Florida Panthers can learn a lot from the Predators Stanley Cup run
The Florida Panthers can definitely learn a lot from the Predators Stanley Cup run. Despite the Preds falling short, they are an organization that any young team would hope to model.
If you asked fans about Nashville’s chances of making the 2016-17 Stanley Cup finals, most would say that they would have never expected the Preds to have made it so far. I too, didn’t think they would have made it all the way either.
Even though the Preds fell 2 games short of winning Lord Stanley, the organization itself has a lot to be proud of. The rest of the league should take note on how to build a young balanced team like Nashville. They certainly were remarkable. Peter Laviolette did a fantastic job coaching such a talented young group. A group that knocked off the Blackhawks with ease.
The Predators are a team that are built from their backend outward, oozing with depth on both defense and goaltending. Starting in between the pipes is Pekka Rinne, who has always been a solid goaltender. Backing him up would be youngster Juuse Saros, who is also a reliable backup to Rinne.
On defense you got the likes of Subban, Ellis, Josi, and Ekholm. Each of these 4 players can all move the puck up quickly, while providing an outlet for their forwards up front. Apart from their offensive side to the game, they are all solid defenders who know when their instincts tell them to stay back and cover. Out of the 4 mentioned above, P.K. would certainly be the more “risk taking defenseman”, who would take the most chances up front.
Amongst their forward group, their most talented would certainly be Johansen, Forsberg, Fiala, Arvidsson, and Neal. In the past, scoring presence has always been an issue that has prevented the Preds from advancing onwards in the playoffs. In the past couple of years they have certainly addressed that problem. Bringing in the likes of Forsberg, Johansen, and Neal have all contributed heavily towards Nashville’s success up front. The additions (Fiala and Arvidsson) via the Draft, have also been great fits for Smashville.
What the Florida Panthers can learn from the Predators cup run
For me, the Florida Panthers can learn that “balance” is the key to success. The Preds showed that having a balanced team goes along way. They had two stable goaltenders who could play night in and night out, defenseman who can both jump up and stay back when needed, and forwards who could score, set up plays, grind, and even throw the body around. Nashville had a mixture of different styled players who could each add something to the team.
A lot of you may question the “stable goaltending” statement, but apart from the few bad games Rinne faced, he still held his own posting a .930 SV% in the playoffs. The figure ended up being his career high (SV%) in the playoffs.
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Last but not least, the Panthers must learn that “heart” and “determination” go along way, and can even outmatch skill. No matter the size of the hurdles the Preds had to jump in the playoffs, they did it collectively as a team. In game 1 of the St. Louis series, Kevin Fiala would miss the remainder of the playoffs suffering a broken leg. Unfortunately for the Preds, it didn’t stop there. Ryan Johansen would also exit the playoffs because of a left thy injury which required surgery.
Despite the two key injuries upfront, Nashville called upon the next guys to step up and replace the injured players. This is certainly the mentality the Cats need going into next season. No matter who is injured or what the injury may be, the need of the “next guy up” will prove to be successful if the mentality is shown. Seeking balance within the lineup will also be key too. Boughner will certainly have ideas in place to incorporate balance and balanced play within the squad.
Overall, the Nashville Predators are certainly a bench mark for all young teams who are looking for a recipe for success. Look no further, the Preds are a team you should strive to become.