On the heels of a 5-1 thrashing in Los Angeles and what he called “a [road] trip from hell,” Barry Trotz said the Predators could be in for a significant shakeup.
“We’re going to have to make some changes,” Nashville’s head coach said on Monday night, courtesy Mayor’s Manor. “We’re going to have to change some guys. It’s not working for us.”
Nashville has just two wins in its last nine games and has been wildly inconsistent offensively.
Beginning on Feb. 16, the Preds scored 11 goals over a three-game stretch against Anaheim, Colorado and Detroit, but were then shut out in back-to-back losses to Vancouver and Detroit.
The Preds followed that up by exploding in a 5-4 OT win over Dallas...which was followed by the aforementioned hellish road trip.
Nashville suffered three losses in which they scored just three times (a 5-1 loss at Anaheim, 2-1 loss at San Jose and Monday’s 5-1 loss at LA.)
Yeah, not good.
Overall, Nashville has the league’s worst offense and last year’s three leading scorers -- Martin Erat, David Legwand and Mike Fisher -- have combined for just 27 points.
The Preds have claimed forwards Bobby Butler and Zach Boychuk off waivers to try and shake things up, but Trotz suggested those aren’t the only moves Nashville plans on making.
Here’s more Trotz, from Mayor’s Manor:
“Somebody’s going to be getting knocked out of the lineup. We’ve only had 20 guys. So there’s no backside pressure by anybody. We don’t have any extra guys right now, so everybody’s comfortable.
“The comfort level is going to be out the door, because A, we’re going to be looking at recalling some people, or obviously we picked up Bobby Butler on waivers. I’m sure our management and scouts are out there looking. I know the last couple days they’ve met, and trying to improve us.
“So that’s what it is right now. Now we’re not playing good as a hockey team, and then we’re not winning games where you have to win hockey games.”
The next two weeks will prove to be pretty crucial for the Preds.
They’ll get most of this week off, returning on Friday for a two-game homestand against the Oilers (Friday) and Wild (Saturday.)
After that, it’s off on another roadie -- this time, a trek through Dallas, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Columbus that will see the Preds play five games in seven nights.