NASHVILLE — Nashville embarks on the second road trip of the season this week as the Predators take on the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday and Saturday. The Predators have two practices before the trip begins, and on Monday the team experimented with new line combinations.
Nashville moved Alexander Kerfoot from first-line right wing to second-line center, bumping Matthew Wood down a line and shifting Vitali Pinchuk from center to a third-line wing. Some of the shuffling is due to center Mavrik Bourque's absence, but some is driven by Kerfoot's versatility and ability to accentuate his teammates' skill sets.
Kerfoot has spent most of the season as Nashville's first-line right wing with Steven Stamkos and Ryan O'Reilly, but played the Vegas game as the third-line right wing, alongside Ross Colton and Vitali Pinchuk. Nashville head coach Andrew Brunette praised Kerfoot's ability to raise the level of whichever line he plays on and thinks he can potentially help the Predators at center while Bourque is on the shelf.
"Well, he's a stabilizing player for us in all kinds of different roles," Brunette said. "He can play the wing, and with Factor [Ryan O'Reilly] and Stammer [Steven Stamkos], I thought he did a good job there. It seems like every line I put him on, that line's better. I think just through the middle of the ice, he gives us a little bit more reliability, or stabilizing factor. Obviously, with Pinchuk [Vitali] being a young center and we've got Woody's [Matthew Wood], a young center, it's hard in our league to compete every night with two young guys who are still learning the position, so he just kind of stabilizes things there for us in the middle of the ice."
Kerfoot, a 10-year NHL veteran, joined the Predators this offseason as a free agent after playing for the Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs, Arizona Coyotes, and Utah Mammoth. He's scored 106 goals and 309 points. He's won 47.9 percent of his faceoffs with 1,732 wins throughout his career, and he's won nice draws in the circle for the Predators this season, offering Nashville a solid option in the middle if Bourque remains out or if Pinchuk is more suited to play wing in the NHL.
"I think that I've been, throughout my career, I've played in different roles and different situations, and so because of that you become accustomed to change, and you're able to get used to new linemates," Kerfoot said. "I think for me, you try not to change your game too much, like you have to do what makes you successful, but at the same time, when you're playing with different people, you know what their strengths are, you know how your line can be successful as a line.
"So you have to kind of adapt a little bit. If you're playing with high-end skill guys, they're going to want to make plays, they're going to want to handle the puck. Then if you're playing with different types of guys, you want to kind of have some sustained o-zone shifts, be responsible with the puck, not turn the puck over in the neutral zone, that type of thing. I try to be cognizant of who I'm playing with, but also know what I need to do to be successful, and that doesn't change."
Nashville Predators Lines During Monday's Practice
- Filip Forsberg - Ryan O’Reilly - Steven Stamkos
- Ross Colton - Alexander Kerfoot - Jonathan Marchessault
- Nils Höglander - Matthew Wood - Vitali Pinchuk
- Reid Schaefer - Jack Drury - Adam Edström
- Roman Josi - Adam Wilsby
- Brady Skjei - Nick Perbix
- Nic Hague - Jayden Struble
- Jack Achan - Ilya Lyubushkin
The Predators have a Tuesday practice ahead of the two-game road trip, giving Brunette one more day to determine Kerfoot's best fit in the lineup before the next game.
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