Written by Adam Vingam at The Tennessean.com
Word of mouth dates Nashville’s christening as “Music City” as far back as the 1800s.
“Defenseman City” doesn’t have the same ring to it, but its origins are clearer. The Predators’ nearly two-decade existence has seen the franchise manufacture high quality defenseman after high quality defenseman. They are the organization’s defining characteristic and having a dramatic effect on the Predators’ playoff run to this point.
“I always say that our defense is our backbone,” Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne said after the team’s 3-1 second-round victory in Game 3 against the St. Louis Blues on Sunday. “It’s no secret. That’s the way it is.”
The Predators tied for the NHL lead with 181 points from defensemen this season, and now 12 of their past 13 goals have involved a defenseman in some capacity after each of their three goals Sunday included a point from the back end.
Nashville has a league-leading seven goals from defensemen this postseason, receiving two more Sunday.
“The last couple years, I’m pretty sure we’ve been tops or pretty close to the top of the league as far as contributing,” said Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis, whose first-period goal extended his playoff point streak to six games, second-longest in team history. “We stress how everyone has to be active.
“It’s a five-man game out there. We can’t watch the forwards do everything. The (defense) has to get up and do (its) part.”
The ability of the Predators’ defense to influence the flow of play might be unmatched in the NHL. It’s reflected in statistics used to track puck possession and the Predators’ 15-0 advantage in shots that spanned the first 13 minutes of Sunday’s second period.
“They know that they need their defensemen being part of the attack,” Blues coach Mike Yeo said. “That’s going to be a challenge. We knew that was a challenge right from the start walking into this series.”
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