There’s no guarantee the Predators’ eight-game winning streak played a role in the team’s decision to sign Tommy Novak to a new contract.
But it sure didn’t hurt his cause.
kAm{6DD E92? E9C66 H66<D 28@[ E96 !C652E@CD =@@<65 5625 :? E96 H2E6C 7@==@H:?8 2 h\a =@DD E@ s2==2D @? 9@>6 :46] pE E92E A@:?E[ :E H2D 62DJ E@ 36=:6G6 }2D9G:==6 H@F=5 36 2 D6==6C =625:?8 FA E@ E96 |2C49 g }w{ EC256 5625=:?6]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 ?2>6D 5C2H:?8 E96 >@DE DA64F=2E:@? @? E96 EC256 7C@?E H2D E92E @7 }@G2<[ 2 E2=6?E65 46?E6C :? E96 7:?2= J62C @7 9:D 4@?EC24E]k^Am
kAmqFE 6:89E DEC2:89E H:?D =2E6C[ E96 !C652E@CD Wbd\ad\aX 2C6 :? 2 5:776C6?E A=246 ?@H[ 72C =6DD =:<6=J E@ 36 D6==6CD @7 2?J 8C62E D:8?:7:42?46] }@G2< :D 46CE2:?=J ?@E 8@:?8 2?JH96C6 2E E96 5625=:?6[ ?@E 27E6C |@?52J’D 2??@F?46>6?E 96 925 D:8?65 2 E9C66\J62C[ S`_]d >:==:@? 562= E@ C6>2:? :? }2D9G:==6]k^Am
kAm“*629[ x H@F=5 E9:?< ,E96 H:??:?8 DEC62< 96=A65 =625 E@ E96 4@?EC24E.[” }@G2< D2:5 |@?52J 27E6C AC24E:46] “*@F ?6G6C C62==J <?@H H92E E96J’C6 E9:?<:?8 :? E96C6] qFE E96 E62>’D A=2J:?8 C62==J H6==] xE 766=D =:<6 2== 7@FC =:?6D 2C6 <:?5 @7 4=:4<:?8 2E E96 C:89E E:>6 2?5 :E’D <:?5 @7 D9@H:?8 @? E96 :46] xE’D 366? 2 =@E @7 7F? 2?5 9@A67F==J H6 <66A C@==:?8 96C6]”k^Am
kAmp =2E6 3=@@>6C[ E96 ae\J62C\@=5 }@G2< 92D 366? >2<:?8 9:D :>A24E — 6DA64:2==J :? E96 @776?D:G6 K@?6 — 6G6C D:?46 96 H2D C642==65 :? s646>36C @7 a_aa] %96 !C65D’ a_`d E9:C5\C@F?5 A:4< C24<65 FA cb A@:?ED W`f 8@2=D[ ae 2DD:DEDX :? ;FDE d` 82>6D =2DE D62D@?]k^Am
kAm}@G2< DE2CE65 E9:D D62D@? @? E96 D2>6 <:?5 @7 A246[ 4@==64E:?8 `a A@:?ED :? 9:D 7:CDE `c 82>6D[ 367@C6 DF776C:?8 2? FAA6C\3@5J :?;FCJ E92E D:56=:?65 9:> 7@C 23@FE 2 >@?E9] xE E@@< }@G2< 2 H9:=6 E@ C682:? 7@C>[ 3FE 96 DE2CE65 E@ 7:?5 9:D 8C@@G6 282:? ;FDE 367@C6 E96 }w{ p==\$E2C 3C62<]k^Am
kAmx? E96 `` 82>6D D:?46 E96 3C62<[ }@G2< 92D ?@E4965 `` A@:?ED W7:G6 8@2=D[ D:I 2DD:DEDX[ 72:=:?8 E@ 2AA62C @? E96 D4@C6 D966E ;FDE @?46 5FC:?8 E92E DEC6E49]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< H6 2== E@@< C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ — x 5@?’E <?@H :7 96 H2D 4@>A=6E6=J C625J E@ A=2J H96? 96 ,C6EFC?65 7C@> E96 :?;FCJ.[” !C652E@CD 4@249 p?5C6H qCF?6EE6 D2:5] “%@@< 9:> 2 =:EE=6 H9:=6 2?5 E96? 96 =@DE 9:D 4@?7:56?46] w6 H2D 23=6 E@ 7:?5 :E 324<] p?5 2D 4@?7:56?46 8@6D[ J@F DE2CE A=2J:?8 36EE6C[ J@F DE2CE 86EE:?8 492?46D] %96J >2J ?@E 8@ :?[ 3FE :7 J@F DE:4< H:E9 :E 2?5 92G6 2 =:EE=6 C6D:=:6?4J H:E9 :E[ E96J H:==] u@C %@>>J[ :E 92D 2?5 96’D A=2J:?8 2E 2 C62==J 9:89 =6G6= C:89E ?@H]”k^Am
kAm}@G2<’D ?2>6 :D?’E E96 @?=J @?6 E92E’D 366? 962C5 72C =6DD 7C6BF6?E=J :? E6C>D @7 EC256 DA64F=2E:@? C646?E=J]k^Am
kAm}2D9G:==6’D DE2CE:?8 8@2=:6[ yFFD6 $2C@D[ H2D 2?@E96C A=2J6C 4@?D:56C65 E@ 36 2 G6CJ 9@E 4@>>@5:EJ :7 E96 !C652E@CD H6C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 3:8 D6==6CD 2E E96 EC256 5625=:?6] qFE $2C@D 92D H@? D:I @7 E96 6:89E 82>6D :? E96 !C65D’ H:? DEC62<[ 2==@H:?8 ;FDE 6:89E 8@2=D :? E96 AC@46DD]k^Am
kAm$@ :E H2D?’E E@@ DFCAC:D:?8 E@ D66 }2D9G:==6 v6?6C2= |2?286C q2CCJ %C@EK C646?E=J BF@E65 :? %96 pE9=6E:4 D2J:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E962E9=6E:4]4@>^db_df`g^a_ac^_a^ag^AC652E@CD\EC256\5625=:?6\A=2?D\32CCJ\EC@EK^nD@FC46l6>A0D92C6502CE:4=6Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m$2C@D H@F=5?’E 36 8@:?8k^DEC@?8mk^2m 2?JH96C6 E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAm“x 8F6DD J@F’C6 ?@E E9:?<:?8 23@FE :E 6G6CJ >:?FE6] x H@F=5 7@C DFC6 E9:?< :E’D 2=H2JD 2 =:EE=6 3:E ?:46C ,<?@H:?8 J@F H@?’E 36 EC2565.[” $2C@D D2:5] “x? E9:D DA@CE[ J@F ?6G6C 92G6 `__ A6C46?E D64FC:EJ 3FE :7 J@F 766= =:EE=6 3:E >@C6 D64FC6[ x 766= =:<6 :E 8@6D 2 =@?8 H2J E@ 9@H J@F A=2J[ E@@]”k^Am
kAms:EE@ 7@C 5676?D6>2? p=6I2?5C6 r2CC:6C[ H9@ :D :? E96 7:?2= J62C @7 9:D 4@?EC24E 2?5 92D 2=D@ 366? E96 D@FC46 @7 EC256 DA64F=2E:@? :? C646?E H66<D] w6 2=D@ 36=:6G6D E96 E62>’D H:? DEC62< >2J 92G6 96=A65 E96 =:<6=:9@@5 96 H:== C6>2:? :? }2D9G:==6 7@C E96 C6>2:?56C @7 E96 D62D@?]k^Am
kAm“x H@F=5 36 =J:?8 :7 D2:5 ,E96 H:? DEC62< 5:5?’E 96=A E96 =:<6=:9@@5 @7 DE2J:?8 H:E9 E96 !C65D.[” r2CC:6C D2:5] “(6 2== H2?E E@ DE2J 96C6] (6 C62==J 36=:6G6 :? E9:D 8C@FA] (6 <?@H H6 92G6 D@>6E9:?8 DA64:2= 2?5 x E9:?< E96 =2DE EH@ H66<D D9@H65 :E] (6 2== H2?E E@ 36 96C6] (6 5@?’E H2?E E@ D6== 2?5 DEF77[ D@ 9@A67F==J :E 96=AD @FC 42D6]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m}~%tik^DEC@?8m !C652E@CD 42AE2:? #@>2? y@D: H2D ?2>65 E96 }w{VD E@A DE2C @7 E96 H66< 27E6C E@E2=:?8 D6G6? A@:?ED WE9C66 8@2=D[ 7@FC 2DD:DEDX 2?5 2 =628F6\9:89 A=FD\D6G6? C2E:?8 :? E9C66 }2D9G:==6 G:4E@C:6D]k^Am
