Takeaways From Predators’ 5-2 Win Over Canadiens

Saros has seen 131 shots, leading the league by 13 (Jeremy Swayman has 118). It speaks to how good he has been but also to how little support he’s had from the Predators’ back end. Still, he has saved 120 of them, which also leads the league (by 10 this time). He’s chugging along and proving the doubters wrong.

Special Teams Really Came Through

The Predators were competent on special teams last season under Andrew Brunette, with their 23.1% power-play percentage ranking 12th and their 81.7% penalty-kill percentage ranking.

This season, they’re on track to have one of the best special teams, especially on the power play. The special teams showed out in this game, with the Predators converting two of five man-advantage opportunities and stopping all three power plays for the Canadiens. They’re now at 38.5% on the power play, which is tied for fourth with the Anaheim Ducks and Minnesota Wild.

“I think the power play is going to be a huge part of our success,” said Predators head coach Andrew Brunette. “I think (it’s) a by-product of playing with each other for the last couple of years; you can see the chemistry…they’re big-time players that make big-time plays in big moments, and that’s what they did tonight.”

Gritty Road Win

What makes the Predators’ win more impressive is the injuries that affected them. They lost both center Mavrik Bourque and William Trudeau midway through the game. Both of them dealt with upper-body injuries in the second period and didn’t return.

Still, the leadership and bench of the Predators were able to come through. It was a gritty road win, and the Predators have earned three points on this road trip. That’s more than many people would’ve predicted, especially against two Cup-contending Canadien teams.

“They’re not always going to be pretty, but (I’m) really, really proud that the guys stuck together,” said Brunette. “They had really good energy on the bench even when things weren’t looking good. We have great leadership that grabbed it when we had to grab it…it’s a really good learning experience.”

Schedule

The Predators end their road trip on Saturday, Oct. 9, against the Ottawa Senators. After that game, they head back home for a three-game home stretch. They face the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, Oct. 13, the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, Oct. 15, and the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, Oct. 17. After that, they return on the road to face the Boston Bruins on Thursday, Oct. 22.