The last 15 games of a lost NHL season can seem like a lifetime, but the Nashville Predators still hope they can generate some momentum heading into a long offseason.
The Predators will get their next chance to end their latest skid when they host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night.
Nashville (25-34-8, 58 points) has lost three in a row, most recently 4-1 against the visiting St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, giving the Predators two goals scored in their past three games.
The skid began with a 2-1 loss in Anaheim on Friday, followed by a frustrating 1-0 defeat in overtime the following evening at the Los Angeles Kings.
“It’s tough right now,” Predators forward Zachary L’Heureux said. “I think we’ve just got to keep with it. Obviously, probably go over some video (Wednesday), see what we can change and then just come ready to play with that same emotion and that same energy on Thursday.”
The Predators showed they were serious last offseason, luring forwards Jonathan Marchessault from the Vegas Golden Knights and Steven Stamkos from the Tampa Bay Lightning. But Nashville lost its first five games of the season and never recovered.
Marchessault averaged just over 33 goals a game the past three seasons with Vegas, but he has one goal this month to give him 19 on the season. After averaging nearly 39 goals the past three seasons in Tampa Bay, Stamkos sits at 22 goals.
The team’s frustration appears to have turned into apathy in recent games.
“We just consistently can’t do certain things night after night,” Predators coach Andrew Brunette said. “It’s almost like it’s not much fun and we don’t want to do it.”
Anaheim’s rebuilding trajectory continues to be on the rise, but it appears the Ducks will miss the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season.
Anaheim (29-31-8, 66 points) rallied to force overtime against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday but ultimately lost 4-3 to fall nine points back of the second wild-card from the Western Conference with 14 games left.
Ducks coach Greg Cronin tried shuffling his lines to start the game, putting Frank Vatrano with Leo Carlsson and Alex Killorn, Cutter Gauthier with Ryan Strome and Troy Terry, and Trevor Zegras with Mason McTavish and recent call-up Nikita Nesterenko.
“I didn’t really stick with the lines that I started with,” Cronin said. “I was just trying to get some different combinations trying to energize people. I did it for like half the game, then I went to some other lines just trying to get some balance on the road where there’s no matchups.”
Anaheim has received some unexpected contributions this month from their American Hockey League affiliate in San Diego.
Sam Colangelo was recalled on Feb. 27 and he scored five goals in four games before he was sidelined with an upper-body injury.
Nesterenko was then recalled to replace Colangelo last Friday, and has scored a goal in each of the past two games.
“I’m just trying to get to the goal and create space for them,” Nesterenko said of his linemates. “I thought they played well (against the Stars). They had some looks and generated some offense. It was nice to play with them.”
–Field Level Media
