Predators Game Day Preview: Washington vs. Nashville

by Dirk Hoag on Mar 10, 2009 10:42 AM EDT

Washington Capitals blogs: Japer's Rink, too many others to mention

The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! Well, there's a pretty good Swede and some other guys, too. Despite some lackluster play of late, the Caps are one of the most dynamic teams in the league, and the #3 team in the Eastern Conference. In their last meeting, on October 18 in Washington, the Preds lost 4-3 in a shootout.

Questions to be answered: (1) How will Scott Nichol fare in his return to action after almost 3 months on injured reserve? (2) Can the workmanlike, team-based Nashville approach top the star-studded Washington attack? (3) Can presumed starter Pekka Rinne bounce back from giving up 4 goals to the Flyers on Saturday?

Caps coming in: That 40-21-6 record is impressive, but Washington just concluded an 0-3-1 homestand, so they'll be looking to right the ship. They enjoy a 9-point lead in the Southeast Division over Carolina, and hold a game in hand, so perhaps this is a case of a team struggling to find motivation.

Predators coming in:Their loss Saturday in Philadelphia ended a 6-game winning streak, which has lifted Nashville into the thick of the Western Conference playoff chase.

Caps to watch: Besides fawning over Alex Ovechkin, there are plenty of other players (Alex Semin, Nicklas Backstrom) to keep an eye out for. On defense, Mike Green has blown past the competition with 23 goals and 35 assists.

Preds to watch:Martin Erat has scored in each of the two games since his return from an injured groin, and David Legwand's 5 goals and 2 assists in his last 6 games has him on the precipice of only his 2nd 20-goal season.

Here's a look at the two teams in the main statistical categories, along with overall NHL rank:

	Washington		Nashville
Record	40-21-6	5th	33-29-4	18th
Pts %	.642	5th	.530	19th
Goals For/Game	3.22	6th	2.52	26th
Goals Against/Game	2.91	16th	2.73	10th
5-on-5 GF/GA	1.18	7th	0.95	16th
PP%	24.4	2nd	14.1	28th
PK%	79.6	22nd	84.3	4th
Shots/Game	32.9	4th	29.2	15th
Shots Against/Game	29.5	13th	29.2	11th
FO %	51.4	6th	53.0	3rd

If the Preds are going to win tonight, it will be due to solid defense shutting down a potent bunch of Capitals. The Washington power play vs. Nashville penalty killing is the featured matchup here, as both groups are among the league leaders.

One other statistical tidbit to toss in here. Who's likely to load up the penalty box tonight?

Washington	Penalties Drawn			Nashville	Penalties Drawn
Player	Draws	Fouls	Pen +/-	Player	Draws	Fouls	Pen +/-
Alex Ovechkin	33	32	+1	Jordin Tootoo	45	40	+5
Brooks Laich	32	13	+19	Martin Erat	22	24	-2
Alex Semin	25	26	-1	Ryan Jones	22	9	+13
Donald Brashear	25	32	-7	Dan Hamhuis	21	23	-2
Mike Green	20	28	-8	Joel Ward	20	10	+10
Matt Bradley	18	13	+5	Vern Fiddler	20	7	+13
	Penalties Taken				Penalties Taken
Alex Ovechkin	33	32	+1	Jordin Tootoo	45	40	+5
Donald Brashear	25	32	-7	Ryan Suter	16	33	-17
Mike Green	20	28	-8	Shea Weber	14	32	-18
Milan Jurcina	6	27	-21	Martin Erat	22	24	-2
Alex Semin	25	26	-1	Greg de Vries	11	24	-13
Shaone Morrisonn	17	25	-8	Dan Hamhuis	21	23	-2

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Comments

Wow. Shocked to see such bad penalty +/- from Weber and Suter.

Should be a good game…

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Mar 10, 2009 11:07 AM EDT reply actions

Defensemen who play lots of minutes against tough opposition can be expected to have negative Penalty Plus/Minus figures, just because the nature of the work ends up with you occasionally having to haul a guy down. Both Suter & Weber are still young and prone to the odd brain fart.

More fun than a stick to the face!
On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators.

by Dirk Hoag on Mar 10, 2009 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Is a Night of Rest Needed?

You ask a good question….“(3) Can presumed starter Pekka Rinne bounce back from giving up 4 goals to the Flyers on Saturday?” What Rinne has done since the break (12-4-1 with a 2.10 goals-against average is why this team is where it is. But Peks has given up 11 goals in his last three starts and two of those starts…Edmonton and Philly were two very uncharacteristicly Rinne performance

So given that Pekka is the horse we’re going to ride this last month. Doesn’t it make sense to give him him a little rest this week. I’d like to see Dan in goal for one of this weeks games.

by Boom Boom Belak on Mar 10, 2009 11:08 AM EDT reply actions

Ellis in Goal Tonight

According to John Glennon at the Tennessean, “Dan Ellis will be between the pipes tonight when the Predators take on Alexander Ovechkin and the high-scoring Washington Capitals. Pekka Rinne has been battling flu-like symptoms for several days now, and when he arrived under-the-weather for Tuesday’s morning skate, the Preds decided he would be better off at home trying to get healthy. It will be the first start for Ellis since Feb. 18…”

Maybe the flu explains Peks uneven performance on saturday night

by Boom Boom Belak on Mar 10, 2009 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions

And MacIntyre will back him up

The Predators have recalled goalie Drew MacIntyre to back up Dan Ellis for tonight’s game against Washington.

Pekka Rinne had originally been scheduled to start the game, but is sick and won’t be in the lineup.

The 25 year-old MacIntyre has played 44 games for the Milwaukee Admirals this season, and currently leads the American Hockey League in with a 29-11-2 record. He’s played two NHL games in his career.

Welcome to Smashville, Tennessee.

by Aditya T (smashville) on Mar 10, 2009 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions