Preds Confident in Preparations as First Back-to-Back Set Arrives

Hundreds of thousands of Nashvillians walk into their place of business on a Monday morning, only to turn right back around and do it again on Tuesday - and then three additional times (at least) after that.
In the traditional sense, the back-to-back workday is commonplace. The difference between what the average commuter encounters and what the Nashville Predators will endure over the next 48 hours has to do with energy exertion - and lots of it.
On Friday night in Calgary, the Preds will take to the ice at the Scotiabank Saddledome, participate in a game for upward of three hours and then head straight to the airport. From there, it's a quick flight to Edmonton, followed by another bus ride to the team hotel, and if all goes well, they'll be all checked in by 2 a.m. MT.
And approximately 18 hours after their arrival, the Oilers will be waiting on the other side of the ice. But the Preds aren't looking for your sympathy.

"That's part of the job," Nashville forward Ryan Hartman said. "There's plenty of other jobs that people do in life where they're not getting much sleep. It's just part of it."
Indeed, Hartman and his teammates are professional athletes, well trained and conditioned to handle circumstances such as this. Even still, the team sitting at home, waiting for their opponents to arrive should have the advantage, right?
It's the first of nine back-to-back sets on the schedule for the Predators this season, luckily short of the League average, but still nine occasions in which the two points are a bit more difficult to come by. At least they should be.
Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros, who appeared in the second half of a back-to-back set 11 times last season after Pekka Rinne took the first outing, posted a record of 8-1-2 in those contests.
The Predators feel they have a luxury that most teams don't with two goaltenders who are capable of stealing a game for them, if necessary. The group never goes into the second half of a back-to-back expecting to need a bailout, but it does happen from time to time.
That's where the netminders come in.

"Just because we have the backup in doesn't mean we can't win," Preds defenseman Yannick Weber said. "Juuse gives us a chance to win every game he plays. We've seen it already this year, too, and we have a lot of confidence in him. It's great to have that insurance back there."
"Maybe for other teams, you're trying to put your best goalie in for the game you think you'll win and have your backup go in there and pray for a win," Hartman said. "But, we're playing for wins in both games, because we do have that duo that can help us win no matter who is in net."
While both goaltenders are likely to receive a night off during the trip, the same doesn't go for the forwards and defenseman, nor the coaching staff.
In particular, Predators Assistant Coach - Video Lawrence Feloney and Video Coordinator Andrew Meloche - already two of the hardest-working people in the organization - have even less time to prepare for the demands of an NHL game in 2018.
"You give a lot of credit to the video coaches in there who really have to turn things over," Predators Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. "From a pregame scout, to dealing with a second pregame scout, to flipping around our game and getting ready for that, and the specialty teams meetings that go in on that, it's a busy time… There's a little bit more mental fatigue, physical fatigue, but everybody is dealing with the same thing."
When the Predators rise for meetings on Saturday morning in Edmonton, they're likely to feel a bit groggier than normal, the legs a bit heavier. A pregame nap awaits, however, and when the puck drops that night, the mental side of the game comes in even stronger, finding a way to erase whatever weariness may be lingering from the night before.
"We don't even think about Edmonton until that Calgary game is over," Hartman said. "We lay it all out there and give everything we've got the first game, and then go into the second game with that second wind. Hopefully, we come out with four points when it's all over."

"At the end of the day, we know how we need to play to have success against these kinds of teams, but it's a good test for the group," Weber said. "It's the first back-to-back on the road with travel, so it's good for this group to get a test like this."
If all goes well and the Predators pass, they will have extended their win streak to five games, avenging the loss in the home opener against the Flames before triumphing again in Edmonton.
The Preds won't be banking on success in this situation just because they did it last season, however. Instead, they'll rely on what they're already building inside their room this time around.
And don't feel bad or make an excuse if Nashville's start is a bit slow on Saturday. They wouldn't want you to anyway.
"We have to go out and make our own way, and it starts with the first one," Laviolette said. "We don't try to manage two games. We play one game, we try to win it and then we move on to the next. Both goaltenders were excellent in these situations last year, and we'll look for that again."