Predators welcome back Trotz with a comeback win

NASHVILLE – Karl Alzner has bought into new coach Barry Trotz.

In talking with the Caps forward after a 4-3 loss to the NHL-leading Predators, it almost sounded like Trotz did an Obi-Wan Kenobi, swiped his hand in front of Alzner’s face and completely brainwashed him to play his brand of hockey.  

For 15 seasons, Trotz wanted Nashville to be hard to play against. He liked 200-foot, two-way hockey. Offense? Be opportunistic, but make sure you defend your own zone first.

In his first game back in Nashville as the Capitals coach, that’s exactly how Washington looked for most of the game at least.

“He’s trying to get us to play more responsible defense, harder working, and a more honest team. That’s one of the things you always said about the Predators. They’re hard to play against, they’re honest,” Alzner said. “And we have a ton of skill on our team and if we can get the right style of play down, which he knows how to give a team, then you’re a hard team to play against.”

In Nashville we always wondered how a highly-skilled team coached by Trotz would look. We had glimpses when he had Paul Kariya in 2005-06 and 2006-07 and the Predators challenged for the NHL’s top record both seasons.

 We’re seeing it again with Washington.

For much of Nashville’s victory over Washington (third in the Metropolitan Division with 56 points), the Capitals used their offense to bury their chances – such as two one-time blasts by Alex Ovechkin. They won the puck-possession battle, out-corsiing the Predators 62-59. If not for a late John Carlson penalty, which led to a Mattias Ekholm power play goal that tied it up at 3-3, Washington had the game in control. 

“After the second goal we felt like we could dominate them and dictate the game,” Ovi said. “We had momentum. We got the lead but we did not finish it up.“

Ironically it was the type of offensively gifted player that Trotz didn’t have near the end of his Predators term that led to his demise in his first game back in Smashville.

James Neal is Nashville’s home run hitter. Acquired from Pittsburgh in the offseason, he looks like he loafs around the ice most of the game, and then seemingly out of nowhere uses his incredible hand-eye coordination and quick release to score. This happened when he stole a puck from Matt Niskanen and buried it past Braden Holtby at the 18:20 mark of the third period.

“Just a little mismanagement at the end of the game,” forward Brooks Laich said. “I thought we controlled the game. When we got through the first period our game got stronger, we started to lean on them, more zone time, out-shoot them. I thought we played a good hockey game. Thought we played well enough to win just a little mismanagement at the end.”

If the Capitals play the way they did for most of Friday’s game, they’re going to be fine. A team that has seen coaching change after coaching change sounded united behind its current leadership. Even Ovechkin – who has gotten the reputation of ‘coach killer’ in his career wanted this one for Trotz. (Sidenote … Dear Xenophobes, he has only played for one more coach than Sidney Crosby in his career, but that’s another story).

“Yeah, we wanted to win for him, especially first time he came (back),” he said. “We were close to giving him the present but the boys tried. We knew it was a special moment for him and the coaching staff.” 

It was indeed special for Trotz. The Predators gave him, assistant Lane Lambert (a former Nashville staffer) and goaltending coach Mitch Korn (another former Predator under Trotz) a video tribute on the jumbotron at the first TV timeout in the first period. Trotz said he intentionally tried not to look for fear of getting misty eyed. 

For most of the day, it felt like a governor of a state comes to the town where he was once the mayor. He shakes hands, talks about how he’s in a bigger and better spot. 

But make no mistake, Nashville and the Capitals are equals and the game was entertaining theater with lead changes, comebacks and a late game-winner.

“Hopefully we see them again, obviously in our building, but a little later in the year would be great,” Trotz said, seemingly alluding to a Stanley Cup Final.

Would the NHL want a small-market Southern team against a big, bureaucratic Washington squad in the Stanley Cup Final? It may not be great for TV ratings, but the iconic Lower Broadway here would probably be drained of all booze by the end.

If Friday’s game is a preview, that would be a treat. And judging by the way both teams played, it could happen.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

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