TORONTO -- The early-season struggles of the Nashville Predators werent just about a team trying to find cohesion with new parts on the ice.It was just as much about Nashville redefining its leadership core following the departure of former captain Shea Weber as well as other veterans such as Barret Jackman, Paul Gaustad and Eric Nystrom.And what youre seeing now, perhaps -- as the Preds have picked up points in six straight games (4-0-2) heading into their game Tuesday against the?Toronto Maple Leafs?-- is a team that has defined its pool of leaders through that early adversity.When you lose a lot of players, not just Shea, guys are figuring out where their spot is early in the season, new captain Mike Fisher said on Tuesday after the teams morning skate. So its all kind of new on the ice as well as off the ice. I feel like we went through a stretch where we realized we were a lot better than we were but [figured], Lets learn through it. I feel like were coming out better on the other side. Were figuring out how we need to play, our identity.Added alternate captain James Neal: Everyone is going through the change with new roles, a lot of younger guys, and new faces. Thats part of it. But we knew wed come out of it. Its all part of hard work.Its also part of the legacy that a guy like Weber left behind. Go around the Predators room like I did on Tuesday, and youll see the players faces light up when asked to put into words what their former captain meant to them.He had an amazing presence, said winger Colin Wilson. Hes one of the best guys I ever played with, best leaders, thats what hes known for. He set the tone every single day.The way Weber handled his day-to-day approach still influences his former teammates.Just seeing him working hard every practice, every day in the gym ... he never took a day off. He was just a true professional, said defenseman Mattias Ekholm. It was a pleasure to grow into the league with a guy like that as a leader. You feel how blessed youve been to have had a guy like that to look up to, and try to be as good as him every day.As his?Montreal Canadiens teammates are learning, Weber sets the tone by what he does, not so much what he says.He wasnt a huge talker, Wilson said. Its more that he showed up, and when you have a leader whos dialed in every single day, every practice ... . He never took any days off, he led by example. Hes an intense guy and hes somebody you wanted to play for. Hes also a lot of fun, he kept the dressing room pretty light.Added Neal: Sheas just a great guy, a great person, a great hockey player. He didnt need to say much. Thats the kind of leader he was and the kind of guy he is. When there were problems, he would be able to hide them. He put his work in every day, and if you didnt put the work in with him, you were falling behind. All great leaders are like that. He was a fun guy to play with.Talented blueliner Roman Josi, an alternate captain, is growing into a bigger leadership role.Its definitely kind of new for a lot of guys, said Josi. You just kind of grow into a leadership role and try to learn from the older guys. You try to get more comfortable with it.The player acquired for Weber, the dynamic P.K. Subban, is part of that group of guys who can each lead in their own way. For Subban that means delivering on the ice (the defenseman is tied for fourth in goals, with three, and points, with eight), but also trying, in times of adversity like the Predators had in the opening month (losing six of their first eight games) to keep the right frame of mind at the rink.It has been a challenge. I really believe that a lot of the outcome of whatever the situation youre in is determined by your attitude and how you approach it, Subban said on Tuesday. I always approach everything with a positive attitude. I seem to get more success doing that than anything else.Picked by many before the season as serious Stanley Cup challengers, the Predators are showing signs of becoming that team. And Ekholm said the early-season losses, while frustrating, might have been a blessing in disguise because they forced everyone in the room to understand what it was going to take.I think we can be a contender, but not unless everyone works hard and understands their roles and what have you, said Ekholm. We have strong leaders in this room still with a lot of the older guys. We got a lesson in the beginning and now were finding our stride. We just have to keep at it. http://www.dolphinsrookiestore.com/Dolphins-Mark-Clayton-Jersey/ . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast. http://www.dolphinsrookiestore.com/Dolphins-Matt-Haack-Jersey/ . 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JOLIET, Ill. -- Erik Jones won the Truck Series title last year and is headed to Sprint Cup next year.He put himself in position Saturday to also capture the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and solidify his status as a rising star.Jones passed Elliott Sadler with nine laps to go and held off Kyle Larson to win the NASCAR Xfinity race at Chicagoland Speedway, allowing Ryan Sieg and Blake Koch to claim the final two spots in the Chase for the championship.I just had to go chase Elliott down. It was just a matter of time before we got around him, Jones said. What an awesome day.The 20-year-old Jones series-high fourth win of the season and his second straight at Chicagoland left him as the top seed for the seven-race Chase.This is great momentum for us, Jones said. Im just really excited.Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch dominated most of the race on the 1.5-mile oval, leading 154 of the first 181 laps until he cut a tire and spun out. Clint Bowyer had the lead on the re-start with 14 laps left before Sadler passed him.But a charging Jones surged by Sadler and withstood a late challenge before Larson scraped the wall on the 200th and final lap.On the last lap I tried to get to the throttle early and try to get a run on him on exit, Larson said. I knew I would be flirting with the edge there, and I just got over it and got into the wall and ended our shot.Sadler was third, followed by Daniel Suarez and Illinois native Justin Allgaier. Busch finished 13th.ddddddddddddones, No. 2 seed Sadler and third-seed Suarez are the only full-time drivers to win an Xfinity race this season. Sadler had a substantial points lead thats wiped out under the new Chase format.Sieg finished 12th and Koch 15th to earn the final spots in the 12-driver Chase. Seven other drivers in contention were eliminated.The rest of the Chase field includes Allgaier, Ty Dillon, Brennan Poole, Brandan Gaughn, Ryan Reed, Brandon Jones and Darrell Wallace Jr.The Chase begins next week at Kentucky and will have two elimination rounds before a champion is determined Nov. 19 at Homestead.Busch, the top-seed in the Sprint Cup Chase this year, won the Truck Series race Friday night before failing a post-race inspection. He beat Jones off pit road during a green-flag stop with just over 40 laps remaining and seemed poised for his ninth series win and maintaining the lead after another restart.Bowyer, a former series champion, finished sixth in his first Xfinity race since 2012.Jones, who will drive for Furniture Row Racing in the Sprint Cup next season, enters the Xfinity Chase with 28 bonus points. Thats double Sadlers total.It was only three years ago I made my first NASCAR start in a truck at Martinsville and got our first win that year, Jones said. 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