The Nashville Predators will face the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs beginning April 21. How do they stack up against their opponents? Who needs to step up? Who should (and should not) be in the starting lineup?
The Hockey News' Emma Lingan answers these questions and more in this week's Predators Mailbag. (Some questions have been edited for clarity.)
Question: How do you think the Preds match up against Vancouver? (@AustinTobak)
EL: I honestly think that both teams have a real chance in this series and that it has the potential to be a long one. However, I still think the Canucks are the better team overall.
Vancouver has Thatcher Demko , but Nashville has Juuse Saros . Vancouver has Quinn Hughes , but Nashville has Roman Josi . Vancouver has Elias Pettersson , but Nashville has Filip Forsberg . I think Nashville's stars can easily go head-to-head with Vancouver's, but the Canucks have more depth around their stars than the Predators do.
That being said, Nashville's roster has been much greater than the sum of its parts over the past two months; whether they can carry that over into the playoffs will go a long way in determining the outcome of this series.
Question: Besides the first line, which line will have to contribute most (scoring) for the Preds to win a series? (@zaqpuq)
EL: In short, all of them.
If forced to choose, though, I would say the Colton Sissons line with Jason Zucker and Anthony Beauvillier . They have 160 combined games of playoff experience between the three of them, and Zucker and Beauvillier were brought in at the trade deadline on expiring deals with the sole purpose of helping the Predators make a playoff run this year.
Question: What player not currently getting playing time do you think could play the biggest role if inserted into the lineup? (@ElliottScokin)
EL: Tyson Barrie. Full stop.
He is a skilled playmaker and one of the best power-play defensemen in the NHL. He's fast, he's got quick hands, and he would be an upgrade over at least one of the defensemen currently in the Predators' starting lineup.
Question: Why is Beauvillier in over Glass? Does Cody have a path to regular play? (bwiz77)
EL: I get this question a lot, and I think it boils down to consistency. As I mentioned earlier, Beauvillier has 49 games of playoff experience in his career, and Andrew Brunette has shown throughout the season that he prefers to rely on his more experienced players in critical situations. Beauvillier may not produce a ton of offense, but he also doesn't make a lot of mistakes. That's critical in a fast-paced system like Brunette's.
Cody Glass is a fan favorite for good reason, and he's a guy you can't help but root for. I think the Predators being as successful as they have this season has actually hurt him, though. It's no secret that Nashville has outperformed expectations in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, which means the focus has shifted – and rightly so – from developing young talent to winning games.
Unfortunately, this leaves a player like Glass in the dust; he has struggled to find consistency this season, particularly when dealing with injuries earlier in the year, and the Predators don't have time to be patient with him as they enter the playoffs where they have to be in "win-now" mode all day, every day.
Question: What can Bruno do to fix the PP or get it running better for the playoffs? (@awashek3)
EL: Believe it or not, Nashville actually has the second-best power play in the league since Feb. 1 (28.9%). I know it doesn't always look like it – the Predators went 0-for-4 on the man advantage in their shutout loss to Boston , for example – but on the whole, they have gotten better down the stretch. Their zone entries could be cleaner and faster so they could get set up a little more quickly, but they're creating plenty of chances. The bigger issue heading into the playoffs, in my opinion, is the penalty kill – especially if Vancouver's top power-play unit is firing on all cylinders like it was early in the season.
Question: Big Stastney stan. Do you see him leaving camp as a roster player? He is really solid IMHO. (@darth_5)
EL: Absolutely. Spencer Stastney is ready to be a full-time NHL defenseman. His skating ability is otherworldly, and you can tell he's getting more confident with the puck. With the depth the Predators have on defense at the AHL level – and the possibility of Alexandre Carrier leaving this summer in free agency – there's no reason, in my mind, that Stastney shouldn't be on the NHL roster next season.
Question: Favorite thing to receive from fans ? (@77VANGE)
EL: This question may be asking about the players' favorite things to receive from fans, given Luke Evangelista's excitement after receiving a mango at a recent game, but I can only speak for myself. Earlier this season, a fan gifted me a handmade bracelet with the name of my alma mater on it (in school colors, no less); it was so thoughtful and personal, and I still wear it daily.
Local Nashville, TN
Most Popular
Comments / 0