On Tuesday night, the Nashville Predators will take on the Minnesota Wild at Bridgestone arena. The teams have split two games in St Paul, with Minnesota winning 5-2 on November 26, and Nashville winning 4-1 on December 31. While streaks seem to be the name of the game for both teams as of late, I believe Nashville will come in with a "one game at a time" mentality. The race is on, and we need a win.
Nashville has swept California, and has done many other great things this season, but the name of the game is going to be what the team is going to do, and what they are going to continue to do. Inconsistency will send the mediocre fans streaming out the door, so staying hot is going to be what it takes to compete. The penalty killing team for Nashville has done well lately, but being on the kill is dangerous against Minnesota. With a power play percentage of 21.2, the Wild score, on average, just over one out of every five chances. Even with a good kill, Nashville needs to stay out of the box.
For Minnesota, I'm going to be keeping an eye on Cal Clutterbuck. Cal has three goals and four points in his last five games, and has 19 points for the season thus far. The 23 year old winger has drastically higher numbers than last season, and with a little help, could be on pace to double last year's points.
Nashville's Sergi Kostitsyn is hot, and ready to continue his goal streak. Sergi has five goals and eight points in his last five games, and has five more points than he did last season, with ten less games played. The Kostitsyn line really seems to click, as I have said time and time again. This group in particular knows the meaning of the word "team" and the numbers prove it.
The puck drops at 7:00PM Central Time in Nashville. The game will be televised on KSTC Minnesota, which means the Nashville area can only see it on the NHL Network. Since this is what most of us call a radio only game, grab a ticket, pack a milk sandwich, and treat yourself to a night of Predators hockey.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Sharks Bitten Despite 43 Shot Attempt
On Saturday the Nashville Predators simply refused to lose against the San Jose Sharks, and Pekka Rinne made 42 blistering saves to give the Predators a 2-1 advantage. In front of a sold out house, the Sharks came to play a lot of hockey. Although the Sharks made 43 total shots, only one slipped past Rinne, and that one was scored in the second period to tie the game at 1-1 by Logan Couture who had the most shots on goal of any Shark, at 8. For the Predators, David Legwand scored in the first period unassisted, and Sergei Kostitsyn scored in the third period for the game winner. Kostitsyn has scored goals in five straight games.
Saturday was a great day for the Preds for one reason: this is only the second time in franchise history that Nashville has swept the California road trip. The Preds pick up six of six possible points on the trip, and jump all three California teams in the standings. With 50 points, the Predators now have 4th place in the Western Conference and will be looking for win number six on Tuesday night vs Minnesota in Nashville.
Saturday was a great day for me because it reminded me how much Nashville fans love their team. The support that I have seen the fans give this team over the course of this road trip has been something else. On the Internet, on the phones and TV, Twitter, Facebook, and everything else - it seems to be non stop. I can't wait till Tuesday night to experience the crowd; we might have a hard time controlling ourselves.
On another note, a moment of silence was held at the game for a former San Jose Shark. Tom Cavanagh died on Friday in Providence, Rhode Island. A Rhode Island native, Tom played four seasons at Harvard University and was drafted by the Sharks in 2001. His death has been ruled a suicide, and he was 28 years old. “Our son, Tom, was a young man who bravely fought the demons of mental illness for many years. This private struggle far surpassed his public athletic accomplishments.” -Joseph Cavanagh1.
1 Jason Remillard of The Republican
Saturday was a great day for the Preds for one reason: this is only the second time in franchise history that Nashville has swept the California road trip. The Preds pick up six of six possible points on the trip, and jump all three California teams in the standings. With 50 points, the Predators now have 4th place in the Western Conference and will be looking for win number six on Tuesday night vs Minnesota in Nashville.
Saturday was a great day for me because it reminded me how much Nashville fans love their team. The support that I have seen the fans give this team over the course of this road trip has been something else. On the Internet, on the phones and TV, Twitter, Facebook, and everything else - it seems to be non stop. I can't wait till Tuesday night to experience the crowd; we might have a hard time controlling ourselves.
On another note, a moment of silence was held at the game for a former San Jose Shark. Tom Cavanagh died on Friday in Providence, Rhode Island. A Rhode Island native, Tom played four seasons at Harvard University and was drafted by the Sharks in 2001. His death has been ruled a suicide, and he was 28 years old. “Our son, Tom, was a young man who bravely fought the demons of mental illness for many years. This private struggle far surpassed his public athletic accomplishments.” -Joseph Cavanagh1.
1 Jason Remillard of The Republican
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Nashville Visits San Jose To Wrap Up California Road Trip
The Nashville Predators will take on the San Jose Sharks tonight at 7:00PM Central Time to wrap up its three game California road trip. Nashville has beaten both the Kings and the Ducks on this trip, and hope to sweep the series to come away with a fifth straight win. Nashville comes in at 21-13-6, and San Jose at 21-15-5.
San Jose will be coming into this game having lost two straight and this season happens to be their 20th year of existence. The Sharks have had the upper hand on the Predators in recent years, but this year is a little different. Both teams seem to be very evenly matched, and Nashville won the only other meeting between the two teams this season 3-2 in Nashville on December 15. San Jose plays their games at the HP Pavilion (aka The Shark Tank) with a capacity of 17,562, and it is my opinion that they have the most annoying goal horn in the NHL.
Who to watch for San Jose:
Dan Boyle loves to play defense, and boy do they let him play. For his last five games Dan has four points, hasn't played less than 25 minutes, and for his last contest he spent 29:18 on the ice. Boyle will be hard to score on, but he is also a danger on offense. From the blue, Dan has 5 goals and 24 assists, making him a danger on both ends.
Dany Heatley can be dangerous on the right wing. He has two 100+ point seasons under his belt, and has 15 goals and 22 assists so far in this one. The Canadian Olympian is always fun to watch, and is 8th in the league in power play goals at 7.
Who to watch for Nashville:
I believe that goaltender Pekka Rinne will have his work cut out for him. Peks is well rested however, with Anders "The Giant" Lindback getting the start against LA on Thursday. Rinne has the ability to make an offense work so hard that it draws the life right out of them, and with the help of the defense there will not be many opportunities for the Sharks.
Marek Svatos scored his first goal with the Predators against LA, and I look for him to open up to become the beast that he is. I was unfamiliar with Marek before he started with Nashville, but I have found that his enthusiasm drives his line, and the entire team.
What Nashville needs for a win:
Strike hard and early. On a road game, nothing draws the life out of the fans, and the home team like an early goal. Like Terry said...score, score again, score some more. The Predators hope to make it a six point trip, and return home on January 11 to take on Minnesota.
San Jose will be coming into this game having lost two straight and this season happens to be their 20th year of existence. The Sharks have had the upper hand on the Predators in recent years, but this year is a little different. Both teams seem to be very evenly matched, and Nashville won the only other meeting between the two teams this season 3-2 in Nashville on December 15. San Jose plays their games at the HP Pavilion (aka The Shark Tank) with a capacity of 17,562, and it is my opinion that they have the most annoying goal horn in the NHL.
Who to watch for San Jose:
Dan Boyle loves to play defense, and boy do they let him play. For his last five games Dan has four points, hasn't played less than 25 minutes, and for his last contest he spent 29:18 on the ice. Boyle will be hard to score on, but he is also a danger on offense. From the blue, Dan has 5 goals and 24 assists, making him a danger on both ends.
Dany Heatley can be dangerous on the right wing. He has two 100+ point seasons under his belt, and has 15 goals and 22 assists so far in this one. The Canadian Olympian is always fun to watch, and is 8th in the league in power play goals at 7.
Who to watch for Nashville:
I believe that goaltender Pekka Rinne will have his work cut out for him. Peks is well rested however, with Anders "The Giant" Lindback getting the start against LA on Thursday. Rinne has the ability to make an offense work so hard that it draws the life right out of them, and with the help of the defense there will not be many opportunities for the Sharks.
Marek Svatos scored his first goal with the Predators against LA, and I look for him to open up to become the beast that he is. I was unfamiliar with Marek before he started with Nashville, but I have found that his enthusiasm drives his line, and the entire team.
What Nashville needs for a win:
Strike hard and early. On a road game, nothing draws the life out of the fans, and the home team like an early goal. Like Terry said...score, score again, score some more. The Predators hope to make it a six point trip, and return home on January 11 to take on Minnesota.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
The Power Play Is Good To Nashville In 5-2 Win Over Kings
Patric Hornqvist, Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, Colin Wilson, and Sergei Kostitsyn all have multiple points in Nashville's 5-2 win over the LA Kings, and there wasn't a single empty net goal to be found. Anders Lindback stopped 24 of 26 for .923, and Merek Svatos scored his first goal as a Nashville Predator. It was a GREAT night to be in LA.
The Predators knew that the first ten minutes was going to be key, and the first shift proved that they were ready. Getting physical early is exactly what the Preds wanted to do, and that they did. When looking at the boxscore, one would might assume that the first period was boring and event less. I promise it was not. With several hard working shifts, the final seconds ran out in the first period with David Legwand ringing one off the iron, and then a jam in front of the Nashville net. Remembering what happened in December when these teams met in Nashville, I knew that the Predators had the willpower to win.
The second period gave Nashville fans a sick feeling in their stomach, as Anze Kopitar's line opened up. Kyle Clifford (from Marco Strum and Anze Kopitar) started a crazy second period at 02:16 to put the Kings up 1-0. I sank in my seat a bit, but didn't panic. Francis Bouillon was called for an interference penalty at 06:13, and Jarrett Stoll (from Ryan Smyth and Anze Kopitar) made it 2-0 after he slapped one past Anders Lindback on the power play at 07:57. I hurt at that point, assuming that what little momentum the Predators had, had now been totally absorbed by the Kings. Little did I know that the Predators would score five straight, starting with Colin Wilson (from Suter and Kostitsyn) on the power play just one minute after the last Kings goal at 08:57. Just over a minute later, Marek Svatos would score his first goal as a Predator (from Wilson and Weber) at 10:19 to tie the game. Not only was I excited that the game was tied, honestly I was even more excited that Svatos had found a way to get one past Jonathan Beriner, who started in goal for the Kings due to his previous success against the Predators. Matt Greene's interference penalty put the Predators on the power play, and Patric Hornqvist (from Wilson and Suter) scored at 14:28 to make it a 3-2 game. I was very impressed with Colin Wilson in this period due to his shots. He was able to force rebounds that lead to two goals, and was able to score one himself. I tip my hat to you sir.
Third period motivation put the Predators up 5-2, starting with Sergei Kostitsyn (from Klein and O'Brien) at 09:10, and ending with Patric Hornqvist (from Weber and Kostitsyn) at 15:33. When the fifth straight goal was scored, the Kings fans lost hope.
In front of 17, 823 at the Staples Center, the Nashville Predators finally showed the Kings that they weren't going to take being pushed around. Nashville received a much needed two points with the regulation win, which gives us 4th place in the west with a total of 48. The Kings will stay at 45 points and they will have 11th place. Notice the log jam with only a three point difference (this has been going on for weeks, but I still like to point it out). The three stars for tonight's game are Colin Wilson, Shea Weber, And Anze Kopitar. In my opinion, all three are very well deserved. Nashville will take on San Jose on Saturday, with a 7:00PM Central Time puck drop.
Since we have a new year, it is time for me to start watching what the other teams are doing around the league. Sometimes the Predators can get some help in the standings from the others, and I'll pass along a few games to keep up with. On Friday, the NHL will have 7 games going, and most of them will affect Nashville in some way. First of all, the New York Rangers will take on the Dallas Stars. Since these two are from different conferences, Nashville fans will be rooting for NY to keep points out of the West. Chicago will take on Ottawa with the same East/West issue. Root for Ottawa. Calgary takes on Detroit tomorrow as well. Detroit (55) has more points than Nashville; Calgary (39) has less. Root for Calgary. Vancouver (57) takes on Edmonton (33). An Edmonton win may give the Preds some help down the road. Last but not least, Anaheim takes on Columbus. The points spread in this game is so close that I really don't think that it will matter. For the Western Conference games, we always pray that they do not go into overtime. No matter who wins and loses, three points are now issued out to the conference instead of two. And of course Eastern vs Eastern games are not listed because they have no affect on the Predators.
I am very pleased with tonight's performance, and I truly hope that the Predators play a full 60 minutes against San Jose on Saturday to pick up another two. A road sweep would be pretty darn cool.
The Predators knew that the first ten minutes was going to be key, and the first shift proved that they were ready. Getting physical early is exactly what the Preds wanted to do, and that they did. When looking at the boxscore, one would might assume that the first period was boring and event less. I promise it was not. With several hard working shifts, the final seconds ran out in the first period with David Legwand ringing one off the iron, and then a jam in front of the Nashville net. Remembering what happened in December when these teams met in Nashville, I knew that the Predators had the willpower to win.
The second period gave Nashville fans a sick feeling in their stomach, as Anze Kopitar's line opened up. Kyle Clifford (from Marco Strum and Anze Kopitar) started a crazy second period at 02:16 to put the Kings up 1-0. I sank in my seat a bit, but didn't panic. Francis Bouillon was called for an interference penalty at 06:13, and Jarrett Stoll (from Ryan Smyth and Anze Kopitar) made it 2-0 after he slapped one past Anders Lindback on the power play at 07:57. I hurt at that point, assuming that what little momentum the Predators had, had now been totally absorbed by the Kings. Little did I know that the Predators would score five straight, starting with Colin Wilson (from Suter and Kostitsyn) on the power play just one minute after the last Kings goal at 08:57. Just over a minute later, Marek Svatos would score his first goal as a Predator (from Wilson and Weber) at 10:19 to tie the game. Not only was I excited that the game was tied, honestly I was even more excited that Svatos had found a way to get one past Jonathan Beriner, who started in goal for the Kings due to his previous success against the Predators. Matt Greene's interference penalty put the Predators on the power play, and Patric Hornqvist (from Wilson and Suter) scored at 14:28 to make it a 3-2 game. I was very impressed with Colin Wilson in this period due to his shots. He was able to force rebounds that lead to two goals, and was able to score one himself. I tip my hat to you sir.
Third period motivation put the Predators up 5-2, starting with Sergei Kostitsyn (from Klein and O'Brien) at 09:10, and ending with Patric Hornqvist (from Weber and Kostitsyn) at 15:33. When the fifth straight goal was scored, the Kings fans lost hope.
In front of 17, 823 at the Staples Center, the Nashville Predators finally showed the Kings that they weren't going to take being pushed around. Nashville received a much needed two points with the regulation win, which gives us 4th place in the west with a total of 48. The Kings will stay at 45 points and they will have 11th place. Notice the log jam with only a three point difference (this has been going on for weeks, but I still like to point it out). The three stars for tonight's game are Colin Wilson, Shea Weber, And Anze Kopitar. In my opinion, all three are very well deserved. Nashville will take on San Jose on Saturday, with a 7:00PM Central Time puck drop.
Since we have a new year, it is time for me to start watching what the other teams are doing around the league. Sometimes the Predators can get some help in the standings from the others, and I'll pass along a few games to keep up with. On Friday, the NHL will have 7 games going, and most of them will affect Nashville in some way. First of all, the New York Rangers will take on the Dallas Stars. Since these two are from different conferences, Nashville fans will be rooting for NY to keep points out of the West. Chicago will take on Ottawa with the same East/West issue. Root for Ottawa. Calgary takes on Detroit tomorrow as well. Detroit (55) has more points than Nashville; Calgary (39) has less. Root for Calgary. Vancouver (57) takes on Edmonton (33). An Edmonton win may give the Preds some help down the road. Last but not least, Anaheim takes on Columbus. The points spread in this game is so close that I really don't think that it will matter. For the Western Conference games, we always pray that they do not go into overtime. No matter who wins and loses, three points are now issued out to the conference instead of two. And of course Eastern vs Eastern games are not listed because they have no affect on the Predators.
I am very pleased with tonight's performance, and I truly hope that the Predators play a full 60 minutes against San Jose on Saturday to pick up another two. A road sweep would be pretty darn cool.
Hold on! Preds Win in Anaheim and Take On Kings Tonight
On Wednesday night, the Nashville Predators beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-1, but don't let the score fool you. With two empty net goals, the Predators had to hold on for dear life. Jared Smithson opened up the scoring at 05:10 of the first period on a very odd goal. It was odd, because the only person that saw it was him. After he pleaded with the officials for a review, they finally consented. Sure enough, Jared Smithson never lies, and the Predators went up 1-0. Patric Hornqvist made it 2-0 at 03:56 of the second, and the score stayed that way even though we were out shot 16-28 for the first two periods. At 11:46 of the third, Saku Koivu pulled the Ducks within 1 with a slap shot, and I for one became a bit worried. The Ducks out shot the Predators 13-8 in the third period, and the rush was on after Nashville Goaltender Pekka Rinne was called for a tripping penalty at 16:13. That penalty was served by Colin Wilson. Jonas Hiller left the Ducks net with well over a minute to play, and Sergi Kostitsyn found the empty net at 19:08. After Chris Mueller was called for a holding penalty with only 20 seconds remaining, Shea Weber accidentally found the empty net again with a banked slap shot. The time of the goal was 19:59, and there were 0.2 seconds remaining.
The Predators are once again playing a back to back set, but this one happens to be a bit different because the team does not have to travel. A short bus ride from Anaheim to Los Angeles doesn't begin to compare with a two or three hour flight, and I believe that the team will be well rested. The Predators have won three straight, and the Kings have lost four.
Who do I watch for Los Angeles? Number 11 Anze Kopitar, and not just because his name sounds like Klingon Delicacy. Kopitar is a very dangerous left handed shooter at almost 230lbs, and he has seven points in his last five games. He gets lots of shifts, and his line seems to click. I hate to say that if we can shut down Kopitar's line we have it made, but at the same time, it wouldn't hurt.
For Nashville? First of all, it is rumored that Steve Sullivan may be back tonight. I'm not buying in. Patrick Hornqvist scored his tenth goal against the Ducks last night, and I believe that he will be interesting to watch tonight. He has three goals in his last five, with a five point total. Also last night he had more shifts than usual, and I'm ready to see him get to work.
There are people writing blogs out there who are "in the know" and I am not one of them. Some may already be able to tell me that I am wrong, but I'm going to go for it anyway. Against the Kings, I'm going to give Anders Lindback the start. Pekka Rinne did a wonderful job turning away 40 of 41 with .976, and I believe that he has earned the night off. I also believe that Lindback is ready to show the Kings what he is made of after the December 18 incident in Nashville.
I'm ready! We have a 9:30 Central Time puck drop in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. We do have TV coverage tonight on FSTN, so catch a nap and get ready to stay up late for this exciting match up.
The Predators are once again playing a back to back set, but this one happens to be a bit different because the team does not have to travel. A short bus ride from Anaheim to Los Angeles doesn't begin to compare with a two or three hour flight, and I believe that the team will be well rested. The Predators have won three straight, and the Kings have lost four.
Who do I watch for Los Angeles? Number 11 Anze Kopitar, and not just because his name sounds like Klingon Delicacy. Kopitar is a very dangerous left handed shooter at almost 230lbs, and he has seven points in his last five games. He gets lots of shifts, and his line seems to click. I hate to say that if we can shut down Kopitar's line we have it made, but at the same time, it wouldn't hurt.
For Nashville? First of all, it is rumored that Steve Sullivan may be back tonight. I'm not buying in. Patrick Hornqvist scored his tenth goal against the Ducks last night, and I believe that he will be interesting to watch tonight. He has three goals in his last five, with a five point total. Also last night he had more shifts than usual, and I'm ready to see him get to work.
There are people writing blogs out there who are "in the know" and I am not one of them. Some may already be able to tell me that I am wrong, but I'm going to go for it anyway. Against the Kings, I'm going to give Anders Lindback the start. Pekka Rinne did a wonderful job turning away 40 of 41 with .976, and I believe that he has earned the night off. I also believe that Lindback is ready to show the Kings what he is made of after the December 18 incident in Nashville.
I'm ready! We have a 9:30 Central Time puck drop in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. We do have TV coverage tonight on FSTN, so catch a nap and get ready to stay up late for this exciting match up.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
The Predators Visit The Land of John Wayne
With a 9:00PM Central Time start on FSTN, the Nashville Predators will take on the Anaheim Ducks in the first game of three in sunny California. The Predators will also take on Los Angeles and San Jose before returning home on January 11.
Anaheim seems to be a place that Tennessean's just can't seem to locate. I personally am still confused on the issue of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and often wonder if even the fine citizens of California can locate the stadium. The Ducks however belong solely to Anaheim and actually aren't much older than the Predators. In 1993 The Walt Disney Company founded The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim who play their home games in the Honda Center. Their capacity for ice hockey is very similar to the Bridgestone Arena at 17,174, and it has held a variety of tenants, including the Los Angeles Clippers from 1994 to 1999. The team changed its name to the Anaheim Ducks for the 2006-2007 season, and won the Stanley Cup in 2007.
I believe that Toni Lydman (D) is going to be the player to watch tonight for the Ducks. The 6'1" 33 year old Fin is playing his first season with the Ducks, has 4 points in 5 games, and is getting lots of ice time. For the Predators, Shea Weber is on top. On Sunday, Shea had a 3 point 2nd period against Columbus, and seems to be leading the team well in the Captain position. Speaking of Captains, Ryan Getzlaf is out for the Ducks.
The stretch moving toward the All Star break is going to be a tough one. The team is going to be on the road for 10 games, and will have to work very hard for a possible 24 points before the break. I'm going to take the keys to the game straight from Terry Crisp. Score, Score again, Score some more. Sometimes a simple strategy makes all the difference.
Anaheim seems to be a place that Tennessean's just can't seem to locate. I personally am still confused on the issue of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and often wonder if even the fine citizens of California can locate the stadium. The Ducks however belong solely to Anaheim and actually aren't much older than the Predators. In 1993 The Walt Disney Company founded The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim who play their home games in the Honda Center. Their capacity for ice hockey is very similar to the Bridgestone Arena at 17,174, and it has held a variety of tenants, including the Los Angeles Clippers from 1994 to 1999. The team changed its name to the Anaheim Ducks for the 2006-2007 season, and won the Stanley Cup in 2007.
I believe that Toni Lydman (D) is going to be the player to watch tonight for the Ducks. The 6'1" 33 year old Fin is playing his first season with the Ducks, has 4 points in 5 games, and is getting lots of ice time. For the Predators, Shea Weber is on top. On Sunday, Shea had a 3 point 2nd period against Columbus, and seems to be leading the team well in the Captain position. Speaking of Captains, Ryan Getzlaf is out for the Ducks.
The stretch moving toward the All Star break is going to be a tough one. The team is going to be on the road for 10 games, and will have to work very hard for a possible 24 points before the break. I'm going to take the keys to the game straight from Terry Crisp. Score, Score again, Score some more. Sometimes a simple strategy makes all the difference.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Post Game for 01/02/2010 Columbus at Nashville
The Nashville Predators outplayed the Columbus Blue Jackets for two out of the three periods on Sunday for a 4-1 win and two points against a central division rival in front of 14,593. With the two points, the Predators move to 44 points and 9th in the Western Conference while the Blue Jackets stay at 43 points and 10th. You may ask why I bother to mention our position in the standings this early in the season, and the answer is simply that I like it.
Tonight I brought five friends to the game with me, and three of those had never been to a hockey game of any type before. RJ Umberger put the Blue Jackets on the board, and before I ever noted the time, Jimmy (my first timer friend and boss), quickly informed me that the goal had come at 37 seconds in. My first thought was that I had totally failed, and I was sure that my first timers would never come back. My second thought was that we had the entire game ahead of us, and that we would be fine. The first sign, to me anyway, that there was going to be life was when I noticed that Wade Belak (Fireman Wade) was getting quite a bit of ice time in the 1st period. While there is a very large group that could not care less about Fireman Wade, I happen to like him. The 1st period ended with four penalty minutes split between the two teams, and Columbus up 1-0.
During the intermission while I was getting a Pepsi, the locker room erupted. I would have paid many dollars to have been a fly on the wall. The second period began with Shea Weber leading the team. At 02:59 he put the Predators on the board and my friend Jimmy excitedly put his hands straight up in the air, signaling a touchdown. I knew at that moment that he would be back, and win or lose, I had succeeded in my mission. Shea Weber would end up having a 3 point period, with 1 goal and 2 assists. Nick Spaling and Patric Hornqvist (PPG) would also score for Nashville in the 2nd.
Sergei Kostitsyn wrapped up the scoring in the 3rd period at at 05:53, and the coveted Frosty was mine. Time ran out, and the Predators were up 4-1.
My thoughts on:
Wade Belak: Fireman Wade had 08:44 of ice time tonight. I was impressed and excited to see him play.
Marek Svatos: Even though he ended up -1, this guy is going to be fun to watch, especially down the home stretch. When he learns his team mates, and his team mates learn him, he will be dangerous. Watching him skate is a pleasure.
Shea Weber: What a captain! This guy did so much more than have 3 points in the 2nd period. He moved and motivated this team.
The Predators have now won two in a row, after a five game skid. The Ducks host the Predators on Wednesday...catch it on FSTN with a 9:00PM (Central Time) West Coast puck drop.
Tonight I brought five friends to the game with me, and three of those had never been to a hockey game of any type before. RJ Umberger put the Blue Jackets on the board, and before I ever noted the time, Jimmy (my first timer friend and boss), quickly informed me that the goal had come at 37 seconds in. My first thought was that I had totally failed, and I was sure that my first timers would never come back. My second thought was that we had the entire game ahead of us, and that we would be fine. The first sign, to me anyway, that there was going to be life was when I noticed that Wade Belak (Fireman Wade) was getting quite a bit of ice time in the 1st period. While there is a very large group that could not care less about Fireman Wade, I happen to like him. The 1st period ended with four penalty minutes split between the two teams, and Columbus up 1-0.
During the intermission while I was getting a Pepsi, the locker room erupted. I would have paid many dollars to have been a fly on the wall. The second period began with Shea Weber leading the team. At 02:59 he put the Predators on the board and my friend Jimmy excitedly put his hands straight up in the air, signaling a touchdown. I knew at that moment that he would be back, and win or lose, I had succeeded in my mission. Shea Weber would end up having a 3 point period, with 1 goal and 2 assists. Nick Spaling and Patric Hornqvist (PPG) would also score for Nashville in the 2nd.
Sergei Kostitsyn wrapped up the scoring in the 3rd period at at 05:53, and the coveted Frosty was mine. Time ran out, and the Predators were up 4-1.
My thoughts on:
Wade Belak: Fireman Wade had 08:44 of ice time tonight. I was impressed and excited to see him play.
Marek Svatos: Even though he ended up -1, this guy is going to be fun to watch, especially down the home stretch. When he learns his team mates, and his team mates learn him, he will be dangerous. Watching him skate is a pleasure.
Shea Weber: What a captain! This guy did so much more than have 3 points in the 2nd period. He moved and motivated this team.
The Predators have now won two in a row, after a five game skid. The Ducks host the Predators on Wednesday...catch it on FSTN with a 9:00PM (Central Time) West Coast puck drop.
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