It’s been brewing for awhile and now it’s quite apparent after Tuesday night’s 4-3 shootout loss to Anaheim: the Nashville Predators have a significant problem with their current fourth line arrangement. For a trio playing under ten minutes a game, they’re making a sizeable impact on the game. And it hasn’t been positive.
When Nashville traded for Cody McLeod in the middle of January, things got off to a nice start. The enforcer scored two goals in his first six games, while even getting some time on the power play. The Predators sent the Avalanche a prospect that didn’t seem to be in the team’s plans going forward, so there was little risk.