Back from the game. I don't think we where as bad as some are making it out to be. I thought we where very good through the first 25 minutes and generated a number of chances that we just couldn't capitalize on. Nashville imo was fairly mediocre through the first half and generated very little, but they cashed one on of their few chances in the first.
In the third our ability to handle the puck went into the toilet and the Preds put on a NZ clinic.
Some players had awful games, Connor, the bottom pairing and 4th line.
Buff, Wheeler, Chef, PS and Ehleres had so so nights.
I will echo the thoughts on Maurice and his staff. They seemed to be asleep at the wheel most of the night, how does JoMo and Trouba play so little when they where the two best dmen on the ice by a country mile. Its also not as if Moe was good at hard matching them either as there where numerous times the Preds top line snuck onto the ice against our fourth line and bottom pairing and Moe just let them continue their shifts. There was one time in the first where Johansen is on the ice for 10 seconds and then Hendricks jumps over the boards to go against them. Another instance late in the game where the Johansen line is lined up for a faceoff and we leave the bottom pairing out there and nobody realizes until 10 seconds into the shift where they scramble a change to get JoMo out. Whoever was running the bench was not paying any attention or their head was somewhere else. Just straight up poor bench management by Moe today.
For the good:
Morrissey and Trouba where tremendous again
Little had a very strong night
Laine got a bazillion chances and finally got one, hoepfully he goes on a tare now
Chalk this one up to another important playoff lesson for a young team.
Also Maurice needs to get Hendricks out of the line up. This running a 4th line that can't be counted on to play more than 5 minutes a night can't happen anymore, the team is looking tired near the end of games.