Predators have no lack of respect for Avs

The Tennessean

The Nashville Predators would like you to know that they respect the Avalanche. Not that anyone thought otherwise, but they just want to make sure.

“I think there might have been a misconception — not from inside of our room — that this was going to be easy,” Predators coach Peter Laviolette told reporters Sunday. “We inside the room respect our opponent . ... I think that there’s maybe a thought that Colorado’s not very good. And that thought isn’t coming from me, and it’s not coming from our locker room.”

When asked Monday to elaborate on what gave him that impression, Laviolette seemed to refer to pre-series predictions that unanimously favored the Predators, the majority of which expected them to make quick work of the Avalanche in four or five games.

“I think just things you read and the people that you talk to,” Laviolette said. “Things you see, things you hear.”

Those predictions were based on the Predators’ historic season, not some perceived slight against the Avalanche, whose 47-point improvement this season was among the largest in NHL history.

The Avs, who are the youngest and least experienced team in the Stanley Cup playoffs, weren’t overmatched in their two losses at Bridgestone Arena. They kept stride with the Predators and even outplayed them in stretches, which encouraged them Monday as they prepared for their first home playoff game in four years.

“They’re not here to learn. They’re here to win, and you can really tell,” Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. “They’ve played pretty well. I think we can be better, for sure. But it’s still a nice feeling knowing that you haven’t been on top of your game, but you’ve still gotten two wins. It speaks a lot about our team, but we know we can be better as well.”

Teams with 2-0 leads in best-ofseven series, which the Predators had entering Game 3 on Monday, have advanced 86.4 percent of the time in NHL history.

The Predators were just good enough to win the first two games, pouncing on their opportunities. Players acknowledged Monday that they had more to give.

“We’re a desperate team as well because we haven’t played our best,” Predators defenseman P.K. Subban said. “We’re going to need our best on the road to have success.”