The Nashville Predators (21-13-6) hope to extend their four game win streak and hold on to fourth place in the Western Conference when they face San Jose (21-15-5) at the H P Pavilion (aka Shark Tank) at 7 p.m. Central.
Amazingly, the Preds have won four in a row while doing without Steve Sullivan, Marty Erat, Cal O'Reilly, Matthew Lombardi, and as of the last game penalty kill expert Nick Spaling. The Sharks will be without Joe Pavelski.
Pekka Rinne (11-10-4, 2.20, .923) will be in net for the Predators while the probable starter for the Sharks will be Antti Niemi (9-10-2, 2.97, .905) after a shaky game by Anrero Niittymaki (12-5-3, 2.47, .903) in a home loss to Buffalo on Thursday.
San Jose had a meeting with the Sharks brass that was scheduled before the loss to Buffalo but took on a different tone after a somewhat bitter loss. The Sharks were also stunned with hearing about the death of former prospect Tom Cavanagh who many of the current players had played with.
Sergei Kostitsyn and Patric Hornqvist are both riding career high four-game goal streaks after each scored against the Kings on Thursday. Kostitsyn is also on a hot streak having amassed 18 points (8G, 10A) in his last 17 games. Colin Wilson is also contributing and had his first three point game (1G, 2A) against the Kings.
The Preds will need to bring their whole arsenal tonight as the Sharks have won ten of the last 12 games in their rink. The home team has won six of the last seven meetings between the teams.
The two teams have faced each other one time this season in a Preds 3-2 comeback win in Nashville on December 15. Sergei Kostitsyn and Colin Wilson scored back to back goals late to send the Preds to victory.
Other game previews come from Amanda DiPaolo, Paul McCann, Chris Burton, The Tennessean, and Predators.com.
From the Bay Area previews come from The Mercury News, Inside Bay Area, SF Gate, Working the Corners, Fear the Fin, Battle of California, Blades of Teal, SharksPage, and Couch Tarts.
In Pred Nation...
Another new aggregator site for Preds fans has popped up. It is the work of Robby MacDonell of Seattle who describes himself as a "displaced Nashville Predators fan."
Jim Diamond questions Francis Bouillon's decision to enter into a fight with Wayne Simmonds in Thursday's game. Frankie is probably thinking the same thing.
Dirk Hoag has a post with insight from Sweden on Pred Prospect Patrick Cehlin. He also had weekend links and a discussion of the Preds' depth.
Predsblog looks at three breakout players that are carrying the load for the Predators.
Josh Cooper has a few leftover quotes from a happy Preds' locker room after the win in Los Angeles. He also speaks with Marcel Goc about his return to San Jose.
Tyler Davis joins the Predator blog community as the new correspondent for NHL Hot Stove. Here is his first piece on the Preds' injury situation.
Mark Willoughby has his first "My View" of the new year and had a new dog picture on the site. I think he need a picture of the dog that bit him.
Puck and Punk takes a look at the Guardian Project and ask the dame question most have asked, "What the Hell?"
The Fantasy Hockey Scouts declared that Patrick Celin raised his stock the most at the World Juniors.
Around the NHL...
The Red Wings suffered a setback last night when Brad Stuart had his jaw broken on a hit by Tom Kostopoulos in the Wings win over Calgary.
Jamie Langenbrunner discusses his return to Dallas after eight years in New Jersey.
Here is the wrap up from this week's View From My Seat's Puck Chat. It is a fun thing that brings in diverse opinions from all over.
Ryan Porth hands out mid-season grades to the Eastern Conference as well as the Western Conference.
Along the same vein, Adrian Dater looks at the five most disappointing teams of the first half of the season. Guess who is number one. Dater also looks at Crosby's concussion and why Pen's fans should worry.
Sports Illustrated hands out their mid-season NHL Awards.
The sale of the Coyotes to Matthew Hulsizer is set to close in mid-January according to the latest report.
Down Goes Brown has Gary Bettman's message to new fans acquired after the Winter Classic.
It appears that the Russian Junior team isn't the only team to have alcohol issues this week. Intent to Blow has details of a second incident in Philadelphia.
Odds and Ends...
Here is a story about a serious matter where a company called Righthaven LLC is seeking the maximum $150,000 fine and seizure of domain names for copyright infringement on behalf of it's clients. This could have serious impacts on share buttons and the like if their tactics hold up inn court.
A penguin (not the Crosby type) went into a lion's den in Germany and lived to tell about it.
A freak flood of the Virgin River in Utah and Nevada may stave off water rationing from Lake Mead a little longer.
More Later....
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
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