YES WE HAVE FORSBERG
But no, it wasn’t a party.
The Predators wasted a sellout crowd for the second Saturday night in a row, dropping Forsberg’s first game as a Predator, 4-1.
We found out which line Forsberg will play with. Legwand went to the third line (playing with Nichol and Hartnell) and Forsberg took Legwand’s place on the first line. This wasn’t surprising, but may explain the anemic offense. Legwand had been having a career best year playing on the first line between Kariya and Erat. That spot now belongs to Forsberg, at least for the time being.
This was one of the most disappointing results of the season. I think just about everyone was expecting the arena to take off into outer space now that #21 is a Predator. And who knows, it might have if Forsberg had actually scored. He did come agonizingly close to scoring his first goal as a Predator when he overskated the puck with an empty net awaiting during a second period power play.
So, for tonight anyway, the Preators get a mulligan for trying to assimilate one the best players in NHL history into their lineup. And surely any Predators fan can admit that, while this trade may be only be a rental, it goes much deeper than first impressions.
