The Turning Point in J.P. Dumont's Career (Video)

Nashville Predators fans will always have a warm spot in their heart for J. P. Dumont who had the final year of his contract bought out by the team this morning.

J.P. came to Nashville at the beginning of the 2006-07 season and was a leading point producer in his first three seasons with the Predators totaling 66, 72, and 65 points.

He started well in the 2009 season with 19 points in the Predators first 20 games. On December 8, 2009 in a home game against Vancouver, Alex Burrows completely laid out Dumont in a violent open ice hit and J.P. was never the same again. He finished the year with 45 points and then had 19 last season.

Tweets from David Poile's Press Conference and A Detailed RFA Explanation from Mark Willoughby

Since we were unable to attend this morning's press conference with Predator's GM David Poile, we did what the rest of the world does and followed it on Twitter from those who were there. There was no comment on the RFA tender issue but Mark Willoughby has more detail than we have seen elsewhere.

For those unable to follow on Twitter, make the jump for a few pertinent Tweets...

POTG Thursday Morning Headlines, News, and Links

The second day of public on-ice sessions at the Predators Development Camp begins this morning at 10 a.m. If you can't make it during the week (like me), then Saturday' 10-12 session or Sunday's final round-up at 2-4 p.m. has your name on it.

Yesterday was a bumpy day for the Preds with contentions that the team did not properly make their qualifying offers to their seven restricted free agents. The Preds and the NHL says everything was done properly but the NHLPA has officially filed a grievance in the matter.

The matter will head to an arbitrator, most likely before Friday's frenzy kicks off. The Predators can either do nothing and hope for a favorable result, or scramble to sign the players that they want with the players having the key bargaining chip in their pocket.

The Predators' quirky  2011 preseason schedule finally came out so so fans can complete their calendar for September. The details on the much anticipated "Skate of the Union" were also revealed.

Tomorrow at 11 a.m. will be the start of a poor free agent class kicking off the frenzy so expect to see marginal players get overpaid. NHL Network will have wall to wall coverage.

Make the jump for today's news and links...

NHL Network Offers Complete Coverage of Free Agent Frenzy on Friday (Press Release)

The NHL Network (in U.S.) will offer all day coverage of the annual July 1 Free Agent Frenzy on Friday beginning at 11 a.m. CDT.

Make the jump for the complete release with details and schedule...

Details for Predators "Skate of the Union" Announced

As a Nashville Predators season ticket holder, I received an email with detailed information for this year "Skate of the Union" Event that will be held on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at the Bridgestone Arena.

In addition to the actual address at 6 p.m. there will be a sidewalk sale, used equipment sale, autographs, plaza party, locker room tours, with the highlight being the first public unveiling of the Predators' new home jersey.

Make the jump for more details from the Predators and the hour by hour schedule....

Predators Release 2011 Preseason Schedule With Odd Quirks

The Nashville Predators released their 2011 preseason schedule that has a few oddities.

They open the year with a rare hockey double header against Florida on Monday September 19 at the Bank Atlantic Center. The next night, they play the Washington Capitals in Baltimore at the 1st Mariner Arena in a game that was announced last spring.

Finally, they will play a home and away series with the Winnipeg Jets (formally Atlanta) that we can only assume was negotiated prior to the Thrashers' move.

There will be three home games that include the Caps, the Hurricanes, and the above mentioned Jets.

Make the jump for the full release from the Predators...

Developing Story: Did the Predators Miss Offer Deadline to RFAs?

Breaking news in the form of a Tweet from Nick Kypreos indicates that the Nashville Predators may have missed the Monday deadline in making qualifying offers to their seven restricted free agents (Shea Weber was not included).The NHLPA allegedly is investigating the situation.

The Tweet read @RealKyper Big #NHL news as some question #Predators missing qualifying offers on RFA's O'Reilly, Spaling, Halischuk and Kostitsyn. Stay tuned...

The seven players involved are Cal O'reilly, Sergei Kostitsyn, Matt Halischuk, Nick Spaling, Chris Mueller, Linus Klasen, and Andreas Thuresson. Klassen and Thuresson appear to be headed to Europe to play but the Predators do indeed want to retain the services of the other five.

Josh Cooper reports from Development Camp that the Predators indicate that the deadline was met and that "David Poile does not have the disposition of someone who is stressed by this possible issue."

Update: Josh Cooper adds a statement from Bill Daly indicating that there are no known issues. The NHLPA has yet to respond exonerating the Predators.

If this story plays out as true, it would be similar to what happened to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2009 when they failed to place a physical copy of the contracts in the players hands by the 5 p.m. deadline and were forced to sign the players quickly before the July 1 free agency period.

The report is difficult to believe as it would be the rare exception for the Predators' brass that has never had any similar situations arise in the 13-year franchise history. The Preds, who work on a tight budget, might not be able to retain all seven if the pot has to be sweetened quickly before free agency begins on Friday.

Sam Page at OnTheForecheck has more detail on the breaking story.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOntheGlass

Scott Burnside Appeared on this Week's RLD Hockey Talk (Podcast)

ESPN's Scott Burnside was our guest this week on RLD Hockey Talk with a look back at the Awards and the Draft and plenty of speculation about the upcoming free agent frenzy that begins on Friday. This year's flurry of trades and re-signings were also covered including the big doings in Philadelphia last Thursday.

Click on this link to go to the BTR page or make the jump to listen below...

POTG Wednesday Morning Headlines, News, and Links

It has been over six weeks since Nashville Predators fans have seen players on ice in Smashville. This morning at Centennial SportsPlex at 10 a.m. fans who aren't tied to a desk can take in the first public skate for the Preds' prospects attending this years' Development Camp.

From  the pictures that I saw from yesterday, Magnus Hellberg appeared to be the darling of the media in the scrums and why not. Everyone has been spoiled by the growing line of tall Northern European goalies.

Here is an updated cam roster and schedule. Make the jump for today's news and links...

Updated Nashville Predators Development Camp Roster (Printable)

Here is the latest updated 2011 Nashville Predators Development Camp Roster with jersey numbers. Click here to get a copy that can be printed and taken to the rink for the on ice sessions.

On Ice Schedule

WEDNESDAY, June 29                            10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
THURSDAY, June 30                               10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
SATURDAY, July 2                                  10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
SUNDAY, July 3                                       2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

Hockey Hall Of Fame Choose Four in Class of 2012

Initial reports from NHL.com indicate that Joe Nieuwendyk, Ed Belfour, Doug Gilmour and Mark Howe will make up the class of 2012 in Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in November.

Make the jump for the complete release from the HHOF...

POTG Tuesday Morning Headlines, News, and Links

Things never seem to settle down in Smashville. Yesterday, the Milwaukee Admirals hired Kirk Muller as their new head coach and had an eventful press conference to make the big announcement.

The Predators developmental camp opens today at Centennial SportsPlex with the first public on ice session tomorrow.

Yesterday was the deadline for qualifying RFA'a and we have a link to the complete list of who was and who wasn't.

We also have a RLD Hockey Talk show that you won't want to miss. Make the jump for this and more...

NHL Network Announces Coverage of Tuesday's Hockey HOF Inductee Announcement (Press Release)

NHL Network, NHL Live and NHL on the Fly announce their schedule for Tuesday's Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee Announcement. Make the jump for the details...

Updated Roster for the Nashville Predators' Development Camp

The Nashville Predators have updated the list of attendees to include recent additions from the 2011 NHL Entry Draft with all seven draftees attending. Make the jump to see the list of attendees along with a few interesting notes and tidbits about the players that will be in camp...

Kirk Muller Officially Named Head Coach of the Milwaukee Admirals

After several days of speculation and rumor, the Milwaukee Admirals officially announced Kirk Muller at their head coach this morning.

Muller has spent the past five seasons as the assistant coach of the Montreal Canadiens and had been considered for several head coaching positions in the NHL since the end of the season. It appears that he wanted to add head coaching at the second highest level as a way to bolster his appeal to an NHL team needing a head coach.

Muller spent 19 seasons in the NHL, retiring in 2003. He played 1349 games with with six different teams, scoring 357 goals and adding 602 assists.

His coaching career started at Queens University before joining the Montreal organization.

Muller will begin his career in the Predators organization at the Nashville Development Camp that starts today.

Make the jump for the full press release from the Predators...

Predators Development Camp Attendees Start Process This Afternoon

One of the best offseason events that the Nashville Predators hold annually gets underway late this afternoon when all of the invited players show up for their physicals to kick off the week-long Development Camp.

There are four on ice sessions listed below that will be open to the public at Centennial Sportsplex. Off ice activities include a wide variety of team building sessions, education, and indoctrination into "The Predator Way"

One of the highlights last year was the final skate when the players were divided into four mini-teams that competed for a small trophy that was skated around the rink like the Stanly Cup when the winner emerged.

The preliminary list from last week is below but we do know that most of the new draft picks from the weekend will attend headed by Magnus Hellberg.

Another newcomer at camp is expected to be Kirk Muller who is expected to be named the new head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals at a noon presser today.

After the Predators best finish in franchise history, this weeks camp will give the coaches and fans a great look at the next generation of future Predators.

Make the jump for a complete release from the Predators that includes the schedule and participants...

POTG Monday Morning Headlines, News, and Links

After a week long trip that included a run through the desert in Las Vegas and then the abrupt shock of going to the very Midwestern twin cities of Minneapolis/St.Paul I am slowly getting back up to speed here at home.

We ask that you click on the big banner above and check out our 17 draft posts and 16 Awards show post from the last few days. Over the next few weeks we will have plenty of video from the Awards as well as the top ten draft picks in Minnesota.

This was my third visit to the Awards Show in Las Vegas and it just keeps getting better every year. The great folks at The Palms Casino and Resort upgraded us to a 22nd floor Studio Suite that made us feel like we were staying in a hotel worth of The Hangover.

Thanks also to Ryan Porth and the folks at The Fourth Period who gave the whole Nashville crew invitations to their after-party at the Moon Nightclub where we had a great view of the strip with the moon rising above it.

The Wild did a great job of putting on the draft and things ran very smoothly on Friday night and Saturday. It was interesting that the Preds' pick of Magnus Hellberg was considered the number one story on the XM Home Ice news update when I finally got into my car late Saturday night.

Anyway, the hockey never ends with the Predators' Development Camp starting today and free agency starting on Friday. We will have the latest details of the camp schedule for those wanting to attend up in about an hour. We also expect the official announcement of Kirk Muller as the Milwaukee Admiral's head coach at a noon Presser at 501 Broadway.

Make the jump for our attempt to get back in the swing of things back home in Tennessee...

Nashville Predators GM David Poile Speaks at the end of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft (Video)

We were able to catch up with a very pleased David Poile at the end of today's draft. It appears that the draft went about as well as they expected as they got the picks that they wanted at every position.

Make the jump to see what he had to say about this year's picks...

Magnus Hellberg Speaks After His Selection By The Nashville Predators

After the Nashville Predators took Magnus Hellberg with their first pick in the drat at #38 in the second round, we were able to speak to him and get his thoughts on being drafted by the Preds and a variety of topics.

He seems like a fine young man that will fit in well with Mitch Korn's stable of six and a half foot tall goalies. He has met Anders Lindback before and said thet he was "funny." When asked if he is as funny as Lindback, he said "We'll see."

Make the jump to see the video...

With Their Final Pick In the Seventh Round Nashville Chose Brent Andrews

With their final pick of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, the Nashville Predators chose Brent Andrews from Halifax of the QJMHL.

He is a 6'1" 18 year old left winger that hails from Hunter River, PEI. He has played two seasons in Halifax scoring 12 goals and adding 18 assists in the 2010-11 season.

Make the jump to see a video made in 2009 where Hockey Canada Scout Al Murray discusses Andrews' characteristics on the ice...

Predators Pick California Native Chase Balisy with Sixth Round Pick

The Nashville Predators went back to the west coast to draft California's Chase Balisy with the 170th pick in the sixth round of the 2011 NHL Entry Deaft. He is from the same town of Rancho Santa Margarita as Preds defenseman Jon Blum.

The 6', 20 year old Balisy came out of the US Development program and played as a Freshman at Western Michigan where he had 12 goals and 18 assists in 42 games playing in the CCHA. He was named a second team Freshman All-American.

Earlier this month he was chosen to be one of 40 invitees to the initial Team USA Junior roster that will go to camp in Lake Placid, NY August 6-13. He won a gold medal with the U-18 USNTDP two years ago.

Here is an interview with Balisy from February at the United States of Hockey.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

Simon Karlsson from Sweden is the Nashville Predators Fifth Round Pick

The Nashville Predators took 6'2" 17 year old defenseman Simon Karlsson from the Malmo Redhawks of the SWE-1 junior team at number 142 in the fifth round.

Karlsson scored 10 goals and added 11 assists in 15 games during the 2010-11 season with the J18 Elit (SWE) team and also played four games with HockeyAllsvenskan. In the playoffs he played five games with J20 Superelit 9U20).

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOntheGlass

The Nashville Predators take Garrett Noonan from Boston University in the Fourth Round

The Nashville Predators took Boston University defenseman Garrett Noonan with their second pick in the fourth round at #112. He is a 6'1" 20 year old from Norfolk, Massachusetts.

As a freshman in 2010-11, Noonan played three games with Boston. Before that, he played with the Vernon Vipers in the BCH, scoring six goals and picking up 21 assists.

Noonan can be found on Twitter at @garrettnoonan13

Make the jump to see a video profile of Noonan from two years ago when he was with the Vipers...

Nashville Predators Take Josh Shalla with their First Fourth Round Pick

After trading their third round pick to Los Angeles the Nashville Predators got back on the board taking 6'!" Left Winger Josh Shalla from the OHL.

Last season Shalla scored 47 goals and added 25 assists for the Saginaw Spirit and was named to the OHL third team all-stars.

Make the jump to see Shalla in action...

Miikka Salomaki Speaks Shortly After Being Selected by the Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators Second Round Pick Miikka Salomaki Speaks after his Selection at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft at the Xcel Energy Center on June 25, 2011

Make the jump for the video...

Predators Take Miikka Salomaki With their Second 2nd Round Pick

The Nashville Predators took Miikka Salomaki with their second pick of the second round at the NHL Entry Draft. He was rated as the seventh best European skater by the NHL scouting service. He is an 5'11" 18 year old left winger from Raahe, Finland.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOntheGlass

Nashville Predators Choose Magnus Hellberg with their First Second Round Pick

The Nashville Predators continued their penchant for huge European goalies drafting Magnus Hellberg, a 6'5" 20 year old from Sweden with their first pick at number 38 in the second round.

Here is a detailed account of Hellberg from In Lou We Trust.



More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOntheGlass

Paul Fenton Speaks before Day Two of the NHL Entry Draft

We spoke to the Predators' Assistant GM Paul Fenton briefly before the start of this morning's day two of the draft. The Preds have the eight pick in the second round. Fenton indicated that they had targeted a couple of players and had made some calls to the other seven teams about the potential of swapping their pick to get the player that they want.

On whether their man will be available at 38 he said, "We are hoping so, your list is your list and you identify the player you want, the type of player you want, the skill level, and what have you. We've got about four or five guys to get up to 38 and sometimes it is a nail biter to get there."

When asked if there were any regrets about not having their first round pick when Ottawa came up, Fenton responded, "Absolutely not! We'd do that every day of the week to get the success we had this year, to grow our franchise more. That's the price of doing business in the National Hockey League. We still got an asset here for a couple of more years to keep growing."

On the first round in general, "I saw a lot of guys coming off our list. But there are still some good players left too. Our strategy regardless was to come into this and take our two second round picks and grow from there. We tried to move up. It just didn't happen. You saw a lot of movement in the twenty's and we were right in the thick of things and when it didn't happen, that's just the way it is."

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

New Close-Up Pictures of the Predators Road Jersey

This morning we had the opportunity to get close-up shots of the new Nashville Predator road jersey with more detail of the guitar pick shoulder patch, the piano keys underneath the collar, as well as the guitar strings running horizontal across the numbers. These small details will make the Preds' new jersey one that sweater collectors will not pass up.

Make the jump to see Nik, the most famous runner at the draft modeling the new sweater...

David Poile Speaks at the End of Day One of the NHL Entry Draft

There was very little excitement for Predators fans on day one of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Friday night. With no picks and no swirl of activity at the Predators' table on the floor, fans are left waiting to see who the Preds take with the eighth pick of day two on Saturday morning.

David Poile spoke to Jay Levin of Preds TV after they returned to their hotel on Friday night. Make the jump to see what he had to say...

First Round Notes and Wrap-Up at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft

There were few surprises on the opening night of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft as far as the actual picks were concerned. However, there was excitment created by several trades that went down during the draft.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins went first overall as was expected. The biggest upward move of the evening was Winnipeg's pick of Mark Scheifele with the seventh pick when they officially unveiled the name of the team as the "Winnipeg Jets" much to the crowd's delight. Scheifele had been rated the 16th best North American skater so it was a huge jump for him to move to the top ten.

The biggest shocker was a multi-player deal involving the hometown Minnesota Wild that sent Brent Burns and a 2011 second round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Devin Setoguchi. Charlie Coyle, and the 28th pick in this year's draft.

In a move to help both teams cap situation, Brian Campbell agreed to waive his no-trade clause in order to go to the Florida Panthers who are having trouble getting to the cap floor. Former first round pick Rostislav Olesz was the player going the other way.

In another trade, much to Vancouver's delight, the Chicago Blackhawks traded Troy Brouwer to Washington for their first round pick in the 26th slot.

Earlier in the day, Colorado traded John-Michael Lyles to Toronto in exchange for Toronto's second round pick in 2012.

There were a couple of emotional moments with tributes to scout E. J. McGuire and Derek Boogaard involving family members.

On the Predators front, the main excitement beyond a couple of rumors that a trade would be done with Colorado or Boston was the first appearance on a human of the Predators new road jersey that was worn on the arena floor by the young runner.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOntheGlass

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Speaks to the Media after Being Selected First at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft

The Edmonton Oilers surprised no one by picking Ryan Nugent-Hopkins first overall at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft at the Xcel Energy Center on Friday night. They had the first pick for the second year in a row after picking Taylor Hall in last summer's draft.

Nugent-Hopkins met with the media after being chosen. Make the jump to see the video of what he had to say.

Pictures of the Nashville Predators' New Road Jersey at the NHL Draft

(St Paul, MN) Here are a couple of shots from the media riser of the Nashville Predators' new road jersey that is being worn by the team's runner at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft along with a shot of the Predators table on the arena floor.

Make the jump for the pictures that you can click on to enlarge...

Friday Afternoon Notes from the NHL Entry Draft in Minnesota

(St. Paul, MN) We are still over an hour away from the start of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft (Versus 6 p.m. CDT) and the arena floor and media risers at the Xcel Energy Center are starting to fill up.

Nashville Predators Fan's Guide for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft

(St. Paul, MN) The Nashville Predators head into the first day of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft tonight, sitting on the sidelines watching with no first round pick at the current time for the first time since 2006 when they chose Blake Geoffrion with the 56th overall pick in the second round. Ottawa will draft in the Preds' spot which went to them in the Mike Fisher trade in February.

David Poile Speaks to the Media at the 2010 NHL Awards Show

David Poile spoke to the media at the NHL Awards Show at the Palms Casino and Resort in a wide ranging conversation. Issues covered include the draft, injury updates on Matt Lombardi and Francis Bouillon, signing status of Cal O'Reilly and Marcel Goc, a great discussion of what "The Predator Way means, and many other topic.

Make the jump to see the original video...

Barry Trotz Speaks to the Media at the 2010 NHL Awards Show

Nashville Predators Head Coach, Barry Trotz, speaks tot the media on a wide range of topics at the NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas at the Palms Resort and Casino. He covers a full range of topics that you should find interesting.

Make the jump for the original video...

Corey Perry Speaks to the Media after Winning the Hart Trophy at the 2011 NHL Awards Show (Original Video)

Corey Perry was emotional after winning the Hart Trophy (NHL Most Valuable Player) at the 2011 NHL Awards that was held at the Palms Resort and Casino on Wednesday night.

Make the jump to see our unedited video of Perry speaking to the media immediately after winning the award...

Shea Weber and Pekka Rinne Named to NHL Post-Season All-Star Teams

Even though none of the four nominees from the Predators did not receive any hardware, Shea Weber and Pekka Rinne were named to the 2010-11 post season NHL All-Star teams. Weber was on the first team as a defenseman while Rinne filled the goalie slot on the second team.

Make the Jump to see the complete release and voting from the NHL...

Barry Trotz and David Poile Finish Third in Awards Voting

Barry Trotz and David Poile each finished third in their respective awards voting at the NHL Awards Show on Wednesday night at the Palms Casino and Resort.

Barry Trotz finished third to Pittsburgh's Dan Bylsma who took home is first Jack Adam's trophy and the President Trophy winning Alain Vigneault who finished second.

In the voting for General Manager of the Year, Vancouver's Mike Gillis finished first thaking home the yet to be named trophy. Poile was a close third finishing six points behind Steve Yzerman.

Make the jump to see to see the voting for the two awards...

Tim Thomas Wins Vezina, Pekka Rinne Finishes Second and Surprises in Hart Voting

As was generally expected, Tim Thomas took the Vezina Trophy after his stellar record setting year. Pekka Rinne was a solid second in the voting after his solid season.

In somewhat of a surprise, Rinne finished fourth in the voting for the Hart Trophy which goes to the "player most valuable to his team." Locally, there was a strong recognition that Rinne should have been considered for the Hart but it was not known how strong the support for the Hart was outside Smashville.

Make the jump to see the vote totals for both the Vezina and the Hart trophies...

Lidstrom Wins Norris Trophy, Shea Weber Second

In very close voting Nicklas Lidstrom won the Norris Trophy by nine points. It was the closest race for first sine 1996. For Lidstrom it was his seventh time to take home the hardware for best defenseman.

The final vote totals were:

1. Nicklas Lidstrom, DET 736 (35-23-34-15-10)
2. Shea Weber, NSH 727 (32-41-14-14-8)
3. Zdeno Chara, BOS 688 (33-24-24-20-10)
4. Lubomir Visnovsky, ANA 573 (20-20-26-28-19)
5. Keith Yandle, PHX 312 (5-10-17-25-32)

Make the jump for the full release from the NHL...

Pekka Rinne Speaks on the Red Carpet (Video)

Pekka Rinne talked about the excitement of being on the red carpet, minutes before the NHL Awards Show at the Palms Casino and Resort.

Make the jump to see the video...

NHL Awards Show Order and Presenters Announced

For those of you scoring at home, here is the order of the awards as well as the presenters for tonight's NHL Awards Show that will be on Versus at 6 p.m. CDT.

The Predators best chance at hardware will come early with the Norris Trophy (Shea Weber) first up on the agenda and the Jack Adams (Barry Trotz). The GM of the Year Award (David Poile) should be just past the midpoint in the show while the Vezina (Pekka Rinne) will be the penultimate award.

Make the jump for the full list from the NHL...

Nashville Predators Reveal New Logo at the NHL Awards Show

The Nashville Predators released the four new logos this morning at the NHL Awards Show. These will be  used going forward beginning with the 2011-2012 season.

The primary Predator logo has been simplified with the number of colors reduced reduced from 13 to three which should provide a much cleaner print on clothing, printed material, and digital imagery.

The guitar pick shaped logo with the three stars from the Tennessee state flag will grace the shoulders of the Preds new jerseys. The stylized "NP" will be on the front of the players pants and was first seen a couple of months ago on Pekka Rinne's new mask. The "Nashville Predators" script is also cleaner and simplified.

The Predators new road jerseys will be seen for the first time on Friday night at the NHL Entry Draft in Minnesota. The home jerseys will be revealed at the Skate of the Union at the Bridgestone Arena on July 13 and fans are invited to attend.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

POTG Picks the Winners of the NHL Awards

As I fly at 40,000 feet heading into Las Vegas, it is finally time to make the official choices of who I think will win this year's NHL Awards. The following picks are not necessarily the ones I would have chosen, but who I think will actually hit the stage and take home the hardware on Wednesday night in the Pearl Theater at the Palms Resort and Casino.

Nashville Predators Enjoying the Spotlight in Las Vegas

Tuesday afternoon, at the Palms Resort and Casino, the Nashville Predators seemed to be all over the place at the pre-awards media event. With four representatives nominated for awards, only the Vancouver Canucks had more personnel on hand for the preliminaries to the festivities that will be broadcast Wednesday night on  Versus at 6 p.m. CDT.

Pekka Rinne Is Thrilled to Be at the NHL Awards Show (Video)

Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators was excited to be nominated for this year's Vezina Trophy and being able to make his first trip to Las Vegas for the NHL Awards Show. He discusses a wide range of topics during Tuesday's media event at the Palms Resort and Casino.

Make the jump to see a fun video of the young goaltender who is on the verge of becoming a mainstay at the NHL Awards Show in the future...

A Proposal for Las Vegas to Be The NHL's 31st City (Not What you Would Expect)

There has been plenty of talk over the past few years that Las Vegas will be the next city for the NBA or the NHL to place a franchise through relocation or expansion. Most pundits think that basketball will be the first league to make the move in to sin city.

The NHL has had phenomenal success, invigorating the NHL Awards by making it a true event in the favorite city for people to visit in North America, Las Vegas.

Nashville Predators Send Four NHL Award Nominees to Las Vegas

In the Nashville Predators twelve season franchise history, the team has only had two representatives at the NHL Awards Show. This year the Preds doubled that figure in one season with David Poile, Barry Trotz, Sea Weber and Pekka Rinne all receiving nominations.

Making the Case for Pekka Rinne to Win the Vezina Trophy

We were contacted by Dan Green who offered to allow us to repost a great article that makes the case why Pekka Rinne should be the choice to win the Vezina Trophy at the NHL Awards Show on Wednedsay night at the Pearl Theater at the PalmsResort and Casino.

Make the jump for Dan's article...

NHL Entry Draft and Awards Show Preview on RLD Hockey with Russ Cohen

Ryan Porth wrapped up a busy three show week at RLD Hockey Talk Radio with a great show with Russ Cohen from the XM Hockey Prospect show and Sportsology. Russ gave us a preview of what to expect at this years draft including his top ten that is a little different than most.

Ryan and I finished up the show with an in depth discussion of the NHL Awards and gave our picks as to who would win.

Make the jump for the BTR player or go here to listen at their site.

Vegas Baby! Vegas! (Video)

The crowds are pouring into Las Vegas all day today and tonight in anticipation of the NHL Awards Show on Wednesday at the Pearl Theater at the Palms Resort and Casino. Make the jump for a couple of clips to set the mood...

POTG Monday Headlines, News, and Morning Links

This week we will have a little different look at POTG. I'll be leaving for Las Vegas to attend the Awards Show festivities later today and then going to Minneapolis on Thursday for the NHL Entry Draft on Friday night and Saturday. The morning links will probably suffer in the process.

Other than covering the four Predators' nominees at the Awards Show and the Predators picks at the draft, posts will be somewhat limited due to a shortage of Internet connections. What will result, long-term,  is plenty of videos over the course of the summer to keep interesting stuff up on the site.

In the next couple of days I will have an Awards preview, a post about what the Preds nominees are thinking about heading to Vegas, and the best idea ever conceived about the future of hockey in Las Vegas.

Make the jump for today's news and links...

Joe Haggerty Guests on RLD Hocky Talk with Great Bruins Discussion

Joe Haggerty of CSN Northeast appeared on Friday's special edition of RLD Hockey Talk and had great insight into the Stanley Cup Finals series with Vancouver. His behind the scenes look at how things played out in the series is really good stuff. Anyone who watched the series will really appreciate the conversation.

Make the jump for the BTR player or go directly to the BTR site to listen...

POTG Weekend Headlines, News, and Links

There has been far too much media driven (mostly Canadian) hand wringing about Shea Weber leaving Nashville over the last few months. With the word that the Predators filed for arbitration yesterday, no other team can submit an offer sheet for Weber that the Predators would have to match.

In the post season presser, David Poile was confident that they would get a new deal done and he has never wavered from that and indicated then that this was the route they would go. If a deal is not done by July 20, a hearing would be scheduled and negotiations could continue up through and after the setting.

Worst case scenario is a one or two year award would be given that the Preds could not stomach and they would let him go but it will never get to that. Both sides seem committed to wanting a mult-year deal that won't force the team to cut corners elsewhere.

Josh Cooper has a statement from David Poile regarding the arbitration filing as well as Weber's sudden change in agents.

Update (11:17 Sat) from @TSNRyanRishaug: Preds and Webers agent Jarrett bousquet done talking for now, will resume negotiations at the draft and the nhl awards.

Make the jump for today's news and links...

Predators File for Arbitration with Shea Weber According to TSN

Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that the Nashville Predators have filed for arbitration with Norris Trophy finalist Shea Weber. This should be a big relief for nervous Preds fans that were worried about losing the captain for next year as it insures that another team cannot file an offer sheet.

If it proceeds to arbitration which would not be before July 20, it could be for a one or two year term. If a hearing is actually held, the team could reject the award but it is unlikely that it would come to that a Weber's preference appears to be to stay in Nashville.

This basically takes the pressure off both sides to get something done immediately. It is expected that the two sides will work out a longer term deal before it comes to an actual hearing.

Josh Cooper has a statement from David Poile regarding the arbitration filing as well as Weber's sudden change in agents.

Update (11:17 Sat) from @TSNRyanRishaug: Preds and Webers agent Jarrett bousquet done talking for now, will resume negotiations at the draft and the nhl awards.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

NHL Network Will Carry Boston's Victory Parade on Saturday (Press Release)

News just came out that the NHL Network will provide live coverage of the Boston Bruins victory parade beginning at 10 a.m. EDT on Saturday. They will pick up the local feed from NESN.

Starting today, the network will also start airing every Bruins game on the road to the cup.

Make the jump to see the full release from the NHL...

POTG Friday Headlines, News, and Morning Links

So how did all you other die-hard hockey fans spend your first off-season evening of no hockey on the tube?

With nothing specific on the agenda, on the way home, I called my mysterious, non-public wife, who my hockey friends don't think exists, and suggested that we take the puppies for a walk around the neighborhood.

This was a first for the puppies. We got Mazie Grace aka Maze at the end of September, and we got Pekka aka Peks in February, so they have not known what a hockey-less evening was like. They were thrilled with the new experience. They marked new territory all around the block.

This weekend, the wife even agreed to go see the Nashville RollerGirls in action at Municipal Auditorium. It's really amazing that there are other things to do when hockey is not on the tube. How is everyone else going fill the gap for the next 108 days before hockey starts up again?

Make the jump for today's news and links...

Tim Thomas and Patrice Bergeron Speak to the Media after Game Seven (Transcript)

Tim Thomas and Patrice Bergeron took time out from the Bruins locker room celebration to speak to the media. Make the jump to see what they had to say courtesy of NHL Media Services...

Predators Sign Jusso Puustinen to Two Year, Two Way Contract

The Nashville Predators announce the signing of Juuso Puustinen, who led the Finnish Elite League in goals and points during the past season. The 23 year old should start the season in Milwaukee. There is no indication if he will attend the Predators development Camp later this month.

Make the jump for the full release from the Predators...

Random Facts and Figures from This Year's Stanley Cup Final

This year's Stanley Cup Finals was one for the ages as one of the oddest and most random series of games that you could imagine. NHL Media Services put together a release that covers plenty of ground in trying to capture the essence of the series. make the jump for a ton of information...

So How Good Was Tim Thomas This Year?

Not only is Tim Thomas one of the nicest, most humble guys in the NHL, he was clearly the best goalie in the league, in the regular season as well as the post season. His Stanley Cup Finals play may have been the best in history in a seven game series, when he only allowed eight goals in seven games, setting an all time record.

Thomas was the clear-cut Conn Smythe Trophy choice and was finally able to lift the Stanley Cup after last night's win. He is the odds on favorite to pick up the trifecta of hardware next Wednesday night at the NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas when the Vezina Trophy winner is announced.

Make the jump to see just how good he has been with information provided by NHL Media Services...

POTG Thursday Headlines, News, and Morning Links

Last night was a roller-coaster of emotions. After buying in to the Canucks I was disappointed that they failed to show in every way in game seven.

On the other hand, I really like Tim Thomas and Zdeno Chara as people, so it was great to see them hoist the Cup. They are both great folks and character people in addition to being great players.

The rioters were really disappointing. Keep in perspective that it was a few malcontents that caused the whole rampage on Vancouver last night and not a refection on the city in general.

Finally, the hardest thing to take long term is the fact that it will be 110 days before another meaningful NHL game will be played. Remember #summersucksdropthe puck. We will be here all summer so thanks in advance for reading.

Make the jump for today's news and links...

Claude Julien Speaks After Winning the Stanley Cup (Transcript)

Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien speaks to the media after their game seven win over the Vancouver Canucks.

Make the jump for the full transcript from NHL Media Services...

Alain Vigneault Speaks to The Media After Game Seven Loss (Transcript)

A clearly dejected Alain Vigneault spoke briefly after the game seven loss. He gave full credit to Tim Thomas and the Boston Bruins.

Make the jump for the full transcript...

Congratulations to the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins after 4-0 Win

The Tim Thomas led Boston Bruins wrapped up their first Stanley Cup since when Dick Nixon was president with their 4-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks in game seven on Wednesday night at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

Inspirational Canucks Video Narrated by Al Pacino (Video)

A hat to to The Green Men who tweeted the link to an inspiring video that would get any hockey fan excited for the game tonight. make the jump to view.

Defenseman Teemu Teemu Laakso Has Been Re-Signed by the Nashville Predators (Press Release)

The steady Teemu Laakso has been re-signed for another year by the Nashville Predators. Laakso is a valued member of the organization who has been a recall several times in the past couple of seasons. It is obvious that Coach Barry Trotz trusts him when he has made the jump to the NHL.

Make the jump for the press release from the Predators...

Peter Horachek Named Associate Coach of the Nashville Predators (Press Release)

With potential job offers in Dallas and other places out of the way, the Peter Horachek has agreed to stay in Nashville with a promotion and a new title of Associate Coach.

Make the jump to see the Press Release from the Predators...

Pre-Game Thoughts from Alain Vigneault, Ryan Kesler, Kevin Bieksa, and Daniel Sedin (Transcripts)

Hours away from the puck drop in the Stanley Cup Finals Game Seven, Alain Vigneault, Ryan Kesler, Kevin Bieksa, and Daniel Sedin met with the media and here is what they had to say. Make the jump for the transcripts from NHL Media Services...

POTG Game Seven Day Headlines, News, and Links

It is hard to believe that it all started eight months ago with thirty teams hoping to have the chance to lift the Stanley Cup on a warm evening in June. Tonight, with a level ice surface, two teams have the chance to do that. One will fail and the other will live in infamy as the 2011 Stanley Cup Champions.

With what we have seen trough six games, there has been a record amount of inconsistency so there is no way to logically make a fair prediction based on how things have gone. My gut says that the
Canucks will win in a low scoring game seven that could possibly find an overtime period which would be pure nirvana for true NHL fans.

One thing is guaranteed and that is that tonight's game at 7 p.m. CDT on NBC will be one for the ages, capping one of the most Jeckle and Hyde series in recent history. Invite friends and family that don't watch hockey to tune in as it will be a battle between two teams that have been ravaged by injury and do not like each other at all.

Make the jump for today's news and links...

RLD Hockey Talk Features Jeff Marek and Sean Leahy in Game Seven Preview (Podcast)

Tuesday's RLD Hockey Talk was a great preview of Wednesday's game seven that featured the CBC's Jeff Marek and Sean Leahy from Puck Daddy.

I missed the first show in a long time due to travel delays with a plane arriving 2 1/2 hours late. Ryan did better than ever without me.

Make the jump to click on the player to listen to the podcast...

Top Eight Quotes from the Media Scrums the Day Before Game Seven of the SCF

There were ton's of quotes from the media sessions today so we culled out out top eight that cover a range of topics and each one shows a little bit of the personality of the speaker.

Make the jump to see out top eight countdown...

Blake Geoffrion and Nick Spaling Participate in the City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game as a Part of the CMA Music Week Festivities

Predators TV followed Blake Geoffrion and Nick Spaling to last weekend's City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game at Greer stadium where they played with other athletes and music stars. Nick was reduced to coaching since his arm is in a sling from his recent surgery. Blake was injured with a big strawberry caused by a slide at home.

Make the jump to see the video...

Facts, Figures, and Notes On Stanley Cup Finals Game Sevens

NHL Media Services has put together a whole bevy of fact and figures on previous game sevens and how the players on Vancouver and Boston have done in their career in game sevens. It is not surprising that Mark Recchi has played in the most with eleven.

Boston ties a record playing their third game seven this year and has a chance to become the first team in history to win three in a season with a victory.

This will be the sixth Cup Final game seven in the last eleven years after only having ten between 1942 and 2000.

Make the jump for all the facts and figures...

POTG Tuesday Headlines, News, and Morning Links

After last night's big elimination game 5-2 win, Boston heads to Vancouver hoping to break the six game home team winning streak at the Rogers Arena on Wednesday night in what should be a game seven for the ages.

It is absolutely incredible that Roberto Luongo has been blown out 8-1 and pulled twice in two other games in Boston. Last night he gave up three quick goals in Bostons four goals in 4:14 spree early in the first period. Luongo's GAA rose to 8.04 in Boston while it is 0.67 at home in Vancouver.

As unpredictable as this series has been, it is any one's guess who will show up ready to play tomorrow night and who will shine in goal. Game time will be 7 p.m. on NBC.

Make the Jump for today's news and links...

Claude Julien and Alain Vigneault Post Game Comments (Transcripts)

Boston Coach Claude Julien and Alain Vigneault of Vancouver each answered questions after game six. Make the jump to see the full transcripts from NHL Media Services...

POTG Monday Headlines, News, and Morning Links

To use a horrible cliche, "this is what it is all about!" The Stanley Cup will be at TD Gardens tonight waiting to see if it will be uncased and polished or if the Boston Bruins will live for two more days with a win over the Vancouver Canucks forcing the entire circus to pack up and head west for game seven on Wednesday night.

Vancouver has shown nothing in the two prior games in Boston. Each of their three wins in Vancouver have been by a single goal in dramatic fashion. Going by past experience in this series, you would expect a comfortable win by the Bruins at home. With the cup on the line, anything is possible.

For what it is worth, the consensus of the pundits was Vancouver in six games which is still possible tonight. I'm not sure the smartest men in the press box could have foreseen the way that this series has played out with the dominance of Tim Thomas who is almost a lock for the Conn Smythe, win or lose.

Ryan Porth has a good perspective on what a win tonight would mean to the Canucks. My bet is that they will win it all but that it will be for the home crowd on Wednesday.

Make the jump for all of today's news and links...

Tim Thomas and Roberto Luongo Comment on Luongo's Post Game Five Remarks

On Friday night after game five Roberto Luongo commented on Tim Thomas's play on Max Lapierre's game winning goal saying "It's not hard (making the save) if you're playing in the paint. It's an easy save for me, but if you're wandering out and aggressive like he does, that's going to happen. He might make some saves that I won't, but in a case like that, we want to take advantage of a bounce like that and make sure we're in a good position to bury those.

That quote has been the one of the primary story lines all weekend during the travel day and at Sunday's off day practice. Both Thomas and Luongo addressed the statement on Sunday after practice.

Make the jump to see what they had to say...

Alain Vigneault Speaks on Sunday after The Canucks Practice (Transcript)

Vancouver Coach Alain Vigneault met with the media after Sunday's off day practice. As ususal he offered little information, keeping things very close to the vest.

Make the jump to read what he had to say courtesy of NHL Media Services...

Max Lapierre Brutalized by Zdeno Chara in Game Five (Video)

One of the funnier things to come out of Friday's 1-0 Vancouver win over Boston was the video of Zdeno Chara giving Max Lapierre a little love tap in the first period after the whistle had blown. Lapierre acted like he had been hammered as he crouched over skating back to the bench.

ESPN's Scott Burnside asked Lapierre about it in the postgame, "Max, looked like you were mortally wounded when you had that encounter with Zdeno Chara. I wondered how you were able to carry on after that. Describe the emotion of being one win away from the Stanley Cup."

Lapierre was either oblivious to the reference or blew him off saying, "I think we know it's going to be the biggest game of our life in Boston, and Boston is going to be ready. We're going to have to be ready for a challenge."

Lapierre got the last laugh in the game as he had the only goal of the game that gave Vancouver a 3-2 series lead with a chance to hoist the Stanly Cup on Monday in Boston.


Make the jump to see the video of the encounter...

POTG Weekend Headlines, News, and Links

After looking as bad as a team could look in Boston, The Vancouver Canucks and Roberto Luongo found their magic at Rogers Arena last night with a 1-0 win to take a 3-2 lead as the series heads to Boston for game six when the Stanley Cup will be in the building.

We had a story, postgame transcripts from Roberto Luongo and Max Lapierre, game notes, and Johnny Canuck which is a great video.

Make the jump for the weekend news and links...

Sarah Baicker from CSN Philadelphia Talks Flyers on RLD Hockey Talk

Friday on RLD Hockey Talk we had Sarah Baicker from CSN Philadelphia to take a look at all the movement in the Flyers camp with the Ilya Bryzgalov trade, Jeff Carter rumors, and Chris Pronger rehab. Ryan and I also took a look at game five and the rest of the series. We were both pretty smart predicting last night's win.

Make the jump to listen in the BTR player or go here to the BTR site...

Post-Game Notes after Game Five of the SCF (Press Release)

Here are the post-game notes from NHL Media Services after game five of the Stanley Cup Finals game five between Vancouver and Boston...

Complete Transcripts of Roberto Luongo and Max Lapierre at Game Five Postgame

Here are the complete transcripts of the Vancouver players postgame comments featuring Roberto Luongo and Max Lapierre. The one question with the video was a real zinger when Luongo said that he would have had the game winner because he stays in the paint.

Make the jump for the Q's and A's from NHL Media Services...

Boo's Turn to Luuuuu's for Canucks Luongo after 1-0 Win in Game 5

After being booed in the Rogers Arena on Wednesday night by fans watching game four of the Boston-Vancouver series on the Jumbotron, Roberto Luongo turned the crowd around 180 degrees as he was exalted in every way after a stellar 1-0 shutout over the Bruins to give Vancouver a 3-2 series lead.

My Name is Johnny Canuck (Video)

Here is a short film about the legendary Johnny Canuck that chronicles the trials of the postseason leading up to Game five verses the Bruins.

It is officially described as "An HD short film chronicling the legendary Johnny Canuck, his years of triumph and turmoil, and how they mirror the history of the Vancouver Canucks franchise and their Stanley Cup run in 2010-2011."

Make the jump to see the man that "preyed on Predators"...

Blake Geoffrion and Wade Belak Walk The Red Carpet at the CMT Awards Show (Video)

An odd mix of honky-tonk and hockey-tonk come together as Blake Geoffrion and Wade Belak walked the red carpet at this year's CMT Awards show Wednesday night at the Bridgestone Arena. Blake escored his mother while Wade was accompanied by his wife Jennifer.

Make the jump for the video from Preds TV...

POTG Friday Headlines, News, and Morning Links

Lane Lambert and Barry Trotz were like two peas in a pod at yesterday's presser. It was really interesting listening to his indoctrination into "The Predator Way". He pointed to Dave Tippett as an influence who is much like Barry Trotz in his mentoring. He also listed Claude Noel who is a favorite for the new head coach slot in Winnipeg. Here is the full audio of the press conference.

Beyond the local news, we have Boston ready to face off against what I expect to be a rejuvenated Vancouver Canucks team tonight at Rogers Center at 7 p.m. CDT on NBC. It is down to a three game series and should be interesting to see if the Canucks return to form at home. Alain Vigneault gave Roberto Luongo the vote of confidence as the game five starter but don't be surprised if there is a short hook.

Follow the jump for today's news and links...

Predators’ New Assistant Coach Lane Lambert's Long Road Back to the NHL

The Nashville Predators named Milwaukee Head Coach Lane Lambert as their new assistant coach on Thursday. He will assume the position previously held by Brent Peterson who will have other duties in the organization due to his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Make the jump for our story and the complete audio of the press conference with Lane Lambert and Barry Trotz...

Predators Name Lane Lambert Assistant Coach and Re-Sign Mitch Korn (Press Release)

After much speculation in the press over the last few days, it was made official that Milwaukee Admirals head coach Lane Lambert has been named the Assistant Coach of the Nashville Predators.

In the same release, the re-signing of goaltender coach Mitch Korn was also confirmed.

Make the jump for the full text of the release...

Betting Lines Established for Green Men's Activities at Game Five in Vancouver

I had to do a double take when I received this Press Release from Sports Interaction in Montreal. They have established odds for different things that the Green guys could be involved in during game five in Vancouver on Friday night.

Make the jump for the full release with some interesting odds (as a disclaimer, I was not compensated for the post)...

History Will Be Made: History Embraces the Moment (video)

Here is a History Will Be Made from Canucks TV where History Embraces the Moment. The timing seems odd on this one and I guess I'm one of two or three folks in the Nashville area that actually wants to see the Canucks take the Cup.

Make the jump for the video...

POTG Thursday Headlines, News, and Morning Links

Wow! Who could have imagined that Boston would have come back and dominated games three and four after losing the first two in Vancouver. Hats off to Tim Thomas for being a wall in net and giving the rest of the team confidence to play loose and pour the shots on net that Roberto Luongo could not handle.

After last night's 4-0 Bruins win, it now boils down to a three game series with two of then in Vancouver. The Canucks have a plane ride and a morning skate to rediscover the fact that they are the best team in hockey.

The loss of Dan Hamhuis has loomed large in the last two games (did I really say that?). Vancouver's defense has been scattered and has made many critical blunders that has left Roberto Luongo vulnerable in net.

As of right now, Tim Thomas is clearly the leader for the Conn Smythe race as he has played well for the entire finals series after being the main reason that his team is even in the playoffs to begin with.

Make the jump for today's news and links...

Post-Game Notes after Game Four of the SCF (Press Release)

For your reading pleasure, here is the post-game notes package from NHL Media Services after game four of the Stanley Cup Finals between th eVancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins.

Make the jump for the notes...

POTG Wednesday Headlines, News, and Morning Links

Tonight's game four of the Stanley Cup finals has become highly anticipated after Boston resurrected their Cup chances with their 8-1 thrashing of the Canucks on Monday. In addition, folks want to see how both teams will react after Aaron Rome was suspended and Nathan Horton is out with a concussion.

Based on similar hits and how the wheel of justice has spun to this point in the season, I think four games is excessive. Since Rome missed 55 minutes of game three, one or two more games would be more in line with other rulings this season. I understand the league is ready to crack down but do it in October, not now.

Pundits are also speculation whether Roberto Luongo will come back after giving up eight goals in the last game. He faced a similar situation against the Blackhawks in the first round but took a little break and has been spectacular ever since until Monday.

I expect to see Luongo and the whole Vancouver team more focused than they have been in this series as they have a chance to go up 3-1 and head home for a chance to clinch in game five on Friday. Tune in to Versus tonight at 6:30 CDT for the pregame when we will see what happens.

Make the jump for today's news and links...

POTG Tuesday Headlines, News, and Morning Links

Last night's 8-1 Boston win had something for everyone, including Canuck fans who were assured a game five in Vancouver on Friday night. In spite of how Boston dominated the second and third period, I think that  game three was an anomaly in Vancouver's sprint to the Stanley Cup.

I felt from the beginning that Boston would win a game and the third one was the one that I thought was most likely. The fact that it was 8-1 instead of 2-1 is of little consequence. The wide margin may drive the Canucks to redouble their efforts in game four since a win will give them a chance to clinch on home ice and avoid a second trip to the East coast.

The game was really nasty with a total of 145 penalty minutes that included four ten minute misconducts for each team. This game may have been the pressure release needed for both teams to return to a focus on hockey instead of the extra-curricular activities that have been a big part of the games so far.

Make the jump for game highlights, news and links...

Boston Relieves Frustration with 8-1 Win in Front of their Home Crowd

The Boston Bruins did an abrupt about face on Monday night defeating the Vancouver Canucks 8-1 in their first game on home ice in the Stanley Cup finals. It was one of the uglier games by the end that you would ever see.

Mitch Korn To Stay as Predators' Goaltending Coach

According to a brief post by Josh Cooper on the Tennessean web site, Predators goaltending Coach Mitch Korn will remain with the Predators after his contract expires at the end of the month.

There had been rumors out of Columbus over the weekend that Korn had been approached by the Blue Jackets but had turned them down. We will update with more details as they become available.

Josh gave a later update that said the deal was for three years.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

Preds' Prospect Ryan Ellis Wins OHL's Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy (Press Release)

Ryan Ellis added to his trophy case again today when it was announced that he won the Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy which is given to "the OHL team captain that best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice, with a passion and dedication to the game of hockey and his community that Mickey demonstrated."

Make the jump for the full press release from the OHL...

POTG Monday Headlines, News, and Morning Links

Teams have made combacks in the Stanley Cup Finals after having been down 2-0, but Boston will have their hands full recovering from two very difficult losses where turnovers in the neutral zone led to dramatic game winning goals in the first two games in Vancouver.

I do expect to see the Bruins win one of the two games in Boston but I'm sticking with my prediction of the Canucks hoisting the Cup on home ice on Friday night in game five. Claude Julien clearly does not like playing Western Conference style hockey and he has had more than his share through two games.

Tonight's game three moves to Versus with the pregame beginning at 6:30 p.m. CDT and it should be another close one and should also be the Bruins best chance for a win.

Make the jump for today's news and links...

History Only Needs 11 Seconds (Video)

I'm not sure if being a fan of the game or my growing appreciation of just how good the Vancouver Canucks really are is why I like this video so much.

Make the jump for a video that makes me appreciate Alex Burrows a little more...

Burrows Bites Boston Again in 3-2 Overtime Shocker

In the first game of the Stanley Cup Finals series between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins Alexandre Burrows bit Patrice Bergeron's finger which faced league scrutiny but no suspension. With two off days to digest the non suspension, the media gave it full coverage.

In game two, Burrow bit Boston in a different way. He had the game's opening goal halfway through the opening period on the Canuck power play. The controversy started up anew about whether he should even be playing in the game and not serving a suspension in the press box.

The bigger bite was in overtime when he took a pass from Daniel Sedin in the neutral zone and battled passed Norris Trophy candidate, Zdeno Chara and Vezina favorite Tim Thomas to nail a wrap-around goal eleven seconds into the first overtime period to win the game and give Vancouver a 2-0 series lead.

After Burrows's first goal, Bocton came back to take the lead with two second period goals by Milan Lucic and Mark Recchi on the power play to give them a 2-1 lead heading into the third period.

Vancouver came out in the third period with more determination and out shot Boston 11-5. With 10:35 left in the game Daniel Sedin took a pass from Burrows and scored to tie the game 2-2. Both teams fought hard down the stretch but it took overtime to decide the contest.

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Manny Malhotra played his first game since suffering what was thought to be a season ending eye injury and provided a great lift for the Canucks. He skated 13 shifts and was on the ice for 7:26. He excelled in the face off circle taking six out of seven draws.

Boston responded surprisingly well early on Saturday after suffering the 1-0 defeat in game one on a goal with 18 seconds left in the game. Tonight's shocker may be more difficult to shake off since they did play a better game and out played the Canucks through the first 40 minutes. For two straight games, Boston's intensity fell off in the final period which will not make for a long series if the trend continues.

Game three will be Monday night in Boston at the TD Garden. Vancouver fans may be silently pulling for the Bruins to win at least one game in Boston so they have one more chance to see their beloved Canucks play at home again this year in game five.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

POTG Weekend Headlines, News, and Links

After a long drought of games with game one of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday being the only game in the last week, the pace will return to every other day for the next four games starting tonight in Vancouver. This will be a critical game for both teams.

If Vancouver wins, they will make it a lot harder for Boston to come back and can start to focus on trying to wrap the series up at home in game five if not in Boston.

Boston will have a tough row to hoe if they don't win tonight's game to take away home ice advantage from the Canucks. If they are to have any hope of winning the series against arguably the leagues best team, they have to win this game.

Dan Hamhuis appears to be out with a "lower body"injury but Vancouver has been great at mixing and matching from the nine defensemen that have been used in the playoffs. Game time is at 7 p.m. Central on NBC.

Make the jump for today's News and Links...

Dierks Bentley Releases New Video Inspired by the Stanley Cup Playoffs

I can't say that I am much of a country music fan but this is a pretty neat video put together by Dierks Bentley and the NHL. We give a stick tap to Preds' broadcaster Pete Weber who gave us a heads up that it had been produced.

Bentley's publicist described the video project, "Multi-platinum country music star Dierks Bentley is a longtime hockey fan. Inspired by the Stanley Cup Final, Bentley has released a second music video for his new rowdy sing-a-long party song, “Am I The Only One,” featuring game highlights from the NHL’s 2010-11 season and performance footage from Bentley’s recent tour."

My introduction to knowing who Bentley was came from Ryan Porth's interview for the Fourth Period Magazine a few months ago. Bentley is a hockey fan and plays for a local men's league team when he is in town and is friends with Jordin Tootoo of the Predators.

Contrary to what most people believe about Music City, most of the locals are in fact, not big country fans. The local country music scene is generally fueled by the booming tourist industry.

Make the jump to see the video...

Here is a Unique Realignment Idea From The Chicago Tribune

With all the talk about Nashville, Detroit or Columbus moving to the Eastern Conference in the NHL, Bob Foltman of the Chicago Tribune goes outside the box to take a trip back in time to the four division setup from the 80's when the first two rounds of the playoffs were within the division.

I really like his idea and I'm a sucker for charts and maps. I recommend that you go to the original article here to fully understand the concept. Make the jump to see the map courtesy of the Chicago Tribune...

POTG Friday Headlines, News, and Morning Links

Happy Friday folks! It was a short week but that has only meant that we had four days to do a full week's worth of work. I hope everyone gets to enjoy their weekend.

As is the case in a stretched out Stanley Cup Finals every year, the two day breaks really interupt the rhythm of the every other day games for teams that we have been used to through the first three rounds. It gives us more time to anticipate the next game and for the media to chew on incidents in the last game.

Make the jump for today's news and links that we you find interesting...

Predators Acquire a 2013 Conditional Seventh Round Pick for Taylor Stefishen (Press Release)

I'm sure this is huge news in the Stefishen household but you can definitely tell that the local off-season has set in when I can post an article about a 2013 conditional seventh round pick with a straight face.

Taylor Stefishen left Ohio State after two years involuntarily after having little success but had a decent season this last year in the WHL with 24 goals and 43 assists in 68 games.

He was never signed by the Predators and there probably was not a good place to put him for the coming season nor did they want to sign him and count against the 50 contract limit for the organization.

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Addition: From @JoshuaCooper: The condition in the deal is if Stefishen signs any sort of NHL contract in the next two seasons

Make the jump for all the details from the Predators...

POTG Thursday Headlines, News, and Morning Links

You cant beat last night's 1-0 win by Vancouver over Boston to open the Stanley Cup playoffs. That wasn't the only big story yesterday as Gary Bettman gave his pre-SCF speech and pres conference and Colin Campbell and his replacement Brendan Shanahan appeared at the podium together.

Make the jump for tons of other news and links...

SCF Game One: Canucks 1 Boston 0 - Random Thoughts

Game one of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins was everything it was billed to be after five days of media build-up with no live hockey to discuss.

The game was evenly played for the first two periods but you could see Vancouver getting a bit of an edge in the third period. In almost storybook fashion, Ryan Kesler stole the puck at the blue line and got it to Jannik Hanson who sent it on to an open Raffi Torres who nailed the only goal of the game with 18.5 seconds left.

Make the jump for more random thoughts...

Colin Campbell - Brendan Shanahan Press Conference (Transcript)

In a surprise move earlier today, it was announced that NHL Disciplinarian Colin Campbell is stepping down from that position and handing it over to Brendan Shanahan. Here is the transcript of the press conference where the two appeared courtesy of NHL Media Services...

Gary Bettman's Annual Pre-Stanley Cup Address (Transcript)

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has his annuel pre- Stanley Cup address and press conference to the media gathered in Vancouver. A wide variety of topics were covered. Here is the transcript from NHL Media Services...

POTG Stanley Cup Finals Preview and Predictions

Tonight is the night when the long awaited Stanly Cup Finals get underway when the Boston Bruins travel to Vancouver to face the President Cup winning Canucks.

Many folks think that this will be a long seven game series that comes down to the final play of the game but I don't see that happening. Make the jump to see the reasons why and our final prediction of the year.

POTG SCF Game One Day Headlines, News and Morning Links

Today is the day that hockey fans worldwide look forward to with the last two teams set to do battle in the Stanley Cup Finals. It is always bittersweet since it means that we are between four and seven games away from no meaningful hockey until October.

We have plenty of news from the big announcement from Winnipeg and will have our Stanley Cup Final Preview posted within the hour. If you are looking for podcasts, we were involved in two yesterday. Make the jump for all today's news and links...