#313- Full Game Breakdown: Minnesota Wild Exploit Nashville Predators Blueline Woes, Win 3-1

But all I can think of is what head coach Andrew Brunette is saying about opening night for the Preds, which the two words he used were slow and sloppy.

That's what I'm seeing, and that's a perfect, that's the perfect two, uh, terms to use for that performance last night, and the final score ends up being 3-1, which is very misleading if you ask me.

But the fears that we have talked about on this show going into the season about the defense definitely became a reality in this game against Minnesota.

Let's first call it like it is.

Minnesota is in a much better and more stable place with their lineup than where the Preds are at.

I mean, two opposite end of the spectrums if you ask me, and it was very clear and obvious watching that game last night that that's where it was.

But still, the score was 2-1 in the second period.

Jussi Saros was doing everything he could possibly do to keep the score close, but giveaways, trying to exit the zone, a lot of, a lot of bad timing, a lot of bad passing, um, s- a lot of the things that you would expect when you have a lot of newcomers in the roster, on the roster.

So Boyd, how about you open up, you were at the game, give me your overall reaction to the game, and then we'll kind of go period by period and how the game went.

Yeah, I mean, first off, opening night, always a fun time.

Um, you know, vibes are high as they are.

Um, you know, I, I thought overall, the, the team came out pretty fast.

I mean, there was, you, you could see them, you know, trying to fly around a bit, trying to, you know, trying to create some things.

They got an early power play, um, but the longer the game went, you know, you could just tell the structure that Minnesota has and the players that they have just started to push and push and push a little further to where, um, you know, by the time it got to the middle of the second period, I mean, Nashville's really struggling in their own end just to get the puck out.

Um, when, when they could get up the ice, I mean, the offense looked okay.

Um, you know, they got some pretty good chances.

Um, you know, they had at least, I think, one tying goal chance go off the post.

Um, you know, so it's, it, it wasn't devoid of good things, but, you know, the cohesion that you want to see certainly is not there yet, and I think it highlights, you know, in no small part, as, as you said, a, a lot of new pieces, especially among the forward group, and, you know, a shorter preseason where the team really didn't play together as a whole until effectively the final game of the preseason where they got waxed by Carolina.

[laughs]

So, you know, I, I think for game one, against a really difficult opponent, you know, I'm not terribly shocked.

Um, you know, obviously we'll, we'll talk a little bit about what we'll do differently against Dallas, but, you know, you would expect that over the next couple of weeks, you're gonna see a fairly different team come together.

Yeah, definitely.

I mean, I'm not, I'm not losing sleep at all over this, uh, over this loss.

As you said, Boyd, uh, two, it's two vastly different teams.

Um, I, I don't come out of this game being heartbroken by any means.