On the Forecheck

Cody Franson scores in overtime as Nashville shuts out Columbus 1-0

2010-03-21T02:44:13Z

More photos » Mike Strasinger - AP

Steve Mason was strong all night, but in the end, it didn't matter.

[SBN] - [TSN] - [Box Score] - [The Cannon] - [Columbus Dispatch] - [Predators Insider]

The Nashville Predators continued their winning ways tonight, taking their fifth game in a row, this one against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was an incredible goaltending battle, with each team having sublime scoring chance after scoring chance only to be denied. In the end, though, Nashville proved a smidge better as rookie defenseman Cody Franson struck in the extra frame.

The first period saw the Blue Jackets outplay Nashville by a significant margin. They had twice as many shots, and it was purely on the merits of Pekka Rinne that the Predators escaped unscathed. Nashville had the lone power play of the period, with Jared Boll roughly boarding Jordin Tootoo. The Predators were unable to generate a single shot.

The second period didn't start well, either. The Preds picked up an interference penalty, then a too many men and found themselves two men down. At the end of the crucial five-on-three, Ryan Suter exited the box and found himself on a breakaway, and he hit the post even though he was pushed by Fedor Tyutin.

The Predators later got a man-advantage, though, with Mike Commodore in the box for slashing. This time they were able to create havoc in front of Steve Mason, but he was up to the task and then some. First he denied Shea Weber with a pad stop, then robbed Colin Wilson and Steve Sullivan in succession on the doorstep. This sequence of events was summed up well by @CellBlock303: "Apparently God is in net for the CBJ. Wow."

The teams traded chances for much of the third period, but as was the story throughout the night, both goaltenders were standing on their respective heads. Jason Arnott was hit with a high stick late in the period, was taken to the dressing room, and did not return.

In overtime, the Predators looked weak for much of the frame - at one point giving up a breakaway to Mike Commodore, who's shot Rinne nonchalantly gloved right out of the air. Soon after, though, our hero struck. Cody Franson took a pass from Martin Erat and fired a shot from the point that went in off of Steve Mason's arm, and that was that. Rinne picked up his third shutout in five games, and the Predators extended their win streak to five. Rinne's play has been nothing short of spectacular the last two weeks, and it would shock no one if he earned consecutive NHL "star" honors.

Poll

Who was your Predator of the game?

Predators Game Thread #72 : Columbus @ Nashville

2010-03-20T23:00:23Z

Weekend notes: poetry on ice?

2010-03-20T16:00:22Z

We've got a few notes for you this morning ahead of tonight's tussle with the Blue Jackets:

SB Nation is conducting a survey to learn more about our readers, and I'd appreciate your completing it. The blog which has the highest portion of its membership fill out the survey gets $500 to donate to the charity of its choice. Can we raise $500 for perhaps the Predators Foundation, folks?
One member of our community, SLake, has written an insightful analysis of whether Cal O'Reilly should get back into the lineup in favor of Dustin Boyd, who seemed a bit of an afterthought at the NHL Trade Deadline but he's played well in every game so far. If you've got an opinion you'd like to share, feel free to write a FanPost and get it out there!
For something a little high-brow this weekend, head over to Copper & Blue which features a fascinating interview with Randall Maggs, who may well be the poet laureate of hockey.
Don't forget to sign up with the On the Forecheck Facebook page, we're over 200 fans in just the last few weeks and growing quickly!
John Glennon joined the Thom Abraham Show yesterday to talk about the four-line scoring depth of the Preds these days, and you can listen to that segment via the following link:

John Glennon on Thom Abraham Show 20100319

Maybe we need to have a poetry contest here at OtF? Hickory dickory dock, Rick Nash got deked out of his jock...

Predators Game Day Preview: Columbus @ Nashville

2010-03-20T06:00:19Z

More photos » Mark Humphrey - AP

Browse more photos »

The Nashville Predators look to continue their winning ways against the cellar-dwelling Columbus Blue Jackets. The Predators are 40-26-5, with 85 points, and now just one point behind fifth place Colorado. There's no easing up on the throttle, though, as a first round matchup with Phoenix is surely more appealing than with San Jose. The Blue Jackets are 28-31-11, with 67 points, and are second-to-last in the West. They aren't to be taken lightly, though, as they boast an impressive young core and superstar Rick Nash.

After the jump, your obligatory stats and analysis!

Special Note: Remember, if you're going to tonight's game, parking is a mess downtown right now due to the Music City Center construction, and one option to keep in mind is FREE parking at Lot R next to LP Field. You can either walk across the pedestrian bridge, or catch a $3 (per person) shuttle to Bridgestone Arena from there.

Nashville coming in

The Predators are on a four game winning streak, with victories at Anaheim, Los Angeles, and against Philadelphia and Minnesota. The run is thanks in large part to the at times phenomenal play of Pekka Rinne, who has, in my opinion, left no doubt as to who the goaltender would and will be until the end of the season. Nashville scored on the power play again against the Wild, and they've moved up out of the statistical basement to having the 16th ranked power play in the league. The penalty kill is a work in progress, though, and will be tested tonight by a Columbus team that's special teams are better than their personnel would suggest.

Columbus coming in

Over at The Cannon, they're frustrated with this part of the season, and who can blame them? The Jackets have gone from playoff darlings to counting lottery balls:

I hate playing out the string. I've been a Blue Jackets fan since Day One, so I had the treat of watching the team play the spoiler role for the last 15 to 20 games of every season. Last year was the only exception. Other than the obvious fact that the team isn't making the playoffs, I hate playing out the string because you have games like last night.

Other than the two points that does nothing but increase the gap between 14th and 15th in the standings, the only other thing the Jackets could take from last night is that they lost Jan Hejda, likely for the rest of the season. They were lucky not to lose Jared Boll either, I know I'm not alone in cringing and holding my breath when his head hit the ice after his fight. The linesman and Theo Peckham's reactions said it all. He turned out to be OK, (we think) but it would have just made the night even more costly.

Who's hot

Dude scored an absolute beauty early in Thursday's game on a one-man rush.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Colin Wilson	24	7	5	12	-3	0	1	0	3	0	41	17.1

Who's not

Playing pretty well, but still not contributing on the scoresheet, which needs to change.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - David Legwand	71	10	26	36	0	24	0	1	3	0	130	7.7

The Guys in Goal

Like I said, there's really no question about this anymore.

Pekka Rinne

#35 / Goalie / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-5

Weight: 206

Born: Nov 03, 1982

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Pekka Rinne	48	2633	26	13		117	2.67	1238	1121	.905	5

Columbus has been alternating, so I'll update with the official word when I find it.

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Steve Mason	49	2670	17	22		141	3.17	1363	1222	.897	4

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Mathieu Garon	31	1574	11	9		73	2.78	772	699	.905	2

Projected Lineups

Nashville's, which Barry Trotz has stuck with over the last 6 games:

Forwards

Wilson - Arnott -Erat

Sullivan - Goc - Hornqvist

Tootoo - Boyd - Dumont

Ward - Legwand - Smithson

Defense

Suter - Weber

Hamhuis - Franson

Bouillon - Klein

Columbus:

Forwards

Huselius -Vermette - Nash

Umberger - Brassard -Voracek

Murray - Pahlsson - Clark

Dorsett - Blunden - Boll

Defense

Tyutin - Methot

Russell - Commodore

Paetsch - Stralman

Injury Report

Nashville Predators Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Denis Grebeshkov	other-excused	03/08/2010

Columbus Blue Jackets Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Rick Nash	other-excused	03/19/2010

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Anton Stralman	other-illness	03/19/2010

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Rostislav Klesla	groin	12/01/2009
Derek MacKenzie Jan Hejda	knee unknown	03/10/2010 n/a

Player

Injury Type

Injury Date

Rostislav Klesla

groin

12/01/2009

Derek MacKenzie

Jan Hejda

knee

unknown

03/10/2010

n/a

Did You Know?

When Colin Wilson dresses tonight, he'll have lost his eligibility for the 2011 Calder Trophy (awarded to the league's top rookie). A bittersweet occasion, as I felt Wilson could've made a real go at it next year. On the other hand, his production this season has been eye-opening.
Patric Hornqvist is tied for the league lead in game winning goals. Yeah, he's cool.
The Predators are one of three teams to win 40 games in five consecutive seasons. The others? San Jose and New Jersey. In that same time, they hold the league's 3rd best home record.
Nashville gives up a minuscule 1.77 goals per game at even strength. The problem? That annoying penalty kill...

Fearless Prediction

The Smashville Express has been just that over the last two weeks- rolling right through opponents (with the one exception), and at times easily. The Jackets are a team that really has nothing to play for besides pride. At this point, is pride enough to motivate them? I'm not sure, and you have to wonder if some players are looking ahead. The Predators are playing for the here and now, though, and aren't likely to let up with fifth place directly in their sights. Its likely to be a great crowd tonight, and I can't see the Predators falling flat after the way they've recently responded to various adversities. The big key to this one? Staying disciplined. Anyway, Predators 4, Blue Jackets 1.

A statistical analysis: Dustin Boyd vs. Cal O'Reilly

2010-03-20T05:16:47Z

It's been asked in the comments section of every blog I visit, been asked on the message boards, and even been discussed within the Predators Twitter community as well..."What will it take for Cal O`Reilly to get back into the lineup?"

Since his recall on January 25th, O'Reilly has appeared in 13 games for the Predators registering 2 goals and 3 assists over that span and due to his waiver status looks to have earned a permanent spot on the Nashville roster (Milwaukee has re-assigned #16 to Marty Murray). However, since the acquisition of Dustin Boyd at the trade deadline on March 3rd, O'Reilly has not appeared in a game.

This lead me to dive into the advanced statistics today and take a look at the numbers for the two and do a little comparison that even shocked me a little...

To start my quest, I immediately turned here to On The Forecheck where Dirk has done a wonderful job opening our eyes to some of the raw data collected in terms of advanced statistics after each Predators game this season.

Over the course of the season, I've taken a particular interest in the Corsi rating for each player on a game-by-game basis and that's where I went first...

What is the "Corsi rating" you ask? That's a good question. The Corsi rating is calculated only during even-strength play by taking the total number of shots directed at the opponent's net while a player is on the ice and subtracting the total number of shots directed at the player's own net while he is on the ice. In it's simplest form it breaks down to Total Shots For - Total Shots Against = Corsi rating.

Since the end of the Olympic Break, Cal has played in three games (3/2 - 3/5) over which time he registered a negative Corsi rating in all three games and overall the 2nd worst rating among forwards on the team at -11. Interestingly, it was O'Reilly's linemate Colin Wilson that registered a team-worst -12 rating during that period, but since being separated has posted an even or positive rating in all 6 games with one game's worth of data missing (3/16 vs. Philadelphia) and has recorded the best Corsi rating among Predator forwards at +25.

After joining the lineup on March 7th, Boyd has appeared in 7 games for the Predators registering a positive Corsi rating in 4 of the 6 games (again missing data for 3/16 vs. Philadelphia) and is overall a +18 rating over that time period (tied for 3rd best among forwards).

But I didn't stop there and on the advice of Dirk, I visited Vic Ferrari's Time On Ice site where I could run customized reports to delve a little deeper into the numbers and run a report that allowed me to compare O'Reilly's last seven games played to Boyd's first seven games with the team...

The report was run for the even-strength numbers (excluding empty-net situations) for the games from February 9th through March 18th. In this report, I found similar results for both O'Reilly and Boyd to my earlier limited observation simply looking at the raw Corsi ratings data since the Olympic Break...

Beginning with a comparison of the Corsi percentage (.500% is equivalent to a "zero" or "even" Corsi rating) for each player, Cal O'Reilly (.478% in 7 games) came in below the team average of .512% over the 14 game span, while Boyd (.550% in 7 games) registered the 2nd highest percentage (Tootoo - .582% in 14 games) on the entire team.

Also much to my surprise I learned in the report that since being acquired, Boyd has not yet been on the ice for an even-strength goal against, but has been on the ice for two even-strength goals for. In his seven games, O'Reilly was also on the ice for two even-strength goals for, but also on the ice for three even-strength goals against...

While O'Reilly does have an advantage over Boyd in terms of traditional statistics with 2 goals vs. 1 assist, his production simply doesn't bear out any reason I can find to insert him into the lineup in terms of production. When taking into consideration all ice time (ES+PP+SH+EN), Boyd has recorded 12 SOG to O'Reilly's 10 SOG. At even-strength Boyd holds a 10 SOG to 5 SOG advantage and a 17 to 8 advantage in total shots (shots on goal + missed shots + blocked shots).

So in conclusion, after studying the advanced statistics I believe that the decision by Predators head coach Barry Trotz and his coaching staff to scratch Cal O'Reilly in 7 straight games in favor of Dustin Boyd has in fact been the correct decision and has proven to be a true benefit to the team.

I do not want to use this analysis to be misrepresented as a characterization of Cal O'Reilly as a "bust", nor do I want to fool anyone into thinking that O'Reilly doesn't have a future within the organization. I believe that O'Reilly possesses excellent on-ice vision and passing skills that translate to the NHL level and provides value to the Predators organization, however at this time it is Boyd's superior two-way skills and NHL experience that are providing more immediate value to the team at the moment.

I will update this article with the Corsi rating numbers from the 3/16 game vs. Philadelphia as soon as I receive them, however in the mean time as this is my first foray into advanced statistics analysis...I would love to hear other people's opinions on this topic and am open to constructive criticism in a pursuit of gaining a better knowledge of advanced statistics for myself and also to insure that the most accurate information is contained within the article.

Thanks for reading!!!

Predators trailer debuts; Gnash sadly didn't make the final cut

2010-03-19T19:47:16Z

The trailer from the upcoming sci-fi thriller Predators has hit the web (scroll down to view it), but Nashville hockey fans will be disappointed to learn that it is, in fact, not dedicated to our favorite hockey team, but is instead a sequel to 1987's Predator.

My question is, which Nashville Predators should have made it into the film?

How about Wade Belak as a distant relative of Blain (played by Jesse Ventura in the original). I could definitely see him grimacing on his way to the penalty box as he says, "I ain't got time to bleed..."

KHL continues European expansion with Ukrainian team

2010-03-19T15:33:30Z

This press release came from the KHL this morning:

The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and Ukrainian hockey club Budivelnyk in Kiev have signed a letter of intent for the club to participate in the 2010-2011 KHL season.

The agreement stipulates that the KHL will consider allowing the club to participate in the league starting next season if it meets the appropriate rules, regulations and by laws necessary. Further, the KHL is asking the club to commit to an active role in the growth and development of European, continental and world hockey.

As an immediate next step, the KHL and Budivelnyk have agreed that the deadline for the club to provide the financial guarantees necessary to participate in the 2010-2011 season will be April 1, 2010.

Today's news follows the recent announcement that the KHL has also signed a letter of intent with Czech club Lion, located in the city Hradec Kralove, for their participation in the 2010-2011 season, pending their meeting all necessary requirements.

Outside Russia, the KHL currently has teams in Belarus, Latvia and Kazakhstan, and besides the new Czech franchise, may also have a team in Stockholm, Sweden next season as well.

In the past, there has been tentative discussion about the NHL possibly creating a European division, but unless they get moving, the KHL may beat them to the punch.

Friday's news: Bruins fail a character test, Preds fans recap a 5-0 treat

2010-03-19T15:12:01Z

It's a bright morning in Nashville, made all the sunnier by a 5-0 win last night and a Hobey Baker nomination for the local boy made good.

After the jump, we've got plenty of reaction from around Nashville's hockey blogs to last night's game, along with an utter failure by the Boston Bruins in a critical game against Pittsburgh, and a video of 10 awesomely hilarious goal celebrations...

Predators News

Preds Update - Wild Win and Another Hobey Baker Finalist! - Paul McCann
The Preds PA man is a big booster of Middle Tennessee youth hockey, and is beaming with pride over Blake Geoffrion's Hobey Baker nomination. Today is also the last day to jump aboard his road trip to St. Louis for the game this Sunday.

Preds Win a Laugher…But Hopefully Nobody’s Laughing " Pull My (Fang)Finger
AJ wasn't just thrilled at the Preds effort last night, he also enjoyed seeing Craig Leopold's new team on the receiving end of that 5-0 score.

Preds On The Glass: Game Recap: Predators Tame the Wild in 5-0 Win
Buddy's very impressed with how Colin Wilson has played since the Olympic break. Leaving him on the wing is a great way to get him acclimated to the NHL for now.

See Puck City: Preds Shut Down Wild With Zanon Goals: 5-0
SPC celebrates last night's win, and calls for the hockey haters to wise up. The Predators are here to stay.

The View from 111: Preds Gone Wild, Whip Minnesota 5-0
Last night was a real treat for Predators fans who have seen less than stellar efforts on home ice this season.

Postgame ponderings - Predators Insider
John Glennon, among other things, likes the way Colin Wilson has been finishing his scoring chances.

Around the NHL

Bruins booed off ice after getting shutout by Penguins 3-0 - Stanley Cup of Chowder
Wow, so much for a spirited rematch with Pittsburgh for the Boston Bruins, eh? They left the hometown fans bitterly disappointed in a lackluster defeat. Yes, there was the obligatory fight with cheap shot artist Matt Cooke, but after that, the Bruins rolled over and played dead.

Lemieux and McCarty – together! - All Things Avs
What Boston needed last night was Darren McCarty. That March 26, 1997 game between Detroit and Colorado stands out to me as the greatest regular season NHL game in living memory.

Panthers defend Vokoun, blame ice after 105-foot goal - Puck Daddy
Tomas Vokoun gave up a laugher last night, and heard about it from the home crowd, but anyone with a clue realizes he's the Panthers' MVP and their best hope of ever returning to the playoffs.

Something's Going Down in the D - Nightmare on Helm Street
Are the Red Wings preparing to build a replacement for Joe Louis Arena? As a kid, I went to see the Harlem Globetrotters play there shortly after it opened, but it's time is probably up.

Forget the Avs: let's worry about the Sharks! - Behind The Net
Reason #612 to be concerned that San Jose might flop in the playoffs.

Paul Kariya scores his 400th career goal - ProHockeyTalk
The former Pred reaches a career milestone.

ESPN Ready to Cover the NCAA Tourney, Not As Well As Last Year " Puck The Media
Steve Lepore has all the details on ESPN's coverage for the NCAA hockey tournament.

There's always lots to do for an equipment manager - NHL.com
Take a peek at what life is like for the busiest guys in the NHL.

Rules against head shots already there, says ex ref - The Globe and Mail
Retired referee Bruce Hood says that the Charging rule already covers much of what the NHL plans to ban with head shots. It could be read that way, although to me, Charging is so vaguely written that it seems you could call it 10 times a game if you wanted to.

The Dark Blue Jacket: Timing is everything
Tom looks at Columbus applying to host an NHL All-Star Game, and wonders if it has anything to do with recent rumors that the Blue Jackets might be for sale.

The Phoenix Coyotes Starring In Major League - From The Rink
Mike Chen brings the funny. Lee Stempniak as "Wild Thing"? I get it...

Lastly, with a hat tip to Rick Gethin at the Hockey Writers, a recap of 10 awesome goal celebrations:

Predators prospect Blake Geoffrion a finalist for college hockey's Hobey Baker Award

2010-03-19T14:11:21Z

In what amounts to a watershed moment for the youth hockey community in Middle Tennessee, Blake Geoffrion was named today as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given yearly to the top player in U.S. college hockey. Geoffrion (who can be found on Twitter at @BlakeGeoffrion) grew up in suburban Brentwood, Tennessee, and played in the Nashville Youth Hockey League. He's the first NYHL alumnus drafted by an NHL team (a 2nd-round pick by the Preds in 2006).

Here's his capsule from the HobeyBaker.com website:

Blake Geoffrion - University of Wisconsin, Senior, Forward, Brentwood, Tennessee
The second-year captain has been especially strong in WCHA play. Geoffrion leads the conference in goals with 19, power play goals with 11 and is second in points with 34, all good enough to garner First Team all-star honors. He has an amazing 23% shooting percentage and is a great penalty killer. He's a Consumer Science major.
• His dad Danny, granddad Bernie "Boom Boom" and great grandpa Howie Morenz all played for Montreal Canadiens - Boomer and Howie are enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame and have 9 Stanley Cups between them
• Has 23 goals and 18 assists for 41 points in 34 games - Nashville draft pick

After the jump, a video feature on Blake from the Big Ten Network...

Predators dominate Minnesota 5-0

2010-03-19T03:16:18Z

More photos » Mark Humphrey - AP

"Ruh-roh"

Browse more photos »

Pekka Rinne made just 17 saves for his 5th shutout of the season and four different teammates tallied two points apiece as the Nashville Predators dominated the Minnesota Wild 5-0 in front of a crowd of 16,615 at Bridgestone Arena.

Colin Wilson and Jason Arnott were named 1st and 2nd stars of the game with a goal and assist each, as 9 different Preds made the scoresheet tonight. Follow after the jump for reaction and advanced even-strength stats, and check the right-hand sidebar for video highlights...

For a team that was supposedly battling for its playoff life, Minnesota really didn't put up much of a fight in this one. Colin Wilson got the scoring started by blocking a point shot and chasing down the rebound ahead of a flat-footed defenseman, showing the presence of mind to protect the puck with his body before beating Josh Harding for the goal.

Wilson had a dynamite game tonight, and later on made an impressive play spinning away from a defender along the boards to set up a dangerous chance for Francis Bouillon, on which Harding made a great glove save. Since joining Jason Arnott's line last week, Wilson has 4 goals and 2 assists in 6 games. Harding was pulled in the 2nd intermission as Wade Dubielewicz mopped up the 3rd.

Pretty much everybody had a good night for Nashville, though. Arnott got a fluke goal when he picked up a rebound all the way over at the sideboards and threw it on net, only to catch Harding napping and still out of position. That came in the final minute of the first period, and gave the Preds a 3-0 lead. Fortunately, Nashville kept pushing for the rest of the night, unlike Tuesday vs. Philadelphia when they were kept back on their heels by an attacking Flyers squad.

J.P. Dumont scored his 16th goal of the season, with Dustin Boyd getting his first Predators point on the assist. Martin Erat added two assists, and Marcel Goc scored his 12th goal.

The Preds even dominated Minnesota on the faceoff dot 42-25, led by Arnott's 12-for-15 performance. The power play went 1-for-3, as Patric Hornqvist scored in the third period to send the fans into a Frosty-driven frenzy.

The win, Nashville's fourth in a row, lefts them to 85 points with eleven games remaining. They are within striking distance of 5th and 6th in the Western Conference, and five points ahead of Detroit in 8th, which has two games in hand.

Goofy fact: The 17 saves is the least a Predator goalie has ever had to make in a shutout, tying a record set by Tomas Vokoun on March 10, 2001 vs. San Jose, and tied by Dan Ellis on November 25, 2008 vs. St. Louis, and Rinne on January 13, 2009 against Toronto.

Saturday the Predators host the Columbus Blue Jackets. For discounted tickets to this, or any other Nashville Predators home game, you can follow this link and use the special offer code "PREDS".

This may well have been the most lopsided game of the season, with only two players on the wrong side of the Corsi number, and even those were only a -1. All of the lines got their scoring chances, but the Wilson-Arnott-Erat combo may well have been the best of the bunch.

The outstanding point below is, once again, the very even distribution of ice time. All of the forwards ranged from 14:58 to 11:56 at evens, while the D went from 19:15 to 17:05. I truly believe that depth is going to be a major asset for this team down the stretch and into the playoffs, and by keeping the lines rolling Nashville has a chance to cash in when other teams ice their lesser units.

Even Strength		Individual Totals					Team Totals While Player Is On Ice
Player	Pos	EV TOI	Shots	Shts Blkd	Missed Shts	Blocks	SOG For	SOG Ag	SOG +/-	Tot SF	Tot SA	Corsi
Marcel Goc	C	14:58	2	0	2	0	7	6	1	13	10	3
Colin Wilson	C	14:37	4	0	0	2	13	5	8	22	13	9
Dustin Boyd	C	14:29	2	0	2	1	8	3	5	15	7	8
Jason Arnott	C	13:24	5	0	2	0	12	5	7	20	13	7
Martin Erat	R	13:23	0	1	2	1	11	5	6	19	13	6
Jerred Smithson	R	13:23	1	0	0	0	5	3	2	8	9	-1
Patric Hornqvist	R	13:21	4	0	0	0	7	6	1	13	7	6
Joel Ward	R	13:05	2	1	0	0	5	3	2	8	7	1
Jordin Tootoo	R	13:04	1	2	0	0	9	3	6	16	6	10
Steve Sullivan	L	12:39	0	0	1	0	7	6	1	13	8	5
David Legwand	C	12:02	1	1	1	0	5	3	2	8	7	1
J P Dumont	R	11:56	2	1	0	0	7	3	4	13	5	8
Dan Hamhuis	D	19:15	1	0	1	2	19	5	14	26	11	15
Kevin Klein	D	18:26	0	0	1	3	5	8	-3	14	15	-1
Shea Weber	D	17:28	1	2	0	4	8	4	4	16	12	4
Francis Bouillon	D	17:28	2	2	0	0	8	8	0	18	12	6
Ryan Suter	D	17:12	1	0	0	1	8	4	4	16	11	5
Cody Franson	D	17:05	3	1	1	0	16	5	11	22	9	13

Poll

Who is your Predator of the Game?

Jason Arnott, goal & assist, 5 shots

3 votes

Patric Hornqvist, goal & assist, 5 shots

11 votes

Pekka Rinne, 17 saves, shutout

19 votes

Colin Wilson, GW goal, assist, 4 shots

80 votes

113 votes | Poll has closed

Predators Game Thread #71 : MInnesota @ Nashville

2010-03-18T23:00:19Z

Growing blog traffic by riding the Olympic wave

2010-03-18T20:36:09Z

Taking a break from hockey news and analysis for the moment, I wanted to share with you an interesting experience from the past few weeks that made for some big days here at On the Forecheck. I hope this holds a few lessons for anyone out there with their own blog, whether hockey-related or not.

It has to do with the Winter Olympics, and how a few throwaway sentences in a Sunday morning post turned into a major traffic generator for this site...

The Starting Point

As a Nashville Predators blogger, my connection to the Winter Olympics was indirect; the Preds had 6 players involved with different hockey teams at the Games, so we planned on following their activity, and the general course of the tournament from a local perspective.

During the early games in Vancouver, traffic to the site was steady, as expected (about 1,000-1,500 visits, 2,000-3,000 page views daily). The hardcore Nashville fans were interested in seeing how their favorites were doing on the Olympic stage.

The Opportunity

During the first week, the 12 teams played each other (within 4 divisions) to establish rankings, with the second week dedicated to a single-elimination playoff that would lead to the Gold Medal Game. The culmination of the first week was dubbed "Rivalry Sunday", featuring dramatic international matchups (Canada-USA, Russia-Czech Republic, and Sweden-Finland) that provided some of the most entertaining hockey of the tournament.

My preview piece that morning included a short explanation of how the playoff bracket would be determined, along with a nod to those Nashville Predators who would play that day. Nothing earth-shattering there, just something to set the table.

As the games on Rivalry Sunday played out, the team rankings began to come into focus, but the official Olympic website offered little information to hockey fans who wondered how the bracket was shaping up. During the afternoon, I noticed that I was getting a surprising bump in traffic, mostly from Google as users were searching for "Olympic hockey bracket".

Once all the games were complete, it wasn't until several hours later that the official layout for the playoff portion of the tournament was posted, and even then, it took some digging within the site to find it. As I followed the hockey conversation on Twitter (where I can be found at @Forechecker), it was clear that most fans were left in the dark, and would have to wait for the morning newspaper to get a look at the whole picture.

This is where I seized an opportunity - a mass of people were looking for information which should have been immediately available, but wasn't. Following the Olympic guidelines, I assembled a playoff bracket using Microsoft Excel, where I then used a macro to create a simple, clean HTML table which preserved the formatting. I posted it as soon as the Sweden-Finland game ended to conclude the preliminary round (in the wee hours of the morning), and went to bed. The final, updated version is shown here - it wasn't sexy, but clearly showed how the playoffs would proceed:

2010 Olympic Mens Hockey Bracket
Playoff Qualifier 1	Quarterfinal 1
#8 Switzerland	#1 USA
#9 ~~Belarus~~	#8 ~~Switzerland~~	Semifinal 1
Playoff Qualifier 2	Quarterfinal 2	#1 USA	Gold Medal
#5 Czech Republic	#4 Finland	#4 ~~Finland~~	#1 ~~USA~~
#12 ~~Latvia~~	#5 ~~Czech Republic~~		#6 Canada
Playoff Qualifier 3	Quarterfinal 3
#7 Slovakia	#2 ~~Sweden~~		Bronze Medal
#10 ~~Norway~~	#7 Slovakia	Semifinal 2	#4 Finland
Playoff Qualifier 4	Quarterfinal 4	#7 ~~Slovakia~~	#7 ~~Slovakia~~
#6 Canada W 8-2	#3 ~~Russia~~	#6 Canada
#11 ~~Germany~~	#6 Canada

Hours later, I was on my way to a new record day in traffic, more than doubling any previous high. At first I figured that it would just make for a nice one-hit wonder, as mainstream sports sites would have this same information as well, and quick relegate my traffic back to more normal levels.

It turns, out, however, that I was able to build on that momentum for the rest of that final Olympic week, and have enjoyed a tailwind ever since, by taking a few practical steps.

Catching the wave

Once I achieved a high search engine ranking for "Olympic hockey bracket" and related terms, I took a few measures to maintain that page's position on Google, Bing, Yahoo, and the rest:

I went back to the preview piece that alerted me to this issue, and added a link to the bracket article making sure the word "bracket" was included.
Over the course of the week as I broke down the ongoing action, I referred back to that article with links using terms like "Olympic hockey bracket", "updated playoff bracket", etc., as a reference for the reader (rather than reproduce the bracket separately in each new post).
I shared a link to the article with members of my blogging network, asking them to use some variation of "Olympic hockey bracket" as the anchor text for their link. All too often, we bloggers write something like "check out this Olympic hockey bracket at On the Forecheck" rather than "On the Forecheck has an Olympic hockey bracket available." The latter example is much more beneficial in terms of search engine optimization (SEO), and I think it's clearer to the human reader as well; you're telling them exactly what they'll get by following that link. Anchor the link on the meaningful text, not the blog title; it's better for all parties involved.
I sent out a short (very re-tweetable) tweet saying basically "Here's your Olympic hockey bracket" with a link. It was clear, concise, and was forwarded multiple times, exposing my site to people outside my normal Twitter circle. After playoff games were completed, I sent a new tweet out alerting people to the updated information.

This helped keep that page high on the search engines throughout the entire final week of the Winter Olympics, and in fact at this writing it still ranks 3rd on Google for "Olympic hockey bracket" (although of course that's no longer a hot topic). That kept new readers arriving for several days, and I tried to build in some long-lasting effects by adding a few tweaks to that entry page:

I put a note in italics up near the top stating that the bracket below was being updated, so that even though readers would see a dateline that was old, they knew they'd be getting current information.
I added text at the bottom of the article with links pointing readers to my RSS feed, as well as associated Twitter and Facebook pages. However they prefer to follow a site, I wanted to make that option readily available.

The Results

While that first day (February 22) led to a daily traffic high, 5 of the next 9 days would have beaten the old high as well.
The month of February nearly doubled the previous high month for traffic, but more importantly, March is on pace to exceed even that, even though the Olympics ended on February 28!
All the inbound links from other hockey (and general sports) blogs have boosted my site's standing in various indexes. On Technorati, for example, this site is listed (at this writing) as the #1 hockey blog, and the #34 overall sports blog. Ballhype ranks us as the #8 hockey blog.

While this opportunity was tied to the Winter Olympics, there are any number of major events that offer gaps like this that alert bloggers can fill. As you follow the conversation in social media around topics like the Oscars, the NCAA men's basketball tournament, major political battles, etc., keep an eye out for the questions people are asking - there may well be many more out there wondering the same thing, and if you can meet that need, it's the chance to make a great first impression on an entirely new audience.

I'm certainly no SEO or blogging expert, but I do believe the steps I took above helped make this experience a success, and have led to an ongoing boost for this site.

What could I have done better, though? Suggestions, anyone?

Nashville Predators and partners offer free parking for 1,300 to Saturday's game vs. Columbus

2010-03-18T15:38:40Z

From the Nashville Predators:

On Saturday, March 20 more than 1,300 Predators fans will have the opportunity to park for free courtesy of Premier Parking, the Nashville Predators and downtown property owners. Premier Parking of Tennessee, LLC will be offering Nashville Predators fans free parking for the Nashville Predators game on March 20 vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The free parking will be offered at the Pinnacle at Symphony Place Garage, where there will be 787 spaces available. In addition to the Pinnacle at Symphony building, there will be an additional six surface parking lots on Second Avenue, between Korean Veterans Boulevard and the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge. These additional lots will bring the total number of free available parking spots to 1,320 for use by Predators fans on Saturday, March 20.

"We recognize that parking has been a challenge," Nashville Predators President of Business Operations, Ed Lang said. "By partnering with Premier Parking, we're able to help our fans for a night with this incredible offer of free parking. Thanks to Premier Parking and the local downtown property owners for helping to make this happen."

Construction of the Music City Convention Center has eliminated more than 1,000 parking spaces that previously accommodated Predator's fans. This opportunity will help Preds fans become more familiar with Premier Parking and the alternative parking options available.

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to introduce fans to over 1,300 parking spaces on Second Avenue, including the newly opened Pinnacle at Symphony Place Garage,"   President of Premier Parking, Ryan Chapman said. "We thank our partners Barry Real Estate Companies, Nashville Commercial, C.B. Ragland Company, and the May Family for assisting us in providing this opportunity to Predators fans."

Premier Parking and the Nashville Predators encourage fans to enter downtown using the Second Avenue exit (210 C) on Interstate 40. As fans continue down Second Avenue South, they will have their choice of several   FREE Premier Parking locations.

This is a great move to help alleviate the parking pinch that many Preds fans have been feeling.

Don't forget that there is also Lot R at LP Field that is available for free as well. You can walk across the pedestrian bridge, or take a $3 shuttle from there to the arena.

Remember, for discounted tickets to Saturday vs. Columbus, or any other Nashville Predators home game, you can follow this link and use the special offer code "PREDS".

Thursday's news: Anaheim's Wisniewski delivers latest scary head shot

2010-03-18T14:21:00Z

More photos » Jae C. Hong - AP

3 days ago: Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook falls to the ice after he was checked by Anaheim Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Wednesday, March 17, 2010. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Browse more photos »

Dangerous head shots have been the big story in the NHL for the last several weeks, and that continues today, unfortunately. Last night James Wisniewski of the Anaheim Ducks threw a nasty elbow to the head of Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook, and tonight's schedule features a rematch between Boston and Pittsburgh, the first since Matt Cooke knocked Marc Savard out for the season.

After the jump, we've got video of the hit last night, and word from a Boston columnist who thinks the Bruins need to exact a pound of flesh in revenge - but not from Matt Cooke...

Predators News

Preds On The Glass: Thursday Thoughts and a Look at the Predators - Wild Game Tonight
Buddy's morning recap includes word that he might have landed an upcoming interview with Brett Wilson, the Canadian entrepreneur who is often touted as a future member of the Preds ownership group.

Preview: Wild at Predators (3/18) | Section 303
Ok, Ok, there's a game preview, but check out the Legwand-O-Meter!

Patric Hornqvist Latest Late-Rounder To Emerge - From The Rink
Cory celebrates the rise of Patric Hornqvist with the Preds from last-overall draft pick to a guy with a chance for 30 goals this season.

Predators' balanced offense bares its fangs - The Tennessean
When it comes to offensive contributors, Nashville boasts quantity over quality. To me, the scoring depth on this team could prove to be a big advantage in the playoffs.

Around the NHL

Make the Penguins pay the right way - BostonHerald.com
Ron Borges takes the low road, saying the Boston Bruins need to go after Sidney Crosby however they can tonight to take revenge for Matt Cooke's hit on Marc Savard. "Bounce a puck off his nose if you can. If you get a blind side shot at him, put your body through his chest." If a blogger wrote this stuff, you can bet the newspaper guys would stand up and condemn the unprofessional rabble, right? (hat tip to Kukla's Korner)

Coming Down the Pipe!: OHL Playoff Preview
Guy Flaming previews the junior hockey playoffs. In particular, keep an eye on how Ryan Ellis for Windsor, and teammates Taylor Beck and Michael Latta in Guelph.

Corsi Percentage by Period - Behind The Net
The numbers demonstrate just how much teams go into a defensive mode when they lead a game in the 3rd period. Teams that are losing by 1 goal generally get the bulk of the shots, while the leading team is more content to dump & change.

Rangers-Islanders in 3D - NYTimes.com
OK, this is weird. Hockey in 3D?

Luongo And Vigneault Not Quite Seeing Eye To Eye On Canucks' Style Of Play - Nucks Misconduct
A little discord up in B.C., perhaps between the star goalie and his coach?

A Brief Introduction - Matchsticks and Gasoline
The regime change in Calgary is complete, as SB Nation's Flames blog welcomes a new Managing Editor. Stop by and be sure to welcome her...

Final days of Marty Turco's tenure with Stars are a test of goaltender's career-long class, patience - Dallas Morning News
It's sad seeing a cranky old man threatened with eviction; hopefully Marty Turco blows up a bunch of balloons and tries to carry off American Airlines Arena to search for Paradise Falls.

Lastly, again courtesy of Kukla's Korner, check out the video of Anaheim defenseman James Wisniewski taking a vicious headshot to former teammate Brent Seabrook of Chicago. Seabrook left the game and did not return:

Can you believe he only received two minutes for charging? And yes, that's the Anaheim announcer wondering out loud if Seabrook was faking an injury. Pathetic.

Predators Game Day Preview: Minnesota @ Nashville

2010-03-18T06:00:28Z

More photos » Mark Humphrey - AP

Browse more photos »

The Minnesota Wild come to Nashville tonight to take on the Predators in what is probably their most important game of the season. The Wild are hanging on for dear life in the playoff chase and desperately need two points against a rival. The Predators are flying high, though, and if Pekka Rinne's recent performances are any indication it'll be a tough go for the Wild.

The season's coming to a close, the standings are tight, and both teams are playing well, so continue below for more!

Nashville coming in

Ugly as it may have been, the Predators extended their win streak on Tuesday with a 4-3 win over the Flyers. The key to the game was Pekka Rinne (42 saves), as the Predators spent most of the game in their own zone. They overcame some highly questionable officiating to get the win in the shootout. They didn't get a chance to try out their newfound power play success, however, because Philadelphia didn't take a single minor penalty. The Wild are not quite as disciplined, so look for that to change tonight.

Minnesota coming in

The Wild are also on a three game win streak, beating the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 in their previous contest. They've gotten excellent play out of (former?) backup goalie Josh Harding, and are putting some heat on Calgary for the ninth spot. According to Wild beat man Mike Russo, Derek Boogaard will not make the trip, but Finnish Olympian Niklas Backstrom will. Check out our friends at Hockey Wilderness for any Minnesota needs you may have.

Who's hot

Besides Rinne, of course:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Martin Erat	63	20	24	44	-10	42	5	0	2	0	138	14.5

Who's not

He's picked it up slightly, but still gone a ridiculous amount of games (nearly 30?) without a goal:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - David Legwand	70	10	26	36	0	24	0	1	3	0	129	7.8

The Guys in Goal

Your reigning NHL 3rd Star of the Week:

Pekka Rinne

#35 / Goalie / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-5

Weight: 206

Born: Nov 03, 1982

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Pekka Rinne	47	2573	25	13		117	2.73	1221	1104	.904	4

Also playing well:

Josh Harding

#37 / Goalie / Minnesota Wild

Height: 6-1

Weight: 197

Born: Jun 18, 1984

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Josh Harding	21	1100	8	9		51	2.78	570	519	.911	1

Projected Lineups

Nashville:

Forwards

Wilson - Arnott - Erat

Sullivan - Goc - Hornqvist

Tootoo - Boyd - Dumont

Ward - Legwand - Smithson

Defense

Suter - Weber

Hamhuis - Franson

Bouillon - Klein

Minnesota (minus Brent Burns):

Forwards

Brunette - Koivu - Miettinen

Latendresse - Ebbett - Havlat

Nolan - Sheppard - Kobasew

Clutterbuck - Brodziak -??

Defense

Zanon - Zidlicky

Scott - Barker

Sifers - Schultz

Injury Report

Nashville Predators Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Denis Grebeshkov	lower-body	03/08/2010

Minnesota Wild Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Derek Boogaard	other-excused	03/17/2010
Shane Hnidy	leg	03/17/2010

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Niklas Backstrom	groin	03/17/2010

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Clayton Stoner	groin	01/06/2010
Pierre-Marc Bouchard	concussion	10/04/2009

(Ouch)

Did You Know?

Martin Erat and Jerred Smithson both scored their first career goals against Minnesota
Erat is approaching the team record for shootout conversions (12)
Nashville's home power play is 6th in the NHL, and they are 25-8-2 when scoring with the man advantage

Fearless Prediction

Over the past week, the Preds have won ugly (Flyers), pretty (Kings), with defense (Ducks), and scored a lot of goals in another game (Sharks). On top of all that, they've gotten the consistent goaltending needed to succeed in the playoffs. Minnesota is a good team on occasion, but the Predators are better in most facets. After weathering the storm against the Flyers, I don't think Nashville is daunted tonight. Score one on the power play, stay disciplined, hit Cal Clutterbuck, protect Pekka Rinne, and get out. Predators 3, Wild 1.

Predators scoreboard watch: Snow vs. Fire in Denver

2010-03-17T22:15:13Z

More photos » Jeff McIntosh - AP

Browse more photos »

The lone game on tonight's NHL schedule with significance for Nashville Predators fans takes place in Denver, where the Calgary Flames face the Avalanche. This presents an interesting conundrum; do Preds fans pull for Colorado, in order to keep Calgary 6 points behind Nashville in 9th place, or would a Flames win help by keeping the Avs within striking distance, just 3 points ahead of the Preds?

No matter what, we want to see this one end in regulation.

Ranking the NHL's Least Valuable Players

2010-03-17T19:46:48Z

More photos » Paul Sancya - AP

The Anti-Lidstrom: Detroit's Brad Stuart.

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Yesterday, I took a statistical approach to determining the NHL's MVP for this season, and I don't think I raised too many eyebrows by touting Alex Ovechkin for a repeat as Hart Trophy winner (although perhaps you might be surprised at my #2). Having gone through that exercise, there's another, perhaps more interesting and debatable question that arises from the assembled data:

Who is this season's Least Valuable Player?

First, of course, the caveat - any player who makes it onto the ice for even one NHL game is an insanely skilled, gifted athlete who will always have my respect, as a "never was" pond-hockey kid and beer leaguer.

That said, just as some players drive positive results for their teams, there are those whose very presence on the ice is a harbinger of doom. I suspect most hockey fans could rattle off a lengthy such list without the benefit of statistics.

The following, then, are those players who have had the worst overall performance in the NHL this season, relative to their teammates. In 5-on-5, power play, and penalty killing work they've been on the ice for more Goals Against, and fewer Goals For, compared to how their team does when they are on the bench. All data originates from Behind the Net. Before you yell at the screen about Scott Niedermayer's presence on this list, consider that perhaps his time as an elite NHL blueliner is over.

2009-10 NHL LVP Candidates
Player	Pos	Team	5-on-5 Impact	PP Impact	PK Impact	Penalty +/- Impact	Total
Brad Stuart	D	DET	-16.5	-8.4	-18.1	1.1	-41.9
Nate Thompson	C	NYI/T.B	-17.6	-0.2	-18.6	-0.3	-36.7
Braydon Coburn	D	PHI	-10.5	-13.5	-10.5	-1.5	-36.0
Richard Park	C	NYI	-13.3	-0.1	-21.6	0.2	-34.9
Jack Johnson	D	L.A	-27.7	-6.0	-0.2	-0.8	-34.6
Steve Staios	D	EDM/CGY	-21.8	-1.5	-6.2	-2.0	-31.5
Kevin Bieksa	D	VAN	-11.0	-7.7	-11.8	-0.6	-31.0
Brendan Witt	D	NYI	-19.0	-0.2	-11.1	-0.6	-30.9
Kevin Klein	D	NSH	-21.7	-2.4	-6.4	0.0	-30.4
Scott Niedermayer	D	ANA	-21.8	2.9	-10.4	-1.1	-30.3
Rod Brind'Amour	C	CAR	-23.4	-4.1	-2.9	0.3	-30.1
Lauri Korpikoski	LW	PHX	-16.9	-1.0	-11.5	-0.5	-29.9
Todd Marchant	C	ANA	-17.4	-0.6	-9.8	-0.2	-27.9
Ryan O'Reilly	C	COL	-8.1	-3.1	-16.8	0.6	-27.4
Ruslan Fedotenko	LW	PIT	-26.2	-1.4	-0.2	0.6	-27.3

I've narrowed the selection here to players with at least 40 games played, and at least 5 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time per game, for practical purposes. Players with less ice time simply don't have the opportunity to drive as many Goals For & Against in the wrong direction.

Brad Stuart

#23 / Defenseman / Detroit Red Wings

Height: 6-2

Weight: 210

Born: Nov 06, 1979

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Brad Stuart	69	2	13	15	-14	16	1	0	0	0	131	1.5

Perhaps he suffered the dual burden of Nicklas Kronwall's lengthy absence, along with comparison (in part) to one of hockey's all-time greats. Just as yesterday I cited Nicklas Lidstrom's stellar PK work, Stuart has been at the opposite end of that scale.

Nate Thompson

#44 / Center / Tampa Bay Lightning

Height: 6-0

Weight: 207

Born: Oct 05, 1984

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Nate Thompson	58	2	6	8	-16	50	0	0	0	0	81	2.5

A two-team boat anchor dragging both the Islanders and Lightning out of playoff contention this year, Thompson is #2 on our list of disastrous penalty killers, which you'll find below.

Braydon Coburn

#5 / Defenseman / Philadelphia Flyers

Height: 6-5

Weight: 220

Born: Feb 27, 1985

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Braydon Coburn	68	5	13	18	-6	48	1	0	0	0	110	4.5

Part of what drags Coburn down is a direct comparison to Matt Carle and Chris Pronger, who ranked highly on yesterday's MVP list, but his power play work has been a train wreck. During his 2+ minutes of 5-on-4 ice time per game, the Flyers score 4.7 goals per 60 minutes, a rate which would rank 29th as a team. When he's on the bench during a Philadelphia PP, they score more than twice as often.

The 5 Least Valuable Players in 5-on-5 Play

Jack Johnson, Los Angeles (-27.7)
Ruslan Fedotenko, Pittsburgh (-26.3)
Rod Brind'Amour, Carolina (-23.4)
Cody McLeod, Colorado (-22.7)
Patrick O'Sullivan, Edmonton (-22.6)

The 5 Least Valuable Players on the Power Play (5-on-4)

Tom Gilbert, Edmonton (-18.8)
Kris Letang, Pittsburgh (-15.1)
Scott Gomez, Montreal (-15.0)
Braydon Coburn, Philadelphia (-13.5)
Derick Brassard, Columbus (-13.4)

The 5 Least Valuable Penalty Killers (4-on-5)

Richard Park, New York Islanders (-21.6)
Nate Thompson, NY Islanders/Tampa Bay (-18.6)
Brad Stuart, Detroit (-18.1)
Ryan O'Reilly, Colorado (-16.8)
Ryan Callahan, New York Rangers (-14.5)

Like what you see here? Feel free to register for this site if you'd like to leave a comment, or you can simply follow along using our RSS feed, or join the OtF Facebook page. You can also follow me on Twitter at @Forechecker.

Also, for discounted tickets to any Nashville Predators home game, you can follow this link and use the special offer code "PREDS".

Milwaukee Admirals sign Ryan Thang to amateur try-out contract

2010-03-17T18:38:05Z

From the Milwaukee Admirals:

The Milwaukee Admirals announced today that they have signed forward Ryan Thang to an amateur try-out contract (ATO).

Thang recently completed his four-year career at the University of Notre Dame where he finished his senior season as the team's second leading scorer with 23 points on nine goals and 14 assists. The Predators third round pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, Thang totaled 115 points (57g-58a) and 161 penalty minutes in 159 career games. During his freshman campaign in 2006-07 the Edina, MN native led Notre Dame with 20 goals and helped them capture the 2007 CCHA Title and the following season he helped led the team to the NCAA Championship game where they lost to Boston College.

As NCAA teams are eliminated, many players are joining their professional organizations for the final few games of the AHL season.

3/17 Power Rankings Roundup: Movin' on up

2010-03-17T16:19:50Z

Check out the Coyotes-- five points out of the top seed!

View full size photo »

After completely falling apart in San Jose, the Nashville Predators have rebounded in a huge way behind some incredible performances from Pekka Rinne. They've reeled off three straight wins, and are six points up on 9th place Calgary.

Before we get to the power rankings, lets take a quick look at the standings. The Predators got all eight points I laid out for them, and have already gotten a head start on the 2nd 7-game stretch by winning the first two games. In James Mirtle's updated playoff push, the Predators need to go 5-6-1 to get to 94 points, something that seems quite doable. Finally, Sports Club Stats has the Predators with a 90.4% chance of making the playoffs, with 7-4-1 being the record that guarantees a spot.

After the jump, the Preds average out at 12th in the mainstream media's power rankings.

Pierre LeBrun moves the Preds up three spots to tenth. [ESPN]

Followed up the meltdown in San Jose with impressive wins in Anaheim and Los Angeles..

Ryan Dixon has Nashville in 11th, up one. [THN]

Picked up three big wins in a four-game trip away from home.

They've moved up, but still head-scratchingly trail teams like Montreal. Up seven to 16th. [TSN]

Won three of four on their road trip, with rookie C Colin Wilson starting to become a factor offensively, and return home for six of the next seven as they try to solidify their playoff positioning.

Allan Muir pushes the Preds up one spot to 13th. [SI]

Toss out one really bad period against the Sharks and they have to be pleased with the sort of gritty, defensive-minded play that characterized their three-game swing through California. They'll need more as they head back to Bridgestone Arena for six of their next seven with a playoff spot dangling loosely in their grasp.

Wes Goldstein has Nashville in 9th, up nine. [Sportsline]

They're tough when things are tight. Nashville has won a league-high 34 times in games decided by two goals or less.

Nashville Predators prospect Taylor Beck wins OHL's Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy

2010-03-17T15:11:19Z

From the Ontario Hockey League's Guelph Storm:

The OHL announced that Storm forward Taylor Beck is the winner of the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy as the OHL's top scoring right winger. Beck becomes the first player in Guelph Storm history to earn the honour.

Taylor Beck of the Guelph Storm scored 39 goals and 54 assists for 93 points in 61 games to finish tied for fourth in league scoring. He finished the season with 26 multi-point games and was named the Boston Pizza OHL and CHL Player of the Week for the week ending January 19 following his best career game with five points as second star of an 8-3 win over the Sudbury Wolves January 17.

Beck was drafted last summer in the 3rd round by the Nashville Predators, and has made huge strides this season, nearly doubling his offensive output from 2008-9. Long known for developing defensemen, might the Predators have an elite goal-scoring force in the making up front as well?

For more on Taylor Beck, check out this interview I held with him earlier this season.

Date:	March 20, 2010	Location:	Nashville, TN
Time:	7:00 PM	Arena:	Bridgestone Arena
Local TV:	FS-TN (HD)	SBN Affiliate:	The Cannon
Radio:	104.5 FM	Season Series	3-1-0

Date:	March 18, 2010	Location:	Nashville, TN
Time:	7:00 PM	Arena:	Bridgestone Arena
Local TV:	FS-TN (HD)	SBN Affiliate:	Hockey Wilderness
Radio:	104.5 FM	Season Series	1-2-1