Andrew Brunette and the Nashville Predators had Game 4 in their hands on Sunday evening. They had a 3-1 lead for most of the third period against the Vancouver Canucks. And they held their own against Vancouver’s highly skilled offense. However, the game slipped through their fingers. Now, they are on the brink of elimination from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
After the game, Brunette faced the media. He spoke about how much he liked his team’s performance for most of Game 4. But he also knows that losses like these, especially in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, affect a team just a little bit more.
“It hurts, but it’s supposed to hurt. It’s hard, but it’s supposed to be hard. I think that has to be the mentality. It’s going to be even harder the next game. We’ll embrace it, and we’ll move straight ahead,” the Predators head coach said, via Bally Sports.
Predators got exposed
The Predators had the lead with around three minutes left in Game 4. However, Canucks star Brock Boeser completed a hat trick by scoring two goals to tie the game. This forced overtime, where Elias Lindholm scored to put Nashville close to elimination.
Andrew Brunette addressed the two late-third-period goals on Sunday. “There was a lot of swing in our game. We kinda got beat up ice. Tried to clear it and flubbed it a little bit. We fell down, then we got exposed,” the Predators bench boss said on Sunday, via Bally Sports.
Brunette now has to try and get his team ready for Game 5 on Tuesday. They hit the road and take on the Canucks in Vancouver. But the Nashville head coach is not concerned about his team moving on from this loss. He especially isn’t concerned with the younger members of the team.
“As a young player, you clear it a little faster. I think it’s not that big of a deal. They didn’t have too much blood on their hands near the end of the game. So they should feel about their games,” he said, via Bally Sports.
Andrew Brunette remains confident
The Predators are one game away from their season coming to an end. Still, Andrew Brunette has confidence in his team. He spoke calmly with the media on Sunday despite the heartbreaking loss. And he doesn’t believe much has changed even with his team down two games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“I think the message is always the same, I don’t think it’s changed,” the Predators bench boss said, via Bally Sports. “I think you should feel really good about your game. There are some things we can learn from, things we can be better (sic).”
“We’ve done a great job — win or lose — we move straight ahead and we’ve been us the next game,” Brunette continued Sunday. “We have to go out and win a game. Play like you did the last two games and I’ll take our chances.”
To Brunette’s point, the Predators haven’t played terribly in these last couple games. In fact, they have played really well for large stretches. Vancouver only managed 12 shots on goal in Game 3 and barely recorded 20 shots on goal in their Game 4 comeback.
Whether Brunette is right to stick with the current gameplan remains to be seen. However, you can certainly see why he has confidence that things will bounce his way. In any event, Tuesday’s Game 5 is sure to be an intense game from start to finish.
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