Three Things: Better Special Teams and Increased Physicality Help Tie Series for Preds

See what a better performance can do for a team?

Nashville collected two goals in the first, one in each the second and third (one of those a power play goal), and killed off three opposing power plays en route to a 4-2 victory over the Coyotes in Game 2 of their best-of-five series with Game 3 coming up in less than 24 hours.

Dominating in the faceoff circle, hits, blocks, and nearly half the penalty minutes they were whistled for previously, the Predators effectively showed that they’re fully capable of being a team that can advance in these playoffs.

It was much better than what we saw on Sunday -- where a horrendous eight-minute span killed Nashville for the majority of the next two periods. There still remains plenty of things, however, that the Predators need to adjust prior to Wednesday’s pivotal Game 3.

1) Key Special Teams

Taking a penalty five seconds into the game isn’t a very welcoming site for a team that took seven penalties just two days prior. In fact, it was one of the things Nashville publicly noted that they’d be working on for Game 2.

So seeing Predators forward Filip Forsberg get immediately whistled for tripping was disconcerting to say the least.

Luckily, that penalty didn’t have any lasting effect. Neither did the two other penalties that occurred later in the first . . .

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Author: Kristopher MartelCovering the Nashville Predators since 2011, and a fan of the team since they arrived, Kristopher has witnessed both the highs and the lows of the organization, spanning quick exits in the playoffs, multiple coaching changes, their only trip to the Stanley Cup Final, and more. Often trending to a more analytical approach, Kristopher enjoys breaking down some of the more detailed aspects of the Predators while at the same time trying to offer fans a friendly approach to the advanced side of hockey. When he's not around the rink, Kristopher is an avid Cleveland Browns fan, collects and enjoys fine bourbon, and likes to spend plenty of time around his grill and smoker. Kristopher, his wife Amanda, and their four children reside east of Nashville in Lebanon, Tennessee.