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TORONTO -- Seven years and US$36.75 million set the price of expectations for David Clarkson. When Clarkson signed with the Maple Leafs on the first day of free agency, he accepted the scrutiny that comes with that term and substantial price tag in arguably the NHLs toughest market. The high standard of success hell be held to this season and in the coming years doesnt bother him. "I really dont think about it, to be honest with you," Clarkson said. "Ive played the same way my whole life. Ive played that style of hockey and its gotten me to where I am. All Im going to do is go out every night, give everything I can. And am I going to be perfect? No, Im going to make mistakes. But Im going to play that same style of hockey that got me here." Thats the right mind-set for Clarkson, a one-time 30-goal scorer for the New Jersey Devils who will be counted on to score close to that in Toronto. But Philadelphia Flyers left-winger Scott Hartnell has been there, done that with a similar salary bump after a trade from the Nashville Predators and figures it will be an adjustment for Clarkson. "It definitely is a little added pressure, I think," Hartnell said Monday. "And going to Philadelphia, for myself, was obviously a way bigger market than Nashville was. You can say the same for Clarkson, going from the Devils where theres not much media that Ive noticed, and coming to Toronto where you take a sip of a beer and (its reported like) youre drunk the night before the game." Clarkson maintained that he doesnt read or watch anything about him that riles up the hype. But the local boy wasnt blind to the difference between playing in New Jersey and Toronto. "When he made the decision to come back to Toronto here, I think obviously the first thing he took into consideration was all the expectations here and media how it could be like to be a Leaf," said younger brother Doug Clarkson, whos in training camp with the Flyers. "I just said to him, they love that style that he plays and I know (coach Randy) Carlyle likes that style. Hes been the same since junior; I dont really think hes changed that much since he came into the league his first year." Listen to Carlyle and general manager Dave Nonis, and thats what the Leafs want. Hartnell called Clarkson "basically the epitome of a power forward," and his game is as much about crashing the net as it is putting the puck into it. Counting $5.25 million against the salary cap this season certainly makes Clarkson a target if he doesnt score 20-plus goals, and Carlyle knows its the job of the coaching staff to keep the 29-year-old winger from putting too much onus on himself. "I think that theres a trap at times when players do change teams and contracts become something notable, the first thing they try to do is change the way they play," Carlyle said. "Thats one thing that we want to guard against that we want David Clarkson to play the way hes capable of playing and (do) the things he normally does, not try to be anything more than what hes been before." Clarkson has 97 goals and 73 assists in 426 NHL games and is hardly an offensive superstar. Carlyle pointed to some "intangibles" Clarkson brings beyond scoring. "Hes a big body in front of the net," Hartnell said. "He scored lots of goals against us, just being there causing havoc in front. Hes got a quick release, a guy that can hit and fight." On a team with Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren, Clarkson wont be leaned on to fight too often. But hell be expected to produce like he did in New Jersey. Clarkson credited teammates for helping him to 30 goals and brushed off the weight of the pressure to perform. "The pressure of everything, you put pressure on yourself as a player every day to do well," he said. "You realize were lucky to be athletes, but at the end of the day you want to do well. I think if you put in the work in the summer and you play hard every night, the success comes." That kind of attitude is why Doug Clarkson isnt worried about his brother trying to live up to expectations. "Hes always been good with people and good around people," Doug Clarkson said. "People have a lot of respect for him just because thats the way he is. It doesnt matter what the score is, if youre losing a ton or what, he goes out there and plays hard." As long as the effort is there, David Clarkson isnt worried about media members -- "You guys dont bug me, not at all," he said. Clarkson is confident hell be able to deflect the attention. "Im just looking forward to whats ahead, and pressure from media and fans I dont feel at all because when I leave here I go home to my family and thats all I do and thats all that matters," he said. "But I will go out there and play hard every night. Thats it." NASHVILLE -- Barry Trotz hopes his Predators can learn from an ugly win. Patric Hornqvist scored the winner on a power play 5:13 into the third period to lift Nashville to a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. Mike Fisher, Shea Weber, and Craig Smith each had a goal and an assist for Nashville, which has won three of four. "It was a frustrating game," Trotz said. "I would probably say that game we were probably the most sloppy weve been in all the games this year; not real detailed, making poor judgment errors all over the ice, just not real sharp tonight. But we found a way to win and thats part of learning to win." Jonathan Juberdeau, Marcel Goc, and Matt Gilroy scored for Florida. The Panthers have lost five of their last six. With the game tied 2-2 after two periods, Smith and Hornqvist scored early in the third period for the Predators. Florida goaltender Jacob Markstrom stopped a shot by Gabriel Bourque, but Smith went to the net and was able to fight through traffic and poke the rebound in for his first goal of the season at 1:22. "I just crashed the net," Smith said. "I just went to the net. Weve been harping all camp and through the beginning of the season here, going to the net hard. I did that and I was rewarded." Less than four minutes later, Hornqvist struck on the power play with a nice individual move from the right side. "Thats the difference in a hockey game," Florida coach Kevin Dineen said. "It is something that were trying to take out, those mistakes, and we had a tough backcheck and a goal that shouldnt get scored. I dont fault the compete effort; I think thats something that weve talked too much about, but that ceertainly is part of our game and has to be part of our identity every night to give ourselves a chance.dddddddddddd" Weber scored the games first goal at 9:23 of the opening period. Fisher had the puck on the right side and slid a pass to Weber at the centre of the blue line. The Nashville captain one-timed the puck by Markstrom for his first goal of the season. "We made it hard on ourselves tonight," Weber said. "We didnt play very well, we just found a way to win though. Thats what you need to do sometimes." Florida tied the game at 1 early in the second period when Huberdeau stickhandled through the Nashville defence before beating Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne with a wrist shot. The 2013 Calder Trophy winner has three goals in his last four games. Fisher gave Nashville the lead again at 12:48 of the second, but former Predator Marcel Goc tied it less than a minute later, beating Rinne from the right side in close. "It wasnt the start to the third that we wanted to have; they scored two in the first five minutes," Goc said. "Overall, I think it was a tight game; it was pretty even." Fisher and Hornqvist are the only Predators with more than one goal on the season. Gilroy drew the Panthers within one at 11:37 of the third, but they could not forge their third tie of the game. NOTES: After allowing the first goal in their first four games, Nashville has scored first in consecutive games. ... Nashville C David Legwand played his 900th career NHL game, all with the Predators. ... Florida C Nick Bjugstad appeared in his first game of the season since sustaining a concussion in early September. ... Goc played 124 games for Nashville in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. 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