Last night's Predator loss to the Blackhawks was frustrating for all involved. The players, coaches, and fans all left the Bridgestone Arena wondering what the team needs to to to get back on the winning track.
The Preds have lost three in a row and have not scored in the last two games. Barry Trotz was shaking his head, "Every time we've had a little bit of a downturn, it's because we haven't been able to finish. A lot of guys competed really hard in a lot of areas. In the face off circle, we were really strong. We finished checks and went to the net hard. We had chances but couldn't find them."
The Predators have found themselves in a position where the breaks are not going their way and are in dire need of something to jump start them and get the pucks going in the goal again. They threw 67 pucks at the net and never found the net.
Barry Trotz summed up where the Predators are, "Tonight was an important game. The funny thing is, the next game is going to be more important, and the game after that is going to be even more important."
The Preds travel to Dallas today and will play the Stars at 1 p.m. tomorrow before returning home for a 2 p.m. Sunday game with Columbus.
Preds-Hawks Wrap-Up...
Here is our game story from last night with post game video.
Josh Cooper had his game story, notes column, and postgame ponderings.
Jim Diamond highlights the play of Jon Blum in his home debut with the Preds.
David Boclair has his story at The City Paper.
From the blog world reports come from Ryan Porth, Amanda DiPaolo, Mark Willoughby, Chris Burton (with his advances stats), and Hockey Night in Nashville.
From the Windy City comes the winning story from Second City Hockey, The Sun Times, The Daily Herald, and the Chicago Tribune.
Audio clips from the Predators include Jerred Smithson, Colin Wilson, Mike Fisher and Shea Weber. From Chicago come Joel Quenneville and Duncan Keith.
In Pred Nation...
The Space Shuttle Discovery made it safely into space yesterday but Pekka Rinne's jersey did not make the scheduled trip. Jim Diamond has been following the story.
Chris Link makes a couple of very valid points at Puck and Punk. I especially agree about forcing the standing O during TV time outs just for the sake of doing it. I think it is losing it's effect already.
The Milwaukee Admirals has Chris Mueller's Rags to Riches story.
View From My Seats gets around to the Central Division Trade Deadline Roundtable and AJ gives the Preds' view.
Rita Mingo at Fanhouse looks at the Predators at the Trade Deadline.
As part of the season ticket renewal package, the Predators confirmed a new jersey for next year.
Around the NHL...
As has been bantered about, Alex Kovalev did get traded to the Pens for a bargain basement sixth or seventh rounder.
In another deal, the Thrashers traded Brent Sopel and Nigel Dawes to the Habs for Ben Maxwell and a fourth round pick.
Carolina was reunited with Cory Stillman after they sent a fifth rounder and Ryan Carter to the Panthers.
Another ex-Pred Dan Ellis (and I assume his butler) was traded to Anaheim since the Ducks are sliding with Jonas Hiller being dizzy.
Ryan Porth re-looks at the current standings with the Olympic point system.
Launy "The" Schwartz from Hockey 54 has is first of many videos to come from the Heritage Classic with new sponsor Booster Juice Canada on board.
Ex-Pred Dam Hamhuis is reconsidering his career in light of his third concussion.
Kevin Allen is keeping a column updated as major trades occur with his analysis.
Steve Lapore has the plans for TSN's TradeCenter show which will give wall to wall coverage on Monday with thirty on air folks.
Finally, for the second time this season UK hockey makes headlines with another big brawl. Check out the video.
Odds and Ends...
Kelly Slater is giving no hints as to whether he will surf a full season and seek his 11th world title as he is in Australia to surf the season opening ASP event.
Droid Life unboxes a Motorola Xoom. It's as close to holding it in your hand as you will see.
It's King Cake season from now until Fat Tuesday on March 8. We still waiting for someone to send us one. Hint, Hint!
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
Showing posts with label nashville predators chicago blackhawks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nashville predators chicago blackhawks. Show all posts
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Predators Lose a Tough One to Chicago 3-0
The Nashville Predators appeared ready to match up with the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night but fell 3-0 at the Bridgestone Arena in front of a sellout crowd of 17,113.
The Predators played a solid game but did not have the ice tilted in their direction. "We had some chances but couldn't find them, " explained Barry Trotz. "There were loose pucks every period that we couldn't get a handle on."
Goals by Tomas Kokecky, Marion Hossa, and an empty netter by Patrick Sharp were all it took for the Hawks to get past the Preds. Cory Crawford stopped all 31 Nashville shots, earning his third shutout of the season.
Pekka Rinne was good enough to win on most nights stopping 22 of 24 Blackhawk shots.
With the win, the Hawks moved into the top eight in the Western Conference playoff race. The loss pushed the Preds into ninth, and out of a playoff position for the first time since January 4. At the end of the game there was six teams with 70 points including the Hawks and the Preds and were spread between fifth and tenth.
As the game started, the Predators came out skating with more purpose and intensity and appeared to have recovered from the third period meltdown on Tuesday. The Hawks managed to take advantage of a Predator defensive breakdown at 17:12 when Kopecky skated into the slot off of the bench on a delayed penalty call. He received the puck from Patrick Shark and put it through the Pred defenders to give Chicago a 1-0 lead.
In spite of the score, the Predators clearly out worked the Hawks during the opening period out shooting then 10-7 but having a wide disparity in the Corsi 23-11.
The Hawks looked like they had scored again at 1:25 into the second period when Ryan Johnson crashed the net and plowed over Rinne. The puck appeared to have trickled into the net but was disallowed on review.
Chicago out shot Nashville 10-9 in the second while the Predators had a slight edge in the Corsi
17-16.
The third period started with a another defensive breakdown for the Preds at 2:35 when Hossa was able to steal the puck off off a weak pass and get free on a breakaway and put the puck past Rinne to put the Hawks up 2-0.
With 5:59 left in the game Colin Wilson appeared to have scored for the Predators but the goal was immediately blown off for illegal contact with the goalie.
The icing on the cake for Chicago was an empty net goal by Sharp with 31 seconds remaining to end the game 3-0.
The Predators never gave up in the final period, out shooting the Hawks 12-8 and leading the Corsi 27-14.
The loss was particularly frustrating for the Predators as it was the best effort that they have had in a week. "I'm looking at the game and you are not happy with a loss," explained Barry Trotz. "I'm looking at our team and there is; A - a good effort, and B - we had that Predator mentality."
"We've got to find a way to win some hockey games. We've got to give some support to Pekka. He can't shut out everybody, every night."
Rinne was disappointed after the game, "We played well and had some some scoring chances but you have to give credit to them. It's a good team right there."
He continued, "Pretty good is not enough right now. We just need to find a way. I don't know what it is. Maybe it is the second effort both offensively and defensively, but it starts with everybody. We have a strong group here and we just have to stick together."
Jon Blum played his second consecutive strong game and appears to be in a position to play he way off of the blue line. "There's no way I wouldn't play him if he continues to play like that," said Trotz after the game.
Jerred Smithson summed it up well, "They're a lot of good hockey teams out there out there who are battling just like we are. It's going to take everyone's A-game every single night and we've just got to get it done."
The schedule does not get any easier for the Predators as they will leave on Friday to go to Dallas where they will play the Stars in a 1 p.m. matinee on Saturday before returning home for a special 2 p.m. start against the Blue Jackets on Sunday.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
Predators Hope to Rebound Against Blackhawks and Thursday Thoughts
The Nashville Predators (31-21-8) are coming off one of the most horrendous periods of hockey of the season at Columbus on Tuesday to face the defending World Champion Chicago Blackhawks (31-23-6) at the Bridgestone Arena tonight at 7 p.m.
While a win in tonight's game is critical to staying in the top eight in the West, the Preds also need to do something to jump start the team and move in a positive direction after two very poor outings against Columbus and Phoenix. It has now been a calendar week since the team looked very inspired on the ice for more than a few shifts.
The Preds are expected to have Ryan Suter and Sergei Kostitsyn back in the line up after each missed Tuesday's game due to injuries suffered in last Saturday's game with Phoenix. Barry Trotz also indicated that Jon Blum could remain in the line up as he was pleased with Tuesday's performance.
The Blackhawks expect to have Head Coach Joel Quenneville back on the bench tonight after he has been out for over a week when he was hospitalized with a bleeding ulcer.
Tonight's game will be the last of the Predators and Hawks six game season series. The Predators currently have a 3-2 lead in games this year. Nashville won 3-2 on October 13, 4-3 on November 13 in a shoot out, and 3-2 on January 15 also in a shoot out. Chicago won 4-1 on December 22 and 6-3 on January 16.
Nashville has been very inconsistent since the All-Star break going 4-4-2, mixing exceptionable efforts and real groaners in the process. The Hawks have been a bit better going 5-3-2 during the same period.
Heading in to the game, Nashville has 70 points (7th) and Chicago has 68 (9th) as both teams are mired in the Western Conference logjam of seven teams that are within two points and are ranked fifth through eleventh.
Pekka Rinne (21-16-6, 2.14, .928) is expected to start in goal for the Predators while potential Calder Trophy candidate Cory Crawford (20-12-3, 2.17, .921) has settled in to the number one goalies slot for the Hawks.
After tonight's game, the Predators will face a quick trip to Dallas for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday before they return home for a special 2 p.m. start on Sunday at the Bridgestone Arena.
Other Predator previews come from Amanda DiPaolo, Chris Burton, The Tennessean, Hockey Night in Nashville, and Predators.com.
From the Windy City comes previews from Second City Hockey, The Sun Times, The Daily Herald, and the Chicago Tribune.
Here are the NHL Game Notes for tonight's game.
Programming Note...
Ryan Porth at RLD Radio scored a major coup with TSN's Darren Dreger appearing on yesterday's show during trade deadline week. John Forslund, the voice of the Canes and a regular at Versus was also on. We had a couple of technical glitches in the abbreviated show but it is well worth a listen.
In Pred Nation...
Josh Cooper has hints about the message Barry Trotz has been delivering since Tuesday's loss at Columbus. Josh also has a story about Jon Blum wanting to stick in the NHL and a notes column.
The Predators put Marek Svatos on waivers yesterday and we should know at 11 a.m. today if he clears or is claimed by another team. No explanation was given but it appears that the Preds are clearing a roster spot for a potential trade or for a returning injured player. Jeremy Gover at Section 303 has his take on the move.
David Boclair talked to Steve Sullivan about his frustrations with wearing a mask or a cage.
Here is an interesting tidbit from the calendar from @diamondhockey: Preds are scheduled to wear their white jerseys at home tomorrow night.
Anders Lindback had a much better game last night in Milwaukee's 6-1 win over Oklahoma CIthy that extended their Western Conference lead to four points.
The NHL Examiner takes a look at the Predators at the 60 game mark.
Shea Weber is getting plenty of exposure in the area with his picture being featured om Mountain Dew and Orange Crush cans. Each can is worth six dollars off a ticket to a Preds game.
Here is Josh Cooper's chat replay from yesterday.
Around the NHL...
Yesterday's Dreger Report indicates that Dallas could have Brad Richards in play. As discussed on yesterday's RLD Radio with Dreger, there are many complications and moving parts on a deal being done.
Phoenix's eight game win streak came to an end in Tampa last night in an 8-3 loss highlighted by a Teddy Purcell hat trick.
Puck Daddy does yeoman's work in ranking the top 20 all time deadline deals. David Legwand even makes the list.
With Jonas Hiller still having dizziness, Ray Emery has been recalled to the Anaheim Ducks. Here are his new mask and pads which are interesting.
All parties appear to be in denial but there are indications that the NHL could stream games over YouTube at some point.
I was not that excited about the Heritage Classic and even less so after the game turned out to be such a groaner. Since then, I've seen a bunch of on the scene reports like this one that made me reconsider my negativity.
Patrick Hoffman interviews our friend Chris Wassel at Kukla's Korner.
Ryan Porth is intrigued with he storyline of the Devils making the playoffs. I keep telling him that it will not happen.
The NHL wheel of justice spins again with a two game suspension for Scottie Upshall for a hit on Oskars Bartulis. Here is a video of the hit.
Odds and Ends...
The Space Shuttle Discovery is slated for its last launch today at 3:50 p.m. Central. Go here for updates and video.
So QR codes are finally taking off. Here are tips to use them effectively.
Chaco Culture Park celebrated 75 years of weather station data on February 10. It got down to -26 degrees a couple of days after we were there last month.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
While a win in tonight's game is critical to staying in the top eight in the West, the Preds also need to do something to jump start the team and move in a positive direction after two very poor outings against Columbus and Phoenix. It has now been a calendar week since the team looked very inspired on the ice for more than a few shifts.
The Preds are expected to have Ryan Suter and Sergei Kostitsyn back in the line up after each missed Tuesday's game due to injuries suffered in last Saturday's game with Phoenix. Barry Trotz also indicated that Jon Blum could remain in the line up as he was pleased with Tuesday's performance.
The Blackhawks expect to have Head Coach Joel Quenneville back on the bench tonight after he has been out for over a week when he was hospitalized with a bleeding ulcer.
Tonight's game will be the last of the Predators and Hawks six game season series. The Predators currently have a 3-2 lead in games this year. Nashville won 3-2 on October 13, 4-3 on November 13 in a shoot out, and 3-2 on January 15 also in a shoot out. Chicago won 4-1 on December 22 and 6-3 on January 16.
Nashville has been very inconsistent since the All-Star break going 4-4-2, mixing exceptionable efforts and real groaners in the process. The Hawks have been a bit better going 5-3-2 during the same period.
Heading in to the game, Nashville has 70 points (7th) and Chicago has 68 (9th) as both teams are mired in the Western Conference logjam of seven teams that are within two points and are ranked fifth through eleventh.
Pekka Rinne (21-16-6, 2.14, .928) is expected to start in goal for the Predators while potential Calder Trophy candidate Cory Crawford (20-12-3, 2.17, .921) has settled in to the number one goalies slot for the Hawks.
After tonight's game, the Predators will face a quick trip to Dallas for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday before they return home for a special 2 p.m. start on Sunday at the Bridgestone Arena.
Other Predator previews come from Amanda DiPaolo, Chris Burton, The Tennessean, Hockey Night in Nashville, and Predators.com.
From the Windy City comes previews from Second City Hockey, The Sun Times, The Daily Herald, and the Chicago Tribune.
Here are the NHL Game Notes for tonight's game.
Programming Note...
Ryan Porth at RLD Radio scored a major coup with TSN's Darren Dreger appearing on yesterday's show during trade deadline week. John Forslund, the voice of the Canes and a regular at Versus was also on. We had a couple of technical glitches in the abbreviated show but it is well worth a listen.
Listen to internet radio with Ryan Porth on Blog Talk Radio
In Pred Nation...
Josh Cooper has hints about the message Barry Trotz has been delivering since Tuesday's loss at Columbus. Josh also has a story about Jon Blum wanting to stick in the NHL and a notes column.
The Predators put Marek Svatos on waivers yesterday and we should know at 11 a.m. today if he clears or is claimed by another team. No explanation was given but it appears that the Preds are clearing a roster spot for a potential trade or for a returning injured player. Jeremy Gover at Section 303 has his take on the move.
David Boclair talked to Steve Sullivan about his frustrations with wearing a mask or a cage.
Here is an interesting tidbit from the calendar from @diamondhockey: Preds are scheduled to wear their white jerseys at home tomorrow night.
Anders Lindback had a much better game last night in Milwaukee's 6-1 win over Oklahoma CIthy that extended their Western Conference lead to four points.
The NHL Examiner takes a look at the Predators at the 60 game mark.
Shea Weber is getting plenty of exposure in the area with his picture being featured om Mountain Dew and Orange Crush cans. Each can is worth six dollars off a ticket to a Preds game.
Here is Josh Cooper's chat replay from yesterday.
Around the NHL...
Yesterday's Dreger Report indicates that Dallas could have Brad Richards in play. As discussed on yesterday's RLD Radio with Dreger, there are many complications and moving parts on a deal being done.
Phoenix's eight game win streak came to an end in Tampa last night in an 8-3 loss highlighted by a Teddy Purcell hat trick.
Puck Daddy does yeoman's work in ranking the top 20 all time deadline deals. David Legwand even makes the list.
With Jonas Hiller still having dizziness, Ray Emery has been recalled to the Anaheim Ducks. Here are his new mask and pads which are interesting.
All parties appear to be in denial but there are indications that the NHL could stream games over YouTube at some point.
I was not that excited about the Heritage Classic and even less so after the game turned out to be such a groaner. Since then, I've seen a bunch of on the scene reports like this one that made me reconsider my negativity.
Patrick Hoffman interviews our friend Chris Wassel at Kukla's Korner.
Ryan Porth is intrigued with he storyline of the Devils making the playoffs. I keep telling him that it will not happen.
The NHL wheel of justice spins again with a two game suspension for Scottie Upshall for a hit on Oskars Bartulis. Here is a video of the hit.
Odds and Ends...
The Space Shuttle Discovery is slated for its last launch today at 3:50 p.m. Central. Go here for updates and video.
So QR codes are finally taking off. Here are tips to use them effectively.
Chaco Culture Park celebrated 75 years of weather station data on February 10. It got down to -26 degrees a couple of days after we were there last month.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
Monday, January 17, 2011
Predators Continue Road Trip and Monday's Weekend Wrap-Up
Note: No POTG Radio Tonight
The two Predator games against the Chicago Blackhawks over the weekend were interesting in their comparisons and contrasts between the two teams. Both were played to sellout crowds that were loud an boisterous. Both featured third period comebacks/collapses where the home team won.
On the other side of the coin, the Blackhawks are the defensing Stanley Cup Champions loaded with stars, while the Preds have yet to win a first round playoff series and are loaded mostly with players that the average NHL fan has never hear of before.
At the end of the day on Sunday, the bottom line is that a split is probably what both teams were hoping for heading into the weekend. The teams are now tied with 54 points with the Preds owning fifth place in the Western Conference due to having played two less games than the Hawks.
For the season, the Preds have stood toe to toe with Chicago and have a 3-2 series lead with one game remaining in Nashville next month.
The injury to Frankie Bouillon is worrisome because it appears that he could have hit his head on the glass and Predator fans do not even want to think of another player suffering a concussion. It will be good to hear a diagnosis at some point today.
Matt Halischuk played his first game as a Predator and committed no grievous errors in his 9:48 minutes on the ice. He was actually a plus one for the night.
Shea Weber extended his point streak to nine games on his assist on the first Dumont goal. Chris Mueller got his first NHL point in the effort too.
So now it's time to forget about the weekend games and head to Glendale where the Predators can pass the Coyotes and move into fourth place with a win. That will be no small task as Phoenix has won four in a row and are 7-1-2 in their last ten games.
Sunday's Preds-Hawks Round-Up...
Here is our game story from last night and also news of the Thuresson- Halischuk swap.
The Tennessean used the AP story from last night but Josh Cooper picked up some quotes from Chicago.
David Boclair has his story at The City Paper.
From the blog world reports come from Amanda DiPaolo, Mark Willoughby, and Dirk Hoag (with his advances stats).
From the Windy City comes previews from Second City Hockey, The Sun Times, The Daily Herald, and the Chicago Tribune.
Saturday's Preds-Hawks Round-Up...
Here is our game story from Saturday night with post game video. I also had an addendum yesterday with three other thoughts.
Josh Cooper had his game story, notes column, and postgame ponderings.
Jim Diamond has the odd story of Joel Ward having Corey Crawfords stick stuck in his skates.
David Boclair had his story at The City Paper.
From the blog world reports come from Ryan Porth, Amanda DiPaolo, Mark Willoughby, Dirk Hoag (with his advances stats), Jeremy Gover, and Hockey Night in Nashville.
The Predators released audio from Pekka Rinne (Part one and two), Jerred Smithson, and Joel Ward. From Chicago, the spoke with Corey Crawford, Jonathan Toews, and Joel Quenneville.
From Chicago game stories can be found at Second City Hockey, The Sun Times, The Daily Herald, and the Chicago Tribune.
In Pred Nation...
The Buffalo News has a really nice feature story about Chris Mueller who got his first NHL point last night with an assist on J P Dumont's second goal.
David Boclair has a story about two original Predators who got their NHL break with the expansion Nashville Predators in 1998..
Dirk Hoag moves a reader post to the front page that verifies my thoughts on the Preds being an incredibly streaky team. This is really well done.
Jay Levin hands out the first half awards for the Predators.
Amanda DiPaolo takes a look at the return of Marty Erat after missing nine games with an upper body injury.
On Saturday, the Preds had a "limited edition" jersey up for bid at the auction table. Icethetics speculated that it may be next year's road jersey. A second story has a note from a Reebok catalog that indicates changes are in store for the Preds next year.
Around the NHL...
Teemu Selanne picked up two goals in Anaheim's 3-2 win over the Oilers and surpassed the 1300 point mark for his career.
It looks like the 2011 NHL Premiere Games will be held in six different European cities and will involve the Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and Washington Capitals.
Tim Chipp has the mid season awards VFMS-style.
Steve Kendall has a crystal ball at The Hockey Writers and looks at the season's second half.
The Toronto Maple Leafs' rebuilding effort is in a tough position as explained by John Grigg,
Finally, I didn't realize that Mennonites played hockey.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Chicago Gets Payback on the Predators in 6-3 Comeback Win
The Chicago Blackhawks felt that turnabout was fair play. Saturday night, the Predators came from behind to win 3-2 in a shoot out in Nashville. On Sunday, the Hawks scored four goals in a row in the last eleven minutes of the game to forge a 6-3 comeback victory over the Preds.
The Predators were playing with five defensemen for most of the game and Chicago simply overpowered the Predators in the final period out shooting them 18-5 and completely wore the Preds down firing shots from everywhere, leading 28-8 in the Corsi.
Chicago got two goals each from Troy Brouwer and Dave Bolland. They also got single goals from Jonathan Toews and Bryan Bickell. The Predators got two goals from J. P. Dumont and a single goal from Marty Erat.
Both teams came out with different netminders from Saturday's game. Marty Turco got the win, stopping 20 of 23 Predator shots. Anders Lindback may have had the worst game of his NHL career, giving up six goals on 34 Chicago shots.
Injuries continued to mount for the Predators when he was boarded by Brouwer just 7:30 into the game. The injury was considered "upper body" and he was unable to return to the game cause the defense to play with five men for the majority of the contest. Ryan Suter logged 32:43 minutes while Shea Weber had 29:40.
The Predators started the game with the same intensity as they finished last night's game. Jonathan Toews was called for holding 16 seconds into the game. At 2:04 Cody Franson fired a shot from near the blue line and Turco bobbled the puck which allowed Erat to get a power play goal into an empty net to put the Preds up 1-0 early in the contest.
The Blackhawks came back to tie the game 1-1 at 6:38 in the first when the Predators had trouble getting the puck out of their zone and Bickell drew Lindback to his right with a shot and Bolland grabbed the puck and put it in the net behind Lindback.
The Predators came back with another power play goal at 14:15 when Shea Weber fired a bomb from the blue line that was partially stopped by Brian Campbell. Dumont picked up the loose puck and put it past Turco to give the Preds a 2-1 lead. The man advantage was a result of Duncan Keith holding Joel Ward at 13:35.
The first period ended with the Preds out shooting the Blackhawks 8-6 with half of Nashville's shots coming on the power play.
The Predators continued to play well in the second period but were unable to convert on several chances early. It came back to haunt them at 11:58 when David Legwand threw a lazy cross ice pass that was intercepted by Tomas Kopecky who passed to Bolland who skated through Ryan Suter and put the puck past Lindback to tie the game 2-2.
Shots were tied at ten apiece for the second period. The loss was of Bouillon was causing some huge minutes with Suter having 23:16 and Weber having 20:31 through two periods.
The Preds took a 3-2 lead at 3:45 in the third on shot off of the faceoff by Dumont. Chris Mueller won the draw and Dumont surprised Turco by blowing it directly into the net.
Ryan Suter was called for holding Patrick Sharp at 8:38. On the ensuing man advantage, Duncan Keith ripped a shot from the blue line that Lindback could not grab and Brouwer flipped it into the net to retie the game at three at 9:19.
Forty seconds later Brouwer scored again to put the Hawks ahead for the first time in the contest. Toews did a good job of screening Lindback and Brouwer simply skated across the crease and sent the puck directly into the net.
The Predators tried to regroup but before the could they allowed Bicknell skate into the slot unencumbered where he took a pass from Brian Campbell from behind the net and put it past Lindback to make it 5-3 Chicago.
The icing on the cake for the Hawks was Toew's 100th career goal at 16:25 that was unassisted. Chicago's sixth goal was the season high against the Predators this season.
With the win, both teams now have 54 points but the Predators have played two less games so they hang on to fifth place in the tough Western Conference race.
The Predators left after the game and headed to the desert where they will play the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday at the Jobbing.com arena at 8 p.m. Central.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
The Predators were playing with five defensemen for most of the game and Chicago simply overpowered the Predators in the final period out shooting them 18-5 and completely wore the Preds down firing shots from everywhere, leading 28-8 in the Corsi.
Chicago got two goals each from Troy Brouwer and Dave Bolland. They also got single goals from Jonathan Toews and Bryan Bickell. The Predators got two goals from J. P. Dumont and a single goal from Marty Erat.
Both teams came out with different netminders from Saturday's game. Marty Turco got the win, stopping 20 of 23 Predator shots. Anders Lindback may have had the worst game of his NHL career, giving up six goals on 34 Chicago shots.
Injuries continued to mount for the Predators when he was boarded by Brouwer just 7:30 into the game. The injury was considered "upper body" and he was unable to return to the game cause the defense to play with five men for the majority of the contest. Ryan Suter logged 32:43 minutes while Shea Weber had 29:40.
The Predators started the game with the same intensity as they finished last night's game. Jonathan Toews was called for holding 16 seconds into the game. At 2:04 Cody Franson fired a shot from near the blue line and Turco bobbled the puck which allowed Erat to get a power play goal into an empty net to put the Preds up 1-0 early in the contest.
The Blackhawks came back to tie the game 1-1 at 6:38 in the first when the Predators had trouble getting the puck out of their zone and Bickell drew Lindback to his right with a shot and Bolland grabbed the puck and put it in the net behind Lindback.
The Predators came back with another power play goal at 14:15 when Shea Weber fired a bomb from the blue line that was partially stopped by Brian Campbell. Dumont picked up the loose puck and put it past Turco to give the Preds a 2-1 lead. The man advantage was a result of Duncan Keith holding Joel Ward at 13:35.
The first period ended with the Preds out shooting the Blackhawks 8-6 with half of Nashville's shots coming on the power play.
The Predators continued to play well in the second period but were unable to convert on several chances early. It came back to haunt them at 11:58 when David Legwand threw a lazy cross ice pass that was intercepted by Tomas Kopecky who passed to Bolland who skated through Ryan Suter and put the puck past Lindback to tie the game 2-2.
Shots were tied at ten apiece for the second period. The loss was of Bouillon was causing some huge minutes with Suter having 23:16 and Weber having 20:31 through two periods.
The Preds took a 3-2 lead at 3:45 in the third on shot off of the faceoff by Dumont. Chris Mueller won the draw and Dumont surprised Turco by blowing it directly into the net.
Ryan Suter was called for holding Patrick Sharp at 8:38. On the ensuing man advantage, Duncan Keith ripped a shot from the blue line that Lindback could not grab and Brouwer flipped it into the net to retie the game at three at 9:19.
Forty seconds later Brouwer scored again to put the Hawks ahead for the first time in the contest. Toews did a good job of screening Lindback and Brouwer simply skated across the crease and sent the puck directly into the net.
The Predators tried to regroup but before the could they allowed Bicknell skate into the slot unencumbered where he took a pass from Brian Campbell from behind the net and put it past Lindback to make it 5-3 Chicago.
The icing on the cake for the Hawks was Toew's 100th career goal at 16:25 that was unassisted. Chicago's sixth goal was the season high against the Predators this season.
With the win, both teams now have 54 points but the Predators have played two less games so they hang on to fifth place in the tough Western Conference race.
The Predators left after the game and headed to the desert where they will play the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday at the Jobbing.com arena at 8 p.m. Central.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
Three Thoughts About the Predators on A Sunday Morning
In reflecting back on last night's Predators-Blackhawks game, three things come to mind that were not covered in our game story from last night.
Before the game when I arrived about 5:30, the crowd of folks outside the Bridgestone Arena was mostly made up of folks looking for tickets as opposed to selling. Based on the limited number of tickets available on the street, this was easily the hardest sell out of the season.
Secondly, there was a play at the end of the second period that may have been the turning point in the game that received little press after the game. With the Hawks up 2-0 and on the power play at the end of the second period, the Predators were at their lowest point of the game, Patrick Sharp got the puck to the right of the Preds' net and had an open shot at the net but passed instead.
I asked Pekka Rinne what happened and he said, "I don't know, you'll have to ask him. I thought so too. He has the empty net and I was just preparing to try to dive there and get something in front. Then he passed and I didn't even have to make the save."
Had the taken the clear shot and scored, it would have been 3-0 and probably "game, set, match" as Barry Trotz likes to say.
A final thought was about a play that may have been Cody Franson's coming of age moment in his career. At 7:43 in the third period when the Predators were gaining momentum, Franson was stick handling the puck through the Chicago zone and being hounded by Jordan Hendry.
Franson finally had enough and with a quick shove sent Hendry flying and out of the play. There was a TV time out after it but it was the first sign of life from the crowd since the first period. This was a building block that made the crowd take notice and really start to come alive with Jerred Smithson's goal a couple of minutes later.
For Franson, it was unusual physicality and a sign of the potential that is there when he decides to take the next step and use his size to become more Weber-like in his game.
The Predators play Chicago again tonight at the United Center at 6 p.m. Central. Yesterday's game preview would be valid again today. There is no word as to who will be in goal for each team, but it should be a level playing field with both teams being equally tired from last nights action.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
Before the game when I arrived about 5:30, the crowd of folks outside the Bridgestone Arena was mostly made up of folks looking for tickets as opposed to selling. Based on the limited number of tickets available on the street, this was easily the hardest sell out of the season.
Secondly, there was a play at the end of the second period that may have been the turning point in the game that received little press after the game. With the Hawks up 2-0 and on the power play at the end of the second period, the Predators were at their lowest point of the game, Patrick Sharp got the puck to the right of the Preds' net and had an open shot at the net but passed instead.
I asked Pekka Rinne what happened and he said, "I don't know, you'll have to ask him. I thought so too. He has the empty net and I was just preparing to try to dive there and get something in front. Then he passed and I didn't even have to make the save."
Had the taken the clear shot and scored, it would have been 3-0 and probably "game, set, match" as Barry Trotz likes to say.
A final thought was about a play that may have been Cody Franson's coming of age moment in his career. At 7:43 in the third period when the Predators were gaining momentum, Franson was stick handling the puck through the Chicago zone and being hounded by Jordan Hendry.
Franson finally had enough and with a quick shove sent Hendry flying and out of the play. There was a TV time out after it but it was the first sign of life from the crowd since the first period. This was a building block that made the crowd take notice and really start to come alive with Jerred Smithson's goal a couple of minutes later.
For Franson, it was unusual physicality and a sign of the potential that is there when he decides to take the next step and use his size to become more Weber-like in his game.
The Predators play Chicago again tonight at the United Center at 6 p.m. Central. Yesterday's game preview would be valid again today. There is no word as to who will be in goal for each team, but it should be a level playing field with both teams being equally tired from last nights action.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Crowd Inspires Predators to 3-2 Comeback Win over the Chicago Blackhawks
The Nashville Predators were inspired by their "Seventh Man" crowd to come from behind and defeat the Chicago Blackhawks in a 3-2 shoot out victory on Saturday night at the Bridgestone Arena.
Chicago forged ahead on goals by Tomas Kopecky and Viktor Stalberg and carried a 2-0 lead deep into the third period. The Preds showed signs of life when Jerred Smithson scored their first goal. Moments later, during a TV timeout the crowd spurred the team and Shea Weber to a goal three seconds after the next face off.
After a scoreless overtime period, Marcel Goc scored the only goal in the shoot out to seal the win for the Predators.
Pekka Rinne appeared to fight the puck for most of the game but came up big when the team needed him the most in the second and third periods. For the game, he stopped 31 of 33 shots and all three chances in the shoot out.
Corey Crawford appeared to be on the way to his third shut out in a row before the Preds scored. For the game, he stopped 24 of 26 Predator shots.
While there is no provision on the three stars of the game for the crowd, everyone gave full credit to the fans. Joel Ward said, "It was big. We knew we had to get one just to kind of get people on his feet and get going again. We did get one and then that transpired into a momentum swing."
Marty Erat added, "It's always great when you have the crowd behind you. If you don't have the edge the crowd makes you go every shift. It's great when you can feed off the crowd."
Before the puck drop, the noise generated by the Blackhawk fans in attendance during the national anthem was a preview of the intensity that was to come. The crowd was heavily represented with Chicago fans that gave the Bridgestone Arena the feel of the rivalry that has developed between the two teams.
Chicago got on the board first at 14:59 when Kopecky scored on a power play from the slot when he made a move toward the net past a pair of Preds and flipped the puck over Rinne. The Hawks man advantage came from Patric Hornqvist boarding Jack Skille at 13:15.
The first period ended with Chicago having a 9-7 shot advantage while Nashville led the Corsi 17-14. It was a fast moving period with only 17 stoppages.
The Blackhawks made it a 2-0 game at 4:29 in the second period when Chicago stole the puck on a Predator breakout and Stalberg hit Rinne in the back from behind the net and the puck fell into the goal.
The Blackhawks dominated the second period, out shooting the Preds 14-5 and leading the Corsi 19-10. Rinne appeared to really be fighting the puck and was not getting much help from his defenders in keeping shots off the net.
The Predators made several adjustments between the second and third periods and received a firm talk from Coach Barry Trotz.
As a result, the Predators came out playing more inspired hockey in the third period. At 9:46, the Preds got on the scoreboard when Nick Spaling sent a pass to Smithson who put the puck past Crawford to pull the Preds within one at 2-1.
The crowd had been laying dormant since the first Chicago goal. The TV time out at 7:43 produced a patented Predator fans standing ovation for the length of the time out. Immediately after play resumed, Weber put the puck into the net to tie the game 2-2. An assist should have been awarded to the sell out crowd of 17,113.
The statistics showed the Predators' improvement in the final period as they out shot the Hawks 13-7 and led the Corsi 22-13.
During the overtime, the Hawks out shot the Preds 3-1 that included a game saving breakaway stop by Rinne on Patrick Sharp with 1:28 left on the clock.
In the shoot out, Jonathan Towes, Patrick Kane, and Patrick Sharp missed for the Hawks while Marty Erat was unsuccessful for the Preds.
Marty Erat returned after being out nine games with an upper body injury and played a surprising 16:10. "It felt good for a little bit but after that I was trying to keep it short and keep the energy high," said Erat. "In the third period it was tough to play."
Marek Svatos was out of the game and Trotz indicated that he was "nicked up" in the last game and would also be out of Sunday's contest.
Both teams left immediately after the game and will meet again tomorrow in Chicago at the United Center at 6 p.m. Central.
Notes: Phil Bredesen and his wife Andrea Conte left the Tennessee Governor's office today and noon and spent their fist night as a private citizen in eight years at the Predators game... A guy that was a dead ringer for Zach Garifalakis attracted plenty of attention in the stands.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
Predators and Blackhawks Set For Two and Saturday Links
Fifth place in the Western Conference and second place in the Central Division will will be at stake tonight and on Sunday when the Nashville Predators (24-14-6) and the Chicago Blackhawks (24-18-3) play in Nashville and then Chicago on back to back nights.
The Predators have won two of three games against the current Stanley Cup Champion Blackawks this year after losing to them in six games in the opening round of last year's playoff series.
In the Predators second game of the year, the team went into the United Center with Anders Lindback making his first start and stole a 3-2 win from the Hawks when Joel Ward scored the tiebreaker on the power play with 27 seconds remaining in the game.
On November 13, the Predators beat the Hawks in Nashville 4-3 when Cal O'Reilly scored the only goal in the shootout. Pekka Rinne was the winning goalie and perfect in the shootout.
The Preds lost to the Hawks 4-1 on December 22 in Chicago. The Hawks were led with two goals by Jack Skille, including one on the power play that proved to be the game winner. Sergei Kostitsyn had the only goal for Nashville. Anders Lindback gave up four goals on 35 Chicago shots and took the loss.
The Predators will have a couple of new faces in the lineup tonight. Marty Erat will return after missing nine games after he was injured on December 23. Alexander Sulzer will start in place of Shane O'Brien who was suspended by the NHL for two games for a high sticking violation in Florida on Thursday.
The goalie match tonight will be Pekka Rinne (13-11-4, 2.15, .927) for the Preds and Cory Crawford (15-8-1, 2,14, .920) for Chicago. I would not be surprised to see Anders Lindback (10-3-2, 2.36, .922) and Marty Turco (9-19-2, 3.02, .899) for the rematch in Chicago tomorrow.
Special teams will be big in tonight's contest but there may be few opportunities as Nashville (9.3) is second in the league in fewest penalties and Chicago (9.9) is fourth. The Hawks (24.4%) are first in the league on the power play while the Preds (are second (86.0%) on the penalty kill.
When it goes the other way, the Preds (14.5%) are 26th on the man advantage while the Hawks (77.6%) are 27th on the kill. It will be interesting to see how the strengths and weaknesses match up in this weekend's pair of games.
The Preds have the second lowest goals allowed average in the league at 2.30 and are even better at home (2.00) Individually, Shea Weber brings a seven game point streak (2g, 9a) into the games.
The game tonight at the Bridgestone arena begins at 7 p.m. and is a sellout. Tomorrow's game at the United Center in Chicago begins at 6 p.m. and is the first game of six over the next ten days on the road.
Other previews come from Ryan Porth, Amanda DiPaolo, Chris Burton, Hockey Night in Nashville, and Predators.com.
From the Windy City comes previews from Second City Hockey, The Sun Times, The Daily Herald, and the Chicago Tribune.
In Pred Nation...
Josh Cooper looks at the strains of the upcoming six game road swing.
Section 303 has a new edition of the 303:30 that you can listen to here.
Dirk Hoag has his weekend links with several to last night's college game at The Bridge.
Rads update from @dchesnokov: #KHL starting lineup (voted in by fans) Team Jagr: Karri Ramo, Martin Skoula, Ilya Nikulin, Roman Cervenka & Alexander Radulov.
Mark Willoughby prefers the finger over a smile at this week's My View.
The Hockey News has their mid-season report on the Central Division and has raised their expectations for the Predators.
The Preds are ready to stamp out bullies and not just on the ice. The Tennessean has the story.
Around the NHL...
The Wings lost Tomas Holmstrom to a broken hand and Jimmy Howard to a bruised knee in their 3-2 shoot0out loss in Columbus last night.
Here's a recap from Matt Reitz's PuckChat sessions this week.
Odds and Ends...
Breaking news for fans of The Office. Michael is leaving before the end of the season, not in the finale as had been speculated.
Jim Diamond found this nugget about a "Phonenapper" in Cool Springs that held a phone hostage and then got in a fight with an officer at Chilies.
One of my favorite web sites has had a complete make-over with plenty of pictures and graphics. Check out Space.com.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
The Predators have won two of three games against the current Stanley Cup Champion Blackawks this year after losing to them in six games in the opening round of last year's playoff series.
In the Predators second game of the year, the team went into the United Center with Anders Lindback making his first start and stole a 3-2 win from the Hawks when Joel Ward scored the tiebreaker on the power play with 27 seconds remaining in the game.
On November 13, the Predators beat the Hawks in Nashville 4-3 when Cal O'Reilly scored the only goal in the shootout. Pekka Rinne was the winning goalie and perfect in the shootout.
The Preds lost to the Hawks 4-1 on December 22 in Chicago. The Hawks were led with two goals by Jack Skille, including one on the power play that proved to be the game winner. Sergei Kostitsyn had the only goal for Nashville. Anders Lindback gave up four goals on 35 Chicago shots and took the loss.
The Predators will have a couple of new faces in the lineup tonight. Marty Erat will return after missing nine games after he was injured on December 23. Alexander Sulzer will start in place of Shane O'Brien who was suspended by the NHL for two games for a high sticking violation in Florida on Thursday.
The goalie match tonight will be Pekka Rinne (13-11-4, 2.15, .927) for the Preds and Cory Crawford (15-8-1, 2,14, .920) for Chicago. I would not be surprised to see Anders Lindback (10-3-2, 2.36, .922) and Marty Turco (9-19-2, 3.02, .899) for the rematch in Chicago tomorrow.
Special teams will be big in tonight's contest but there may be few opportunities as Nashville (9.3) is second in the league in fewest penalties and Chicago (9.9) is fourth. The Hawks (24.4%) are first in the league on the power play while the Preds (are second (86.0%) on the penalty kill.
When it goes the other way, the Preds (14.5%) are 26th on the man advantage while the Hawks (77.6%) are 27th on the kill. It will be interesting to see how the strengths and weaknesses match up in this weekend's pair of games.
The Preds have the second lowest goals allowed average in the league at 2.30 and are even better at home (2.00) Individually, Shea Weber brings a seven game point streak (2g, 9a) into the games.
The game tonight at the Bridgestone arena begins at 7 p.m. and is a sellout. Tomorrow's game at the United Center in Chicago begins at 6 p.m. and is the first game of six over the next ten days on the road.
Other previews come from Ryan Porth, Amanda DiPaolo, Chris Burton, Hockey Night in Nashville, and Predators.com.
From the Windy City comes previews from Second City Hockey, The Sun Times, The Daily Herald, and the Chicago Tribune.
In Pred Nation...
Josh Cooper looks at the strains of the upcoming six game road swing.
Section 303 has a new edition of the 303:30 that you can listen to here.
Dirk Hoag has his weekend links with several to last night's college game at The Bridge.
Rads update from @dchesnokov: #KHL starting lineup (voted in by fans) Team Jagr: Karri Ramo, Martin Skoula, Ilya Nikulin, Roman Cervenka & Alexander Radulov.
Mark Willoughby prefers the finger over a smile at this week's My View.
The Hockey News has their mid-season report on the Central Division and has raised their expectations for the Predators.
The Preds are ready to stamp out bullies and not just on the ice. The Tennessean has the story.
Around the NHL...
The Wings lost Tomas Holmstrom to a broken hand and Jimmy Howard to a bruised knee in their 3-2 shoot0out loss in Columbus last night.
Here's a recap from Matt Reitz's PuckChat sessions this week.
Odds and Ends...
Breaking news for fans of The Office. Michael is leaving before the end of the season, not in the finale as had been speculated.
Jim Diamond found this nugget about a "Phonenapper" in Cool Springs that held a phone hostage and then got in a fight with an officer at Chilies.
One of my favorite web sites has had a complete make-over with plenty of pictures and graphics. Check out Space.com.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Predators Lose 4-1 in Chicago
The Chicago Blackhawks easily defeated the Nashville Predators 4-1 at the United Center on Wednesday night in a game where the Predators found it difficult to compete at times.
The Hawks were led with two goals by Jack Skille, including one on the power play that proved to be the game winner. Chicago's other goals came from Dave Bolland and Bryan Bickell. Bolland added an assist for a two point night and Duncan Keith added two assists.
The Predators lone goal came from Sergei Kostitsyn on a tip from Marty Erat late in the game.
Corey Crawford was the winner in net, stopping all but one of 25 Predator shots. Anders Lindback gave up four goals on 35 Chicago shots in his second unimpressive performance in a row.
The first period was a well played physical period by both teams. The Predators has a major lapse in their defensive zone that resulted in a Hawk goal at 12:29. Lindback tried to clear a puck that was intercepted by Bolland who skated it back in on Lindback who did not react well resulting in an easy goal to put the Hawks ahead 1-0.
Chicago out shot the Predators 13-9 in the opening period and also led the Corsi 18-16. The Predators struggled in the face off circle again, winning only 8 of 25 draws to open the game.
Things started deteriorating for the Predators in the second period when Ryan Suter was called for roughing at 7:41. On the resulting power play, Skille skated down the right side and was left wide open with the puck which he put past Lindback at 9:28 to put the Hawks ahead 2-0.
Almost immediately when play resumed, Shane O'Brien was called for interference to put the Hawks back on the power play. A minute later Joel Ward and Tomas Kopecky scuffled and were sent to the box with offsetting minors.
The Predators continued to struggle with possession and puck control for the remainder of the period and were unable to make any headway on man advantage at the end of the period after Bolland was called for hooking. The Preds managed three shots but did not score.
In the second period, the Preds were out shot 13-11 while the teams were even in the Corsi with 21 each. Faceoffs were improved with the Preds taking 14 of 24.
The third period was more of the same for the Predators. A turnover by Colin Wilson led to Skille's second goal of the night at 9:14 in the third to give the Hawks a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 lead. Barry Trotz would probably term the situation, "Game, Set, Match."
The Predators did come back at 11:13 when Marty Erat fired a shot at the net that was tipped in by Kostitsyn to pull within two, 3-1. Erat came close to a goal st 14:50 when he had an open net but couldn't lift the puck over Crawford's pads.
At 17:15 J. P. Dumont hit the pipe and the Hawks recovered the puck and Bickell took it the puck into the Preds zone and shot it over Lindback to seal the win and stop any chance of a Predator comeback.
The Preds were out shot 9-5 in the third period but led the Corsi 13-12 as Chicago slowed the pace and limited the Predators' chances.
The Predators lead the season series 2-1 after winning the first two meeting earlier this year. Chicago moved ahead of the Preds in the Western Conference race and now have 41 points and are in sixth place. The Preds now reside in seventh with 40.
Patric Hornqvist returned to the ice after missing three games with an upper body issue and had a team high six shots in 25 shifts so he appears to have recovered from his injury.
Wade Belak received the start in place of Jordin Tootoo and skated only eight shifts for a total of 4:39 of ice time.
The Predators immediately returned to Nashville after the game where they will face the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night at the Bridgestone Arena.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
The Hawks were led with two goals by Jack Skille, including one on the power play that proved to be the game winner. Chicago's other goals came from Dave Bolland and Bryan Bickell. Bolland added an assist for a two point night and Duncan Keith added two assists.
The Predators lone goal came from Sergei Kostitsyn on a tip from Marty Erat late in the game.
Corey Crawford was the winner in net, stopping all but one of 25 Predator shots. Anders Lindback gave up four goals on 35 Chicago shots in his second unimpressive performance in a row.
The first period was a well played physical period by both teams. The Predators has a major lapse in their defensive zone that resulted in a Hawk goal at 12:29. Lindback tried to clear a puck that was intercepted by Bolland who skated it back in on Lindback who did not react well resulting in an easy goal to put the Hawks ahead 1-0.
Chicago out shot the Predators 13-9 in the opening period and also led the Corsi 18-16. The Predators struggled in the face off circle again, winning only 8 of 25 draws to open the game.
Things started deteriorating for the Predators in the second period when Ryan Suter was called for roughing at 7:41. On the resulting power play, Skille skated down the right side and was left wide open with the puck which he put past Lindback at 9:28 to put the Hawks ahead 2-0.
Almost immediately when play resumed, Shane O'Brien was called for interference to put the Hawks back on the power play. A minute later Joel Ward and Tomas Kopecky scuffled and were sent to the box with offsetting minors.
The Predators continued to struggle with possession and puck control for the remainder of the period and were unable to make any headway on man advantage at the end of the period after Bolland was called for hooking. The Preds managed three shots but did not score.
In the second period, the Preds were out shot 13-11 while the teams were even in the Corsi with 21 each. Faceoffs were improved with the Preds taking 14 of 24.
The third period was more of the same for the Predators. A turnover by Colin Wilson led to Skille's second goal of the night at 9:14 in the third to give the Hawks a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 lead. Barry Trotz would probably term the situation, "Game, Set, Match."
The Predators did come back at 11:13 when Marty Erat fired a shot at the net that was tipped in by Kostitsyn to pull within two, 3-1. Erat came close to a goal st 14:50 when he had an open net but couldn't lift the puck over Crawford's pads.
At 17:15 J. P. Dumont hit the pipe and the Hawks recovered the puck and Bickell took it the puck into the Preds zone and shot it over Lindback to seal the win and stop any chance of a Predator comeback.
The Preds were out shot 9-5 in the third period but led the Corsi 13-12 as Chicago slowed the pace and limited the Predators' chances.
The Predators lead the season series 2-1 after winning the first two meeting earlier this year. Chicago moved ahead of the Preds in the Western Conference race and now have 41 points and are in sixth place. The Preds now reside in seventh with 40.
Patric Hornqvist returned to the ice after missing three games with an upper body issue and had a team high six shots in 25 shifts so he appears to have recovered from his injury.
Wade Belak received the start in place of Jordin Tootoo and skated only eight shifts for a total of 4:39 of ice time.
The Predators immediately returned to Nashville after the game where they will face the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night at the Bridgestone Arena.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
Predators Travel to Chicago and Wednesday Wrap-Up
The Nashville Predators (17-9-6) will go against the odds when they head into the United Center in Chicago for the season's third meeting with the Chicago Blackhawks (18-14-3).
The Predators have won both games against the current Stanley Cup Champion Hawks after losing to them in six games in the opening round of last year's playoff series.
In the Predators second game of the year, the team went into the United Center with Anders Lindback making his first start and stole a 3-2 win from the Hawks when Joel Ward scored the tiebreaker on the power play with 27 seconds remaining in the game.
On November 13, the Predators beat the Hawks in Nashville 4-3 when Cal O'Reilly scored the only goal in the shootout. Pekka Rinne was the winning goalie and perfect in the shootout.
Tonight's game will be a test for the Predators to put Saturday's 6-1 loss to the Kings behind them and to be ready to compete in a hostile environment. Patric Hornqvist is slated to return after missing three games with an upper body injury. David Legwand remains sidelined through at least Sunday, per Barry Trotz.
Pekka Rinne (8-7-4, 2.38, .918) came off of injured reserve yesterday. It is unclear who will get the start tonight but the team has indicated that Rinne will play one of the two back to back games. My bet is that Anders Lindback (9-2-2, 2.27, .925) will start against the Hawks and that Rinne will go against Ottawa on Thursday night.
Corey Crawford (10-6-1, 2.39, .914) has established himself in goal for the Blackhawks and should be in net for them tonight.
After the game tonight, the team will leave immediately and fly home for Thursday's rare Nashville meeting with the Ottawa Senators at the Bridgestone Arena.
Other Previews come from Amanda DiPaolo, Chris Burton, The Tennessean, and Predators.com.
From the Windy City comes news from Second City Hockey, The Sun Times, The Daily Herald, and the Chicago Tribune.
Programming Note...
I was a guest host on Ryan Porth's RLD Hockey Radio show and it was one of his bests. The guests were Carolina and Versus broadcaster John Forslund and Sarah Baicker from CSN/Philly.
John had a lot to say about the Hurricanes recent run, the city of Raleigh as a hockey market, and the upcoming All-Star game next month. Sarah discussed the Flyers having the best record in hockey, the team make-up, and all things Chris Pronger, including the injury and the puck controversy during last year's playoffs.
Both guests were complementary of the Predators and discussed how they enjoy their visits to Nashville. Click on the following player to listen.
In Pred Nation...
The is a great story by J R Lind on the April Fools in December Tweet yesterday that got all of Pred Nation in an uproar when it was thought that Jim Balsille was headed to Nashville. Puck Daddy also got in on the fun with his analysis. To whoever tweeted, it worked well for a while and made for an interesting hour or so.
Chris Burton takes a look at some of last year's Predators and how they are doing this year. It's interesting that folks are talking about the "good year" that Jason Arnott is having in New Jersey and his numbers are way off of last years totals.
Josh Cooper looks at the back to back games the Preds play starting tonight.
Paul McCann has a round up of topics and admits that he fell for the Jim Balsillie scare too.
Robbie at Hockey Night in Nashville looks at the value of Wade Belak.
The Milwaukee Admirals beat the Chicago Wolves 3-2 in a shootout lat night in Chicago. Mark Dekanich was back in goal for the Ads and stopped 19 of 21 shots and three of four in the shootout.
Chet Pickard was sent back to Cincinnati with Mark Dekanich's return. Also from Cincinnati comes the Cyclones affiliate report.
Here is the latest from NASA on available launch windows for the Space Shuttle in February when Pekka's jersey will finally get a ride.
Around the NHL...
The NHL released the musical performers for the Winter Classic. The list is underwhelming to say the least. It doesn't get much better than last year's Dropkick Murphys visit.
Ryan Porth takes a look at the South East Division which has become quite competitive with the Caps recent slide. Ryan will also start a new series today called "Road to The Winter Classic." Check his site daily for updates.
GQ has a great story on Brian and Brendan Burke. This is long but really well written. If you are a parent and this doesn't draw you into tears then you need to check your pulse. Check it out.
Matt Reitz talks about the King's Difference Makers at The Fourth Period and manages to include a Dwight Schrute reference in the process.
It is somewhat surprising that Pavel Datsyuk was named the best Russian player by The Hockey News. Alexander Ovechkin's stock continues to fall.
Odds and Ends...
I'm really impressed with my Droid X after seeing these eclipse photos taken by someone else with their Droid and a telescope.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
The Predators have won both games against the current Stanley Cup Champion Hawks after losing to them in six games in the opening round of last year's playoff series.
In the Predators second game of the year, the team went into the United Center with Anders Lindback making his first start and stole a 3-2 win from the Hawks when Joel Ward scored the tiebreaker on the power play with 27 seconds remaining in the game.
On November 13, the Predators beat the Hawks in Nashville 4-3 when Cal O'Reilly scored the only goal in the shootout. Pekka Rinne was the winning goalie and perfect in the shootout.
Tonight's game will be a test for the Predators to put Saturday's 6-1 loss to the Kings behind them and to be ready to compete in a hostile environment. Patric Hornqvist is slated to return after missing three games with an upper body injury. David Legwand remains sidelined through at least Sunday, per Barry Trotz.
Pekka Rinne (8-7-4, 2.38, .918) came off of injured reserve yesterday. It is unclear who will get the start tonight but the team has indicated that Rinne will play one of the two back to back games. My bet is that Anders Lindback (9-2-2, 2.27, .925) will start against the Hawks and that Rinne will go against Ottawa on Thursday night.
Corey Crawford (10-6-1, 2.39, .914) has established himself in goal for the Blackhawks and should be in net for them tonight.
After the game tonight, the team will leave immediately and fly home for Thursday's rare Nashville meeting with the Ottawa Senators at the Bridgestone Arena.
Other Previews come from Amanda DiPaolo, Chris Burton, The Tennessean, and Predators.com.
From the Windy City comes news from Second City Hockey, The Sun Times, The Daily Herald, and the Chicago Tribune.
Programming Note...
I was a guest host on Ryan Porth's RLD Hockey Radio show and it was one of his bests. The guests were Carolina and Versus broadcaster John Forslund and Sarah Baicker from CSN/Philly.
John had a lot to say about the Hurricanes recent run, the city of Raleigh as a hockey market, and the upcoming All-Star game next month. Sarah discussed the Flyers having the best record in hockey, the team make-up, and all things Chris Pronger, including the injury and the puck controversy during last year's playoffs.
Both guests were complementary of the Predators and discussed how they enjoy their visits to Nashville. Click on the following player to listen.
Listen to internet radio with Ryan Porth on Blog Talk Radio
In Pred Nation...
The is a great story by J R Lind on the April Fools in December Tweet yesterday that got all of Pred Nation in an uproar when it was thought that Jim Balsille was headed to Nashville. Puck Daddy also got in on the fun with his analysis. To whoever tweeted, it worked well for a while and made for an interesting hour or so.
Chris Burton takes a look at some of last year's Predators and how they are doing this year. It's interesting that folks are talking about the "good year" that Jason Arnott is having in New Jersey and his numbers are way off of last years totals.
Josh Cooper looks at the back to back games the Preds play starting tonight.
Paul McCann has a round up of topics and admits that he fell for the Jim Balsillie scare too.
Robbie at Hockey Night in Nashville looks at the value of Wade Belak.
The Milwaukee Admirals beat the Chicago Wolves 3-2 in a shootout lat night in Chicago. Mark Dekanich was back in goal for the Ads and stopped 19 of 21 shots and three of four in the shootout.
Chet Pickard was sent back to Cincinnati with Mark Dekanich's return. Also from Cincinnati comes the Cyclones affiliate report.
Here is the latest from NASA on available launch windows for the Space Shuttle in February when Pekka's jersey will finally get a ride.
Around the NHL...
The NHL released the musical performers for the Winter Classic. The list is underwhelming to say the least. It doesn't get much better than last year's Dropkick Murphys visit.
Ryan Porth takes a look at the South East Division which has become quite competitive with the Caps recent slide. Ryan will also start a new series today called "Road to The Winter Classic." Check his site daily for updates.
GQ has a great story on Brian and Brendan Burke. This is long but really well written. If you are a parent and this doesn't draw you into tears then you need to check your pulse. Check it out.
Matt Reitz talks about the King's Difference Makers at The Fourth Period and manages to include a Dwight Schrute reference in the process.
It is somewhat surprising that Pavel Datsyuk was named the best Russian player by The Hockey News. Alexander Ovechkin's stock continues to fall.
Odds and Ends...
I'm really impressed with my Droid X after seeing these eclipse photos taken by someone else with their Droid and a telescope.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Predators Beat Blackhawks 4-3 in Shootout
Cal O'Reilly scored the only goal in the shootout to give the Nashville Predators a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in front of a raucous sold out crowd at the Bridgestone Arena on Saturday night.
All three Predator goals were scored by defensemen, Shane O'Brien, Shea Weber and Cody Franson. Jack Skille scored two goals for Chicago and Viktor Stalberg had the other.
The arena had a feel of a playoff game as the rivalry between the Predators and Blackhawks continues to strengthen. The energy carried over to the ice where there was plenty of chippyness and bad blood throughout the contest.
Predator captain Shea Weber threw down the gauntlet late in the second period when Bryan Bicknell hit Patric Hornquist in the open ice and Weber received a double minor for roughing Bicknell, but a message was clearly sent to the Hawks that the Preds were not going to back down.
Later in the third period, Steve Sullivan appeared to best Dave Bolland in an unlikely scrap after a hard battle for the puck in the corner.
Barry Trotz commented on the excitement, " If you were a fan that was a fantastic game. Both teams came out really well."
The Predator special teams played a key role as the power play was one for three and the penalty kill was a perfect four for four including a key five on three denial late in the second period when the Preds had Francis Bouillon, Weber and Franson in the penalty box at the same time.
"The special teams were great tonight," Trotz said. "We got a lot of chances on special teams, we got a power play goal but the penalty kill was outstanding. One guy in particular that was outstanding was Jerred Smithson, that's a Predator right there. He was really good and gave us a chance."
Pekka Rinne still did not seem to be playing at his level from last season as all three Hawk goals were scored on the glove side which has traditionally been his strength. However, in the shootout he stopped shots from Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp to seal the win.
"Peks was fantastic in the shootout," Trotz explained. "I've seen Peks look a lot sharper than he was today. In the shootout at home, the referees come over and ask if you want o go first or second and Peks always says for them to go first because he wants the pressure."
Rinne gave credit to others for the shootout win, "When you have guys like Cal (O'Reilly) do their job, it makes it a lot easier."
In summary, Trotz said "I loved our resiliency, I loved our effort, we didn't have any passengers. The whole bench was pushing hard, playing real solid hockey. That's how we are going to win, plain and simple."
This was the Predators second win over the Blackhawks in two meetings so far this season. The Preds beat the Hawks 3-2 in Chicago on October 13 in a hard-fought comeback victory. The teams meet again on December 22 at the United Center.
The Predators will take Sunday off and practice at Centennial on Monday before heading out for four more road games with stops in Toronto, Montreal, Carolina and Columbus. The next home game will be on Thanksgiving Eve against the St. Louis Blues.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Predators Come Alive in the Third Period, Beat Hawks 3-2 on Ward Goal
A confident Nashville Predator team went into Chicago's United Center with a rookie goalie that had never started an NHL game and came a way with a 3-2 win against a Blackhawk team that was dominated by the Preds in the final period.
Joel Ward had the game winning goal on the power play with 27 seconds left on the clock to steal the victory.
The Preds looked a little shaky in the first period and somewhat passive in the second but came alive at both ends of the ice in the third.
Anders Lindback picked up his first NHL win while stopping 23 of 25 shots. At the other end of the ice, rookie Corey Crawford stood toe to toe with Lindback stopping 24 of 27 chances.
The Predators were 1-3 on the power play while the Hawks converted on their only man advantage.
The Blackhawks got on the board first at 4:48 in the opening period with a power play goal from Patrick Kane who when high to the glove side of Anders Lindback. The man advantage was created when Joel Ward hooked Kane as he was going to the net at 3:01.
The Predators first goal was teamwork at it's finest. Ryan Suter broke a stick on a shot that was blocked. Cal O'Reilly dove for the puck and knocked it to Steve Sullivan who was in the slot and went high over Corey Crawford to tie the game 1-1 at 6:37. The goal was scored even-strength, on the four on four after Shea Weber and Jonathan Toews were each called for interference at the 5:16 mark.
Chicago scored again at 16:58 when Tomas Kopecky fed a cross ice pass to Toews who put it past Lindback from the backdoor side before he was able to get in position.
In the first period, shots were tied at 10 and Nashville led in the Corsi 18-15.
Most of the action in the second period occurred in the opening moments. The Legwand, Ward and Smithson line had a great chance to tie the game but couldn't get the puck in the net from the blue ice. A couple of minutes later, the Hawks put a five shot barrage on Lindback in one shift but he held firm. Barry Trotz had to call a timeout for the team to regroup.
The second period saw no scoring as the Hawks led in shots 11-7 and in the Corsi 20-14. The Predators did not create many chances and were accused of standing around watching Chicago by Brent Peterson during the intermission.
Trotz juggled his lines to start the third and it paid immediate dividends. A new line with J.P. Dumont, Marcel Goc, and Colin Wilson combined for a score at 4:43 when Wilson took a feed from Goc and buried his wrister from the slot to tie the game 2-2.
Through the middle part of the third, the Predators did a much better job of controlling the flow of the game and limiting the Hawks chances.
The Predators had two great scoring chances at 16:09 when David Legwand hit the post, captured the rebound and fired again. The Predators held the Hawks to two shots in the period until Patric Sharp was credited with a shot at 16:36.
Chicago committed a critical error at 17:47 when Nick Boynton was charged with delay of game for flipping the puck over the glass. The Predators converted on the power play when Dumont slid a bass across the front of the crease to Ward who put it into the empty side of the net to ice the victory with 27 seconds left in the game.
In the third period, the Preds dominated the shot count 10-4 and the Corsi 19-11.
With the win, the Predators improved their record to 2-0 while the Hawks fell to 1-2-1 on the season.
The Predators left immediately after the game to return to Nashville where they will play the St. Louis Blues at 7 p.m. Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
Joel Ward had the game winning goal on the power play with 27 seconds left on the clock to steal the victory.
The Preds looked a little shaky in the first period and somewhat passive in the second but came alive at both ends of the ice in the third.
Anders Lindback picked up his first NHL win while stopping 23 of 25 shots. At the other end of the ice, rookie Corey Crawford stood toe to toe with Lindback stopping 24 of 27 chances.
The Predators were 1-3 on the power play while the Hawks converted on their only man advantage.
The Blackhawks got on the board first at 4:48 in the opening period with a power play goal from Patrick Kane who when high to the glove side of Anders Lindback. The man advantage was created when Joel Ward hooked Kane as he was going to the net at 3:01.
The Predators first goal was teamwork at it's finest. Ryan Suter broke a stick on a shot that was blocked. Cal O'Reilly dove for the puck and knocked it to Steve Sullivan who was in the slot and went high over Corey Crawford to tie the game 1-1 at 6:37. The goal was scored even-strength, on the four on four after Shea Weber and Jonathan Toews were each called for interference at the 5:16 mark.
Chicago scored again at 16:58 when Tomas Kopecky fed a cross ice pass to Toews who put it past Lindback from the backdoor side before he was able to get in position.
In the first period, shots were tied at 10 and Nashville led in the Corsi 18-15.
Most of the action in the second period occurred in the opening moments. The Legwand, Ward and Smithson line had a great chance to tie the game but couldn't get the puck in the net from the blue ice. A couple of minutes later, the Hawks put a five shot barrage on Lindback in one shift but he held firm. Barry Trotz had to call a timeout for the team to regroup.
The second period saw no scoring as the Hawks led in shots 11-7 and in the Corsi 20-14. The Predators did not create many chances and were accused of standing around watching Chicago by Brent Peterson during the intermission.
Trotz juggled his lines to start the third and it paid immediate dividends. A new line with J.P. Dumont, Marcel Goc, and Colin Wilson combined for a score at 4:43 when Wilson took a feed from Goc and buried his wrister from the slot to tie the game 2-2.
Through the middle part of the third, the Predators did a much better job of controlling the flow of the game and limiting the Hawks chances.
The Predators had two great scoring chances at 16:09 when David Legwand hit the post, captured the rebound and fired again. The Predators held the Hawks to two shots in the period until Patric Sharp was credited with a shot at 16:36.
Chicago committed a critical error at 17:47 when Nick Boynton was charged with delay of game for flipping the puck over the glass. The Predators converted on the power play when Dumont slid a bass across the front of the crease to Ward who put it into the empty side of the net to ice the victory with 27 seconds left in the game.
In the third period, the Preds dominated the shot count 10-4 and the Corsi 19-11.
With the win, the Predators improved their record to 2-0 while the Hawks fell to 1-2-1 on the season.
The Predators left immediately after the game to return to Nashville where they will play the St. Louis Blues at 7 p.m. Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Why The Hawks Could Win The Cup and Thursday Thoughts
Yesterday, we took a look at why the Philadelphia Flyers could win the Stanley Cup. Today, wee will look at at How the Chicago Blackhawks could win. Tomorrow, we will reveal our picks.Chicago struggled in their first round series against the Nashville Predators but hit their stride in the second round against Vancouver. The conference final series against San Jose was near perfect.
Destiny: After the miracle finish in game five against the Predators when Patrick Kane scored short-handed with seconds left to tie the game and Marion Hossa scored coming out of the penalty box in OT, you knew that the hockey gods were smiling on the Hawks.
Western Conference Style of Play: Granted, the Flyers play tough and have speed of their own, but the Hawks are used to skating hard for 60 minutes along side other speedy teams from the West. I doubt that the Flyers will be able to completely slow them down.
Too Young to Crack: Patrick Kane said the team was too young to be nervous during the playoffs. With Kane being 21 and Captain Jonathan Toews at 22, all they know to do is win.
Pronger vs. Byfuglien: Big Buff has frustrated Roberto Luongo and Evgeni Nabokov so Chris Pronger will have to keep him away from the less experienced Michael Leighton or he will cause problems for the Flyers.
Road Warriors: The Hawks have won their last seven road games going back to game four in the opening series. If they win the first two at home, it will be a short series.
Goaltending: Before the playoffs, goaltending was the Hawks big question mark but Antti Niemi has responded going 12-4 with two shutouts and a 2.33 goals against average. He is playing like a seasoned veteran after three solid rounds.
Explosive Offense: The Hawks have many weapons with Jonathan Toews the odds on favorite for the Conn Smythe Trophy, Dustin Byfuglien scoring dirty goals in front of the net, and Patrick Kane, who I feel is the most dangerous player in the West with the puck on his stick. Toews is on a 13 game point streak and leads all playoff scorers with 26 points. The danger doesn’t stop there as all four lines can put the puck on net.
Defense: The Hawks top two pairings can match up with anyone in the league lead by Olympians Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith. Campbell, Sopel, and Hjalmarsson have also logged big minutes as the Hawks play deeper than the Flyers. No one has shown more heart than Duncan Keith who played after losing seven teeth.
Special Teams: All season long, the Hawks have been excellent on the penalty kill and rarely have to use it as they are a very disciplined team averaging 10.2 pims in the playoffs. Their power play has improved in the playoffs as they are scoring at a 22.6% clip.
X-Factor: On the Stanley Cup Finals losing teams the last two years, Marion Hossa may find renewed life against the Flyers. In his career, he has 8 goals and 14 assists in 16 games against Philadelphia. Could it be that he has played the wrong team the last two seasons?
Tomorrow, we will be back with our final predictions in a series that should provide fans with plenty of excitement.
AHL Finals Set...
The final match-up for the Calder Cup was set last night as the Texas Stars scored four unanswered goals to beat the Hamilton Bulldogs 4-2 at Copps Coliseum. Hamilton was ahead and seemed to be in control but Texas kept hanging close and finally went ahead and won the game.
The Bulldogs out played the Stars for most of the game and lead in the shot count 43-20. For the series, the Stars only lead for only 24:19 of the 446:11 total minutes.
The finals will pit the heavily favored Hershey Bears against the Stars and will not start for over a week. Here is the complete schedule:
2010 Calder Cup Finals (best-of-seven)
Game 1 – Thu., June 3 – Texas at Hershey, 7:00
Game 2 – Sat., June 5 – Texas at Hershey, 7:00
Game 3 – Mon., June 7 – Hershey at Texas, 8:30
Game 4 – Wed., June 9 – Hershey at Texas, 8:30
*Game 5 – Fri., June 11 – Hershey at Texas, 8:30
*Game 6 – Mon., June 14 – Texas at Hershey, 7:00
*Game 7 – Wed., June 16 – Texas at Hershey, 7:00
*if necessary... All times Eastern
In Preds Nation...
Before the Tweep-Up event at the Tin Roof on June 7, Slap Shot Radio is doing a live remote and Stanley Cup watch party at the Vandy/Midtown Pie in the Sky Pizza on Wednesday June 2nd from 5pm - 9:30pm to raise awareness and money for Youth Incorporated's Inline Hockey program. Their rink in Bellevue was destroyed by the flooding. We will be having a silent auction and donations that will go directly to the rebuild effort. Rebuilding a rink is an expensive proposition, especially for a non-profit like Youth Inc. Their inline hockey program really drives up participation in youth ice hockey in middle Tennessee and continues to make new fans for the NHL and most especially, the Predators. Pete Weber and Paul McCann will be on hand along with a lot of other Pred fans. make plans to attend. AJ at PMFF has another post on the event.
The Predators officially announced the signing of Swedish goalie Anders Lindback on Wednesday. David Boclair spoke with Paul Fenton, who indicated that the Preds will probably enter camp in the Fall with Mark Dekanich being given a chance at the back-up role behind Pekka Rinne. Jay Levin has much more on the goalie pipeline at Predators.com.
Jim Diamond has details about the Predator's Dancers tryouts at the Examiner. On a more serious note, he also gives his thoughts on the finals with a bold prediction.
Jeremy at Section303 has the story of why the Hawks-Flyers series is good for the NHL.
Chris Burton at OnTheForcheck has Five Reasons to Root for the Hawks. The survey shows that most Pred fans are indeed, pulling for Chicago.
Around the NHL...
The NHL combine continues. News has been sparse but can be found at the NHL blog.
More details are out about the NHL's shakedown of the Glendale city council in the pay $25 million or lose the team deadline last week.
From @SBJSBD: NHL and NHLPA renew deal w/ Bridgestone Tires for 5 years; keeps company as league's official tire and as title sponsor of Winter Classic.
Pierre LeBrun looks at 10 Conn Smythe candidates heading into the final.
Steve Lapore reports that Chicago's ratings were better than San Jose's during the four game sweep. He also checks out all 30 team's ranks on Google
Matt Reitz analyzes who the fans of the the 28 teams not in the finals are pulling for.
Michelle Kenneth shows another side of Zack Parise as he encourages kids to read.
A very slow news day yesterday as the NHL replacing 30,000 disposable bags at the NHL Store in NY and at the two SCF arena shops was big news.
Odds and Ends...
SBD asks the obvious question, Will Meadowlands Super Bowl Lead To More Cold-Weather Sites? The Nashville Sports Authority ran a survey this week about Music City hosting a Super Bowl. Folks love visiting Nashville so why not LP Field.
If you are trained to be charismatic is it really charisma? I would think it would lead to some really poor acting.
In Canada, $930 million doesn't go as far as it used to.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Thanks To All and Tuesday Tidbits
Another season of Predator hockey has come to an end and we are left to wonder "what if" several things had happened differently along the way. That will be a story for another day.
At this point I would like to thank several folks that have been instrumental in growing POTG during the past season. Thanks to Kevin Wilson and Tim Darling and the Predators for taking a chance and giving us full credentials so that we can bring you, the readers, a look at the Preds from the inner sanctum of the Bridgestone Arena.
We would also like to than the Predator's coaches and players for giving 100% and being "resilient" and overachieving throughout the year. You kept it interesting every day.
Most of all, we would like to thank our readers and listeners for making it all worthwhile to do what we do. We do it for the love of the game and we appreciate all the encouraging words, Tweets, and fellowship at the games. If it wasn't for y'all it would be like a tree falling in a people-less forest.
I'm sure there are others I should have thanked so please forgive me in my sleep deprived state if I have a glaring omission.
Stay with us during the off season and we will report in daily with the latest Predator news, Playoff coverage, and other stuff from the world of hockey. Our POTG Radio show will return to our regular schedule with interesting hockey related guests from all across North America. In June, we will attend the NHL Awards and Entry Draft and will have first hand reports for your enjoyment and edification.
Programming Note...
I will return to Montreal's Team 990 tonight at 9:25 CDT for a segment to put the wraps on the Pred's postseason. Thanks to Connor McKenna for another opportunity to rep the "non-traditional market" to the Montreal hockey Mecca.
Preds-Hawks Game Six Round-Up...
Here is our game story from last night with postgame interviews.
John Glennon has the game story, notes column and postgame ponderings at the Tennessean. Bryan Mullen also has a story. Joe Biddle made a rare appearance in the Pred's dressing room and filed this account.
Jim Diamond reports for the Examiner.
David Boclair checks in with his game story at The City Paper.
In the blog world posts come from Brandon Felder, The View From 111, Forechecker, See Puck City, What the Puck, and Fanhouse.
Btandon Worley reviews the freak play that will be remembered as the poster child for game six.
The Chicago view of the game can be found at the Chicago Sun Times, Daily Herald, and the Chicago Tribune.
Other Monday Games...
The Buffalo Sabres season also came to an abrupt end at the hands of the Boston Bruins in a 4-3 loss. This was expected to be a long series, but most folks felt that Ryan Miller would lead his team to the second round. In the end, they lost the battle of special teams and will now head to the golf course.
The Montreal Canadians extended their Series with Washington to a game seven match on Wednesday with a convincing 4-1 victory. Of all the Eastern Conference match-ups, this one appeared to be the one destined for a quick resolution. Steve Stirling at Intent to Blow appears to have a scoop on why the Caps always have to go to game seven.
Tonight's Match...
In a series that has been everything that it was expected to be, the Detroit Red Wings will try to make one last stand in the desert when they play the Coyotes in the only game on the schedule tonight at 8 p.m. CDT. on Versus. It is the first game seven of this year's postseason. Chris Wassel adds perspective to the game seven match.
In Pred Nation...
The Milwaukee Admirals fell just short in their game seven bid to move to the second round in a 2-1 loss to Chicago last night. Short Shifts has the story.
Ryan at the RLD called out Jason Arnott before last night's game. It must have worked as Arnie scored a pair.
Dan Hamhuis was still bitter at Monday's morning skate over the Hossa hit. Barry Trotz also had a plan for last night's power play. It worked to an extent since they finally got a power play goal.
XM Home Ice recounts their Pred-Hawks predictions. Thanks to Boomer for believing.
A little late since the game was last night, but Jeremy at Section 303 had everything you needed for the game including an update to the chant list. Several folks from out of town have asked me about this in the past so here it is. It was great to see all the "We Believe" signs around the arena during warm-ups and throughout the game. Thanks to Jeremy and Codey for doing that (and to Mark Willoughby for 250 copies that he handed out before the game).
Around the NHL...
Jacques Lemaire retired as the Devils coach but will remain in the organization. It is hard to say who might be the replacement at this point. Adrian Dater points the finger at Lou Lamoriello at Versus. Michelle Kenneth adds perspective.
The Masterdon Finalists were announced on Monday. Kurtis Foster, Jed Ortmeyer and Jose Theodore were the top three. I'm happy for ex-Pred Jed but I would think Jose is a lock on this one.
With four coaching vacancies, Mirtle makes a list of 14 possible candidates that includes Brent Peterson.
Intent to Blow has inside news about Hossa'a hit in game five extending Chicago's cup curse.
Carlos poses the question "Is it ever OK to root against your favorite team" at VFMS. He also looks at what to offer Kovalchuk at Speak of the Devils. Matt Reitz also has a fresh post this morning paying homage to the real hockey guys in the writing business.
From @stevelepore: NBC's coverage of Predators-Blackhawks drew a 1.3 this Saturday, even with last week. Coyotes-Red Wings also drew a 1.3, down from last wk. You wonder how much higher it could have been if it had not been pre-empted for weather by WSMV.
Media Week also has good news on NHL ratings for the year.
Odds and Ends...
I have to ask... Since Toronto is having trouble with attendance at baseball games, should we do something really snotty and say that Canada doesn't deserve a baseball team? I can't do that because that would be as crappy as what is said about Nashville not deserving a hockey team.
If you want your head to hurt from all the information that is actually embedded in a 140 character Tweet then read this article.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
At this point I would like to thank several folks that have been instrumental in growing POTG during the past season. Thanks to Kevin Wilson and Tim Darling and the Predators for taking a chance and giving us full credentials so that we can bring you, the readers, a look at the Preds from the inner sanctum of the Bridgestone Arena.
We would also like to than the Predator's coaches and players for giving 100% and being "resilient" and overachieving throughout the year. You kept it interesting every day.
Most of all, we would like to thank our readers and listeners for making it all worthwhile to do what we do. We do it for the love of the game and we appreciate all the encouraging words, Tweets, and fellowship at the games. If it wasn't for y'all it would be like a tree falling in a people-less forest.
I'm sure there are others I should have thanked so please forgive me in my sleep deprived state if I have a glaring omission.
Stay with us during the off season and we will report in daily with the latest Predator news, Playoff coverage, and other stuff from the world of hockey. Our POTG Radio show will return to our regular schedule with interesting hockey related guests from all across North America. In June, we will attend the NHL Awards and Entry Draft and will have first hand reports for your enjoyment and edification.
Programming Note...
I will return to Montreal's Team 990 tonight at 9:25 CDT for a segment to put the wraps on the Pred's postseason. Thanks to Connor McKenna for another opportunity to rep the "non-traditional market" to the Montreal hockey Mecca.
Preds-Hawks Game Six Round-Up...
Here is our game story from last night with postgame interviews.
John Glennon has the game story, notes column and postgame ponderings at the Tennessean. Bryan Mullen also has a story. Joe Biddle made a rare appearance in the Pred's dressing room and filed this account.
Jim Diamond reports for the Examiner.
David Boclair checks in with his game story at The City Paper.
In the blog world posts come from Brandon Felder, The View From 111, Forechecker, See Puck City, What the Puck, and Fanhouse.
Btandon Worley reviews the freak play that will be remembered as the poster child for game six.
The Chicago view of the game can be found at the Chicago Sun Times, Daily Herald, and the Chicago Tribune.
Other Monday Games...
The Buffalo Sabres season also came to an abrupt end at the hands of the Boston Bruins in a 4-3 loss. This was expected to be a long series, but most folks felt that Ryan Miller would lead his team to the second round. In the end, they lost the battle of special teams and will now head to the golf course.
The Montreal Canadians extended their Series with Washington to a game seven match on Wednesday with a convincing 4-1 victory. Of all the Eastern Conference match-ups, this one appeared to be the one destined for a quick resolution. Steve Stirling at Intent to Blow appears to have a scoop on why the Caps always have to go to game seven.
Tonight's Match...
In a series that has been everything that it was expected to be, the Detroit Red Wings will try to make one last stand in the desert when they play the Coyotes in the only game on the schedule tonight at 8 p.m. CDT. on Versus. It is the first game seven of this year's postseason. Chris Wassel adds perspective to the game seven match.
In Pred Nation...
The Milwaukee Admirals fell just short in their game seven bid to move to the second round in a 2-1 loss to Chicago last night. Short Shifts has the story.
Ryan at the RLD called out Jason Arnott before last night's game. It must have worked as Arnie scored a pair.
Dan Hamhuis was still bitter at Monday's morning skate over the Hossa hit. Barry Trotz also had a plan for last night's power play. It worked to an extent since they finally got a power play goal.
XM Home Ice recounts their Pred-Hawks predictions. Thanks to Boomer for believing.
A little late since the game was last night, but Jeremy at Section 303 had everything you needed for the game including an update to the chant list. Several folks from out of town have asked me about this in the past so here it is. It was great to see all the "We Believe" signs around the arena during warm-ups and throughout the game. Thanks to Jeremy and Codey for doing that (and to Mark Willoughby for 250 copies that he handed out before the game).
Around the NHL...
Jacques Lemaire retired as the Devils coach but will remain in the organization. It is hard to say who might be the replacement at this point. Adrian Dater points the finger at Lou Lamoriello at Versus. Michelle Kenneth adds perspective.
The Masterdon Finalists were announced on Monday. Kurtis Foster, Jed Ortmeyer and Jose Theodore were the top three. I'm happy for ex-Pred Jed but I would think Jose is a lock on this one.
With four coaching vacancies, Mirtle makes a list of 14 possible candidates that includes Brent Peterson.
Intent to Blow has inside news about Hossa'a hit in game five extending Chicago's cup curse.
Carlos poses the question "Is it ever OK to root against your favorite team" at VFMS. He also looks at what to offer Kovalchuk at Speak of the Devils. Matt Reitz also has a fresh post this morning paying homage to the real hockey guys in the writing business.
From @stevelepore: NBC's coverage of Predators-Blackhawks drew a 1.3 this Saturday, even with last week. Coyotes-Red Wings also drew a 1.3, down from last wk. You wonder how much higher it could have been if it had not been pre-empted for weather by WSMV.
Media Week also has good news on NHL ratings for the year.
Odds and Ends...
I have to ask... Since Toronto is having trouble with attendance at baseball games, should we do something really snotty and say that Canada doesn't deserve a baseball team? I can't do that because that would be as crappy as what is said about Nashville not deserving a hockey team.
If you want your head to hurt from all the information that is actually embedded in a 140 character Tweet then read this article.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
Game Recap: Predators Season Ends in 5-3 Loss to Chicago
Barry Trotz Comments - Part 1
Barry Trotz Comments - Part 2
Jason Arnott, Pekka Rinne and Shea Weber speak after the game
Coach Joel Quenneville speaks after the game
The Nashville Predators fought hard and never gave up but still lost to the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 in game six of their Western Conference quarterfinal series.
Chicago will move on to play the Vancouver Canucks in round two while the Predators will have the summer to recover from painful back to back losses. The Predators have now lost five consecutive first round series dating back to the 2004 season.
Jonathan Toews power play goal with 31 seconds left in the first period ended up being the game winner for the Hawks. The goal capped off a very bizarre first period where seven goals were scored in rapid fire fashion.
Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane, Patric Sharp, and John Madden also scored goals for the Blackhawks while Jason Arnott had two goals and Shea Weber had one for the Predators.
Antti Niemi stopped 25 predators shots in the win while Pekka Rinne was the hard luck loser, stopping 27 shots from the Hawks.
Storylines From The Game
Wild First Period Action...
A total of seven goals were scored in the first period but the strangest one of all occurred at 9:54 when Brent Seabrook attempted to dump the puck into the Pred's zone after a face off win. The puck hit Patrick Kane's skate and ricocheted into the Preds net.
Rinne had made the move to go behind the net to stop the puck for the defenseman to set up a breakout. Unfortunately for the Preds, the puck shot straight into the net as Rinne dived to try to stop it.
"It was the biggest game of my life and I was prepared to play," stated Rinne. "The type of things that happened in the first period was not what I expected."
Somber Predator's Dressing Room...
The Predators dressing room was uncharacteristically quiet and subdued after the season ender. After a disastrous end to game five in Chicago on Saturday, the team brought themselves back to being positive prior to Monday night's game.
Jason Arnott was the first to speak, "I am at a loss for words right now. We work all season, had a great opportunity, and let it slip away. It's tough to handle."
"It was pretty bad timing to have that kind of period in the most important game of the year," added Pekka Rinne.
Barry Trotz put a bow on the effort, "It was a game of missed opportunities. We had plenty of chances on the power play and even right down to the final minute. We didn't execute and they did, that was the difference."
The Best Predator Team Ever...
Barry Trotz waxed over this year's team after the game. You could sense that this was a team of over-achievers that he was very proud to lead.
"Someone asked me about all the teams that we have had and have been in the playoffs with different growth patterns and different talent and character. The room itself this year was a real special room. I would play with this team against any other team that we've had so far. It had more character. It had more will. It had a lot of the elements that you want that were going to take us to the next level."
Trotz continued, "It's been a real painful process since we've been through a lot of adversity. This group was special because I don't think anybody thought we would do much this year. This group got 100 points, were resilient, and found ways to win and get points."
"Unfortunately, we had Chicago the other night and we found a way to be there at the end and we let it slip away. We came into the series not feeling like underdogs. We won a road playoff game and should have had two wins. I felt very confident had we won tonight, we would go to Chicago and win the series."
Finally...
This year's version of the Predators was one where the players really liked each other and banded together as a team to be better than the sum of the individuals on the ice. They won far more games than they should have and the fans really appreciated their effort and results.
After a slow start, the team improved and really hit their stride after the Olympic break. It was unfortunate that the season ended as abruptly as it did. It will be a long summer for the players that thought they had more hockey in them and for the fans who will have to wait until September for a new sheet of ice and to see what the 2010-2011 version of the Predators will bring forth.
More Later...
Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass
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