Hockey Tonkin’ – Preds Off to Hot Start

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It’s sad times in Nashville if you’re a football fan. The Titans look completely lost after two terrible losses. Not at all what the fans envisioned after the 3-1 start. Fortunately for hockey fans, the Nashville Predators are off to a fantastic start to the season. Seriously, Titans fans, come watch some hockey. It’s nice to see a team from Nashville actually winning and playing well. I’m a season ticket holder for both, and I can say that Preds games are a lot more fun these days. Go ahead and jump on the hockey bandwagon and enjoy the entire season.

The Predators are off to a 4-1 start, and aside from the stumble against the Calgary Flames in the home opener have looked pretty good. The first two games on the road in New York showed a little rust, but Nashville was able to pull out a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers and a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders. After getting blanked 3-0 against the Flames (did I mention I hate Mike Smith?), the Preds turned in two exceptional performances against the Winnipeg Jets, a 3-0 victory, and the Islanders, winning 5-2.

So what’s stood out for the Predators so far this year? A few things I’ve noticed in the first five games.

GOALIE USAGE

I mentioned this in my season preview, but how Peter Laviolette split up the starts between Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros was something I was keeping an eye on. So far, Rinne has gotten three starts and Saros two. I love this idea. Obviously, the Preds are in a unique situation with two standout goalies. Getting both goalies in a groove early can only help the team going forward. Keep an eye on if the 60/40 split between the two goalies continues. If they both keep playing like they have been, I see no reason to buck the trend.

THE JOFA LINE

The Preds’ top line has been on fire in the first five games. The chemistry this line has is just unbelievable. The line has a combined 14 points and have accounted for seven of the Predators 15 goals on the year. I’m expecting big things from the JOFA line as they take that next step to being considered one of the most dangerous lines in all of hockey.

RYAN HARTMAN

I mentioned this during the second Islanders game, but Ryan Hartman has really stood out to me. A lot of people were very critical of Hartman during the playoffs last year and deservedly so. While he was fighting through an injury, he took a lot of penalties that put the Preds in a bad situation. He’s been playing like he has something to prove in the first week of the season, putting up one goal and three assists in five games. Can he keep up this scoring pace? Probably not, but a 50-point season would go a long way in helping to justify the trade David Poile made last season.

PREDS THREE STARS OF THE WEEK

The JOFA Line – Too hard to pick between the three of them, so I’m going with all three. Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson both have three goals and two assists and Ryan Johansen is playing out of his mind right now. When this line is on their game, it’s tough for any team in the NHL to match up.

Ryan Hartman – Hartman has been a standout for the Preds so far. Like I mentioned above, he’s playing like he has something to prove. Here’s to seeing more of that as the season progresses.

Mattias Ekholm – It’s early, but would you have guessed that Ekholm leads the Preds’ d-men in points so far this year? Ekholm kind of gets lost among the defensemen, but he’s so good. He also gets bonus points for dropping the gloves (along with Colton Sissons) against the Jets on Thursday night. Angry Ekholm is the best Ekholm.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Little bit of a strange week coming up for the Predators. They have a Monday night game against the Wild. After that, the Preds get a few days off while they travel to Western Canada for a back-to-back set against the Flames on Friday night and the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night. Big opportunity for Nashville to start picking up some points against the Western Conference, where every point will matter this year.

Herbie Brooks is the Lead Hockey Analyst for SoBros Network. He knows three things: beating Commies, winning Gold Medals, and having great hair. Follow him on Twitter: @SoBroHerbie_B

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