Jeremy Lauzon scored and Juuse Saros turned away 34 shots but the Nashville Predators ultimately fell to the Florida Panthers by a 4-1 decision on Monday at Bridgestone Arena.
While the result was certainly not what the home team hoped for before embarking on their second three-game road trip of the month, there were plenty of lessons to be learned in the loss.
“This is how hard it's going to be,” Predators Head Coach Andrew Brunette said. “There's no space. You can't take a shift off. You can't glide. Every battle means something, and if we can kind of go through those battle tests and come out feeling that we were right there, and that we could still be better. But we learned how hard it is. That's how hard it is to win, especially going forward here. And right now we're maybe just falling a little bit short.”
The result moves Nashville to 25-21-1 on the season and 13-12-0 at home.
QUICK HITS
A Slow Start
The Predators found themselves icing another slow start on Monday, exiting the first frame trailing the Panthers 14-4 in shots.
“We were a little bit tired and probably didn't have our legs early - they were still on the West Coast, I think,” Brunette said. “You need to be skating and play against these guys. And I thought in the second and third, we got to our game… I think we put ourselves in a great position, and I think again, going into the third and letting a goal in 1:20 in - it's happened way too often this year. And it happened again tonight and we weren't able to recover.”
“There was some sloppiness with the puck,” Predators forward Colton Sissons said. “I think we were giving them quite a bit of easy offense and easy transitions. So it made it probably look a little uglier than it might have been from a work ethic standpoint… The execution just wasn't there and certainly they had their legs and we were kind of catching up a little bit.”
Lauzon’s Physical Play
Lauzon’s equalizer in the second period was his fifth goal of the season and the second in his last six outings.
Currently leading the NHL in hits with 187, the blueliner also iced another notably physical performance on Monday, leading his club with seven hits.
“I know the guys get going when I get a big hit out there, but for myself and for my game, every single time I hit I feel like I have a little more mojo, and maybe I find myself playing better hockey,” Lauzon said. “Every night I just try to be physical out there and be a force on the back end. And obviously if it can bring some energy, that’s just a bonus.
First Star Saros
Despite the final score, Nashville’s netminder was named First Star of the Game following his 34-save performance.
“He was great, and especially early on,” Sissons said. “He made some big, big saves for us and he was getting a lot of work. So kudos to him. He kept us in that one early on, for sure.”
The save total was just three shy of a season-high 37 saves recorded in a 3-2 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 12.
UP NEXT
The Predators kick off their three-game road trip on Thursday when they take on the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center.
Puck drop is at 7 p.m. with the game set to broadcast on Bally Sports South, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio.
NOTES
- Sissons recorded an assist in his third-straight game; the helper was his 12th of the season.
- Tyson Barrie, Cody Glass and Juuso Parssinen were scratched and did not skate in Monday’s game.
