The Nashville Predators, who host the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, entered Monday just three points out of the Central Division cellar and 15 points back of the Western Conference’s final wild-card spot.
For a veteran team that many considered a sleeper to make a Stanley Cup run, there’s plenty of work to be done for Nashville just to get back into the playoffs for the 10th time in 11 seasons.
A big reason for the disappointing first half for coach Andrew Brunette’s squad? Goal scoring, or lack of it.
Nashville entered Monday dead last in the NHL in goals scored with 101, five fewer than the Anaheim Ducks. By comparison, the Golden Knights have scored 147. The Washington Capitals, tied with Vegas and Winnipeg for the league points lead heading into Monday’s action with 61, have scored an NHL-best 156.
The Predators opened a five-game homestand on Saturday with a 4-1 loss to Washington despite outshooting the Capitals 33-16. Filip Forsberg’s power-play goal late in the second period tied it at 1, but Washington scored three times on just eight shots in the third period to win going away.
“Obviously, in the offensive zone we’re having the puck a lot, almost nine minutes last game of puck possession, and probably 80 (shot) attempts,” Brunette said. “Usually when you have that recipe you get more than one (goal) but that’s where we’re at right now.”
“It definitely is (frustrating),” Predators captain Roman Josi said. “I feel like the last couple of games here we’re playing some good hockey. I feel like we have most of the chances in the game, we are playing tight defensively and we just can’t find it.”
The Predators, who have lost two in a row and five of their last seven, enter Tuesday’s contest with a minus-31 goal differential.
“On one hand, I feel our game is getting better, but on the other hand we need to get some wins quickly,” Josi said.
Next up is a Vegas team that has feasted on Western Conference opponents, improving to an eye-popping 23-3-2 with a 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday night in Las Vegas.
Pavel Dorofeyev scored a pair of power-play goals and had an assist, Tomas Hertl had a goal and an assist, and Shea Theodore and Mark Stone both chipped in with two assists for Vegas, which scored four unanswered goals — including three in the third period.
The Golden Knights did that without their top offensive player, center Jack Eichel (11 goals, 43 assists), who missed a game for the first time this season with an illness.
“If somebody’s out of the lineup, other guys step up,” Hertl said. “I think that’s why we’re at the top of the league. We have a really strong team.”
Dorofeyev moved into the team goal scoring lead with 16, one more goal than Brett Howden and Ivan Barbashev who have 15 each. Ex-Golden Knight Jonathan Marchessault leads Nashville with 14 goals.
This is the opener of a three-game road trip for the Golden Knights, who finish up with a back-to-back at the Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago Blackhawks on Friday and Saturday.
–Field Level Media
