Predators Game Day Preview: Nashville @ Detroit

by Chris Burton on Jan 29, 2010 2:00 AM EST Comment 10 comments

Wouldn't this be nice?

The Nashville Predators take on the Detroit Red Wings this evening, and while the Predators aren't yet behind the eight ball, it might be fair to say that tonight marks the season's most important game to date. The Wings now sit just two points behind Nashville (stupid loser point) and can obviously eliminate that gap with a win tonight. The Preds are getting close to being on the outside looking in, and will need a strong team effort tonight without Marcel Goc, Wade Belak, and possibly Joel Ward.

Continue after the jump where tonight's game is broken down and I finally designate Jason Arnott as "cold"...

Nashville coming in

Moving on, nothing to see here.

(OK, quickly: 0-4 last eight days, including losses to the Blue Jackets and Maple Leafs. Poor goaltending, poor power play.)

Detroit coming in

The Red Wings are also in a bit of a slump, going 1-3 in their last 4. Since we last saw them, they've been giving a fair chunk of starts in goal to youngster Jimmy Howard. This is a team that seems to personify the phrase "better than their record." Anybody that boasts Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Brian Rafalski is certainly a team to be feared, and tonight will be no different. The Red Wings still boast a potent power play, so the lackluster penalty kill of the Preds' will need to step up tonight. Tomas Holmstrom and Johan Franzen remain out for Detroit. Check out Winging It In Motown for everything Wings related.

Who's hot

He's not leaving me much choice:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Patric Hornqvist	51	21	12	33	12	26	6	0	6	0	170	12.4

In Hockeytown, Pavel Datsyuk is coming off a two goal performance against the Wild:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Pavel Datsyuk	51	14	27	41	13	12	5	0	1	0	130	10.8

Who's not

Sorry, but I've got to see more out of our captain. As I tweeted yesterday, I KNOW he's capable of it, and you do too, if you saw his late season explosion last year.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Jason Arnott	41	12	16	28	5	18	4	0	1	0	138	8.7

For the Wings, I again direct you to the goaltender position...

The Guys in Goal

For the Preds, Tom Callahan reports via Twitter that Dan Ellis gets the nod.

Dan Ellis

#39 / Goalie / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-0

Weight: 188

Born: Jun 19, 1980

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Dan Ellis	24	1297	11	10		56	2.59	634	578	.912	1

For Detroit, Winging it in Motown says it'll be youngster Jimmy Howard.

Jimmy Howard

#35 / Goalie / Detroit Red Wings

Height: 6-0

Weight: 210

Born: Mar 26, 1984

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Jimmy Howard	35	2057	18	11		79	2.30	1039	960	.924	1

Projected Lineups

For the Predators, with the recall of Andreas Thuresson and the injuries, I expect things to look like this:

Forwards

Sullivan - Arnott - Hornqvist

Smithson - Legwand - Erat

Jones - O'Reilly - Dumont

Tootoo - Spaling - Thuresson

Defense

Suter - Weber

Hamhuis - Klein

Bouillon - Franson

For Detroit, WIIM provided these:

Forwards

Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Cleary

Bertuzzi - Filppula - Williams

Draper - Helm - Eaves

Miller - Abdelkader - Maltby

Defense

Lidstrom - Rafalski

Ericsson - Kronwall

Lebda - Stuart

Fearless Prediction

Um, will a blank stare suffice for this space? No? OK, then, if I have to choose, I see an angry Detroit team overcoming a depleted Predator squad either late or in overtime. The Predators missed Joel Ward and Marcel Goc more than one might think against Columbus, and if they both miss tonight's game, it'll be an even bigger factor. Detroit 2, Predators 1.

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Comments

First goal wins...

We’ve seen it year after year with this team and again I think in the midst of this stretch, that scoring the first goal tonight could just be the confidence boost needed to bring us out of this funk…

Predators Hockey: Live it, Love it...

by SLake on Jan 29, 2010 6:55 AM EST via mobile reply actions 0 recs

We NEED this win.

i Sure wish Goc could be there!

by bluegrassbaby on Jan 29, 2010 8:07 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

It is going to be a battle...

I am confident in our ability tonight, but it is going to be close

by Smashvillian on Jan 29, 2010 9:15 AM EST via mobile reply actions 0 recs

So...

goalie rotation keeps going after a one game tease?

Graphic Designer/Researcher/Writer at Music City Miracles.
Official Graphic Goon of On The Forecheck.

by Aditya T (smashville) on Jan 29, 2010 12:51 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

well

Rinne was so bad against CBJ, he didn’t leave much of a choice…I think he needs the Olympic break to get his head straight.

On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators.
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by Chris Burton on Jan 29, 2010 12:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Are you joking?

This is a joke.

Rinne was hung out to dry by Dan Hamhuis and Keven Klein on the 1st 2 goals. Go watch the replay. The 1st one highlights hammers turnover ability. I say ability cause he is so good at it. He turns the puck over not once, but twice. Also, Hammer screens him on the shot the trickles in and it was tipped by the blue jacket in front. The 2nd goal was on the PP and the pass that lead to the goal went right thru Hammer’s legs.The guy suppose to be covering the guy who scores on the 2nd one was Klein. The 3rd goal was kinda freak. Lots of traffic. Rinne thought he was sitting on it. Arnott couldn’t get a stick on it, they score. I will say that one was weak, maybe.

by 29thWard on Jan 29, 2010 6:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

not joking, sorry

And at any rate, its just my opinion, nothing more.

The Hamhuis/Klein pairing may have been bad, but the first and last goals Rinne should’ve had. The puck trickled through ever so slowly after he had already blocked it—no excuses.

Power play goal he didn’t have anything to do with.

Third one, slightly fluky, but he should’ve found the puck before then.

I may have overstated it a little, but I still think he was pretty off.

On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators.
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by Chris Burton on Jan 29, 2010 7:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Detroit fans feel the same way...

I have several friends who will be supporting the bad guys tonight (one of which is a big Preds fan for all but 6 games of the regular season [HI BRIAN!]) and they are just as apprehensive about tonight’s game as we are…

Detroit may have the talent this year, but something has changed chemically for the team. Their two-way game suffers from what appears to be laziness by the forwards and they’ve avoided being scored on multiple times by gathering their entire team on top of jimmy howard and falling down. (Not to say it isn’t effective)

I could be wrong, but our defense needs to have the best game of the season so far tonight. They need to turn it up on the point, while watching out for the Bertuzzi breakaway and stepping their physical game up to the max. Oh yeah, AND WATCH THE DANG TURNOVERS!!!

As usual, feel free to disagree! A lot of posters here know more than I do!

by Poiju on Jan 29, 2010 1:06 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

HI ADAM!!

Yeah, both teams have something to prove tonight, it could either be a good game or a really horrible, lazy one. Most Preds/Wings games are great, but both teams are in a slump right now. We’ll find out soon…

by DarkKnt1047 on Jan 29, 2010 7:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wings-Preds...

I still look forward to games against the Wings. The snows a-fallin’, the fires a-cracklin’, and the pucks a-droppin’. What more can a hockey fan ask for?……….A big win tonight!

by hockeydekefreak on Jan 29, 2010 5:04 PM EST reply actions 0 recs