Predators Game Day Preview: Detroit @ Nashville
by Chris Burton on Mar 27, 2010 2:00 AM EDT
in Nashville Predators Game Previews
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Print[SB Nation] - [NHL] - [Winging it in Motown] - [Tennessean] - [Detroit Free Press]
Y'know, cause this format worked so well Thursday?
Yesterday Thom Abraham spoke with Wings radio guy Ken Kal, so give that a listen as part of your pre-game festivities.
Ken Kal on Thom Abraham Show 20100326
Our Hated Rivals invade the Bridgestone Arena tonight, and have really come on in the standings since our last meeting. The Predators currently reside in fifth place in the West, while the Red Wings have 8th pretty well locked up and are looking to move up even further. Nashville is only eight points out of the division lead with seven games to go, and while its not very realistic to catch the Blackhawks, its notable for Barry Trotz's club who were picked to finish in the conference cellar at the beginning of the year. Additionally, if Nashville were able to maintain their lead on Detroit going into the postseason, it would be a true watershed moment for the franchise, as the Wings have long been considered the measuring stick.
Below are your lineups and an even ten thoughts on tonight's game...
ROSTER UPDATE: John Glennon checks in with the news that Arnott and Ward are both out, with a hat tip to the comment section...lines fixed accordingly.
Game Notes
- Please do check out my special piece over at NBC Sports' Pro Hockey Talk on the Predators most frustrating player. I bet you'll never guess who.
- Patric Hornqvist is five goals away from breaking the team record. Can he get there in seven games?
- He also has broken the team record for shots in a season (tenth league-wide currently) and is 2nd in game winning goals. Not a whole lot more you can ask for, really.
- Pekka Rinne leads the league in wins and shutouts since the Olympic break, and is third on the all-time team win list.
- The Red Wings are 9-1-1 in their last 11. Yikes. You have to be nervous if you're Chicago or San Jose.
- Henrik Zetterberg has eight points in five games.
- I may have mentioned this the other day; but Nashville is tops in the league in games decided by two goals or less.
- In our last meeting, Detroit won, Dan Ellis got shell-shocked, and Shea Weber was hurt.
- Maybe David Legwand can regain his spark against his hometown team; he has 32 points in 49 career games against Detroit.
- If you're headed to the game, consider taking part in an awesome promotion the Preds are running. Sure, it takes commitment, but its a good cause.
Lineups
Please play, Jason?
De-troy-it:
Readers of On the Forecheck can take advantage of our coupon codes for Nashville Predators tickets.
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Comments
I'm so excited!
I’m going to tonight game! Section 101, baby! If you’re looking for me, I’ll be the loud one taunting Jimmy Howard all night…
Get that place hopping!
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by Chris Burton on Mar 27, 2010 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions
Welcome to our section
Best view of the Impekkable One in the house.
by Hockey Hillbilly on Mar 27, 2010 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Is it certain that Howard is in net?
I know he deserves to start every game, but he did play last night. I was hoping for an Osgood night.
"Get to the Choppa!"
I totally forgot they played last night, lets keep tabs on that…I’ll ask WIIM.
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by Chris Burton on Mar 27, 2010 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions
GO Bruins!
If the Flames lose, our magic number to make the playoffs becomes 7. It’ll be 5 by the time we beat the Dead Things, and they aren’t going to beat the Caps tomorrow, so it’ll be just 3 points to make the playoffs by tomorrow! Crazy
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by Aditya T (smashville) on Mar 27, 2010 1:34 PM EDT reply actions
Flames are smoked
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by Chris Burton on Mar 27, 2010 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions
We can clinch playoffs on Monday
if we win tonight and Calgary loses tomorrow against the Caps. That would be awesome.
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by Aditya T (smashville) on Mar 27, 2010 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions
oh man
I just blacked out for a second
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by Chris Burton on Mar 27, 2010 5:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Arnott's out
via Glennon
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by Aditya T (smashville) on Mar 27, 2010 1:36 PM EDT reply actions
Ward too,
and Dan Cleary for the Wings
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by Aditya T (smashville) on Mar 27, 2010 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions
not surprising at all. It’s very interesting that Glennon’s wording today said that Arnott “believes” he had a concussion. I’m wondering if there’s disagreement perhaps with the team doctors?
Either way, this ain’t good.
More fun than a stick to the face!
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I don’t even wanna say whats going through my head right now.
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by Chris Burton on Mar 27, 2010 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions
ward>arnott
we actually need ward back more than arnott… IMHO.
as do I
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by Aditya T (smashville) on Mar 27, 2010 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm sending you all for drug tests
More fun than a stick to the face!
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by Dirk Hoag on Mar 27, 2010 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I know
I considered flagging those for trolling, inappropriate, AND spam.
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by Chris Burton on Mar 27, 2010 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions
maybe its time to force a “Jason Arnott Appreciation Post” down the readership’s throats…
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by Chris Burton on Mar 27, 2010 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Maybe it’s time you got off your high horse.
by Hockey Hillbilly on Mar 27, 2010 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions
??
Clarify?
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by Chris Burton on Mar 27, 2010 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Honest disagreement doesn’t represent trolling or spamming, and since when is it “inappropriate” to question a blogger’s conclusions? You can cram all the Arnott appreciation all you want down the readership’s throats, but I’ll still contend that he disappears too often when he’s on the ice and that questions about whatever injury he has arise naturally from his frequent malingering. I’ll accept your apparently well informed judgment about his leadership qualities but I still will question his all too apparent reluctance to accept younger players on his line earlier this season. I might even venture to posit that Trotz’s recent success with new line combinations might have come earlier with more acdeptance among the old hands on the club, Arnott included.
by Hockey Hillbilly on Mar 27, 2010 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions
dude,
the flagging comment was a joke!
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by Aditya T (smashville) on Mar 27, 2010 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions
yup
Sorry, I know that snark doesn’t come across well when you can’t hear tone of voice; but I was following up Dirk’s drug test joke with the flagging joke.
I agree with you on Arnott for the most part (and the appreciation thing was tongue in cheek as well)- heck, I even labeled him the most frustrating player when Legwand was an option. My “campaign” is to get people to appreciate Jason’s contributions while balancing that with their complaints. Too often the criticism seems to come without realizing the good he brings to the franchise. Not saying you’re doing that, but I’ve seen it a little too much.
We cool?
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by Chris Burton on Mar 27, 2010 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed
Wardo never gives up on a play. We need him. But I’m willing to wait till he’s healthy.
by Hockey Hillbilly on Mar 27, 2010 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Ward over Arnott
I’d rather have Ward over Arnott day in and day out. You know Ward is going to bring it every game. Ward and Arnott are separated by 12 points this season. That’s pretty close considering Ward is also out there shutting down the likes of Datsyuk and Zetterberg and other teams top lines every night.
However, when Arnott plays with desperation, like he did down the stretch last season, there is no one better on the team.
We are 10 and 4 in games without Arnott this season. In 2 of those losses Ward and Arnott were both out.
Arnott
Arnott skates like an old man. He has occasional flashes of brilliance, but he doesn’t hustle enough, especially when his shift is over. I wish he would show some of that fire he had with the Devils. You want someone to blame for Radulov leaving? He is your guy.
How was Arny to blame for Rads leaving?
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by Chris Burton on Mar 27, 2010 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I can understand the other way around. Maybe Arny’s laziness is Rad’s fault after he gave him a concussion?
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by Aditya T (smashville) on Mar 27, 2010 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Right, the other way around is how I saw it. Radulov decided to leave, and Arnott was a good captain about it—he wasn’t taking any crap.
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by Chris Burton on Mar 27, 2010 6:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Arnott was a notorious Rad hater. He seems to have trouble with Russians. He spoke out against Rad’s post goal celebrations. He was sour to Rad at practices. I heard he was sour in the lockerroom, too, but I can’t verify that. He was super pissed after the concussion incident, which Rad didn’t do on purpose. He was obviously, and rightly, excited. Rad played high-energy hockey. Arnott didn’t buy into that anymore. Arnott should watch his old Devils films and see how he used to play. I don’t think he is a bad captain, but he is NOT leading by example, at least, on the ice. LOLLYGAGGER!
I don't think
that one person influenced Rad’s decision.
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by Aditya T (smashville) on Mar 27, 2010 6:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Unless you count George Washington.
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by Chris Burton on Mar 27, 2010 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions
or whoever’s on Russian bills
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by Chris Burton on Mar 27, 2010 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions
In other news ...
Is this the first time we will see Lilja since Weber clocked him and gave him night terrors? What are the odds that he will facewash Shea again? Pretty long I am guessing. Let’s get over the ‘too cute’ from the other night and focus on the ‘Just shoot’. Our ‘power kill’ needs to become a ‘power play’ again. Oh, and we need to try and shoot at the empty parts of the net sometimes, not just straight at the goalie.
No, it was his 3rd or 4th game back last time we played them...
and there were no cheap shots that i can remember.
Christie kicks it high and short...Gonna be fielded by Lorenzo Neal at the 25...He dishes it back to Wycheck...He throws it across the field to Dyson...
www.manningface.com
by Michaeltastic on Mar 27, 2010 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions
But did he play?
I’m not sure he did.
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by Aditya T (smashville) on Mar 27, 2010 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Nevermind, he did.
He played 16:45.
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by Aditya T (smashville) on Mar 27, 2010 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Got to go and find a parking space
Good Luck Preds!!! And thanks Hockey Gods for Leggy’s goal last game, even though it was not an ,ahem, official goal.
You know what? I love to see all this Preds-centric discussion. We’ve seen a pretty good rise in commenting lately; props to the OtFers for bringing their A-game!
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I agree
ahh this is so much better than when we had no more than 10 comments, all from me and Dirk, in the game threads.
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by Aditya T (smashville) on Mar 27, 2010 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions
....and it's a whole lot better
than when I started checking everyday for a SB Nation Preds site and got disappointed.
Christie kicks it high and short...Gonna be fielded by Lorenzo Neal at the 25...He dishes it back to Wycheck...He throws it across the field to Dyson...
www.manningface.com
by Michaeltastic on Mar 27, 2010 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions
just between us,
Right now I like hockey more than football. Don’t tell the MCMers.
Graphic Designer/Researcher/Writer at Music City Miracles.
Official Graphic Goon of On The Forecheck.
by Aditya T (smashville) on Mar 27, 2010 7:02 PM EDT up reply actions
ditto
… and i really really really want to make a fanpost on MCM with your previous statement in it…
Christie kicks it high and short...Gonna be fielded by Lorenzo Neal at the 25...He dishes it back to Wycheck...He throws it across the field to Dyson...
www.manningface.com
by Michaeltastic on Mar 28, 2010 3:29 AM EDT up reply actions
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