“Frustrating,” “disappointing” and “unacceptable” were among the descriptors used by the Nashville Predators following their 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. “We’re at a stage where we’re going to dictate where we are here for the next two weeks,” head coach Andrew Brunette said. “Tonight, we dictated that we weren’t going to be that interested to be in the playoffs.”
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Despite the result, however, young forwards Cody Glass and Tommy Novak proved to be bright spots against the Devils. The former assisted on both of Nashville’s goals, while the latter found the back of the net for his second goal in as many games.
Predators Shifting Positions
Two of Nashville’s most promising young centers have suddenly found success at new positions. Shifting from center to the wing significantly lessens a player’s defensive responsibilities and allows him to simplify his game, and it has paid off handsomely for Novak and Glass.
“It’s not too big of a deal,” said Glass, who played opposite Novak on a line centered by Michael McCarron. “When you’re playing out there, it’s kind of reading off each other no matter what. Sometimes I’m back first; sometimes I’m not. We all read off each other. We’re all smart hockey players. I play with [Novak] quite a bit now, so I’ve started to learn where he’s going to be at times. It’s good to get that chemistry. It doesn’t matter where I play; I’m going to try my hardest to put myself in a position to try and succeed.”
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The positional shuffle appears, at least for now, to be just what the doctor ordered for two of the Predators’ slumping young forwards looking to regain their confidence after early injuries threatened to derail their seasons.
“I think [Glass] is feeling it a little bit,” Brunette said. “You’re kind of happy for him to get rewarded… It’s a positive. I think he and Tommy are kind of getting out of their funk a little bit. I thought they had good chemistry together. They were the guys that were going tonight, and it’s fun to see them get going because we’re going to need it down the stretch.”
Glass, Novak Heat Up
Glass first drew a high-sticking penalty in the first period that led to Nashville’s first power-play opportunity. The Predators’ top power-play unit set up and pressured Devils…
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