Tonight, the Calgary Flames visit the Bridgestone Arena to take on the Nashville Predators for the third time this season; this will be the second time the teams meet in Nashville. Just a short time ago, Calgary was sitting in the next to last place spot in the Western Conference. Now they are in 12th place, and are only three points away from the final playoff spot. For a week I have dreaded this game because the Flames simply refuse to give up.
The last time the Predators beat the Flames at home was on January 15, 2008, and Nashville has yet to win a contest between the two so far this season. Goaltender Pekka Rinne will be the savior for the Preds tonight, and his play this season has been a treat for the fans in Nashville to say the least. Pekka received third star honors from the NHL for the month of January, and his eight wins ties him for the most of the month. While I cover my eyes during the game, I know that Rinne will be ready.
Marek Svatos and Francis Bouillon have both been placed on injured reserve for Nashville. Matt Halischuk and Chris Mueller have both been recalled from Milwaukee as expected. Both Halischuk and Mueller are having a great run with the Predators, and will be interesting to watch tonight.
For the Predators, another key player tonight will be Jerred Smithson while on the penalty kill. He is very efficient on the face-off, and may be a momentum swinger tonight. I strongly believe that Nashville needs to stay out of the box tonight, but with penalty killers like Smithson, Nick Spaling, and JP Dumont, the Preds should be just fine.
Tonight's game has a 7:00PM Central Time puck drop, and can be found on FS-TN. "The stretch" is upon us, the All-Star Break is over, and as along as Nashville plays their game the Preds will add two points tonight.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
My Thoughts Down The Stretch
This weekend, lots of people are enjoying the All-Star Break; fans and players alike. I happen to enjoy it myself, catching the highlights on the skills competition and looking at pictures taken by fans. Most of all, I enjoy this time because it gives me time to catch up on some non hockey related issues. For the Predators, the break gives the team time to rest after a long Western road swing. "The stretch" is upon us. Many people, announcers, bloggers, and commentators refer to this time all season. What does it mean for Nashville? Let's look into it.
The Nashville Predators have 32 games left in the regular season, and only 11 of those will be on the road. Spring always seems to be good to Nashville, and the home crowd will be able to give the team a good boost. I believe that February will be key, and the Predators will play 10 games at home, and only 3 on the road. In February, Nashville will take on a very tough schedule against teams like Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, and Vancouver. The Preds will also visit Philadelphia this coming up Thursday night to take on one of the best teams in the league. If the Predators can get the momentum going in February, it should carry over and get us through the regular season.
In March, Nashville starts off with a Western Canada swing, adding San Jose at the end. Many great teams, including Boston, LA, Detroit, Dallas, and Colorado will make a stop in Nashville, which makes for another hard month.
In April, Nashville has three home games, and play their only road game in St Louis for the last game of the regular season.
*Predictions*
Some circles say that predicting the final outcome can do more damage than breaking a mirror. I, however, have not much of a believer in luck, and I'm going to give it a shot.
I believe that Dallas, Detroit, San Jose, and Minnesota will begin and/or continue a slump down the stretch. These four teams seem to be quirky this year, and all have special issues that will cause them problems. Detroit, for example, has goal tending problems that are not going to get better any time soon. I believe that when the problem is finally fixed, it will be too late. I do believe that Detroit will make the playoffs, but their run in second place will be short lived.
Surging teams will include Chicago, Calgary, Phoenix, and LA. Calgary refuses to be a bad team, and even though their run is a little late, I believe that they will get into a playoff spot this year. Chicago is very able to perform and will decide to get serious down the stretch, and Phoenix will have momentum from Keith Yandle in February.
*Back To Reality*
Where does all of this leave for Nashville? I honestly have no idea. Time will just have to tell because for me, it is easy to critique teams as an outsider, and it is very hard make predictions on the team that I follow every day. I do know that the Predators will play several teams over the next couple of months that are going to refuse to lay down and give up two points. Of those include Calgary (two games), Vancouver (three games), Anaheim (one), and LA (one). Nashville has had an injury plagued season and despite that, they have done very well. Nashville takes on Calgary Tuesday night at the Bridgestone Arena for their first game after the break. They will come into the game with 60 points and 4th place in the Western Conference, and will look for a little revenge to start what is sure to be a February to remember.
The Nashville Predators have 32 games left in the regular season, and only 11 of those will be on the road. Spring always seems to be good to Nashville, and the home crowd will be able to give the team a good boost. I believe that February will be key, and the Predators will play 10 games at home, and only 3 on the road. In February, Nashville will take on a very tough schedule against teams like Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, and Vancouver. The Preds will also visit Philadelphia this coming up Thursday night to take on one of the best teams in the league. If the Predators can get the momentum going in February, it should carry over and get us through the regular season.
In March, Nashville starts off with a Western Canada swing, adding San Jose at the end. Many great teams, including Boston, LA, Detroit, Dallas, and Colorado will make a stop in Nashville, which makes for another hard month.
In April, Nashville has three home games, and play their only road game in St Louis for the last game of the regular season.
*Predictions*
Some circles say that predicting the final outcome can do more damage than breaking a mirror. I, however, have not much of a believer in luck, and I'm going to give it a shot.
I believe that Dallas, Detroit, San Jose, and Minnesota will begin and/or continue a slump down the stretch. These four teams seem to be quirky this year, and all have special issues that will cause them problems. Detroit, for example, has goal tending problems that are not going to get better any time soon. I believe that when the problem is finally fixed, it will be too late. I do believe that Detroit will make the playoffs, but their run in second place will be short lived.
Surging teams will include Chicago, Calgary, Phoenix, and LA. Calgary refuses to be a bad team, and even though their run is a little late, I believe that they will get into a playoff spot this year. Chicago is very able to perform and will decide to get serious down the stretch, and Phoenix will have momentum from Keith Yandle in February.
*Back To Reality*
Where does all of this leave for Nashville? I honestly have no idea. Time will just have to tell because for me, it is easy to critique teams as an outsider, and it is very hard make predictions on the team that I follow every day. I do know that the Predators will play several teams over the next couple of months that are going to refuse to lay down and give up two points. Of those include Calgary (two games), Vancouver (three games), Anaheim (one), and LA (one). Nashville has had an injury plagued season and despite that, they have done very well. Nashville takes on Calgary Tuesday night at the Bridgestone Arena for their first game after the break. They will come into the game with 60 points and 4th place in the Western Conference, and will look for a little revenge to start what is sure to be a February to remember.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Last Night: Predators Fall Late Despite Strong Effort
Last night's game was simply heart breaking for me personally. To see Nashville fight so hard and play with so much spirit just to lose the game late in the third period hurts beyond belief. Even with the Predators 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, the team has been given lots of data to process, and I believe they know what to expect down the stretch. This is not going to be easy.
Pressure and possession were key in the first period. Nashville came into last night's matchup showing Vancouver that they were not going to give up an easy two points. The Predators seemed to control well, cycle with the best, and the penalty kill was on its mark. There were not any goals posted in the first period for either team, but Nashville had control. I was impressed by their eagerness, which really showed with their 12-4 shots on goal advantage.
The second period also ended with the score 0-0, and the defensive plays were a spectacle to say the least. Pekka Rinne was unbelievable last night earning second star honors, and he made 33 whopping saves that no highlight reel could ever do justice. I believe that the video recap says it all. The hit summary includes one video, goal summery three, and there are 17 save video's listed that are all truly impressive. Seven of those save video's come from the second period. Roberto Luongo started in goal for Vancouver, and was selected as the first star of the game. The pre game commentaries were correct; the goal tending matchup was truly a sight to see.
In the third period, Shea Weber finally lit the lamp for Nashville right off the drop at 00:37. Vancouver knew that they had to react, and while the Predators gained momentum, it wasn't enough. At 10:39 the official hole digger for Vancouver, Alexandre Burrows, put the Canucks on the board. At 12:31 Lee Sweatt scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game to make it 2-1. Vancouver's response to Nashville's quick goal in the third period was impressive. The shots on goal total for the third was 17-7 in favor of Vancouver.
Even though Nashville did not come away with a point, I am proud of the effort. The light at the end of the tunnel shines brightly, and only time will tell what effect the All-Star break will have on the team. On another note, both Matt Halischuk and Chris Mueller have been reassigned to Milwaukee for the break. Even if they are called back up for the February 1st game after the break, it is reported that Nashville will save between $6,000 and $12,000 a day by making this move. With a subtle "you've made it" glance, Nick Spaling has not been reassigned. He will stay on the NHL level through the break, and is reported to be considering changing his last name to $paling.
The Twitter universe is proclaiming that this is Nashville's year to "break in" and finally make it past the first round of the playoffs. Currently, Nashville has a record of 27-17-6 and 60 points to give us fourth place in the Western Conference. There is no telling how this will all wash out in the end due to Nashville's injury plagued nature this year. There is hope...time will tell.
Pressure and possession were key in the first period. Nashville came into last night's matchup showing Vancouver that they were not going to give up an easy two points. The Predators seemed to control well, cycle with the best, and the penalty kill was on its mark. There were not any goals posted in the first period for either team, but Nashville had control. I was impressed by their eagerness, which really showed with their 12-4 shots on goal advantage.
The second period also ended with the score 0-0, and the defensive plays were a spectacle to say the least. Pekka Rinne was unbelievable last night earning second star honors, and he made 33 whopping saves that no highlight reel could ever do justice. I believe that the video recap says it all. The hit summary includes one video, goal summery three, and there are 17 save video's listed that are all truly impressive. Seven of those save video's come from the second period. Roberto Luongo started in goal for Vancouver, and was selected as the first star of the game. The pre game commentaries were correct; the goal tending matchup was truly a sight to see.
In the third period, Shea Weber finally lit the lamp for Nashville right off the drop at 00:37. Vancouver knew that they had to react, and while the Predators gained momentum, it wasn't enough. At 10:39 the official hole digger for Vancouver, Alexandre Burrows, put the Canucks on the board. At 12:31 Lee Sweatt scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game to make it 2-1. Vancouver's response to Nashville's quick goal in the third period was impressive. The shots on goal total for the third was 17-7 in favor of Vancouver.
Even though Nashville did not come away with a point, I am proud of the effort. The light at the end of the tunnel shines brightly, and only time will tell what effect the All-Star break will have on the team. On another note, both Matt Halischuk and Chris Mueller have been reassigned to Milwaukee for the break. Even if they are called back up for the February 1st game after the break, it is reported that Nashville will save between $6,000 and $12,000 a day by making this move. With a subtle "you've made it" glance, Nick Spaling has not been reassigned. He will stay on the NHL level through the break, and is reported to be considering changing his last name to $paling.
The Twitter universe is proclaiming that this is Nashville's year to "break in" and finally make it past the first round of the playoffs. Currently, Nashville has a record of 27-17-6 and 60 points to give us fourth place in the Western Conference. There is no telling how this will all wash out in the end due to Nashville's injury plagued nature this year. There is hope...time will tell.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
January Wrap Up: Nashville Visits Vancouver Tonight
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Road Trip Winds Down As Nashville Falls To Calgary 3-1
The score last night was 3-1 in Calgary as Nashville played its next to last game on this long road trip. The Predators are now 3-2 on the trip so far. Last night Nashville appeared to be on their heels for most of the game, and it looked as if no one on the team had gotten any sleep after the win in Edmonton on Sunday night. The Flames, however, played an excellent game, worked as a team, tallied twice on the power play, and got the two points last night.
It appeared as if momentum could not get going our way. I do understand that Nashville can't win every game, and if they did it honestly wouldn't be near as much fun to watch. Calgary scored the lone first period goal at 10:14 after a funny bounce from Curtis Glencross that Pekka Rinne could not do anything about. Shea Weber dove into the net to attempt a save, but the puck crossed the line. In the first period, the pressure from Calgary was impressive. Even when the Flames were a man down, it appeared as if Nashville could never get a man into position.
In the second period the Predators had hope when David Legwand wristed one past Mikka Kiprusoff at 10:32. The Flames refused to go away however, and made it 2-1 at 13:01 with Jarome Iginla's power play goal.
Even though Nashville did not score in the third, I thought it was by far the team's best period. Nashville came to life on the power play and pressured well, but were not able to get it done. I was most impressed with Marcel Goc; his ability to dig the puck out of the corner is impressive and he had 14:39 of even strength ice time last night. Even though I thought Nashville was finally in the game, Calgary made it 3-1 on the power play with a goal from Brendan Morrison in tic tac toe style at 14:18.
Nashville did pull Pekka Rinne last night, but time ran out before the extra attacker could give the Predators a chance. JP Dumont did not play last night after he was hit with a stick in the neck in Edmonton. Dumont's penalty killing abilities were missed last night. Nashville visits Vancouver on Wednesday to wrap up their road trip. They return to Nashville on February 1 after the All-Star break.
It appeared as if momentum could not get going our way. I do understand that Nashville can't win every game, and if they did it honestly wouldn't be near as much fun to watch. Calgary scored the lone first period goal at 10:14 after a funny bounce from Curtis Glencross that Pekka Rinne could not do anything about. Shea Weber dove into the net to attempt a save, but the puck crossed the line. In the first period, the pressure from Calgary was impressive. Even when the Flames were a man down, it appeared as if Nashville could never get a man into position.
In the second period the Predators had hope when David Legwand wristed one past Mikka Kiprusoff at 10:32. The Flames refused to go away however, and made it 2-1 at 13:01 with Jarome Iginla's power play goal.
Even though Nashville did not score in the third, I thought it was by far the team's best period. Nashville came to life on the power play and pressured well, but were not able to get it done. I was most impressed with Marcel Goc; his ability to dig the puck out of the corner is impressive and he had 14:39 of even strength ice time last night. Even though I thought Nashville was finally in the game, Calgary made it 3-1 on the power play with a goal from Brendan Morrison in tic tac toe style at 14:18.
Nashville did pull Pekka Rinne last night, but time ran out before the extra attacker could give the Predators a chance. JP Dumont did not play last night after he was hit with a stick in the neck in Edmonton. Dumont's penalty killing abilities were missed last night. Nashville visits Vancouver on Wednesday to wrap up their road trip. They return to Nashville on February 1 after the All-Star break.
Monday, January 24, 2011
"Spit It Out Already" And Here It Is!
The first person to leave their email address in the comment section will indeed win:
This item could arrive in your mailbox! Just be the first person to put your email address in the comment box, and you win! Now how cool is that! More contests will be coming up, so if you aren't fast enough for this one, keep checking back!
Around The League: The Week For Phoenix
I enjoy watching hockey, and I do realize that there is more than one team in the NHL. I like to keep up with what other teams are doing, and maybe you will enjoy knowing what is going on with some of the others Around The League (in a creepy echoing voice).
For the week coming up, Phoenix seems to have it easy before the weekend All Star break. They will play on Tuesday against Edmonton in Phoenix, and then Wednesday they will make the short trip to Denver to take on the Avalanche. The Coyotes are coming off a 4-3 loss against LA, and hope to make up some points this week.
Phoenix starts this week with 57 points at 24-16-9 and hope for home ice advantage again this year in the playoffs. The Coyotes have beaten the Oilers twice so far this season with nine goals for and three against for the two games. Edmonton will come to Phoenix after a shootout loss to Nashville on Sunday, and have 36 points for the season. Phoenix won the January 6th contest against Colorado by a score of 2-0, and will play them three more times this season including Wednesday's game. The Avalanche are only two points away from a playoff spot with 54 points and have home advantage for this week's game.
Phoenix tallied on the power play in both of the home-and-day off-and-home games against LA. Ilya Bryzgalov is always impressive with a .917 save percentage for the season and Shane Doan's shot is sure to entertain. My favorite player for the Coyotes, Vernon Fiddler, is an unknown (to me) for the week. On January 15th against the Ducks, Fiddler left early in the third period with an upper body injury after he fought with Matt Beleskey. I look forward to him returning to the lineup and I'm sure that the former Predators can't wait to get back in the game.
The All Star break is coming up this weekend, and afterwards the schedules get busy once again. Until then, there are four points on the line for Phoenix this week, and the streaky team needs them all.
For the week coming up, Phoenix seems to have it easy before the weekend All Star break. They will play on Tuesday against Edmonton in Phoenix, and then Wednesday they will make the short trip to Denver to take on the Avalanche. The Coyotes are coming off a 4-3 loss against LA, and hope to make up some points this week.
Phoenix starts this week with 57 points at 24-16-9 and hope for home ice advantage again this year in the playoffs. The Coyotes have beaten the Oilers twice so far this season with nine goals for and three against for the two games. Edmonton will come to Phoenix after a shootout loss to Nashville on Sunday, and have 36 points for the season. Phoenix won the January 6th contest against Colorado by a score of 2-0, and will play them three more times this season including Wednesday's game. The Avalanche are only two points away from a playoff spot with 54 points and have home advantage for this week's game.
Phoenix tallied on the power play in both of the home-and-day off-and-home games against LA. Ilya Bryzgalov is always impressive with a .917 save percentage for the season and Shane Doan's shot is sure to entertain. My favorite player for the Coyotes, Vernon Fiddler, is an unknown (to me) for the week. On January 15th against the Ducks, Fiddler left early in the third period with an upper body injury after he fought with Matt Beleskey. I look forward to him returning to the lineup and I'm sure that the former Predators can't wait to get back in the game.
The All Star break is coming up this weekend, and afterwards the schedules get busy once again. Until then, there are four points on the line for Phoenix this week, and the streaky team needs them all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)