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Embarrassed Nashville Predators players acknowledge they 'didn't earn' canceled U2 trip
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- Embarrassed Nashville Predators players acknowledge they 'didn't earn' canceled U2 trip
For the past 12 days, the NHL world has been laughing at the Nashville Predators .
First, there was the embarrassing 9-2 home loss to Dallas on Feb. 15. Then came the postgame admonishment from coach Andrew Brunette , who said the team was "too focused on our vacations" to play winning hockey.
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Finally, we learned that general manager Barry Trotz, in response to the Predators' poor play on home ice, canceled a previously planned early trip to Las Vegas as part of their five-game road trip, which would have included a visit to The Sphere to take in a U2 concert .
The message was clear: This is what happens when you don't perform at home in front of your fans.
Ryan O'Reilly: 'We didn't earn it'
"As a group, we were embarrassed," assistant captain Ryan O'Reilly said. "Not at [the trip] being canceled, just on the performance. Especially at home, the way we came out of the (All-Star) break, it was embarrassing."
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The trip, which had been planned for a while, was intended to be a group bonding experience for the players and team staff. The U2 concert was only one part of the trip, though it's the part that made all the headlines.
"The trip was a chance to get there early, have a little group building experience," O'Reilly said. "But to reflect on it, we didn't earn it. We didn't earn that right. To a man, we understood that. The priority is winning and performing and working hard. We got away from that."
"We thought it was a great opportunity to bond as a team," captain Roman Josi said. "We had kind of planned it a while ago. But Trotzy expects a certain standard out of us. He can be firm, but he's pretty fair. He will also tell us when we play well, so this was his call."
Predators not playing to Barry Trotz's standards
In an 82-game season, every team goes through peaks and valleys. But the valley the Predators were trying to dig out of was particularly difficult: They were 3-7-1 in their previous 11 games, culminating in the home loss to the Stars.
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Sometime after the decision to cancel the trip, Trotz told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman this was about sending a message not to the players, but to the fans.
"Our standards have slipped below expectations," Trotz said. "You can't be rewarded if that happens."
According to several players who talked to The Tennessean, the room was not heartbroken over the decision. There was some disappointment about a change in plans, but the overall thought was Trotz made the right call.
"I don't think anyone was really angry about it," forward Tommy Novak said. "Just felt like it was something they had to do. Holding us accountable. I don't think anyone was too sad about it, to be honest."
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The fact that the team then had a franchise record-breaking 5-0 road trip isn't lost on anyone. But now they return to the source of their original disappointment: Bridgestone Arena, where they play five straight at home, starting Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators.
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ON A ROLL: Nashville Predators sweep five-game road trip
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 'Embarrassed' Nashville Predators knew canceled U2 trip was a message
