For the last two games, the Nashville Predators have seen Steven Stamkos & Ryan O’Reilly centering separate lines.
In splitting Stamkos & O’Reilly up head coach Andrew Brunette is starting to see the vision of the offense come to life that he’s wanted all season. More specifically his second line of O’Reilly, Gustav Nyquist & Zachary L’Heureux.
“They play connected. When you look at that line it’s kind of what you want to see with our whole team,” Brunette said. “They’re on top of pucks, that identity, they’re in close support. They’re smart players with sticks on everything, they take time & space away then they’re creative offensively.”
Albeit it’s a small sample size, O’Reilly has three even-strength points in the last two games after coming back from an injury & five points as a line. He’s felt rejuvenated after missing three games. Before, it was hockey he wasn’t proud of.
“It was nice to have a little bit of a reset. I didn’t like my game before that,” O’Reilly said. “Reset & come back with some jump. The last few games I’ve felt good.”
He’ll be with Nyquist & L’Heureux once more tonight against the New York Rangers & to O’Reilly it’s been fun to rekindle his game after a lackluster start as a group.
“I wasn’t creating much before this, so getting a little extra spark & hunger to be back playing helped me impact the game more,” O’Reilly said.
Watching from the bench, Brunette has been happy with this team’s offense executing the system in place in the last two games.
“I think we were much more connected & I think it started in the offensive zone,” Brunette said. “I thought we were closer together & we reloaded above the puck hard which allowed our defense to stand up & we played a territorial game. I think when we’re at our best & when we play more to our identity that’s what it looks like.”
Here’s one microcosm from when Nashville extended their lead in Dallas last week.
Fresh out of Milwaukee Kevin Gravel puts one on net & O’Reilly tips it in. #Preds lead 3-0 pic.twitter.com/y51tifpan2
— Nick Kieser🏒 (@KieserNick) December 13, 2024
On the top line, Stamkos has generated a myriad of chances with Jonathan Marchessault & Filip Forsberg. Plays that O’Reilly has been keen on & then gone on to try & replicate shift after shift.
“[The coaches] are doing that to spark something. In a couple of those games with Marchessault, Forsberg & Stamkos they’ve had some great opportunities,” O’Reilly said. “I don’t know the numbers, but in watching them they’re creating a ton.”
To O’Reilly’s point, according to Natural Stat Trick, the first line has a combined eight individual high-danger chances in the last two games. At all strengths in the last couple of games, it’s Marchessault leading the way with eight individual scoring chances.
He’s had zero goals & three assists, however, just one helper was with his line at five-on-five play. There’s more to be seen & the Predators can continue to establish chemistry as they take on the Rangers tonight.
Perhaps L’Heureux can make his case to stick with O’Reilly & Nyquist after being promoted in Denver. He’s leading the team in the last two games with 2.36 individual expected goals.
Follow Nick Kieser on Twitter/X: @KieserNick
Photos courtesy of the Nashville Predators
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