Predators turn focus to holding serve
BACK ON HOME ICE: Nashville has matched Sharks five-on-five, but still trails second-round series 2-0
NASHVILLE — When the big picture is as grim as the one facing the Nashville Predators, it’s best to not think about it.
They must win four of the next five games against the San Jose Sharks, a team that’s 6-1 in the playoffs and finally has some playoff mettle to go with their depth, size and talent.
In fact, even the small picture is a little disheartening for Nashville as they return home after losing the first two games of a Western Conference semifinal: needing to win Games 3 and 4 against the NHL’s best regular-season road team, the guys who just went 3-0 at the Staples Center to knock off the Los Angeles Kings in Round 1.
“It doesn’t matter who is up two-nothing or down two-nothing,” said Nashville defenceman Roman Josi, who will probably get a pretty good argument from just about everyone in the world who isn’t down 2-0.
“One team has to get four wins, so the season is far from over. We just have to be better at home and win some games.”
On the bright side for Nashville, it’s hard to be much better than the Predators were in Game 2. They outshot San Jose 39-25, out-hit them 46-26 and certainly deserved better than a 3-2 loss that puts them in a pretty desperate place right now.
“Not much else to say (other) than they won and we didn’t,” Josi said. “We’ll get our rest, regroup and be ready for the next game.”
That’s the only option they have. And the Preds honestly do believe that if they pick up where they left off in Game 2, they’ll play themselves back into the series.
Even the Sharks won’t argue that. They know they got away with one Sunday, just like they know Bridgestone Arena is going to be a nuthouse.
“I don’t think we’re happy with how we played the majority of (Game 2), but we’ll take it, go on the road and try to win in a tough building,” Sharks forward Logan Couture said. “Their fans are going to be loud, we watched a lot of their first-round games and it’s a tough place to play. We know we have to be a lot better.”
“It’s huge to take two at home,” San Jose defenceman Paul Martin added. “We have a long way to go and that’s a good team over there, so to get that win was important. But that’s a hardworking team over there with some guys who can play, so we have to do a better job in Game 3.”
Ironically, the coach of the team that’s down 2-0 likes the way his group looks right now. Take away San Jose’s power-play goals (three) and empty-netters (three) and the Preds have allowed two evenstrength goals in two games. Five-on-five, the Sharks are struggling with Nashville’s tenacity.
“We needed to get back to the way we were playing coming off that Game 7,” Peter Laviolette said. “We had defended really hard, played a lot of defence. I thought (Sunday) was probably the best game since Game 6 (against the Anaheim Ducks). We got going in a north direction into the offensive zone, cycling the puck, lots of chances from in tight, got good scoring chances. … There were a lot of good things we did.”
The Predators, who have been on the road since flying to Anaheim April 26 for Game 7, hope to hit the reset button at home.
They also know from experience that being down 2-0 isn’t too late to launch a comeback, having just led 2-0 in their series with the Ducks, only to lose three in a row and have to fight off their own elimination.
“Now, it’s our time to kind of turn it upside down, do it the other way we did in Round 1, and hopefully we can take care of the home games,” goalie Pekka Rinne said.
“Right now, we’re down 2-0 and obviously we need a win. You try not to look at Games 3 and 4, you just try to focus on Game 3, try to get that win.
“But if we play like that, I feel confident that we’re going to get it.”