Morning skate report: Neal 'loving life now'

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- James Neal is scoring goals, 'loving life now,' and living in a big house with lots of friends in high places.

And if that doesn't sound like a country song ...

"I just love it here, everything about it," Neal was telling me after the Predators' morning skate Saturday in advance of the nighttime meeting with the Penguins at Bridgestone Arena. "There was kind of a shock when the trade first happened, but I honestly couldn't be any happier than I am."

It shows: Neal is off to one of the best starts of anyone in the NHL, as well as one of the best of his career, with five goals and three assists in Nashville's seven games. And that only scratches the surface of his contributions when adding a key shootout goal and what Peter Laviolette glowingly called "just a physically rambunctious attitude for us."



None of which should surprise anyone. Neal was a big scorer in Pittsburgh, he put up 23 goals in his first season with the Predators after being acquired for Patric Hornqvist, and the size-speed-skill package has always been there.

"I'm just playing my game, having fun, going hard and trying to make things happen," Neal said. "I hope I've got a couple in me tonight against Flower, too."

He offered that with a wink, but it's clear he meant it. Neal had dinner with some of his former mates Friday night, and one of those was Marc-Andre Fleury.

KUNITZ STAYS ON POWER PLAY

Mike Johnston's new lines from practice Friday appear to have remained intact for this game, but there doesn't appear to be anything new about the power play: The top unit still showed Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and, yes, Chris Kunitz.

This in spite of Johnston acknowledging after Thursday's loss that he was open to changes regarding Kunitz, who has one point in his past 26 regular-season games.

Johnston invested most of his media session after the skate talking about how the Penguins need to match the Predators' energy in the early going, especially given the fire and brimstone that's standard fare at Bridgestone when Nashville is playing well.

"It can be a great atmosphere here," Johnston said. "We have to match that."

CROSBY URGES EXECUTION

I asked Crosby what it will take for the Penguins to look more cohesive than they have for the better part of the first seven games:



SECONDARY ASSISTS

• Nick Bonino is expected to play tonight, this despite being elbowed hard to the face Thursday by the Stars' Jason Demers. Johnston cautioned that he'd be subjected to further testing before the game.

• Not that there was any doubt, but Fleury will start, as he did the first seven games. I get the sense he'll start Wednesday in Washington, as well.

• Tremendous stuff from Nashville's gritty Eric Nystrom, son of Islanders legend Bobby Nystrom. When broadcaster Paul Steigerwald asked if, like his old man, who was known to all as 'Bobby Ny,' he was known as 'Eric Ny,' the younger Nystrom said his current teammates actually call him 'Bobby Ny.'