Saturday's notes: It's Hockey Time in Smashville!

by Dirk Hoag on Oct 9, 2010 10:34 AM EDT

Even Alex Ovechkin can't believe how awesome Nashville's new captain is.

Happy Hockey Day, Nashville Predators fans - at long last, we get to see the Preds open the regular season this evening against the Anaheim Ducks (check out your Game Day Preview for all the details). The festivities, of course, get well underway long before game time, starting with the Red Carpet entrance at 3:45, and a host of activities leading up to the game.

After the jump, we'll get you started with all the hockey news to hold you over until then...

Celebrate the start of hockey season, and use this special offer for OtF readers to save money on Nashville Predators tickets.

Nashville Predators News

Hockey Night in Nashville: It's Finally Here!
Robby implores the fans to pack the house during warmups to show the team that we're ready to go.

Preview: Ducks at Predators (10/9) | Section 303
Who's afraid of the Wicked Witch? Not us...

The 303:30 – Season Preview w/ John Buccigross of ESPN & Ducks blogger J.P. Hoornstra | Section 303
Jeremy wraps up the season preview podcast and recaps how the O'Brien trade went down.

section303.com looks into their 2010-11 crystal ball… | Section 303
Patten, Codey & Jeremy all get their picks in...

What Does Together Mean To The Nashville Predators? - Predlines
Amanda muses over the team's slogan this season... Together.

Nashville, October 8th, 2010: The Eve of Deconstruction | The Hockey Writers
Jas is ready to drop the puck...

Two Predators draftees impress in openers while another may be in hot water - Nashville Predators Examiner
Jim Diamond checks on in some of Nashville's college prospects.

New Predators goaltender feels well protected - Nashville Predators Examiner
Good stuff here about the uncertainty (on multiple fronts) faced by Anders Lindback as he made the transition to North America this summer.

Nashville Predators' Patric Hornqvist brings fire to the ice - The Tennessean
Night-in night-out intensity is what will carry Hornqvist to new heights this year.

Nashville Predators go out of way to make Shane O'Brien feel at home - The Tennessean
It sounds like the Preds are taking a shine to the new guy.

Nashville Predators are built for playoff run - The Tennessean
Josh Cooper sets the table for the season opener by recapping the offseason moves, and assessing outside predictions of doom & gloom.

Opening Night – Bring On The Heat | Admirals Roundtable
Don't forget, it's Opening Night for your Milwaukee Admirals, too!

Around the NHL

Game 1: Pavelec Falls, Thrashers Rise - Bird Watchers Anonymous
The story of last night was the sudden collapse of Atlanta's starting goaltender Ondrej Pavelec. He was kept at the hospital overnight for observation, but for a while hockey fans feared the worst.

Ducks Gameday -- Episode IV: A New Hope - Battle of California
Just to give you an idea of what's coming to town... A wonderful effort here by the incomparable Earl Sleek.

Peter Forsberg signs with Columbus? - From The Rink
They wish!

KPD Report: Chara and Bruins agree to long-term deal - Stanley Cup of Chowder
Boston is apparently going to lock up their gigantic defenseman with a long-term contract extension... we could use a story like that around here, couldn't we?

Leafs top line: The right stuff - The Globe and Mail
It's highly unusual to see three right-handed shots on a line together, but that's what Toronto has in Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak, and Kris Versteeg. The Predators did use a combination of Steve Sullivan, Jason Arnott and Patric Hornqvist quite a bit last year, though (according to Dobberhockey, that line represented about 25% of Arnott's even strength duty).

The Twenty-Five Most Valuable Blogs in America – 2010 - 24/7 Wall St.
SB Nation's coming after you, Perez Hilton!

NHL on VERSUS: Have they finally figured out what fans want? - Puck Daddy
It's never too early to eviscerate the TV presentation of the game.

Hitting from Behind: How is this still a debate? - Puck Worlds
Just a nasty, nasty hit from a junior game captured by Bruce.

Wings shut out Ducks, Datsyuk drops gloves - Winging It In Motown
The lead picture on this one is unique, to be sure.

And lastly, let's finish off with some video from last night's Anaheim - Detroit game. How tough is Ducks forward Corey Perry? Well, besides leading the league in running goaltenders a couple years back (you know, the guys who just stand there and can't defend themselves), last night he picked a fight with 4-time Lady Byng Trophy winner Pavel Datsyuk. Who's he going to go after tonight on the Preds? One of the Ice Girls?

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How tough is Ducks forward Corey Perry? Well, besides leading the league in running goaltenders a couple years back (you know, the guys who just stand there and can’t defend themselves), last night he picked a fight with 4-time Lady Byng Trophy winner Pavel Datsyuk. Who’s he going to go after tonight on the Preds? One of the Ice Girls?

I lol’d. He purports to be tough, but I think Weber could stare at him and he’d fall over. Seriously, picking on Datsyuk? That’s almost as funny as Carcillo jumping Gaborik. I’d love to see him try and ambush Tootoo or O’Brien.

I despise the Wings, but good on Datsyuk for not taking that stuff.

by Chris Burton on Oct 9, 2010 10:53 AM EDT reply actions

Hey now, Datsyuk proved last night that he’s no pushover! ;)

by Rory O'Connell on Oct 9, 2010 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions

Versus

Hockey fans complain persistently because media marginalize our sport. Now Versus is expanding its coverage with 30-minute pregame shows and an enlarged schedule. Yet Greg Wynshynski kvetches that Versus fails to maintain a tone “that caters to die-hard hockey fans and knowledgeable puckheads.” In other words, he prefers hockey to remain a pastime only for the cognoscenti; that is, a marginal sport. It all sounds uncomfortably like those diehards who think the NHL should never have expanded beyond the Original Six.

by Hockey Hillbilly on Oct 9, 2010 12:27 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs

I’ll rec to that. The NHL needs more fans – most outsiders think of hockey as a lame (or any derogatory adjective here) sport, but its only out of ignorance that they do so. If they were able to attend a live game cheaply and hockey was presented well on TV (which VERSUS is attempting to do), then the fanbase would grow. New fans can admittedly be annoying sometimes, but we were all there once and hockey, most importantly, is for everyone.

by Chris Burton on Oct 9, 2010 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Problem was for me: until you actually go to a game you don’t realize how awesome it really is. If all you see is the games on TV, it might come off as boring. You have to go and experience the crowd, the tension, the action. It made me from a passive hockey fan into a full-blown fanatic. :)

by DonBorvio on Oct 9, 2010 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

rec’s all around!

"Get to the Choppa!"

by PredHead on Oct 9, 2010 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

+1

by HardCorePredFan316 on Oct 9, 2010 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Rather than reply “+1”, what you can do here is click the “actions” link under a comment, and “Rec” it. If a comment gets enough Recs, it gets highlighted within the thread.

They really should make that easier to see…

On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators. Catch me on Twitter at @Forechecker.

by Dirk Hoag on Oct 9, 2010 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs