The Jackets are right there.. they are on the verge... but no matter what they do they cannot seem to get by this Nashville team on the road. A shame too because this team as a whole played a helluva game.
STOPLIGHT GAME REVIEW
@ Nashville
12.10.09
SCORE: Predators 4 Jackets 3 (SO)
GREEN
* Back to back strong efforts. Everyone buckled up their hard hats and came to play in this game. Despite the loss I was very proud of this team's effort and fight this team showed in this game coming back from 1 goal deficits 3 times to earn a point. Now about that shootout...
* Kris Russell a 2 point night. We are really starting to see his offensive instincts kick into over-drive... He's playing with the most confidence he's had as a pro right now.
* Jackets found alot of lanes through the stout Nashville defense. Nash, Umberger and Pahlsson all had great chances.
* Nash cranked it up a notch on this night. It was his play down the wing and play in front of the net that led to Russell's goal. Then he received a terrific touch pass from Juice that he was patient on and then buried to tie the game at 3. He was a difference maker offensively. Nice backcheck in OT. Would like to see him make a little more impact on the PK -- I'm not talkin goals -- just winning some battles and getting out to cover the points with a little more authority.
* Jackets late 3rd period kill of one of the worst penalty calls you'll see at this level. Nice display of dealing with adversity by the good guys.
* Juice's "put on the breaks and he'll fly right by" shootout goal. Sweet!
* Just keep putting Tyutin out there.. guy is our most consistent shootout shooter...
* Good to see Hejda back in the there after that hand injury.
* Jackets gave up a late goal at then end of the 2nd. The game could have easily slipped away after that but the team kept battling in the 3rd and
YELLOW
* Voracek needs to watch those blind passes.... the one he made in the 3rd really put the Jackets D in a difficult position and eventually led to Commodore taking a penalty. That aside he had a lot of hustle and strong play, especially behind the Preds net coming out of battles with control of the puck.
* Oh Pahlsson.. you had the game winner on your stick in OT... Good to see him starting to in offensively and at least get some quality chances.
* Jackets game ops could take some lessons from Nashville on arena music selections.
* Hitch spread the minutes around good again in this game. I think there is a real difference in level of play with 4 lines getting rolled regularly. Boys seemed to have a lot of jump, especially on the tail end of a back2back.
* Garon was okay... Not a whole lot he could do on any of the goals he let in... would have liked to see him make some big saves in that shootout though....more on that in a bit.
* A very quiet game in terms of the rough stuff.
* PP got another got... good to see Torres get back on the board with this 10th (6 of which are PP goals).
* Nashville had decent attendance at 14,601... betchya they draw better than we do when we play em on Monday. Let's go Columbus!!
RED
* Horrible call on Dorsett... absolutely atrocious... Klein lost his edge and fell down yet because Dorsett was in the vicinity he goes to the bin.... It's unacceptable for refs at this level to blow a call like that... How timely for the Preds considering it came with just over 5 mins to go in the 3rd period.
* We were all thinkin it... "Please don't let this game go to a shootout.... please... pretty please with Tootoo on top!"... This team cannot close out a game in the shootout.. They even scored 2 goals in it and still lost. I believe they are now 2-6... that is 6 very critical points they have left on the table that could easily come back to bite them.
* Nash, Voracek and Vermette's shootout attempts....
* Commodore with a bad turnover down low on Nashville's goal which led to Erat's goal... Got to be stronger on that puck in those situations. He finished a -2. He did have some decent hits.
* Do I even need to say how bad of a line change that was on Arnott's late period goal?
* Garon with two attempts to put this game away in the SO and couldn't do it... so much for being $$ in the skills competition.
* Hitch remains winless at the Gaylord Sommet Arena Center...
3 BRIGHT LIGHTS ON THE NIGHT
1. Solid team effort for the 2nd game in a row on the 2nd night in a row
2. Nash gets it goin
3. Juice's "Top Gun" shootout goal
Yes it's a frustrating loss in a game I believe the Jackets played well enough to win. Yet another loss in Nashville in a long string of losses. It is a point on the road however on the tail end of a back2back. There are certainly worse things... and we've seen a whole lot worse from this squad.
I like the rhythm this team is in right now. Everyone seems to be refocused and recommitted and it really shows in their play.
Next up for the Jackets are Anaheim on Saturday and then these same Preds on Monday. The Jackets have to keep collecting points and they must make these home games count.
GO JACKETS!
-LTL
