from Damien Cox of Sportsnet,
The goal totals aren’t yet pushing Nashville into the upper echelon of the NHL’s offensive clubs, but for the first time in a long time, at least the Predators seem to be eagerly trying to score rather than simply preventing goals. Their defence pinches harder now than they ever did under Barry Trotz, and they’ll be a little more aggressive now on the forecheck....
So the Preds, after missing the playoffs the past two springs following that massive post-season disappointment in the 2012 Stanley Cup tournament, are trying to change their image, trying to put their most offensive skate forward. Poile says shoring up the team’s appeal in the Nashville market by making the style more entertaining wasn’t really part of the motivation.
The club averaged 16,600 in attendance last season, 20th in the NHL while operating out of a building that doesn’t have the capacity of many of the league’s larger rinks. Hosting the NHL All-Star Game in 2016 will bring some glitz to Music City.
“The people have been very loyal in Nashville. They understand what has happened,” he said. “But our goal is still to sell out the building, and we have a ways to go. That said, business has never been better.”
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