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!
Sunday, October 11, 1998
Predators start with loss but show heart
The NHL's newest team dropped its inaugural game Saturday to the Florida Panthers 1-0, but the loss did little to subdue Trotz's optimism.
"I wish we could have gotten the win, but this is just the start," he said. "We're going to have some fun, we're going to win some games and I think the fans are going to have a blast."
Nashville still is a football city, but the sellout crowd of 17,285 for opening night was boisterous and appeared ready to adopt another sport. Fans cheered and booed at appropriate times, and remained enthusiastic even after Panthers center Ray Whitney scored the game's only goal on a power play early in the third period.
Trotz, a career minor league coach who won the AHL Calder Cup in 1995 with the Portland Pirates, said he was pleased by much of what he saw from his team of NHL castoffs and minor leaguers.
"Tonight we had a chance to win and for a lot of guys who haven't spent a lot of time in the National Hockey League, me included, we found out we can play in the National Hockey League," he said. "We're a hard-working team. We've got some character. No one pushes us around."
Indeed, the Predators appeared more than willing to mix it up.
In the first period, the crowd stood and cheered as Predators winger Patrick Cote and Panthers defenseman Peter Worrell went toe-to-toe in front of the Nashville bench. And the highlight of the second period was another fight, this one between Cote and Panthers defenseman Paul Laus. The crowd roared when Cote took Laus to the ice after hammering him with rights.
But it was a fight that ended up costing the Predators.
Early in the third period, Predators winger Scott Walker squared off with the Panthers' Bill Lindsay. Lindsay received a game misconduct but Walker was given a double minor and Florida went on the power play for four minutes.
About two minutes later, Whitney took a cross-ice pass from Gord Murphy at the bottom of the left circle and put it past Predators goaltender Mike Dunham, who stopped the other 25 shots he faced.
"We shut them down pretty well in our defensive zone," said Dunham, a backup with New Jersey last season. "I don't think they got a rebound shot. The lone goal was a great goal, it was a one-timer on the power play. That's why you've got to try to stay out of the (penalty) box -- give them limited chances if you're going to win."
While the Predators' penalty killing units held the Panthers to one goal on nine power-play chances, the offense struggled, going 0-for-6 with the advantage.
The fans didn't seem to care. Before the game they were given cheerleading lessons and between periods a live band played. The Predators' mascot, Gnash, dropped from the arena ceiling before the second period.
Three hours before the game started, fans started gathering outside Nashville Arena. When owner Craig Leipold arrived, he was mobbed.
"It was one of those times in your life when you would just like to be able to stop and absorb the moment. It was really an emotional moment," he said.
Dunham and Trotz acknowledged the players and coaches had a difficult time focusing on the game with all the hype surrounding it.
"I think we all were excited about it, nervous about it, just wanted to get it going," Dunham said. "It's just been a big party, a big celebration in the city, and rightfully so."
Trotz said his team must put the loss behind it and keep its focus on long-term goals.
"This year is the base for an organization that down the road wants to win the Stanley Cup," he said. "As they say, Rome's not built in a day and neither are the Nashville Predators."