Tonight the Nashville Predators (23-23-6) visit the Florida Panthers (19-20-2) with a 6:30PM Central Time puck drop in South Florida. Why "Somewhere In Florida" you ask? The title could read... Predators Visit Panthers In Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach Metropolitan Area, AKA Sunrise. Where is Sunrise? Well we don't know. Even Google has lost Sunrise, Fl not once, but twice. The Predators are 7-2-4 against the Eastern Conference this season, and they won the December 11 match up by a score of 3-0.
My predictions are what they are, but here we go. I expect to see a low scoring game, and predict that there will be a total of four goals scored between the two teams. Average goals scored for the Predators per game is 2.55, and for the Panthers per game is 2.71. This does not scream for an exciting game as far as goal scoring goes, but time will tell. Also, I predict that the power play unit, for both teams, will be an epic fail. The Panthers have gone 2 for 22, and the Predators boast a 14.8% success rate. On the other hand, I foresee that this will be a very exciting game for the defensive players. The penalty killing unit for both teams is top notch, with the Predators at 85.7%, and the Panthers at 84.6%. The success rate for the kill is among the top on the league for both teams. I believe that the defensive strategies and players will be a treat tonight.
Tomas Vokoun is a familiar name to Nashville fans, and he will be the one to watch tonight for the Panthers. Acquired from Nashville in the Summer of 2007, this is his fourth season with the Panthers. Vokoun still holds several goal tending records for Nashville, and gets special treatment when he makes a visit. He is one of the only players in the league that does not get the "SUCKS" treatment when his name is announced as starting goaltender. The fans still remember and appreciate his great service to this team, and to hear them cheer when his name is called is always heart warming. Tonight he plays against Nashville, and is almost sure to be dangerous.
Since I believe that this game will be a defensive match up, Pekka Rinne has to be the one to watch for the Predators. Goal tending is going to be key tonight. Rinne's goals-against average is 2.11 for the season with a .928 save percentage. Those numbers end up being among the best in the NHL, and Pekka has allowed just five goals in his last five games. While listening to him speak by telephone on NHL Live yesterday, I found that Rinne is very team oriented, and that he is always eager to learn.
The Predators look for their seventh straight win tonight, and hope to get two points and move to 54 total. The Panthers are looking to make it to 42 points and .500 for the season. They are looking for their second win in a row, and are hoping for their first playoff appearance since the 1999-2000 season. Tonight's game can be found on FS-TN, FS-F, RDS, and on the Predators Radio Network. If you happen to be tired of Dancing With Convicts, catch some Predators hockey tonight!
No comments:
Post a Comment