PREDS STANDOUTS
Scoresberg: With his second-period tally, Forsberg extended his team lead in points to 18 (7g-11a) and now has six points (3g-3a) in his last three games. Forsberg also has 24 points (9g-15a) in 22 career games against Anaheim, including six multi-point outings. He became the first player in Predators history to record multiple five-point games when he notched two goals and three assists on March 21, 2022 at Anaheim.
Fight Night: The Preds and Ducks dropped gloves twice in the second period. Radko Gudas and Jeremy Lauzon threw hands at 12:49 after Strome was whistled for cross-checking against Forsberg. Minutes later, at 16:21, Michael McCarron and Ross Johnston engaged in a tilt along the boards; Johnston was assessed an additional 10-minute game misconduct for his role in the scuffle.
THE Captain: Josi’s goal in the second period was his third of the season and his second on the power play. The Predators captain also scored his first career NHL goal on Dec. 10, 2011 vs. Anaheim. He has 25 points (8g-17a) in 31 career regular-season games and is currently on a six-game point streak against the Ducks (4g-4a).
THEY SAID IT
Josi on his assessment of the game:
“I thought our first was pretty good. It was a lot of special teams, but I didn't think they had a lot of chances. Then in the second, we made a couple mistakes on a couple of plays, but I think overall we were the better team. Even in the third, I feel like they didn't have that many chances. So they just kind of capitalized on their looks, and it's frustrating. It's not fun to lose. So I think we’ve got a couple of days now, and we all need to look at our game. I think every single one of us has got more to give.”
Josi on moving forward from the loss:
“We’ve got to correct some things, and it's hard sometimes to look at the positives right after a four-game losing streak. But there are some good things we did, and we’ve got to focus on those and find a way to correct the other things, and we'll be fine.”
Josi on Nashville giving up another two-goal lead:
“You want to stay aggressive. You don't want to sit back because there are too many skilled guys on every team that will make you pay if you sit back. So, I think we’ve got to find a way to stay aggressive and be smart with the puck. That next goal is huge, right? It’s a 2-1 game; if we score that goal, it’s 3-1, and it’s a different game. So we definitely want to keep our foot on the gas.”
Josi on Nashville’s biggest areas for improvement:
“We haven't really had a 60-minute game where we felt like we played well the whole game, especially the last couple games. Even against Arizona, we started really well; we were up 2-0 and then we kind of gave them two goals. It’s just finding a way to play the same way for 60 minutes and play consistently like the way we want to play. I think that that's huge. And we're going to find a way to do that.”
Head Coach Andrew Brunette on where Nashville fell short:
“I think it’s some mental gaps and understanding where we are in the game at certain times. In the last five minutes of the second period, we were kind of on the wrong side of things. We were kind of lost our responsibilities… It's a little bit of redundancy here every day, pretty much talking about the same thing. We feel good about our game. But there's these lapses in our mental preparation and our mental focus in key moments… It’s our game management and our understanding of where we are in the game, and we lose a little bit of focus on some of our systematic responsibilities. We go a little bit rogue, and part of that is we're not mentally sharp.”
Brunette on Nashville’s four-game losing streak:
“I think we'll be better for it. We're just in the mud right now, and it's self-inflicted mud… I think we've all gone through stretches like this. I think I felt a lot worse at different times. At least I feel pretty good about our game most nights… Right now, we're doing some good things. It's just that understanding; we have some young guys that have to learn a little bit and understand, and the same thing with the older guys, there are times in the game where you have to understand that these are big plays even though it feels like nothing. Once we can get that, I think we'll be okay. On my side it’s been frustrating because we've been doing the same thing over and over. You just kind of call it insanity.”
UP NEXT
The Predators continue their five-game homestand on Saturday, when they host the Chicago Blackhawks at Bridgestone Arena. The puck drops at 1 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast on Bally Sports South, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio. Click here for tickets.
