Predators 'Committed to the Pain' in Game 2, but Must Generate More Chances in Game 3

After the Nashville Predators dropped their playoff series opener 4-2 to the Vancouver Canucks Sunday, they identified one area in particular where they needed to improve: getting bodies in front of pucks.

The result? A whopping 30 blocked shots for the Predators in Game 2, more than double their total of 14 from the previous game. In short, Nashville may have overcorrected the problem.

"That's just kind of part of the game in playoffs," said Predators captain Roman Josi, who absorbed four of those shots. "We did a good job of blocking a lot of shots. Obviously, when there's so much D-zone time, that's sometimes what you have to do. Hopefully, we can minimize that a little bit."

The Predators had to increase their shot-blocking efforts in Game 2 out of necessity, as Vancouver attempted 84 total shots to Nashville’s 36. The Canucks also had the Predators pinned in their defensive zone for much of the game, particularly as they entered the third period with a two-goal lead and Vancouver's desperation level increased exponentially.

"They just got it up high and they were kind of moving it back and forth and coming on the flank getting some shots," Josi said. "It definitely felt like [a power play] a little bit. There's a lot of shifts. And once that happens, it's hard to get out of that because keep getting it out of the zone but then you change [lines] they come right back. So if we have the lead in the third, we have to find a way to keep keep pushing a little bit more."

Of course, the Predators will be looking to break out of their own end and play more with the puck in Game 3, but that's easier said than done in what head coach Andrew Brunette has called a "muddy" series.

“At least in this series, it seems like [shots on goal have been] hard to come by,” Nashville forward Gustav Nyquist said. “They’ve been low-shot games. A lot of that is blocking shots for both teams. Ice is hard to come by out there. It’s a game that’s hard to get an inch out there. Everyone is giving it their all. It’s fun.”

Fortunately for the Predators, they had an extra day to recover between Games 2 and 3 due to a previously scheduled Tim McGraw concert at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday. Still, if the shot-blocking trend from Game 2 continues throughout the series, Nashville is going to need a high pain tolerance.

“When you’re a little bit committed to the pain, I think it’s going to hurt [to block shots],” Brunette said. “We’re willing to pay the price to feel it and go forward."

The puck drops for Game 2 between the Predators and Canucks Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT.