Preds Feeling Renewed Optimism as Team Continues Early-Season Growth

Seven games into a 56-contest season, we've seen a little bit of everything from the Nashville Predators.
A win on Opening Night came at the start, and a second victory at Bridgestone Arena followed. Game No. 3 - a 4-2 loss to Carolina - was actually a better performance than the first two triumphs, the Preds said.
Then, a road trip to Dallas saw eight power-play goals surrendered over 120 minutes of hockey, hardly a recipe for success. But, a journey back to Tennessee was just what the Predators needed to get back into the win column, and a sweep of the Blackhawks felt even better.

Roman Josi sent the Preds home happy on Tuesday in overtime, and on Wednesday, Matt Duchene and Juuse Saros combined to give Nashville another two points in a shootout.
Yes, a cornucopia of outcomes has been written about thus far, and that's to be expected in the early going around the NHL. The season is young, players are settling in and teams are figuring out exactly what they have among their collection of personnel they've assembled with high hopes for what's to come.
"We've run the gamut here this year," Preds Head Coach John Hynes said. "We've had good games and won, good games and lost, bad games and lost, but it's about how you grow as a team. You continue to peck away at points and build your game and build your identity and build your culture. That's what you want throughout a season to be successful."
It hasn't been perfect for the Preds, but they've got to start somewhere in this landscape unlike anything we've ever seen - and that's not the only thing that's different around this group too.
As someone that has been around the team every day since the start of training camp as the calendar turned to 2021, I'll attest there's a different feeling, a changed attitude and a renewed sense of purpose emanating from those that wear the Predators crest.
But don't just take my word for it.
"The last couple years, we've had skill, we've had individual talent, individual performances, but overall, I think it's the work ethic that this group has, and that's always been Nashville Predator hockey," Preds Associate Captain Ryan Ellis said following Wednesday's shootout victory over Chicago. "I mean, we're blocking more shots than we ever have, we're working hard, we're doing the right things, and we're not always rewarded for them, but there's a lot of trust building in that room between guys. It's a good feeling in that room right now."

"I just see commitment," Preds forward Matt Duchene said. "I see guys that have taken a step with their commitment to playing both ways and blocking shots, and I think it's pretty easy to commit to that with our group because I think there's accountability in the room. Our leadership and our togetherness is even better this year than it was last year, and I feel like guys are playing for each other and that's so important."
Hynes has noticed a shift too, and it's coming from everyone. Over the offseason, the Preds brought in players that would embrace a tougher, more brash brand of hockey. In order for that identity to be shaped, however, Hynes and his staff needed buy-in from the core group the Predators wanted to keep together.
So far, they're seeing it.
"The returning players that have been here, they had a sour taste in their mouth from, really, the last couple years, particularly last year," Hynes said. "We tried to really spend a lot of time, even during the pauses, talking about these things and figuring out what it is [that needed changed], and I think there's been a recommitment from the players that have been here in the past. They want to win, they're proud guys, they knew that behavior needed to change, culture needed to change, and they've taken it upon themselves as returning players to do that and change themselves in their behaviors and their attitudes and their habits and work ethic.
"Now, you've added other players into the team, and they brought a freshness. We tried to go after players that were hard to play against, mentally tough, talented, and now, there's just a bit of a combination. It wouldn't matter if the returning players didn't change what they were doing and their mindset and behaviors and you added new players into the group. It still wouldn't work. And then, if we didn't bring the right players in, and our players that were returning didn't change, it wouldn't be what it is. We've had a strong emphasis on work ethic, commitment, mental toughness, staying with things, and to date, we've done that."

The script that these Nashville Predators are writing is still in its infancy, but give them a chance, won't you?
Let this team continue to improve and build upon the foundation that's been laid, the identity that's been established. Things won't always turn out well at the end of the night - and they're going to have to be on the right side of the ledger more often than not if they're to play more than 56 times in the first half of 2021 - but with drastic change sometimes comes the need to exercise some patience for a moment or two.
None of us know where the Preds will be sitting on May 8 when the regular season comes to a close, but as we've learned over the years, the game of hockey is virtually impossible to forecast with any degree of pinpoint accuracy. So, get your popcorn ready and settle in.
The world is as unpredictable as ever, and these Preds might just provide one more surprise.
"You're going to make mistakes along the way, and we'll pick each other up, but I just love the vibe we have going," Duchene said. "Our team is getting really tight, even amongst the COVID season when it's harder to get together. So, we'll keep getting better in that regard and hopefully keep piling the wins up."