Friday's notes: Preds like big goalies and they cannot lie

Just 8 days left until Opening Night, folks... are you ready for Nashville Predators hockey yet?

After the jump, we've got reaction from around Nashville to the settling of the backup goaltending battle, a hilarious preview of the Western Conference, and news that Nashville's dynamic defense duo might spend some time apart...

Readers of On the Forecheck can take advantage of a special offer to save big on Nashville Predators tickets.

Nashvile Predators News

Predators Goaltending Question Settled With 13 Feet Of Goalies - Predlines
They're long, and strong, and down to get the friction on... Apparently Barry Trotz likes big goalies, and you other brothers can't deny.

Preds On The Glass: J P Dumont Ready for a Comeback, Down to Two Goalies, and Friday Findings
Buddy's morning links set the table for a rebound season for J.P. Dumont.

Did Dexshow Get A Fair Shake? | Admirals Roundtable
In Milwaukee, Ryan Miller asks whether Mark Dekanich got a true shot at the backup job. I'd say he did, as practice represents the majority of training camp, and the Preds staff has seen him in game action a lot over the last few years, unlike Lindback.

Nashville Hockey 2010 Edition Part 4: Online Media | The Hockey Writers
Jas presents a thorough Q&A with several of Nashville's hockey bloggers, including yours truly.

Hockey Night in Nashville: Who is it this year?
We're used to seeing unknowns turn into key performers coming out of Preds training camp, so Robby naturally wonders who this year's candidate will be.

Predators players to appear at Play with a Pro casino-themed fundraiser - Nashville Predators Examiner
Our antepenultimate Preds update comes from Jim Diamond, who provides all the details of a casino night with Nashville players in attendance to benefit the Predators Foundation and youth hockey.

Predators' backup goalie won't look much different than starter | Nashville City Paper
Yeah, those gigantic Nordic goalies all look alike...

Nashville Predators will split Shea Weber, Ryan Suter at times - The Tennessean
I've been advocating this move for a long time, and think it's a wise choice until someone else shows that they can confidently handle a heavy workload of tough minutes. During the third period of close games, you can always put Suter and Weber back together anyway.

Around the NHL

Down Goes Brown: 2010-11 Western Conference Preview
What? A hockey humor post that includes the Preds, but without a crack on the market? You'll like this one...

Greatest Hockey Legends.com: The Most Infamous Exhibition Game Of All Time
Joe Pelletier reminds us of a real preseason doozy from 1954 (hat tip to Kukla's Korner).

Seven games between NHL and European Clubs highlight week's action - Puck Worlds
A rare treat come this week as the clubs which will open the NHL season in Europe face off against squads like Adler Mannheim of the Germain Elite League, and the Belfast Giants Select Team.

Admitting I was wrong about the CBA…is a good thing - KuklasKorner
George Malik digs up a useful clarification regarding the CBA. When players with big contracts get shuffled off to the AHL or Europe (like Wade Redden, Cristobal Huet, and Michael Nylander), they don't count against the NHLPA's share of hockey revenues, and thus they don't actually increase the amount of escrow held back around the league. The team which pays them carries the sole burden there, which is as it should be.

How do Blackhawks' Stanley Cup rings compare to other champs? - Puck Daddy
Color me unimpressed. Of all the recent ones, I think I actually like Anaheim's the best. Ultimately, however, the old school rings rock. Packing hundreds of tiny diamonds onto a ring just doesn't do it for me.

MHH Members Are One In A Million (Literally) - Mile High Hockey
Congrats to our Colorado brethren on hitting a big milestone.

Wanna see the ‘96 Avs and maybe get some autographs? Here’s how | All Things Avs
A great opportunity for Colorado fans to meet the Cup champs. I'll offer a suggestion, though - don't turn your back on Claude Lemieux.

Mitchell can relate to Savard, Laperriere problems - Sporting News
One of the most important stories to watch in the Western Conference this season will be the health of Willie Mitchell. If he can play regularly, the Kings should get a major boost.

The Dany Heatley trade: One year later - From The Rink
Remember this trade? Dany Heatley for Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo and a 2nd-round pick looks pretty decent now for San Jose.

Winning Goaltenders, Save Percentage And The Final Four - The Copper & Blue
Derek Zona adds another piece to the "don't pay big bucks for a goalie" puzzle.

Kraft Hockeyville, AHL style - TheScore.com
Ouch, it looks like the Senators really screwed up what should have been a great event for the small town of Dundas.

On Frozen Blog › Lessons in Refined Roadtripping
Those of you planning to follow the Preds on the road this season (either with Section 303 to Atlanta, or SlapShot Radio to Carolina) might enjoy this one.

Edmonton and Quebec City move towards new arenas, but in different ways - Cult of Hockey
The political drama surrounding arena development is heading down divergent paths in Alberta & Quebec.

Fantasy Hockey Scouts... now available in stunning SB Nation - Fantasy Hockey Scouts
Welcome aboard the newest member of the SB Nation hockey family... and while you're at it, consider joining the official OtF Fantasy Hockey League, if you dare!

Life in Beer League Hockey | Capitals Outsider
Wow... just... wow.... (NSFW, but hilarious).

To keep up with all of our coverage of the Nashville Predators, you can subscribe to the RSS feed, follow us on Twitter (@Forechecker, @predatweeter, @SLakePreds & @Short_Shifts) or catch the site on Facebook (now at www.facebook.com/OnTheForecheck). You can also email me at the.forechecker@gmail.com.