It took about only 20 seconds into Game 3 for adversity to strike the Predators. Craig Smith had suffered a lower-body injury and after an attempt at a second shift disappeared for the rest of the night. The Predators would have to attempt to fill the void left by Smith’s absence in the upcoming games and boy did it show.
Without Smith, the Predators would end up losing three straight games being outscored 12 to 3. The team looked overly sluggish and unpolished. While they had no shortage of shots on goal in those games, the attempts were boring and predictable – a scenario incredibly frustrating to Predators fans.