A collection of numbers balls, all placed inside a machine, rumbled and bounced and crashed into one another, much like the very atoms that matter itself is composed of.
At one point early Saturday evening the machine stopped and spit out four of the many balls. And just like that, the fate and future of an NHL franchise was forever changed.
Meanwhile, Calle Jarnkrok is showing us all why he is here. He’s undoubtedly the best defensive forward on the team.
For all the talk of Laviolette’s system and what it does for the offense, it’s important to remember that the Predators’ defensive play has been carrying them all season. So far that trend has carried into the playoffs, leading them to an impressive first round sweep and now to a 2-1 series lead over the Blues.
It’s been a joy to watch. For as much as people talk about offense with this team, the Preds have really been winning these games with solid defense.
So who’s doing it? Here’s a look at the top shot-suppressing NFL Jerseys Wholesale players in this postseason (minimum 80 minutes TOI, courtesy of naturalstattrick.com):
Look at the Blues! Through eight playoff games, they have no players above 50% in shot attempt percentage. The closest is Carl Gunnarsson at 47.7%, which isn’t even really that close. They are really forcing Allen to win games for them, while hoping to capitalize on occasional mistakes by the other team. That strategy worked like a charm against the Wild, by the way.