Tonight the long road series ends for Nashville as they visit Vancouver with a 9:00PM Central Time puck drop. This game will be the first between the two teams this season, and they have split their last four meetings. The Canucks come into this game with the number one spot in the Western Conference with 69 points. The Predators have the fourth spot in the West with 60 points and hope for two points tonight; Anaheim also has 60 points with fifth place.
The Canucks have only won one game in their last five, and that was against Dallas when their offence exploded. The 7-1 win is a solemn reminder that Vancouver is not going to lay down, and they will be a dangerous opponent tonight. For who to watch, Dan Hamhuis was one of the goal scorers against Dallas giving him his fourth of the season. Dan started with Nashville in 2003 and is strong on the defense.
Nashville's Pekka Rinne will start in goal tonight, and is sure to give Vancouver fits. Vancouver works well together while on the power play, so staying out of the box will be key tonight. Many of the other numbers seem so close that they are uninteresting, but the Canucks have a strong offensive and are simply good at what they do. The Predators will have to click tonight to get a positive outcome, and I believe that they are up to it. With a day off yesterday after Monday's loss against Calgary, Nashville should be rested up and ready to go.
The All-Star break begins for Nashville after the game tonight, along with the end of their longest road swing of the season. The Predators return to Bridgestone Arena on February 1st, and if you are planning on attending the February 5th game against Detroit, tickets are going fast so grab some while you can.
People are out for Hamhuis blood tonight. I always liked Dan. Looking forward to the game. I'm hoping for a fats game with lots of scoring opportunities.
ReplyDeleteI always liked Dan as well. There must have been a lot said yesterday, but I was most impressed with the Hamhuis radio interview by Tom Callihan before the game yesterday. He spoke well and gave credit where it was due. It was his time to leave Nashville when he did, and I wish him the best.
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