Nashville Predators captain Ryan O’Reilly admitted Monday he regrets a heated postgame outburst last week in which he shouldered the blame for the team’s woes.
“I look back and think, ‘Man, that sounded like a total crybaby,’” he said.
Following Thursday’s loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, O’Reilly delivered a scathing self-critique, declaring the Predators had no chance “if I’m playing that pathetically” as the top-line center. “Pucks off my stick everywhere. Can’t complete a six-foot pass to save my life,” he said in a clip that quickly spread online. “It’s ridiculous. I’ve had one good season in my career. I don’t have any answers right now.”
O’Reilly admitted he should have kept quiet after the game. “You don’t want that stuff leaking out—it reflects poorly on everyone. I came across like a whiner when I should’ve just zipped it, done better, and moved on,” he said.
The 34-year-old center has 6 goals and 6 assists through 17 games, his 12 points ranking second on the Predators. Now in his third year with Nashville, O’Reilly won the 2019 Stanley Cup with St. Louis and earned the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP.
The Predators enter Monday’s matchup at the Rangers with a 5-8-4 record. A year ago, they were 5-9-3 after 17 games before finishing seventh in the Central Division, 28 points shy of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.
O’Reilly disliked how his outburst spotlighted a team already struggling early again. “That frustration gets out there and doesn’t help anyone. You never want to call extra attention to something like that,” he said.
Still, he believes Nashville is in a stronger position than last season. “We’re far better defensively. Pucks aren’t bouncing our way, but it’s a long year. We’re not quitting—we’ll keep grinding until we turn it around,” he said. “As the top center, I simply have to be better. That part’s straightforward. I just could’ve phrased it differently last week.”
