"If the Predators looked at their final preseason game as a barometer, they got a pretty positive reading. Behind two goals from forward Joel Ward, Nashville defeated the Capitals 3-0 on Sunday at Washington. The Predators limited the Capitals, who played most of their regulars, to 22 shots on goal. The Predators finished the preseason with a 4-2 record. "When you take the preseason as a whole, we lost two of our first three, and we have won three in a row here," Predators Coach Barry Trotz said. "We have been building. We will continue to try to build this week." The Predators killed off two penalties, and one of Ward's goals came shorthanded. Center Cal O'Reilly scored a goal and added an assist against last year's Presidents' Trophy winners. "I'm happy with our defense, and our goaltending seems to be in order," Trotz said. "We have to continue to work on our special teams. It's a big component." The Predators won't play again until the season opener against Anaheim on Saturday at Bridgestone Arena. In order to combat this long layoff, Trotz said the Predators would conduct short, quick-paced practices throughout the week. "If we had a week off during the season, I would say that's too long," Trotz said. "We will keep (practices) up tempo and play with a lot of pace this week, and it's all for real on Saturday."" Read more: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20101004/SPORTS02/10040347/2163
