A team that had once been written off, the Nashville Predators came back to defeat Colorado 4-3 in overtime in the Pepsi Center for their seventh consecutive victory and 12th win in their last 15 games. A team that was dead last in the NHL after a 3-6-1 start is now sixth in the Western Conference on the strength of this run and now are 7-2 in the month of November.
This streak has occurred because the team has bought in to the philosophy of Head Coach Barry Trotz. Being well-prepared to play is a trait that Trotz and his staff have executed well over the years and have emphasized this season. Not having marquee talent means that this team has to be well prepared each night to be competitive.
He has set this team up to play to its strengths—tough defense, solid goal tending, and opportunistic scoring. Shoot the puck, crash the net, create opportunities—nothing fancy, but when played as coached will lead to wins. And this team is winning because they are executing this strategy to perfection.
This team is winning because the power play is starting to click. The Predators are 12-0 when they score a PP goal. After a pathetic start, the power p ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Mark Willoughby
Nashville Predators: One of the Hottest Teams in the NHL
November 26th, 2009 by Mark Willoughby Leave a reply »
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