Will UFA Joel Ward return to Smashville?

Nashville Predators forward Joel Ward believes the Preds have moved forward this past season as a hockey club. But the question is whether Nashville will continue to move forward with or without Ward as a member come next season.

The Predators completed their best ever season when ousted in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals series against Vancouver. A part of the team’s success can be attributed to the consistent play of Ward throughout the Anaheim and Vancouver series. Ward now owns the Predators franchise record for goals and points in a post-season with 7 goals and 13 points.

 

“We made strides over the year. We all got together and made a pretty good push. We’ll have to go over it in the summer and regroup, just give it an extra little bit over the summer and hopefully have a better result,” he said.

While the product on the ice has made strides, so has the off-ice product. The Predators went from averaging 14 900 fans a game to 16 100 fans. The growth has not been lost on Ward.

Preds Legwand and Ward, stepping up when it counts most

The Nashville Predators have been looking for a playoff hero during the Western Conference semi-finals. Goaltender Pekka Rinne has been incredible, keeping the Predators in close one-goal games. But scoring goals against Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo has not been easy.

Mike Fisher, Shea Weber, Jerred Smithson and Jordin Tootoo–heroes in the series against Anaheim–have been all but kept off the scoresheet. Fisher recorded his first point in the series on Saturday night when he set up Joel Ward’s snap shot early in the third period to give the Predators a 3-2 lead.

Predators forwards, and linemates,  Ward and David Legwand rose to the challenge Saturday night in Vancouver, each scoring two goals for Nashville.

“Our backs are still against the wall. We have to come home and play hard and get another win at home. You have to fight your way out. We were in a crunch for the last 20-30 games. Hopefully we will be ready to go,” Legwand said about the Game 5 victory and being prepared for Game 6 on Monday.

Contribution through lineup key to Predators recent success

The Nashville Predators put their six-game winning streak on the line tonight when they host Vancouver at Bridgestone Arena. Nashville’s recent success seems to fall on the number three, three goals for the Predators. Nashville’s 4-2 win against Dallas on Saturday was the 17th consecutive time Nashville won when scoring three or more goals. The Predator’s season record for scoring three or more goals in a game is 38-4-1.

While the numbers are pretty clear, Predators Head Coach Barry Trotz says contributions from all four lines have been key. “I give a lot of credit right through out lineup,” Trotz said, adding “Go back through the six games — every line has contributed over this stretch.”

Forward Jordin Tootoo agrees, “We got dynamic players in this dressing room that can  change the pace of the game and can change things around. We count on each other to get the job done, night in and night out.”

Predators veteran forwards silence critics with solid play

As the Nashville Predators enter tonight’s contest against the Los Angeles Kings, two veteran are leading the way offensively for the club. In fact, no other Nashville forwards have been more productive since the middle of January than David Legwand and Martin Erat.

David Legwand (Getty Images)

The offense provided by Legwand and Erat has been fairly consistent over the past month and a half and has been a big help for Predators goaltender, Pekka Rinne. Nashville is nearly unbeatable when they post three or more goals in a game, with a 33-4-1 record. “That’s great,” Rinne said of the recent play of Erat and Legwand, ”Obviously, this time of year it is so important so it is great to see those couple of big guys playing so well. We need that at the moment. Hopefully they can keep it going.”

Legwand, was the first ever draft pick of the Nashville Predators, chosen second overall in 1998. Erat was the 191^st pick of the Predators in the 1999 Entry Draft. The two forwards are the longest tenured members of Predators and are tops in nearly every offensive statistical category for the Predators. Legwand, for instance, holds the record for most points, goals, assists, games played, game-winning-goals, overtime points, multi-point games and multi-goal games.

New role for Tootoo leads to more confidence, patience on ice

This year marks Jordin Tootoo’s 7th campaign in the National Hockey League. At the start of the season, Tootoo was on the Predators’ fourth line, used as an agitator, the spark of the energy line. Tootoo played 9:18 in the home opener against the Anaheim Ducks, 10:59 against Chicago on the road and then 8:32 against the Blues back home in Nashville.

Tootoo has stepped up the offense this season with 4 points in 10 games. (Photo: Yardbarker.com)

During the fourth game of the season, Marcel Goc got injured against the Washington Capitals. Goc suffered a separated shoulder on a hit by Niklas Backstrom. With Goc out, the lines had to be reshuffled, especially with other injuries at the position of forward plaguing Nashville. Center Matthew Lombardi has been out since after the Chicago game and Martin Erat was just returning to action after missing a couple games with back spasms.