Canucks open six-game trek vs. Josi, Predators (Feb 07, 2017)
If there was a positive that the Nashville Predators could take from their 1-0 loss Saturday night to the Detroit Red Wings, it was the return of 2015-16 All-Star defenseman Roman Josi to their defense corps.
After sitting out nine games with a concussion sustained on an illegal hit by Boston's Anton Blidh on Jan. 12, Josi was eased back into action by coach Peter Laviolette. Josi played on the third defense pairing with fellow Swiss Yannick Weber.
That process lasted two periods before Laviolette put Josi with his more frequent partner, Ryan Ellis, as Nashville unsuccessfully chased the tying goal in a busy third period that saw it outshoot Detroit 17-4.
Overall, Josi finished with nine shots, five on net, and three hits in 20:28 of ice time. He should be ready to play his usual 25 minutes Tuesday night when the Predators finish a three-game homestand against the Vancouver Canucks in Bridgestone Arena.
"You want to come back slowly then hopefully get back into it as soon as possible and work it up," Josi said. "You always try to keep it simple when you come back and make the little plays, make simple plays."
Laviolette was happy with Josi's performance, particularly given the game's fast pace -- there were only 14 faceoffs in the first period and 50 for the game -- and its consistent stoppage-free stretches.
"It's not easy sometimes when you jump back into a game that's high-paced and tight-checking," Laviolette said. "I tried to control his minutes a little bit ... situational play."
Josi's comeback now gives Nashville (25-19-8) its defense corps a jolt. The third pairing of Weber and Matt Irwin, who has been perhaps the best value pickup of its offseason, would be a solid No. 2 for some clubs. The top pairings of Josi-Ellis and P.K. Subban-Mattias Ekholm supply a nice blend of playmaking, scoring and physical work on the back end.
Given how the season's two meetings with Vancouver (23-23-6) have played out, defense is the likely storyline. The Predators pulled out a 2-1 overtime win Jan. 10 at home on Calle Jarnkrok's short-handed goal at 4:58, but the Canucks earned a 1-0 win in the rematch Jan. 17 in British Columbia.
This is the start of a six-game road trip for Vancouver that could very well make or break its season. It is six points behind Calgary and Los Angeles for the final Western Conference playoff spot, but will need to jump over four clubs to get there.
What's more, any road game automatically puts the Canucks at a disadvantage. They are just 6-15-3 on the road, the third-worst away mark of any team in the NHL.
"We know where the games are, we know what we have to do," Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins said. "Our margin of error isn't very big. We know coming in here that these are critical games."
The Canucks have lost three straight and four of five, including a 6-3 verdict Saturday night at home to Minnesota. They have been outscored 19-9 in that span, with their only win occurring at NHL-worst Colorado.
