"Even being 1-1-0 [through two games this season], we carried most of that play last game," Preds center Matt Duchene said. "We made a couple [mistakes]... and their guys, give them credit, were there to converge, but I feel like there are a lot of positives to take away, even in that loss… It's business as usual, 80 games left, lots of time, so I think we all know what we're capable of in here and it's about not letting it be pressure, but letting it be exciting."
When asked about tallying five points in just two games with his new team, Duchene deflected the praise. Instead, he credited his linemates, Filip Forsberg and Mikael Granlund, who have made the transition much easier and shown plenty of promise for the future.
"I'm more happy about how our line has played together having never played together other than a couple of practices," Duchene said. "You see that kind of chemistry right off the bat... Just to know the success that we've had is sustainable, it's not something that should go away. It should get better if anything. So, I'm really encouraged by it.
Predators Head Coach Peter Laviolette echoed Duchene's thoughts, suggesting that his club simply let a few crucial mistakes decide the outcome of Saturday's contest. A test against a San Jose team that will be looking for its first win in their fourth game of the season will now provide an opportunity for the Preds to bounce back this evening.
"Even in a game that we lost, we did a lot of good things," Laviolette said. "Most of their chances and most of their goals came off us having the puck in the offensive zone and continuing to push and press, when maybe we should've realized that possessions down in the offensive zone has changed hands… [We] really need to think about playing defense and being on the right side of things. For me, I think they're easy things to fix."