregious lack of awareness on the ice. Either way it doesn't merit tons of ice time for the guy, and after allowing the puck to get behind him several times already, he should never be allowed to play the point on the power play again.

- Since when did St. Patrick’s Day fall on March 16th? The city celebration was centered around Saturday instead of the actual holiday. Silly…simply silly.
- pmccann

I think most cities were doing that. I was in Knoxville this weekend and they had their St. Patrick's Pub Crawl starting on Saturday evening. Everyone was just extending the festivities throughout the weekend because it means a lot more cash.

Preds should have an In Arena Pub Crawl. That would be epic.

First the lockout, now this...

Hit the reset button!

The Preds need an overhaul of about 1/2 of their roster. There are plenty of decent players on the team & some really good ones. The problem is, several of the good forwards are asked to play above their rightful lines (like making Fisher a top-line center at times, etc.).

Players I wouldn't mind seeing move on are:

1. Kostitsyn - skill, but no determination to score (or heart)
2. Legwand - some value, but very inconsistent
3. Hannan - sure he's hurt, but terrible D lapses for a veteran
4. Blum - I want to like him, but way too many giveaways
5. Erat - I've been a fan of Marty, but lately, he's a turnover waiting to happen
6. Spaling - not a bad player, but the preds don't need another 3/4 line center.

The problem is, I'm not sure what kind of value you can get for any of these guys. I would assume Erat & Legwand have the most value. Perhaps Spaling & Blum have some as well. You may be able to ship #74 back to Russia for a couple cases of cheap vodka & then the team can get blasted and try to forget this season!

It is just sad, b/c SK74 has come a LONG way in the past 2+ seasons...this year has been an absolute mess and he has continued his free fall back to his MTL days.

1. Kostitsyn - skill, but no determination to score (or heart)
2. Legwand - some value, but very inconsistent
3. Hannan - sure he's hurt, but terrible D lapses for a veteran
4. Blum - I want to like him, but way too many giveaways
5. Erat - I've been a fan of Marty, but lately, he's a turnover waiting to happen
6. Spaling - not a bad player, but the preds don't need another 3/4 line center.

- holycow_75

1: Agree.
2; Yeah he's at least made an effort to step it up a bit. Bad 3-2 last night where he elects to pass, though.
3; Yes - he is a liability.
4; Eh, I think he has great potential, just not in our system.
5; Lately? This whole season.
6; I disagree with you here. Spaling is one of the best PKers we have. He isn't a scoring machine, but he is a really good PK guy. Smithson 2.0.

Great article by James Nelson at The Predatorial. Pretty much sums up how I feel about this season as well.

http://www.thepredatorial...-up-its-not-all-that-bad/

Great article by James Nelson at The Predatorial. Pretty much sums up how I feel about this season as well.

http://www.thepredatorial...-up-its-not-all-that-bad/
- Predaceous

I also loved that article, but losing the game last night wasn't what got my blood boiling a little, it was the way it happened.

It seems like every forward on the team had a wonderful season last season, and everyone (excluding Wilson and Bourque) is having a worse than down year this year.

The article made me realize that not making the playoffs is not the worst thing that can happen, but it is a harder fall when expectations were raised higher than they were at the start of last year

I also loved that article, but losing the game last night wasn't what got my blood boiling a little, it was the way it happened.

It seems like every forward on the team had a wonderful season last season, and everyone (excluding Wilson and Bourque) is having a worse than down year this year.

The article made me realize that not making the playoffs is not the worst thing that can happen, but it is a harder fall when expectations were raised higher than they were at the start of last year
- bigpredfan

Why would expectations be higher when you loss Suter? If you expected to be a better team without him, then that's really your own fault.

I also loved that article, but losing the game last night wasn't what got my blood boiling a little, it was the way it happened.

It seems like every forward on the team had a wonderful season last season, and everyone (excluding Wilson and Bourque) is having a worse than down year this year.

The article made me realize that not making the playoffs is not the worst thing that can happen, but it is a harder fall when expectations were raised higher than they were at the start of last year
- bigpredfan

I don't think I had raised expectations for this season. I had no expectations really. A shortened season that's been goofy from the start? I mean, Columbus is on an 11 game point streak for cryin' out loud. Philly is an also-ran, Winnipeg was leading their division... this season is screwy.

Next year I will have expectations for this team, and I don't think I'm going to be disappointed... especially after what we've had to endure this season.

Why would expectations be higher when you loss Suter? If you expected to be a better team without him, then that's really your own fault.
- Lahey

Because Suter all but disappeared after the All-Star game last season, and we seemed to do ok. Besides, Suter and Weber aside, Pekka Rinne is the straw that stirs the drink on this team. Unfortunately there's so much crap going on with the team right now (which has nothing to do with Suter being here or not) that even Pekka can't save them.

Stale, stale and stale. Everything about us is stale. We’re predictable. Every organization knows us, has had years to study….Trotz. There has to be a book on us. Scouts talk to Coaches, Scouts change teams, and Coaches change teams. We are known. There has to a general bland knowledge of what you are going to get when you play the Preds. For nearly fifteen years Trotz has coached in essence one particular way…true, roster make up can and will dictate that. I’ve often wondered what Trotz would do with another team’s talent. For example, what if Trotz was coaching the Blackhawks? Would Chicago have the same record as they do today? Just food for thought, that’s all.

Has-beens, well, let’s call them was-supposed-to-bes Erat and Legwand….aint going anywhere, so can’t their ice time be reduced? We all know Leggy has been here since the start. I saw my first game on December 13, 2003, Luongo was in the net for Florida….Erat scored that night, that’s going on ten years ago. Erat and Legwand have been here a long, long time.

Intensity fatigue is another issue that I think hampers the Preds. It seems like too many games in past seasons were “must wins” or “make or breaks”. Definitely this shortened season games have more significance. Yet, could the veteran players be spent? Has there been too many late season rushes to make the playoffs? Same old broken record? I draw back to Chicago….or any team leading their respective division right now. Those teams are rather workman-like, get the job done, get the two-points and go home. These teams never seem to have to fight to the death, scratch-and-claw like the Preds seem to have to, every game, every season.

On a somewhat related note, when I watch away games and the opponents (home team) score, I hear a rather upbeat, modern goal song. Yet, we employ “I like, I love it” (which is cool, but….well, aged shall we say). Is it sacrilege to change it? When will the Preds change some things? We are an established franchise, we are not in our third, fifth, seventh year….we are going on 15!! We are selling out the arena, fans still come even though Tootoo is gone for goodness sakes LOL.

Stale, stale, stale…this shortened year would be a great time to jettison, transition, emabark on new direction. We’ll either lose games or win games…..and we are losing games now. Pull the trigger and bring on 2013-14!

I don't think I had raised expectations for this season. I had no expectations really. A shortened season that's been goofy from the start? I mean, Columbus is on an 11 game point streak for cryin' out loud. Philly is an also-ran, Winnipeg was leading their division... this season is screwy.
Next year I will have expectations for this team, and I don't think I'm going to be disappointed... especially after what we've had to endure this season.
- Predaceous

Cats and Dogs sleeping together!!!!!

A difference between this year and last year (other than Suter) is that with the compressed schedule, they arent getting much practice time. It appears possible to me that the composition of this team requires that practice time to be "reminded" of exactly what their duties are from game to game. Maybe I am over analyzing but it appears to me that this bunch is just lost out on the ice. Trotz, Lane Lambert's Hair and Horacheck probably havent changed their message from last season????

Why would expectations be higher when you loss Suter? If you expected to be a better team without him, then that's really your own fault.
- Lahey

If we could score at the rate we did last season, Suter's loss (while it still would have been felt), would not be as noticed. There is disappointment all around, but mostly in forwards (Erat has not scored a goal in 20 games dating back to February 5th, SK74 only has 2 goals on the season, Hornqvist has only played in 14 games).

Bottom line is Bourque has 9 goals which is a pleasant surprise. But the surprise is that is more than Erat, SK74, and Smith combined this season

Stale, stale and stale. Everything about us is stale. We’re predictable. Every organization knows us, has had years to study….Trotz. There has to be a book on us. Scouts talk to Coaches, Scouts change teams, and Coaches change teams. We are known. There has to a general bland knowledge of what you are going to get when you play the Preds. For nearly fifteen years Trotz has coached in essence one particular way…true, roster make up can and will dictate that. I’ve often wondered what Trotz would do with another team’s talent. For example, what if Trotz was coaching the Blackhawks? Would Chicago have the same record as they do today? Just food for thought, that’s all.

Has-beens, well, let’s call them was-supposed-to-bes Erat and Legwand….aint going anywhere, so can’t their ice time be reduced? We all know Leggy has been here since the start. I saw my first game on December 13, 2003, Luongo was in the net for Florida….Erat scored that night, that’s going on ten years ago. Erat and Legwand have been here a long, long time.

Intensity fatigue is another issue that I think hampers the Preds. It seems like too many games in past seasons were “must wins” or “make or breaks”. Definitely this shortened season games have more significance. Yet, could the veteran players be spent? Has there been too many late season rushes to make the playoffs? Same old broken record? I draw back to Chicago….or any team leading their respective division right now. Those teams are rather workman-like, get the job done, get the two-points and go home. These teams never seem to have to fight to the death, scratch-and-claw like the Preds seem to have to, every game, every season.

On a somewhat related note, when I watch away games and the opponents (home team) score, I hear a rather upbeat, modern goal song. Yet, we employ “I like, I love it” (which is cool, but….well, aged shall we say). Is it sacrilege to change it? When will the Preds change some things? We are an established franchise, we are not in our third, fifth, seventh year….we are going on 15!! We are selling out the arena, fans still come even though Tootoo is gone for goodness sakes LOL.

Stale, stale, stale…this shortened year would be a great time to jettison, transition, emabark on new direction. We’ll either lose games or win games…..and we are losing games now. Pull the trigger and bring on 2013-14!
- jlhtn18

Well, we did change the uniforms.

Personally, I like hearing "I Like It, I Love It" after goals. It's uniquely Nashville, and it's a tradition now. I don't want to be like everyone else who needs to have a song filled with shouts of "Hey", "Whoa-o" or, God forbid, something as hideously annoying as Chelsea Dagger. I wouldn't mind changing the Rock And Roll Part II portion of the goal song, but I want to keep the Tim McGraw song.

Cats and Dogs sleeping together!!!!!

A difference between this year and last year (other than Suter) is that with the compressed schedule, they arent getting much practice time. It appears possible to me that the composition of this team requires that practice time to be "reminded" of exactly what their duties are from game to game. Maybe I am over analyzing but it appears to me that this bunch is just lost out on the ice. Trotz, Lane Lambert's Hair and Horacheck probably havent changed their message from last season????
- im4preds

I did see Gnash and Smokey in a Twitter pic together.

Well, we did change the uniforms.

Personally, I like hearing "I Like It, I Love It" after goals. It's uniquely Nashville, and it's a tradition now. I don't want to be like everyone else who needs to have a song filled with shouts of "Hey", "Whoa-o" or, God forbid, something as hideously annoying as Chelsea Dagger. I wouldn't mind changing the Rock And Roll Part II portion of the goal song, but I want to keep the Tim McGraw song.
- Predaceous

I agree. OMG, i HATE Chelsea Dagger and what is it with Vancover and the Rich Flair Wooooooo??????

Have you ever noticed the Sharks engineered soundage during a goal announcemnt for the Sharks?

I agree. OMG, i HATE Chelsea Dagger and what is it with Vancover and the Rich Flair Wooooooo??????

Have you ever noticed the Sharks engineered soundage during a goal announcemnt for the Sharks?
- im4preds

Yeah, I was thinking about that the other night because Edmonton does a synth orchestra/drum shot at the end of the period, and it annoyed me just like that Sharks crap after goals. I'm glad we don't do that.

If we could score at the rate we did last season, Suter's loss (while it still would have been felt), would not be as noticed. There is disappointment all around, but mostly in forwards (Erat has not scored a goal in 20 games dating back to February 5th, SK74 only has 2 goals on the season, Hornqvist has only played in 14 games).

Bottom line is Bourque has 9 goals which is a pleasant surprise. But the surprise is that is more than Erat, SK74, and Smith combined this season
- bigpredfan

And Suter isn't part of the reason this is happening? Don't kid yourself a good d-man like him is able to get the puck out of the zone so that the offense can do their thing.