Mo-nday's notes: Focus on the future

Yes, Preds fans, things don't look particularly good right now, with the team slogging through a 5-game losing streak and a 1st-round draft pick who can't seem to get his game rolling, even at the ECHL level. But not all is lost. So, after you check out the latest Movember update, stroll through your morning hockey news and try to cheer yourself up.

After all, we've got forwards down in junior popping in lots of goals, a defensive duo in Milwaukee that is turning heads, and a dipsy-doodler who's looking for another chance at NHL glory...

The Preds return to Bridgestone Arena Saturday against the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, so take advantage of the OtF discount and save money on Nashville Predators tickets for this, or any other home game. 

Nashville Predators News

For recaps of last night's debacle, check out What the Puck, The View From 111, Preds On The Glass, Predlines, Hockey Night In Nashville, and Section303.com, if, that is, your Monday morning isn't already crappy enough.

Sunday's 3 Stars: Storm's Latta tricks old friends - Buzzing The Net
Good news from the farm system, as Michael Latta potted thrice for the Guelph Storm yesterday, who also got two goals from Taylor Beck.

"The Proof" Scores Twice, Admirals Finally Defeat Wolves | Admirals Roundtable
Here's an encouraging word from a report on the latest Admirals game: "Roman Josi and Jon Blum were paired together for most if not all of the game.  And wow.  Wow wow wow wow wow."

Klasen Makes Good First Impression - Milwaukee Admirals
Linus Klasen liked that fleeting taste of NHL action he got last Saturday in Detroit, and is determined to earn more.

Preds On The Glass: Predators Break Hearts and Return Home, POTG Radio Tonight, and Monday Round-Up
Buddy points out that the road doesn't get any easier this week for the Preds, who travel to St. Louis then host Chicago.

Preds On The Glass: POTG Reaches 1000 Posts - Thanks To Everyone For Your Support
Buddy official runs a grand blog now...

Déjà Vu All Over Again? " Pull My (Fang)Finger
AJ writes about how we've been down this "early season losing streak" road before. The strange coincidence here is that last night, I actually had a major sense of Déjà Vu during the game, reflecting back on a previous injury-riddled Preds team that went into Anaheim and competed hard, with J.P. Dumont getting lots of chances. I need to go back and look through old game recaps, because it was really eerie.

Nashville’s Barry Trotz passes Hall of Famer Toe Blake… | Section 303
Jeremy highlights the coach's rise up the list of games coached with a single team.

Shea Weber emerged from the shadow of Tomas Slovak - Nashville Predators Examiner
An interesting look at how the Preds stumbled onto Shea Weber while he toiled as a depth defenseman in junior hockey.

Postgame ponderings - Predators Insider
Josh Cooper points out the uncomfortable truth of Shea Weber's struggles of late.

Around the NHL

Taylor Hall blog creating sparks - The Globe and Mail
Did Taylor Hall "demand" to wear #4 in Edmonton, showing a lack of respect for Kevin Lowe? A bit of a kerfuffle arose last week when a blog written by an NHL scout suggested just that.

Relocate The Chicago Blackhawks? Not So Far-Fetched Just Four Years Ago. - The Copper & Blue
Derek Zona proposes that lousy management might be the main cause of attendance problems with some NHL teams, just as we saw with Chicago. In the case of Phoenix I'd probably disagree a bit due to the arena issues, which are forcing the City of Glendale to make some huge concessions in order to keep the Coyotes in town.

How Billy Moores of the Oilers (and other coaches) have used advanced stats for decades - Cult of Hockey
Good stuff here from David Staples, which shows just one example of how stats analysis has been around the NHL for a long time.

What If Jay Feaster Had Pulled The Trigger On A Tomas Vokoun Deal? - Houses of the Hockey
About a year ago, Jay Feaster used a "what if" column to rag on Tomas Vokoun. Jonathan Willis breaks down what might have been the impact if the then-Tampa Bay GM had traded for the elite goalie.

I think we've seen enough - Pension Plan Puppets
Is it time for Ron Wilson to walk the plank in Toronto?

Official Word on NHL/Discover Partnership " Puck The Media
The NHL strikes up another corporate partnership. There's no word yet as to whether David Poile will get a card with a $5 million credit limit to go shop for some help.

NHL vs. NBA secondary ticket prices - From The Rink
An interesting comparison of the ticket market in 10 cities which share NBA and NHL franchises.

To keep up with all of our coverage of the Nashville Predators, you can follow us on Twitter (@Forechecker, @predatweeter, @SLakePreds & @AdsRoundtable) and if you have any questions, feel free to email me at the.forechecker@gmail.com.