The Final Morning After Commentary: Game Six, Canucks 2 - Predators 1

The longest season in Nashville Predators history came to an end on Monday night at the Bridgestone Arena with Vancouver defeating the offensively challenged Predators 2-1. The Predators had plenty of opportunities, especially in the first two periods but could not get one or two more pucks into the net.

In the first five games of the series the case could be made that he best team won on each occasion. Last night, for the first two periods I think the Predators were the better team. In the first period, they had eleven scoring chances to the Canucks two, but only those two found the net. Bad ice and Roberto Luongo stood in the way of several potential goals.

POTG Tuesday Morning Headlines, News and Links

The end finally came for the Nashville Predators but the hockey never stops at POTG. We will have The Morning After round-up within the next hour or so and plenty of day after stuff for the rest of the day.

If you did not see Barry Trotz's post game video last night, it is worth a look. He is pure class regardless of the circumstances.

Late tomorrow we will have the final presser from Barry Trotz and David Poile and plenty of locker room clean out stuff over the next few days.

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

Predators - Canucks Game Six Preview: The Task is Still One

When Predators coach Barry Trotz said "The task is one" after game four, the task was game five. The task is still one and now it is game six. The Predators and their fans are hoping that there will be a third task on Wednesday night in Vancouver but it all depends on what happens tonight at 7 p.m. at the Bridgestone Arena.

The Morning After (A Day Late): Game Five - Predators 4 Canucks 3

Saturday's big 4-3 win over Vancouver was one of the more unexpected outcomes in a single game in this year's playoffs season. Joel Ward is on a run like he has never seen in his career and is tied for the most goals in the playoffs with seven, and has 12 points which is one behind leaders, Martin St. Louis and Ryan Kesler.

POTG Monday Headlines, News, and Morning Links

Once again, today is the biggest game in Predator history when the Preds take on the Vancouver Canucks in game six tonight at 7 p.m. at the Bridgestone Arena.

Here are videos from Barry Trotz, Joel Ward, and Pekka Rinne from the airport presser yesterday afternoon where hundreds of fans were loud and proud greeting the team home.

We will have our Morning After (A Day Late) and our Game Six Preview up shortly and have updates throughout the day. Make the jump for today's headlines, news and links.

Game Five Preview: It's Now or Next Year for the Predators

After today's morning skate, Predators' coach Barry Trotz said "Our backs are a little bit against the wall." Never one to exaggerate the situation, that is about as much desperation as you will every get from the even-keeled coach. Hopefully, the team will play with more desperation than that when the puck drops at 7 p.m. CDT on Versus tonight.

POTG Friday Headlines, News, and Links

The weekend is finally near and there is the potential that the NHL could be moving to round three fairly quickly looms large. If the Bruins and Sharks finish off their opponents tonight and Vancouver wins on Saturday, we could see the start of the Conference Finals round by Sunday or Monday.

Within the hour we will have our Morning After recap of last night's Preds - Canucks game and other updates throughtout the day.


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

Kesler Leads Canucks to 4-2 WIn and 3-1 Series Lead

On Thursday night it was the Ryan Kesler Show (Part Two), on Broadway in Music City. With actress Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban and a host of other luminaries in attendance, it was Kesler's star that shined the brightest for the second game in a row.

POTG Wednesday News, Headlines, and Links

Sad night for the Predators and their fans last night as they took a tough loss on a questionable call when Ryan Kesler "chicken winged" Shea Weber's stick drawing a hooking call from referee Tim Peel who has risen to top ten most hated status in Smashville. Here is our game story and morning wrap up.

After the jump you will find an assortment of news and links including a preview of RLD Hockey Radio today with a very special guest. One last point before the jump, We are really spoiled to have a coach with a personality in Nashville because Alain Vigneault is duller that watching paint dry...

Kesler Leads Vancouver to 3-2 Overtime Win Over Nashville

Ryan Kesler scored two goals, including the game winner in overtime, to power the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators and take a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference semifinal match.

Kesler had been held scoreless in his nine prior postseason games this season and broke out with his first goal one minute into the second period on the man advantage. He then assisted on Chris Higgins goal 3:03 into the third period that gave the Canucks the lead. Kesler's goal at 10:45 in to overtime on the man advantage was the difference maker in the back and forth contest.

Kesler said, "It was finally good to get one. I didn't really change anything tonight. It was just me going out there and trying to work hard and do all the right things."

Nashville took the early lead at 10:18 in the first period on a shorthanded goal by David Legwand. After the Predators fell behind on two consecutive Canuck goals, Joel Ward tied the game to send it into overtime with 6:42 left on the clock.

The tremendous goalie battle between Robero Luongo and Pekka Rinne continued. Luongo came out on top stopping 28 of 30 Predator shots. Rinne actually had a better game as he stopped all but three of the 47 shots that he faced, many in an acrobatic manner.

The game turned on a hooking call against Shea Weber 10:05 into overtime and Barry Trotz was not pleased, "I thought it was a little light considering all the other stuff that was going on. I've seen it, a sell by Kesler, he chicken-winged the stick and kept moving. If you look at it, Weber is pushing on him trying to pull the stick out of there. I've seen it before."

Weber was a little milder in his comments, "I think they called a good playoff style hockey game, It's unfortunate that a call like that cost us the game."

Pekka Rinne also got into the mix, "There were probably a few a little bit questionable calls tonight, and it cost us. But it's a game. It's hockey."

Trotz admitted that the loss may have changed the complexion of the series, "I don't know if it will tilt it their way. They'll grab the momentum and it's our job to grab it right back."

David Legwand sounded ready to move on, "We move forward. We've got to win Thursday night."

The Predators lost Steve Sullivan to a "lower body injury" with 9:42 left in the opening period and he did not return. He was officially listed as day to day and will receive further evaluation in the morning.

The Predators will practice at noon on Wednesday to prepare for Thursday's game five which will be at 7:30 p.m. at the Bridgestone Arena.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

The Morning After (A Day Late) Game 2: Predators 2 - Canucks 1, 2 OT

After a late night on Saturday and meeting the plane yesterday, we fell a day behind with our Morning After post, so please forgive us.

Saturday's win was indeed One for the Ages as we said in the wee hours of Sunday morning. That post and title received same backlash from the Vancouver fans who simply thought it was a bad game for the Canucks. It was only bad for the Canucks in that the Predators defense completely stifled everything they tried to do.

POTG Monday Headlines, News, and Morning Links

What a weekend with the Predators big win to tie their series with Vancouver and two other three series going to 2-0. We will have out "Morning After" feature within an hour and will have the last NHL Awards nominee at 11 a.m. CDT with the NHL Foundation Award top three. We will also have updates from the Preds and Vancouver as both teams prepare for Game Three tomorrow night at 8 p.m. CDT at the Bridgestone Area.

The Predators will Practice at the Bridgestone Arena today at noon which will be followed by the Canucks practice at 2 p.m.

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

Predators Win One For the Ages 2-1 over Vancouver in Double Overtime

So much is made of the term "Predator Hockey" but folks outside of Nashville don't seem to know what it means. A highlight film of game two between the Nashville Predators and the Vancouver Canucks would be a perfect example of what the term means. There was stellar goaltending, strong defense, and a game winning goal by a player that few folks outside of Music City had ever heard of.

POTG Saturday News, Headlines and Links

Today is a new day for the Nashville Predators as they look for a better result against the Canucks tonight at 8 p.m. CDT when all of the USA and Canada will be focused on the only game in prime time that will be seen on Versus in the US and HNIC in Canada. This afternoon, NBC has Boston and Philadelphia at 2 p.m. CDT.

We will have our game preview up within the hour and watch for news and developments throughout the day.

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

The Morning After: Canucks 1 - Predators 0

Predator fans were left wanting a few more minutes on the clock at the end of the game last night. With the exception of Pekka Rinne, Shea Weber, and Mike Fisher, the rest of the team sleepwalked through 50 minutes of a really good hockey game between Vancouver and Nashville last night in game one of their Western Conference Quarterfinal match.

POTG Friday Headlines, Comments, and Links

Today is an off day in the Predators-Canucks series but there will not be a shortage of stuff at the site. Within the hour, we will have our "Morning After" feature that will put a bow on game one between the Preds and the Nucks last night.

At 11 a.m. we will have the Jack Adams finalist where we expect Barry Trotz to make the top three for the second year in a row. We will have other features throughout the day as we look forward to Saturday's game two.

Follow the jump for today's news, headlines, and links as well as the RLD Hockey Talk Second Round Preview...

Vancouver Takes Game One 1-0 as the Predators Offense Goes Missing

As the seconds ticked down to zero, Vancouver had to be baffled since they were still battling the Nashville Predators who had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds after being beaten in every way by the Canucks for most of the game.

Game One Preview: Predators Head to Vancouver with Nothing to Lose

The Nashville Predators had practice on Wednesday, packed up, and headed to Vancouver with nothing to lose as they make their first trip to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs tonight at 8 p.m. at Rogers Arena.

POTG Thursday Thoughts, Headlines, and Links

The first round ended last night with another thrilling pair of game sevens making this year's first round the best in many years, Boston won 4-3 in overtime on a Nathan Horton goal early in the extra period to eliminate the Habs. Tampa beat the Pens 1-0 on a Sean Bergeenheim second period goal and behind the stellar goaltendeng of Dwayne Roloson.

The second round gets underway tonight with a single game with your Nashville Predators traveling to Vancouver. It appears that the game will only be on Versus with no local broadcast from Preds TV.

Later this morning, we will have our Preds-Canucks preview, our second round predictions, and at 11 a.m. CDT we will have the Hart Trophy nominees.

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

Burrows Leads Vancouver to 3-1 Win Over Predators

Alexandre Burrows scored two goals and that was all the Vancouver Canucks needed for a 3-1 victory to clinch the top seed in the Western Conference and end the Predators six game winning streak.

Roberto Luongo out-dueled Pekka Rinne in a match-up of potential Vezina finalists. Rinne held the season edge giving up only five goals to Vancouver to the seven allowed by Luonga. For the game, Luongo stopped 16 of 17 Predator shots while Rinne gave up two goals on 31 shots faced. The final shot was an empty netter.

Mike Fisher scored the lone Preds goal to keep his meager two game goal streak alive.

The opening period was played close to the vest with tight defense at both ends and neither team taking any chances. The Preds out shot the Canucks 10-7 while the Corsi was tied at 14.

The second period was more of the same with the both teams taking a pair of penalties but neither squad was able to capitalize on the man-advantage.

The Predators finally got on the scoreboard at 14:01 in the second period when Fisher was perfectly positioned in the left face off circle for a big rebound off a Jon Blum shot. Luongo was prone on the ice and Fisher easily lifted it into top of the net to put the Preds ahead 1-0.

For the second period, Vancouver out shot Nashville 11-5 and led the Corsi 17-9.

The Canucks jumped on the board quickly in the third period at 1:17 when Henrik Sedin centered a perfect pass from behind the net to Burrows who was situated on the right edge of the blue goal arc and slipped it past Rinne to make it 1-1.

After a rousing TV time-out ovation with 2:59 remaining in the contest, the Canucks killed the enthusiasm when they picked up a loose puck in their own zone and sent it through both Sedins to Burrows who had broken free and went in on Rinne and beat him on the breakaway for a 2-1 lead and the eventual game winning goal.

Trotz described the fatal blow, "It was a little bit of a scrum in the corner and they popped it out. Sedin threw it right up the middle and Burrows just cracked the seam and took off. He blew the zone and we got a little flat footed while he got it in full flight and he walked right in."

The empty netter by Aaron Rome with nine seconds left was the icing on the cake for the Canucks.

In the final period, the Canucks out shot the Predators 14-2 as the Preds had few offensive chances to recover once Vancouver got the momentum when they tied the game.

Trotz summed it up well, "In the third period, we were defensive minded because they were on offense. We just turned too many pucks over in the third."

"We just didn't have enough of that 'bite' in our game, that determination, that urgency, you could use a multitude of words."

Trotz continued, "You've got to take care of business. If we get to within three minutes of a point, we got to make sure we get that point. Worry about the second point after that. That's the biggest disappointment. You play 57 minutes of the game and you don't get a point."

Shea Weber was ready to look forward to the next game, "It's tough, Those were some big points, but there's nothing we can do now. We played forty good minutes and we have to move forward,"

The Predators will practice on Wednesday and then head to Colorado for Thursday night's match with the Avalanche at the Pepsi Center.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass