Predators take 2-1 series edge over Blues
Word of mouth dates Nashville’s christening as “Music City” as far back as the 1800s.
“Defenseman City” doesn’t have the same ring to it, but its origins are clearer. The Predators’ nearly two-decade existence has seen the franchise manufacture high quality defenseman after high quality defenseman. They are the organization’s defining characteristic and having a dramatic effect on the Predators' playoff run to this point.
“I always say that our defense is our backbone,” Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne said after the team’s 3-1 second-round victory in Game 3 against the St. Louis Blues on Sunday. "It’s no secret. That’s the way it is."
The Predators tied for the NHL lead with 181 points from defensemen this season, and now 12 of their past 13 goals have involved a defenseman in some capacity after each of their three goals Sunday included a point from the back end.
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Nashville has a league-leading seven goals from defensemen this postseason, receiving two more Sunday.
“The last couple years, I’m pretty sure we’ve been tops or pretty close to the top of the league as far as contributing,” said Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis, whose first-period goal extended his playoff point streak to six games, second-longest in team history. "We stress how everyone has to be active.
"It’s a five-man game out there. We can’t watch the forwards do everything. The (defense) has to get up and do (its) part.”
The ability of the Predators' defense to influence the flow of play might be unmatched in the NHL. It's reflected in statistics used to track puck possession and the Predators' 15-0 advantage in shots that spanned the first 13 minutes of Sunday's second period.
"They know that they need their defensemen being part of the attack," Blues coach Mike Yeo said. "That's going to be a challenge. We knew that was a challenge right from the start walking into this series."
The anatomy of the Predators' most critical goal Sunday involved a roughly 90-second occupation of the Blues' defensive zone during the third period. Nashville, leading 2-1, cycled the puck and even executed a full line change before defenseman Roman Josi blazed a long-range one-timer past Blues goaltender Jake Allen with 5:49 remaining in regulation.
"We have a lot of mobile defensemen that can move their feet and find open lanes and shift and skate and turn and be deceptive in terms of protecting the puck,” Predators defenseman P.K. Subban said. "We’ve got great forwards that have the skill level to make a play and make a fake and then find our defensemen when they’re open. We’ve got to continue to do that. It’s a big part of the offense.
"A lot of those goals are coming from the back end because it’s so tough to score in the playoffs. You’ve got to spread out the defense."
The Predators' complete effort Sunday is made more impressive by how they rebounded from their first loss of the playoffs in Game 2 on Friday. The postseason has brought about a level of consistency that wasn't regularly apparent during the regular season.
"As we get here, the will to win is so high in here," Ellis said. "The character in this room, everyone wants it so bad. You see that reflected in what happens on the ice."
Reach Adam Vingan at avingan@tennessean.com and on Twitter @AdamVingan.
PREDATORS vs. BLUES
Predators lead series 2-1
All games broadcast on 102.5-FM
Game 1: Nashville 4, St. Louis 3
Game 2: St. Louis 3, Nashville 2
Game 3: Nashville 3, St. Louis 1
Tuesday: at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. (NBC SN)
Friday: at St. Louis, 7 p.m. (NBC SN)
x — May 7: at Nashville, TBD (TBD)
x — May 9: at St. Louis, TBD (TBD)