The Nashville Predators had maybe their worst loss of the year against the Ottawa Senators last night.
And let’s be honest… the competition for “worst loss of the year” is stiff.
Several multi-goal leads blown, home losses to the Coyotes and Ducks, an agonizing final 30 seconds against the Dallas Stars two days before Christmas—and let’s not forget a “Welcome back, John Hynes!” 6-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild.
But losing a three goal lead to the last place Ottawa Senators? That has to be a serious contender.
And among the many disappointments in last night’s 4-3 overtime loss is the continued bizarre usage of one of the team’s best young players.
Philip Tomasino produces early
Philip Tomasino was a big reason why the Predators even had a 3-0 lead to begin with.
After assisting on Michael McCarron’s opening goal, Tomasino scored at the 16:30 mark of the 1st period to give Nashville a 2-0 lead. It was a highlight reel goal for Tomasino, using his speed to get outside the Senators’ defense, then finishing top shelf over goalie Mads Sogaard.
Tomasino finished the first period with two points and one shot on goal in just over three minutes ice time.
But as the 2nd period unfolded, Tomasino’s usage and ice time decreased, with no real explanation.
It wasn’t because of injury. It wasn’t because of some egregious error. It also wasn’t because special teams muddled up the line rushes (the Preds were only on the penalty kill twice in the 2nd and 3rd periods).
And it certainly wasn’t because he wasn’t producing.
So why then does Tomasino get only three shifts in the 3rd period? And none in the overtime?
The Preds needed Tomasino, but didn’t use him
The team desperately needed to create offense to counter the Senators’ push. And Tomasino’s line with Tommy Novak and Cody Glass looked in the first period like a line that could make that happen.
But they never got the chance.
That line had two shifts together in the 3rd period, totaling around two minutes ice time.
Meanwhile, the Senators piled on shots in the Nashville zone. The Predators were gassed constantly, only able to dump the puck out of the zone and get line changes.
Somehow Nashville managed to finish regulation with the game tied 3-3, but from there, it got even more confusing. The shifts in overtime were baffling.
You need your top players on the ice during three on three, so Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, and Ryan O’Reilly get first billing. But after that, why is Tomasino not an option? Rolling with Denis Gurianov, Gustav Nyquist, and Cody Glass, especially given how Tomasino looked in the first period, was a mistake.
But last night was hardly the first time Tomasino has been shadow banned by a Preds coach. It famously happened under John Hynes, who sent Tomasino to Milwaukee for most of the 2022-23 season. Now Andrew Brunette seems to be doing the same thing.
According to Natural Stat Trick, Tomasino is among the team’s top five players in many important offensive categories, including shot attempts, expected goals, and scoring chances. Yet he receives only the 22nd most ice time at 5-on-5.
What gives? It doesn’t really make sense.
If the Nashville Predators want to make this “competitve reset” happen, they need to use players like Philip Tomasino more effectively. Rewarding him for good play seems like a good idea, especially when it also helps the team in the short run.
But if they continue to bench guys like Tomasino for no reason, I see more bad losses in their future.
— Featured image via Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire —
This article is sponsored by Sallis Realty Group
