SLAM! Sports
SLAM! Hockey
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
COLUMNS
NHL
The Teams
Full Schedule
Monthly Schedule
Standings
Statistics
Rosters
Injury list
Movement
Trades
Hits Gallery
INTERACTIVE
JUNIOR
MORE HOCKEY
ALSO ON SLAM!
Saturday, November 7, 1998
No bumpkins!
Nashville has a hit on its hands
The gig is up for the Nashville Predators.
These guys have bite.
Oh yeah, they're an expansion team, a group of castaways masquerading as the Gilligan's Island of the NHL.
But this three-hour tour isn't going to end in a wreck.
Twelve games into the season, these character actors have four wins, last night producing the first road win in the brief franchise history.
And it was no fluke.
This team has been tied or ahead in the third period of all of its games, but one, a 3-2 loss in Edmonton.
Yet, the premise for each and every game they play includes an inherent lack of respect.
And Nashville couldn't be happier about that.
"That gives us a little bit of a grace period," said coach Barry Trotz. "I keep reading all the articles that we may be the worst team to play, how we had the biggest point spread against Detroit in league history.
"You never like to read or hear about that stuff. But watch us play and if you think we are the worst team you've ever seen, you may be pleasantly surprised."
Were the Calgary Flames surprised? They shouldn't have been -- the Predators should have beat them earlier in Nashville.
No one in the NHL should be surprised by this team now. These guys aren't just happy to be here. They're here to win, just like every other team.
"Do we deserve respect?" asked captain Tom Fitzgerald. "We hadn't won a game yet. We've been in games on the road, but just couldn't finish it off.
"If we keep winning and don't gain any respect, who cares? I don't.
"I don't want to say Calgary Flames disrespected us, because we're all hockey players. This is an opportunity for all of us to show we belong in the NHL. I don't think they went out and said it should be an easy one tonight against Nashville.
"I did that when I played for the Islanders. Guess who Ottawa beat for the first road win? The New York Islanders, because we took them lightly and they gave it to us. I think every team should respect each other.
"I didn't sign as a free agent in Nashville to be a doormat in this league. I signed because I've been through this situation before (in Florida) and it was up to the players to make it possible, to not be the doormats, to gain the respect throughout the league.
"I expect a lot out of all of us. We play for one reason only, to win. If you don't play to win, you don't belong in the league, you don't belong on this team and I don't want to play with you.
"If you lose all the time to me, you are a loser. Losing is contagious and if you keep losing, it's no fun coming to the rink."
Flames Steve Smith and his teammates were reminded that the fear of losing is a great motivator, even for an expansion team.
"Sure they are an expansion team ... they don't have any stars," said Smith.
"But there are a lot of players on that team that could play for a lot of teams in this league. They've put together a pretty good lineup for a team just starting out.
"And they work their tails off. They are all going in one direction."
Sure, there will be bumps along the road. This team will lose its fair share of games. But these players already learning to believe in each other, even if no one else does.
"That's the challenge," said Trotz.
"I don't want expansion to be an excuse. It has to be a challenge. If guys want to be permanent NHLers, this is where you establish yourself, doing things people say you can't do."
Before this season is over, more teams than Calgary will learn this is an expansion team than can.
And no one should buy that 'aw, shucks, we're just happy to be here stuff.'