Preds Confident in Ability to Bounce Back from Game 3 Defeat

Although it may not have seemed possible at times during the first period of Game 3 on Monday night, the sun came up again on Tuesday morning.
The Predators rose from their beds, headed to Pepsi Center in downtown Denver, had some meetings, hit the ice for 35 minutes and even cracked a few smiles.
Laughed on more than one occasion as well.
Believe it or not, the sky isn't falling inside of the Nashville dressing room after their 5-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche cut their series lead to a 2-1 advantage. In fact, it was anything but on Tuesday afternoon.

Yes, the Preds know they can be better. They know they have to be better, especially from the drop of the puck. But to begin panicking after one loss in the postseason? That's just not how it works.
The Predators have learned how to deal with situations such as this. And if Tuesday's up-tempo practice was any indication, they're feeling just fine heading into Game 4 on Wednesday night.

"In the playoffs - we learned that last year - you have to keep an even keel," defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. "You can't get too high when you win, you can't get too low when you lose. It's just another day today, and we have a great opportunity tomorrow to take a big lead in the series.
"The first couple years, you almost got too low when you lost and you almost got too high when you won. You can't have that. You have to stay even keeled with everything you do. One night, you're going to feel not so well and the next night you're going to feel great, so it's just trying to keep more nights on the great side. For right now, just keep it even and we know we have a great chance tomorrow."
The opportunity for the Predators to redeem themselves is appetizing. During his post-practice address to the media, Nashville Head Coach Peter Laviolette said if his team could have played again at noon in an attempt to make up for Monday's result, they would have done so.
The Predators are eager for another chance to steal one on the road and head home with a 3-1 series lead, and they'll look to one of their leaders for guidance.
Goaltender Pekka Rinne, who was pulled in favor of Juuse Saros early in the second period of Game 3 in an attempt to sway the momentum back to Nashville's side, has been in situations such as this before. And at this time of the year, experience can go a long way.
"That's the best part of the playoffs," Rinne said of the chance to face the same opponent two days later. "It's a totally new day and new game. We're still in a good spot in the series, but for sure, yesterday was a disappointing night for all of us. We need a bounce back [from everyone], [me], too."

When Laviolette was asked about that very topic regarding his goaltender, his response was simple: "I don't have concern about the bounce-back factor for anybody."
Nor does a single soul on the Nashville side, and they'll look to show that tomorrow.
Yes, the Predators know their words can only go so far - it's their actions that need to follow the mentality. There's no better time than the present to back that up, and if they do, they'll be headed back home to Tennessee with the sun shining even brighter.
"The confidence in this locker room, we always try to play for each other and I think it's accountability," Rinne said. "We can talk all day long, but we have to come out tomorrow and be ready… I have no doubt in my head we're going to have a strong game tomorrow."