Keys to Watch
On the road again….
After an ineffective past two games in Nashville, the Predators will seek to get back on track in Anaheim. In the first two games of the series, Nashville looked as if they were going to walk away from this series on a high note. After game three and four, the Preds look inept and lacking multiple facets of their game. A win tonight will get them back on track in this series. The Predators will have to go into a hostile environment and come out with a win.
Offensive Production
A recent poll conducted asked Preds’ fans what the current issues in games three and four were. The results of the poll showed that 71% of respondents believed that offensive production was the problem with the team. Nashville is getting plenty of shots on the Anaheim net. In game four, Nashville outshot the Ducks 31-25. The team must get quality shots, not just quantity. Nashville has to get Frederik Andersen moving. In the last two games, Andersen has a .983 save percentage and 0.50 goals per game. Nashville also needs their top six stars to show up offensively especially James Neal, Filip Forsberg, Mike Ribeiro, and Ryan Johansen. Johansen and Ribeiro only have one point between both of them. If Nashville can’t figure the Anaheim goaltender out, the Predators are in BIG trouble.
Special Teams
The Nashville Predators have received many opportunities to get more scoring in this series with 19 power-plays. The Preds have only been able to muster one goal with the man advantage. From an outsider’s perspective, the team seems to be looking for the “perfect pass” instead of looking for rebound opportunities. At this point, it doesn’t matter how pretty the goal is in the series. We need goals and quick! The Preds need to have a net-front presence and make it more difficult in Anaheim or they are looking at summer vacation very soon.
The Nashville Predators will look to get ahead in this series with the Ducks surging over the past two games. Be sure to catch all of the playoff action on Fox Sports-Tennessee, NBCSN, or you can listen live on 102.5 The Game. Puck drops at 5:00 pm!
