On the Forecheck

Central Showdown: The Week Ahead For The Nashville Predators

2012-02-13T02:36:02Z

With just two games upcoming this week for the Nashville Predators, they'll have an opportunity to hone their game in practice and work on some of the issues which have dogged them lately. Can they work out the kinks and bring their best effort against two key divisional opponents?

Let's take a look...

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Tuesday vs. Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks are in the grips of an out-of-control spiral through the Western Conference standings, an 0-7-1 stretch that began when the Preds beat them in a home & home series on January 21st and 24th. Cue the panic from Second City Hockey:

The holes on this team have been manifold from pretty much the get go, so those looking for a trade were always going to get their wish. The whole Brendan Morisson thing hasn't really come up 7's, though it was low-risk to begin with. Someone is going to get shipped off, either for another center, another rugged forward, or some manner of defenseman. A goalie? Maybe, but the options are limited. But the bigger question now becomes what to do with this coaching staff. The oft mentioned "core" isn't going anywhere, no matter how many meatballs bellow for a trade of Kane for the completely human and often bad Ryan Miller. Picks and prospects are going to be dealt at the risk of mortgaging the future, because that's what happens to accumulated picks and prospects.

The root of the trouble? Most likely goaltending, as Corey Crawford hasn't exactly seized the reins in the Windy City:

Corey Crawford

#50 / Goalie / Chicago Blackhawks

Height: 6-2

Weight: 200

Born: Dec 31, 1984

	GP	MIN	W	L	OTL	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2011 - Corey Crawford	39	2225	18	14	5	111	2.99	1090	979	.898	0

Tuesday's game marks an opportunity for the Predators to give the Hawks another kick down the stairs,

Friday at Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings are an interesting team, in that they're cruising along at the top of the Western Conference standings, but have a losing record (15-15-1) on the road. The difference, of course, is their ridiculous home record, where their 22-2-1 mark (pending tonight's game with the Philadelphia Flyers) has turned Joe Louis Arena into a house of horrors for their guests.

The Preds are 1-2 against Detroit so far this season, and if they harbor hopes of taking their first Central Division title, beating the Red Wings head-to-head is the best way to close that gap. As usual, things revolve up front around perhaps the most talented two-way forward in the NHL:

Pavel Datsyuk

#13 / Center / Detroit Red Wings

Height: 5-11

Weight: 194

Born: Jul 20, 1978

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2011 - Pavel Datsyuk	55	14	41	55	16	14	3	0	4		133	10.5

Setting Expectations

Given the upcoming schedule, then, what makes for a successful week in your mind? Obviously, getting back in the win column is a good start, but keeping Detroit and/or Chicago from earning points in the standings themselves is almost as important as anything the Preds do themselves.

Patric Hornqvist: The OTF Hero Of The Week (Feb. 5-11)

2012-02-12T18:43:01Z

In a week without a win, the bright spot for the Nashville Predators is that the offense chipped in twice to overcome deficits, force overtime, and at least earn the team points in the standings. Nobody did more on that front than the guy with the cleanest face in Smashville, Patric Hornqvist.

Patric Hornqvist

#27 / Right Wing / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-0

Weight: 188

Born: Jan 01, 1987

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
Patric Hornqvist	3	2	2	4	+1	0	1	0	0		10	20.0

In addition to leading the team in scoring, his discipline while taking abuse led directly to the power play on which Shea Weber scored yesterday, too.

After last week's work, Hornqvist now has five goals in his last nine games, a welcome bit of news for a guy who's enjoyed some hot and cold stretches this season. After a 7-goals-in-6-games outburst in late October/early November, Horn Dog scored just one in his next 19. We'll take the hot Hornqvist, please.

Perhaps my favorite goal this week was his marker yesterday at Boston. Why? Because while Sergei Kostitsyn led the rush down the left wing (and did a fine job staying with the play and fighting through the defense to make that centering pass), Hornqvist got to the top of the crease, and stayed there. Too often, you'll see guys get caught up in the moment and go whirring by the net in a flash, and unless that pass is perfectly placed and perfectly timed, the scoring chance is missed. Instead, Hornqvist got himself in good position to bury that sucker even if things weren't set up so nicely.

Here's to hoping that Hornqvist can keep those goals a-coming as the Predators meet the #4 & #5 scoring teams in the NHL this week.

Sunday's notes: Sundin & Roenick honored

2012-02-12T16:21:10Z

Last night was one of celebration in Toronto and Phoenix, as the jerseys of Mats Sundin and Jeremy Roenick were retired. Interestingly, however, the teams in question followed those ceremonies up with entirely different outcomes.

All that and a TON more after the jump!

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Nashville Predators News

Paul McCann - A Great Day at Blue, A So-So One in Boston
Congrats to the folks who raised a ton o' cash for C.A.P.E. yesterday.

Greetings From Smashville! TGIF Edition | The Hockey Writers
Jas sums up the week gone by in her unique style.

Return to Boston is bittersweet for Brandon Yip, Colin Wilson - The Tennessean
For some reason I keep picturing scenes from "Old School" here.

Nashville Predators count on Shea Weber's slap shot - The Tennessean
No muffin throwing here.

Postgame ponderings - Predators Insider
Josh portrays the last two road games as coming under some challenging circumstances against well-motivated teams. Down the stretch, however, pretty much everybody is jacked up.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Leafs add Mats Sundin's No. 13 to "honored numbers" - NHL.com
Last night in Toronto, the Maple Leafs honored their longtime captain.

Down Goes Brown: A brief history of Mats Sundin
Zing! "December 18, 2008 – After repeatedly vowing that he had no intention of playing half a season for a team and then winning the Stanley Cup, Sundin proves true to his word by signing with the Vancouver Canucks."

Around the rinks - The Globe and Mail
Eric Duhatschek looks at Ryan Suter's desire to play for a genuine Stanley Cup contender, and wonders if he already does.

Struggling Blackhawks put coach Joel Quenneville on hot seat - SI.com
Are things falling apart in Chicago, to the point where the head coach could go?

Checkers to no longer use "Rock N Roll (Part 2)" - Canes Country
Carolina's AHL affiliate does the decent thing. Will the Predators ever do the same?

Nikolai Zherdev takes stick to crotch, elbow drop in KHL game (Video) | Puck Daddy
More bush-league nonsense from the KHL.

Larry Brooks: Brendan Shanahan, NHL’s director of discipline, once too tough, now too soft - NYPOST.com
Larry Brooks cranks up the whining after Ruslan Fedotenko avoided suspension for nailing a New York Ranger. As I've shown before, however, the Blueshirts are usually treated like the NHL's darlings in this regard.

Uni Watch " Hockey TimE — Olympic Style
Fine ideas here on how Olympic hockey uniforms could/should shape up.

Lowetide.ca | A Good Day for Horseshoes
I'm shocked to hear that the Oilers are about to do something stupid.

Dater: Three-point games good, bad in NHL - The Denver Post
No, they're just bad, m'kay?

The Sheet: Making peace at the Winter Classic - sportsnet.ca
Some interesting story lines to look forward to in 11 months.

NHL Injuries and Scratches 2005-06 to Present - Arctic Ice Hockey
Nifty new data here.

Nordiques Nation invades Hockey Day in Canada - Puck Daddy
The Quebecois are growing increasingly vocal in their campaign for an NHL return.

Hunter finds new challenge in returning to coach Caps - NHL.com
I've said it before, and I'll say it again - Washington has lost course since that 2010 playoff loss to Montreal.

Ryan Johansen & The Room - The Cannon
The young Blue Jackets forward isn't exactly impressing the coaching staff.

Sunday's Injury Updates - Duchene, Howard, Garrison, Sanford... - Fantasy Hockey Scouts
Useful info for setting your fantasy hockey rosters.

The Sharks' PP Turnaround; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Regression to the Mean - Fear The Fin
A lesson in perspective.

Bruins Battle Back And Top Predators In A Shootout - Stanley Cup of Chowder
From the Boston side, they weren't happy to see this one almost slip from the Bruins' grasp.

Blackhawks @ Coyotes: Hawks Shut Out, Dogs Win Streak At Five - Five For Howling
The Phoenix Coyotes did it right, following up the Roenick ceremony by stomping the Blackhawks.

Must-Win Fail, But Varlamov Steals a Point. St Louis 3 - Colorado 2 (OT) - Mile High Hockey
Those danged Blues won again.

Game 55 Recap: Unlikely Heroes - The Cannon
BREAKING NEWS: Steve Mason had a good game.

Habs Steal Sundin's Thunder in 5-0 Thumping of Leafs - Habs Eyes On The Prize
Apparently the Maple Leafs took the night off after honoring Sundin.

Oilers Top Sens 4-3 In Overtime - The Copper & Blue
The Oilers skated away with a win in Ottawa.

Seven may be heaven, but eight is great. Pens blast past Jets 8-5. - PensBurgh
Was this 80's Night? What a scoring fest...

Panthers shake early deficit for 3-1 comeback victory over Devils - Litter Box Cats
The Panthers are holding on to that Southeast Division lead, picking up two more points with a nice road win.

Islanders 2, Kings 1 (OT): Nabokov Again a Rock, Mark Streit the Winner - Lighthouse Hockey
The Islanders won again in front of Evgeni Nabokov. Will they hold on to him, or deal him to a playoff team that needs a goalie?

Rangers Vs. Flyers: Power Play Success Earns Rangers Fifth Straight Victory Over Flyers - Blueshirt Banter
The Rangers widened their Atlantic Division lead.

Trotz & Suter not happy with Boston outing

2012-02-12T04:28:35Z

A game like today's 4-3 shootout loss for the Nashville Predators at Boston can provide fodder for both optimists and pessimists alike.

On the one hand, the Predators were dominated consistently, outshot in every period by the up-tempo, physical Bruins leading to a total of 22 Shots For, with 41 Shots Against. Even once they took an improbable third-period lead, another late penalty led to the tying goal by Milan Lucic, scored with just 1:07 left in regulation.

On the other hand, Pekka Rinne kept them in the game despite that lopsided shot total, and gritty efforts by Sergei Kostitsyn, Patric Hornqvist, and Mike Fisher led to those second and third goals, which at least earned the Preds a much-needed point in the standings, if they plan to keep in the hunt for 4th-place in the Western Conference, or the Central Division title.

When you check out the post-game commentary from head coach Barry Trotz and defenseman Ryan Suter, however, the emphasis was clearly on the critical side. The team's 2-2-1 record since the All-Star break clearly isn't what they'd like to see...

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Barry Trotz

Overall, not a good game for us. I mean, we didn't manage the puck very well. We knew they were going to come out hard. We sort of semi-stabilized it, and halfway through the first period we give up a shorthanded goal. I thought the next ten minutes, we were no good at all. I think we just stood and watched, and they were just crashing the net, hanging out. They had a lot of possession time. I don't think they had a lot of shots, but they had a lot of possession time, and that leads to rebounds. And then after that I thought, we got a power play goal, we were much better in the last thirty minutes than the first thirty minutes. So for us, it's two games, the first thirty we're not very good, and the second thirty I thought we were okay, and then we had two points in our grasp. And we let a point slip away. You can't have that. You don't know what the margin of, during the year, the margin of a point here or there can make it. The way we played the first thirty minutes, we were really no good and had no business being in the game.

Ryan Suter

We came out slow in the second period, we were playing like a minor hockey team. The second half of the second period we started to play a little bit better, and we were fortunate, very fortunate to get one point today.

Later, when Suter was asked what the specific problem was:

Everything, I mean we didn't do one thing good in the second and the end of the first, early in the second.

And when asked what the Preds need to do better:

Well, we have to get back to work, I mean we don't have the skill in here that's going to go out and tic-tac-toe,players run and gun with this team. Everyone has to work hard every night and contribute. We have to establish a forecheck. We can't turn pucks over, we just got to get back to the basics.

There he is, offering assessments of the roster again... :)

Moving Forward

The week ahead brings a pair of important matchups with Chicago (at home) and Detroit (at Joe Louis Arena, where the Red Wings have won 19 straight games). Can the coaching staff and team leadership get things turned around quickly? The Preds have managed to keep earning points in the standings while playing less than their best hockey of the season recently, so there is a silver lining in the cloud hanging overhead right now.

Can Trotz & Suter's stern words bring about sunnier days?

Thanks to the Boston Bruins' PR staff for passing along the post-game transcripts.

Rendez-Vous 87: The NHL All-Stars, the Soviet National Team, and the Super Bowl of Hockey

2012-02-12T00:56:18Z

Rendez-Vous 87: The NHL All-Stars, the Soviet National Team, and the Super Bowl of Hockey

This is a nice write-up about the Rendez-Vous 87 exhibition games in Quebec City. This weekend was its 25 year anniversary, and it's nice to see something from a non-sports website. (Mental Floss is an all-around great site to begin with - bookmark recommended!)

Bruins 4, Predators 3 (shootout): Predators steal a point in Boston

2012-02-11T20:49:13Z

The Nashville Predators fell to the Boston Bruins 4-3 in a shootout in a game that should never have gotten that far.

Nashville was dominated by the physical Bruins from start to finish, but somehow managed to stay in it until eventually losing in a shootout.

It was Nashville's third loss in a row, and its fourth loss in six tries since the all-star break.

Video highlights and post-game reaction after the jump:

Your random observations:

The scratches for today were a little strange. We knew McGrattan wouldn't be making the trip with the team, and it was probably a good idea to give undersized Ryan Ellis the afternoon off against the rough and tough Bruins. But isn't Matt Halischuk exactly the type of hard-working, gritty guy you want to see against a team like Boston?
The Bruins pretty much dominated that first period. Boston outshot Nashville 16-6, and Pekka Rinne was really the reason it wasn't worse than 1-0.
The good? Nashville was able to tie it up on the powerplay 7:32 into the second period. The bad? It was on the Preds' first shot on goal of the period.
....and they only ended up with six more shots in the period. At the end of two, Rinne was, again, the only thing keeping them in the game.
Once again, the Bruins came out jumping, and this time they capitalized. Klein looked completely lost and Daniel Paille put Boston up 2-1.
Our friends at Winging It In Motown said on twitter at the time: "Bruins taking it to the Preds so far in the third period, but if they don't extend their lead, they could find trouble." I guess the other Central Division teams just know Nashville too well, because the Predators tied it up just minutes later.
What a move by Sergei Kostitsyn to maneuver his way in and send a nice feed in front for Hornqvist who jammed home the tying goal. Again, it was Nashville's first shot on goal of the period.
And if the game couldn't get any more unbelievable, Mike Fisher put the Predators on top in a game they didn't deserve to be in, yet again.
....but the Bruins would tie it up about a minute and a half later on the powerplay after a questionable tripping call on Kostitsyn. At that point, though, Nashville should have been happy to just get a point after being outshot 38-19 in the first 60 minutes.
That sequence at the end of regulation was pretty hectic as well. The Bruins almost got the go-ahead goal as time expired, but it looked like Weber actually got his glove on the puck and saved the game.
Pekka Rinne's magic ran out in the shootout however, and the Bruins, deservedly, got the win.
It doesn't get any easier for the Predators either, as they'll host Chicago on Tuesday and go to Detroit on Thursday.

Box Score - Game Summary - Event Summary - Corsi Numbers - Shots On Goal Chart

Poll

Who was your Predator of the Game?

Predators at Bruins Game Thread

2012-02-11T17:30:12Z

Next Game

Nashville Predators
@ Boston Bruins

Saturday, Feb 11, 2012, Noon Central (FS-TN)
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Nashville Predators at Boston Bruins preview: Heads up, boys

2012-02-11T15:03:28Z

The Nashville Predators will have to rebound from an undisciplined effort at Ottawa Thursday night, as they prepare for an early start today against the Boston Bruins (noon Central on FS-TN). Last season, a game against the Bruins provided the Preds with their first overtime victory of the year, a dramatic moment that was part of the team's late-season surge.

Can the Predators get a similar boost out of the battle with Boston today? Let's find out...

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Tale Of The Tape

Nashville (32-18-5) at Boston (33-17-2)
NSH Offense vs. BOS Defense				BOS Offense vs. NSH Defense
5-on-5
	GF/60	SF/60	Shoot %	GA/60	SA/60	Save %
NSH Offense	2.3 (18th)	27.3 (24th)	8.6 (12th)	2.3 (9th)	30.8 (27th)	925 (9th)	NSH Defense
BOS Defense	2.1 (6th)	30.6 (25th)	931 (3rd)	3.2 (1st)	32.7 (3rd)	9.7 (2nd)	BOS Offense
	GA/60	SA/60	Save %	GF/60	SF/60	Shoot %
Special Teams
NSH PP vs. BOS PK				BOS PP vs. NSH PK
	GF/60	SF/60	Shoot %	GA/60	SA/60	Save %
NSH 5-on-4	7.5 (2nd)	48.8 (15th)	15.3 (2nd)	7 (23rd)	52.9 (21st)	868 (19th)	NSH 4-on-5
BOS 4-on-5	4.5 (5th)	51.5 (17th)	912 (3rd)	6.8 (7th)	47.1 (22nd)	14.5 (5th)	BOS 5-on-4
	GA/60	SA/60	Save %	GF/60	SF/60	Shoot %

The Bruins are following up their 2011 Stanley Cup championship by dominating the league during this regular season, with a +63 goal differential that is tops in the NHL by a country mile.

Boston Bruins

With a comfortable 5-point lead (and 5 games in hand) over Ottawa for the Northeast Division lead, the Bruins are able to focus on the bigger picture, getting themselves ready for the playoffs. The big concern there is the health of Nathan Horton, the scoring winger who suffered a concussion last month and faces an uncertain recovery.

Their leading goal-scorer? Just that guy they snagged with the #2 pick overall which they got from Toronto in the Phil Kessel trade:

Tyler Seguin

#19 / Center / Boston Bruins

Height: 6-1

Weight: 182

Born: Jan 31, 1992

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2011 - Tyler Seguin	51	20	24	44	31	16	4	0	5		149	13.4

Kid's got talent, and there's more where that came from. Thanks to that Kessel trade, they were able to move a player they didn't have salary cap room for anyway, in exchange for two first-round picks (#2 in 2010 and #9 in 2011) and a second-rounder. That's a trade for the ages, and it has Boston set up to be a legitimate Cup contender for quite a while. In goal, Tuukka Rask appears able to step in for Tim Thomas whenever that transition takes place, and Zdeno Chara is 34, so there's still a little tread left on those tires.

One reputation that Boston brings into this game is their nasty attitude. They lead the league in penalty minutes (Nashville has the 5th-fewest), but note that they're actually middle-of-the-pack in terms of the number of penalties they have to kill. So actually, they're fairly disciplined about how they engage in this stuff, it's mostly coincidental violence like fighting majors and other kinds of off-setting situations.

The Preds will need to maintain greater focus than they showed in the Ottawa game, and fight through whatever nonsense the Bruins throw their way.

Boston Bruins Last 5 Games

@ Buffalo	Wed 02/08	L 0 - 6
@ Washington	Sun 02/05	W 4 - 1
Pittsburgh	Sat 02/04	L 1 - 2
Carolina	Thu 02/02	L 0 - 3
Ottawa	Tue 01/31	W 4 - 3

Nashville Predators

Josh Cooper notes that Brian McGrattan won't go, so one does have to wonder how all the logic behind his presence on the roster might work in reverse. If he's really there to give his teammates confidence when the going gets tough, then how are they going to react today, playing on the road against what might be the toughest team in the league?

Of course, a trip to Boston is welcome news for Colin Wilson, who starred in college there. He scored his first NHL goal here, too, so we'll see if this game inspires similar production.

Colin Wilson

#33 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 214

Born: Oct 20, 1989

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2011 - Colin Wilson	52	11	18	29	3	19	5	0	4		92	11.9

Expect Pekka Rinne to get the start, in what could be a great between the #1 and #2 guys in last year's Vezina Trophy balloting.