NASHVILLE -- On a night that was very much about honoring the past, it became clear that the greater concern for the Nashville Predators is the future.
Former Predators captain Shea Weber enjoyed a triumphant return in his first visit to Bridgestone Arena since being traded from Nashville to the Montreal Canadiens last June, scoring the tying goal and playing an almost flawless game on the Canadiens' blue line in a 2-1 overtime victory for the Atlantic Division leaders.
The Predators? The loss was a reminder that they still have plenty of unfinished business and nagging questions as they seek an identity.
Here are some takeaways from one of the most eagerly anticipated games on the regular-season schedule.
Inconsistency or lack of leadership?
"There's always some games that stick out [because] you wish you could do [them] over. This would be one of them," Nashville head coach Peter Laviolette said after the loss, during which the visiting Canadiens outshot his team 43-23.
On a night when the entire hockey world was watching, the Predators continued the uneven play that saw them win just five times in 14 games during December. With the Winnipeg Jets' win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Predators gave up a point to another team outside the Central Division and Western Conference playoff bubble.
"Yeah, it was a big game. It's a big game for us because of where we sit in the standings," Laviolette said. "Certainly there was a lot of attention that was brought to this game and it's frustrating not to win. We were outdone in too many areas."
That they were clearly the second-best team on the ice on a night when they honored their former captain highlights the difficulty the Predators have had in redefining the identity of their team in the wake of the Weber trade and the departure of other veterans like Paul Gaustad and Barret Jackman.
Is it a lack of leadership? Or is it merely about being patient in the wake of an uneven first half of the season?
"If there's one word that describes our almost first half of the season it's 'inconsistency,'" general manager David Poile said. "In October we were not very good. In November we were one of the best teams in the league. In December we faltered. The question remains -- are we October or are we November?"
For a team that was touted by many as ready to make its first serious run at a Stanley Cup this season, it's more than a little troubling to be entertaining questions like that at this stage of the proceedings.
"I could go through each player and give you an example of why they're a really good player. And I could give you an example of why they're inconsistent," Poile said.
Predators lack presence
There was something compelling about watching Weber during the impressive tribute to him, as the former Predators captain steadfastly disregarded the outpouring of emotion and gratitude unfolding on the scoreboard above him. Only briefly did Weber look up at the scoreboard, then he gave a couple of waves to the crowd in acknowledgement as the video came to a close.
"It meant a lot," Weber said after the game. He admitted that he's "not good with my emotions" and thus tried to block out the video portion of the evening. It was in keeping with the kind of stoicism that has marked Weber's time both in Nashville and more recently in Montreal. Speak softly and carry a big game.
It begs the question of just what "presence" means, even though it's a term that is used often to describe Weber.
"When he's on the ice, when he's in the locker room, he just commands a different kind of respect," said former Predator Jason York, now a broadcast analyst who spends a lot of time covering the Canadiens. "How do you explain a presence? I just think it is a guy who gets respect from his teammates and his opponents. There aren't too many players like that in the league right now."
Canadiens coach Michel Therrien credits Weber with helping players stay on task, regardless of what else is going on around the team.
"There aren't many guys in the NHL [who], when they walk in the dressing room, they make people focus," Therrien said. "Makes my job a lot easier to have a player like that, because I know the guys are well-prepared. We're facing adversity as a group and we have injuries, but you know what? Our guys are focused. Our guys are business. And that's part of leadership, so he's had a huge impact on our group."
Radulov responds to hostile reception
As heartfelt as the fans' feelings were for Weber, they were equally unequivocal about their feelings for another former Predator, Alexander Radulov. Unfortunately for the Preds -- and their fans, who booed Radulov pretty much every time he touched the puck -- the big winger was the best skater on the ice for either team, picking up two assists and generally behaving beast-like all night.
The two helpers, the first coming on Weber's tying goal in the third period, gave Radulov points in four consecutive games after a six-game pointless streak -- and reaffirmed his standing as one of the league's shrewdest offseason signings.
"You guys have seen a little bit of what he can do to start the year," Weber said of his former teammate in Nashville, who returned to Russia after missing curfew during the 2012 playoffs. "You saw how much he was handling the puck tonight. He made some good plays, and obviously they ended up in goals."
As for the boo birds, Weber suggested that perhaps Montreal fans should take to booing Radulov too if that's how he's going to respond to heckling.