Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporterMar 14, 2024, 07:10 AM ET
CloseRyan S. Clark is an NHL reporter for ESPN.
SEATTLE — Practically everyone in hockey has heard that the Nashville Predators’ trip to see U2 in February at the Sphere in Las Vegas was canceled because of how poorly the team was playing at that time.
They’d lost six of eight games before the NHL All-Star break and would lose two of their next three games after returning from the break. They allowed more than four goals in eight straight games and lost seven of those games, including a 9-2 loss to the Dallas Stars on Feb. 15 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
“We’re having trouble getting our mind around what’s important and that’s hockey,” Predators coach Andrew Brunette told reporters after that seven-goal loss to the Stars. “It’s not everything else that goes around hockey. It’s the game of hockey. I don’t know if we’re understanding the importance that our mind has to be in the game and it can’t be in our vacations.”
A message needed to be sent. That prompted Brunette and Predators general manager Barry Trotz to deliver one by canceling the team trip to see U2.
Thanks to Ryan O’Reilly, there’s another story about the Predators, Las Vegas and U2 that has a much different ending.
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Back on Feb. 20, the day after they would have seen the concert, the Predators had a game against the Vegas Golden Knights. A smiling O’Reilly shared recently how an unnamed teammate got clever and started playing U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” as the Preds were coming into the dressing room after morning skate.
The irony in playing that U2 song is the music video shows the band performing and walking the streets of Las Vegas.
“We…
Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/39766594/canceled-u2-trip-helped-turn-nashville-predators-season
Author : Ryan S. Clark
Publish date : 2024-03-21 12:15:50
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