After an up-tempo practice, the Nashville Predators have two Western Conference teams coming in this week who have been playing well in their last 4-5 games. The Anaheim Ducks are up first and head coach Andrew Brunette recognizes they have a talent corps of young players.
“A lot of speed and a really good goalie so it’ll be a challenge. They’re all big challenges and we have another one tomorrow,” Brunette said of the Ducks.
While the effort has been there from this group Brunette said he’s still seeing inconsistency as an issue running a new system.
“Even though as a whole a little bit, the effort has been there but just little details and I think it’s been a little bit of a roller coaster,” Brunette said. “It feels like we’re getting it and then there’s a game where we’re put on our heels a little bit and we revert back to being a little more passive and defend too much. So, it’s trying to get it out of them, but regardless of what the situation is we still play a certain way. It’s been frustrating at different times but the effort and will is there. We just got to have mental toughness at different times.”
The mental energy was low for the Predators as Brunette put it and part of it is the “hockey Gods telling you if you don’t show up for two games and you’re going to show up for one and win a hockey game you’re probably going to be sadly mistaken.”
One seat on the roller coaster has forward Juuso Pärssinen in it. He started the season on the top line and in the last three games has played fewer minutes.
Pärssinen was a healthy scratch in Winnipeg to end Nashville’s most recent road trip. It was his first occurrence since joining the Predators one year ago.
“Yeah, I had a little talk with Brunette. We talked some things through, what he thinks and what I think. He didn’t like my Calgary game and I didn’t like my Calgary game,” Pärssinen said. “Sometimes you just get scratched and as a player, you don’t want to get scratched and when you get back you have to show them that you deserve to be in the lineup.”
Through 13 games the Finland native has three points and has not found himself on the scoresheet in the last eight games.
Last season through his first 13 NHL games Pärssinen had five points, all of which came in his first three of four games with the Predators.
“I have to be more consistent,” Pärssinen said. “I think I’ve had some good games but then on the other side, I’ve had some really bad games. I like to have high standards as well, we have high standards as a team and I have to be more consistent.”
Pärssinen skated on a new line against the Coyotes as he was paired with forwards Philip Tomasino and Cody Glass. Chances were generated but the line altogether was in the minus category. Pärssinen ended Saturday’s game with a -1 while Glass and Tomasino each had a -2.
For the first six of seven games, Pärssinen was skating on the top line with Ryan O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg.
However, Pärssinen is happy to see it through with his new linemates as the Ducks come into town.
“They can make some plays. Get some O-Zone time and they skate really good. They’re smart and those are types of things that help me out a lot as well,” Pärssinen said.
One other facet of Pärssinen’s game is utilizing his 6-foot-3 frame to his advantage. Something that he brought to the table last season after he was called up. He ranks 10th on the team with 11 hits overall and has five hits in his last five games.
“When I play good I go through bodies, I play heavy,” Pärssinen said. “That’s the thing I have to do more and I’m one of the bigger guys in the group. I need to be heavy and that’s just part of my game. When I play good I play heavy as well.”
Follow Nick Kieser on Twitter/X: @KieserNick
Photos of Juuso Pärssinen courtesy of the Nashville Predators
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