VANCOUVER -- The Nashville Predators feel some tweaks, rather than wholesale changes to their game plan, are what they need to even their Western Conference First Round series against the Vancouver Canucks.
The Predators led 2-1 in Game 1 until the Canucks scored two goals in 12 seconds midway through the third period to rally for a 4-2 win at Rogers Arena on Sunday.
Game 2 of the best-of-7 is here Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; SN, TVAS2, ESPN2, BSSO).
"There's a couple adjustments we can make," forward Gustav Nyquist said Monday. "Obviously it was a tight game. Both teams did probably enough good things to win the game. They came out with a win this time, so just regroup here and get ready for tomorrow.
"We did lots of good things out there, but I still think we have another level in us probably and hopefully we can get to that tomorrow."
One area where the Predators can be better is puck possession, including improved play on dump-ins in the offensive zone and on puck retrievals in the defensive zone.
"I thought we maybe were a little bit the rusty, maybe weren't quite as connected as we normally are," coach Andrew Brunette said. "We didn't have the puck as much. But in saying all that they pressured us pretty hard. We've got to do a little better job, a little bit more urgency going back for pucks and a little more urgency getting on a puck."
The Predators particularly feel they can be much better on the forecheck.
"Probably not a lot of scoring chances for either team," defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. "You knew that going into it that it's two teams that skate well and defend hard, and you're going to try to capitalize on your looks when you have them and do as best a job as you can taking care of that puck, putting it in an area where you can get your forechecking game going. I kind of sense that's where this series is going to be won or not, is both teams' forechecking game. They certainly were pretty relentless and we want to be the same way there as far as getting in on the forecheck, getting some zone time and generating shots from there."
There's a belief among the Predators that they will make those adjustments and get their game to the level it needs to be. Having veteran leaders like McDonagh, defenseman Luke Schenn and center Ryan O'Reilly, who each has won the Stanley Cup, drives that positive mindset.
"Whether you win a game or lose a game, it's kind of on to the next game," Schenn said. "That's kind of one thing I've learned over experience. It can be a roller coaster if you let it be. ... You go over video and you kind of almost dumb the game down a little bit in certain situations or plays, things that you like or you don't like. Guys within the room just kind of keep things level-headed. I'm sure Vancouver is feeling great about themselves, but they're also probably talking about the next one. We lose the first game, we're talking about the next one, so it's just kind of leaning on that experience as far as [the] next-day approach. There's obviously a lot of things that we can tighten up a little bit. Just not get too emotional either way, whichever side you end up on it."
There were a lot of the areas where the teams were close in Game 1. The Predators outshot the Canucks 22-21 and blocked more shots (14-11), but also had six giveaways to three for the Canucks.
So though there is work to do and some aspects of their play the Predators feel they can elevate, they remain confident.
"Margins are pretty small in the playoffs, and if you ask both teams I thought it was probably a fairly evenly played game," Nyquist said. "We'll regroup and get ready for tomorrow.
"Obviously I think there's still areas that we feel as a team that we can sharpen up a little bit. Just went over those things and talked about it a little bit. It's small things here and there but overall, I think we've probably got a little better in us and hopefully we can get to that level tomorrow."
