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Predators vs Oilers preview: The Young & The Restless

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Two of the NHL's youngest teams meet up tonight at Bridgestone Arena (7:00 p.m. Central, no local TV), as the Nashville Predators play host to the Edmonton Oilers. Lately these two have been headed in opposite directions, as the Oilers lost their 6th game in the last 8 Monday night at Dallas, while the Preds have gone 7-0-4 in their last 11, good enough to lift them up into 4th place in the Western Conference.

REMEMBER: Bring your used hockey equipment to tonight's game, and donate it to the Sled Preds.

So let's take a look at how these teams stack up...

Star-divide

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Tale of the Tape

Edmonton (10-8-2) at Nashville (10-5-4)
EDM Offense vs. NSH Defense NSH Offense vs. EDM Defense
5-on-5
GF/60 SF/60 Shoot % GA/60 SA/60 Save %
 EDM Offense  2.1 (22nd)   24.9 (28th)   8.4 (11th)  2.2 (9th)  29.8 (17th)   926 (10th)   EDM Defense 
 NSH Defense  2.2 (9th) 32.4 (28th) 933 (6th)  2.5 (11th)  26.0 (26th) 9.6 (4th)  NSH Offense
GA/60 SA/60 Save % GF/60 SF/60 Shoot %
Special Teams
EDM PP vs. NSH PK NSH PP vs. EDM PK
GF/60 SF/60 Shoot % GA/60 SA/60 Save %
 EDM 5-on-4 7.8 (4th) 51.8 (12th) 15.2 (5th) 4.9 (10th) 41.1 (4th) 882 (15th)  EDM 4-on-5
 NSH 4-on-5 4.7 (9th) 55.8 (23rd) 917 (5th) 5.7 (18th) 44.1 (24th) 12.8 (11th)  NSH 5-on-4
GA/60 SA/60 Save % GF/60 SF/60 Shoot %

This matchup poses some interesting dynamics, because in 5-on-5 I see an advantage for the Preds (those averages are still weighed down by those awful opening games while Fisher & Erat were hurt), whereas the Oilers have played well on special teams. If Nashville can get back to playing disciplined hockey and keeping the game at even strength, that's probably their best chance at success.

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers are a classic "future's so bright, I gotta wear shades" type of team. The young talent they have up front are the envy of the league, whether Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, or the current rookie scoring leader Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who added a goal against Dallas last night.

Perhaps the biggest surprise, however, is the performance which Edmonton is getting in goal, as veteran goalie Nikolai Khabibulin has finally delivered the type of play the Oilers were hoping for when they signed him to a major contract back in 2009.


Nikolai Khabibulin

#35 / Goalie / Edmonton Oilers

6-1

206

Jan 13, 1973



GP MIN W L OTL GA GAA SA SV SV% SO
2011 - Nikolai Khabibulin 14 808 8 4 2 25 1.86 388 363 .936 2

Per TSN, their projected lines for last night were as follows, just to give a rough guide on what to expect tonight:

Forwards:
Smyth - Nugent-Hopkins - Eberle
Hall - Horcoff - Jones
Paajarvi - Gagner - Hemsky
Lander - Belanger - Eager
Defence:
Smid - Gilbert
Peckham - Petry
Teubert - Chorney

Nashville Predators

Earning points in 12 of their last 13 games, the Preds have slowly but surely climbed their way up the Western Conference standings, and are perhaps positioned as well as they have been all season, now that the lineup is relatively healthy (only Teemu Laakso remains on IR). 

As usual, the Predators don't have a single scorer carrying the load right now, with 7 players ranging from 15 to 11 points. Back in October, the Preds got thumped pretty handily (3-1) by the Oilers at Rexall Place, but that was with a much different cast.

Perhaps the hottest hand on the team has belonged to Shea Weber, who has 2 goals and 4 assists in his last four games. He leads the league in Plus/Minus, and is 5th in ice time per game (Ryan Suter is 2nd). 


Shea Weber

#6 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

6-4

232

Aug 14, 1985



GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG
SOG PCT
2011 - Shea Weber 19 3 11 14 19 16 1 1 0 61 4.9

So can the Preds dispatch a tired Edmonton team tonight, and have enough left in the tank to take on Minnesota tomorrow night? We'll see...


Western Standings

GP W-L-OT Pts
Minnesota Wild 20 12-5-3 27
Chicago Blackhawks 21 12-6-3 27
San Jose Sharks 18 12-5-1 25
Nashville Predators 19 10-5-4 24
Dallas Stars 20 12-8-0 24
Detroit Red Wings 19 11-7-1 23
Phoenix Coyotes 19 10-6-3 23
Los Angeles Kings 20 10-7-3 23
St. Louis Blues 19 10-7-2 22
Edmonton Oilers 20 10-8-2 22
Vancouver Canucks 20 10-9-1 21
Colorado Avalanche 21 9-11-1 19
Calgary Flames 19 8-10-1 17
Anaheim Ducks 20 6-10-4 16
Columbus Blue Jackets 20 5-13-2 12

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attire

i think i’ll break out my klein jersey tonight

by predwheels on Nov 22, 2011 8:24 AM EST reply actions  

We had damn sure...

…play better than Saturday night if we’re going to take this one.

I’m on vacation beginning tomorrow, so since I have some freedom to sleep in late tomorrow, I’m proposing a Predators drinking game.

Take a drink when:
- Terry says “Alberta”
- We lose a faceoff in our offensive zone
- Klein is spoken of in a derogatory manner in the GDT thread(s)
- “Head on a swivel” is heard
- Any time Crosby is mentioned by our announcers
- A comparison is made between Honey Badger and Hugent-Hopkins
- SK74 takes an honest-to-goodness SOG
- Tootoo draws a penalty

Finish your current drink when:
- Leggy scores a SHG or ENG
- McGratten gets in a fight
- Ward Weber breaks a stick
- Suter goes to the box
- The term “Loosey Goosey” is heard
- The Predators get a breakaway chance

Any other suggestions?

The fans are standing up to them! The security guards are standing up to them! The peanut vendors are standing up to them! And by golly, if I could get down there, I'd be standing up to them! - Slap Shot

by rusherman on Nov 22, 2011 9:24 AM EST reply actions  

And that should be “Nugent-Hopkins” instead of “Hugent-Hopkins”. Need more coffee.

The fans are standing up to them! The security guards are standing up to them! The peanut vendors are standing up to them! And by golly, if I could get down there, I'd be standing up to them! - Slap Shot

by rusherman on Nov 22, 2011 9:28 AM EST up reply actions  

Erat spins
HornQ gets face washed

For me, take a drink and finish my drink are the same thing.

Online 24/7 at
www.chas-e.net

by Chas-E on Nov 22, 2011 9:32 AM EST up reply actions  

I like the cut of your jib.

The fans are standing up to them! The security guards are standing up to them! The peanut vendors are standing up to them! And by golly, if I could get down there, I'd be standing up to them! - Slap Shot

by rusherman on Nov 22, 2011 9:33 AM EST up reply actions  

any mention weber/suter +-

by predwheels on Nov 22, 2011 10:54 AM EST up reply actions  

good one!

Online 24/7 at
www.chas-e.net

by Chas-E on Nov 22, 2011 10:55 AM EST up reply actions  

Ready when you are. Except a rare event such as an SK74 shot demands something special. Single malt, say, instead of rotgut. Set ’em up, Joe.

by Hockey Hillbilly on Nov 22, 2011 9:51 AM EST up reply actions  

I would say ‘take a shot every time Marty of SK74 passes up a shot’…. but the state of Tennessee doesn’t have that much alcohol

60% of the time it works every time

by Creeping Death on Nov 22, 2011 10:03 AM EST up reply actions  

I had considered a rule like that, but scratched it for the very reason you mentioned.

The fans are standing up to them! The security guards are standing up to them! The peanut vendors are standing up to them! And by golly, if I could get down there, I'd be standing up to them! - Slap Shot

by rusherman on Nov 22, 2011 10:08 AM EST up reply actions  

Oh my

If the OTF community participates in this game, I’m afraid the message boards would become a ghost town after everyone dies of alcohol poisoning,

by ahall07 on Nov 22, 2011 10:43 AM EST up reply actions  

Advance players only

take one shot per shot received by McGrattan victim

Online 24/7 at
www.chas-e.net

by Chas-E on Nov 22, 2011 10:57 AM EST up reply actions  

take a drink

-at every big/tall goaltenders reference
-when Pekka’s contract is mentioned
-When HB’s empty net flub is mentioned
-Crispy says “they’re trying to be cute”

R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
Part Predator, part Lightning.
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - Albert Einstein

by CAustin on Nov 22, 2011 11:43 AM EST up reply actions  

NICE!

Online 24/7 at
www.chas-e.net

by Chas-E on Nov 22, 2011 12:49 PM EST up reply actions  

We will all be bombed by the 2nd intermission.

R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
Part Predator, part Lightning.
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - Albert Einstein

by CAustin on Nov 22, 2011 12:56 PM EST up reply actions  

..but bailing out early is

expressly prohibited
!

Online 24/7 at
www.chas-e.net

by Chas-E on Nov 22, 2011 1:02 PM EST up reply actions   1 recs

Ha ha!

R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
Part Predator, part Lightning.
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - Albert Einstein

by CAustin on Nov 22, 2011 1:08 PM EST up reply actions  

Bahaha!!

Hands go uuppp..... AND THEY STAY THERE!
-nashvillepredators-

by davisca on Nov 23, 2011 12:37 AM EST up reply actions  

obviously...

whenever a “tall goalies” remark is made by the opposing broadcasters

by Lil cutie on Nov 23, 2011 12:52 AM EST up reply actions  

oops

13 hours late on this idea

by Lil cutie on Nov 23, 2011 12:53 AM EST up reply actions  

Pekka or Lindy ?

Any word out yet on how the back to back will be split ?

by Brtman10 on Nov 22, 2011 1:25 PM EST reply actions  

To Mr On The Forecheck administrator

I am not SPAMMING your website. I am merely trying to give myself the best chance of finding out when Pekka is in Goal by hitting a couple threads since time is short so i can treat a relative whos a big fan of Pekkas to watching the game ! But of course we could veer from this website for Preds fans and ask other cities who your goalie is. Jeez

by Brtman10 on Nov 22, 2011 2:07 PM EST reply actions  

To pekka or not to pekka

Listen, with their masks on it it difficult to tell them apart, so bring your friend to the game and if the jersey says something other than " Rinne" pass it as jersey malfunction and they had to swap.

My hockey team is better than your hockey team

by Predator Don on Nov 22, 2011 2:21 PM EST up reply actions  

but what about the height difference?

Pekka is the smaller of the two, as every commentator in the league knows.

Keys to the game: GA<GF

by flyalder on Nov 22, 2011 2:39 PM EST via mobile up reply actions  

Asking the same question across multiple posts is a no-no, as we try to keep the comment threads relatively on-topic.

Anyways, I haven’t seen a report yet on an expected starter tonight.

Managing Editor of On the Forecheck, SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators, and founder of Hockey Gear HQ, a site devoted to helping you save on hockey equipment, accessories, and NHL apparel.

by Dirk Hoag on Nov 22, 2011 2:31 PM EST up reply actions  

Then why does every other post have a question about Klein’s ability?

World Wide Weber.
There is no tenderness or humanity in fanaticism.
~Joe Strummer

by cisar on Nov 22, 2011 3:14 PM EST up reply actions  

What ability?

The fans are standing up to them! The security guards are standing up to them! The peanut vendors are standing up to them! And by golly, if I could get down there, I'd be standing up to them! - Slap Shot

by rusherman on Nov 22, 2011 3:56 PM EST up reply actions  

It has to be Pekka. Only he has the magic stick that denies Oilers.
Stick Save

Online 24/7 at
www.chas-e.net

by Chas-E on Nov 22, 2011 3:24 PM EST up reply actions  

Beautiful.

Hands go uuppp..... AND THEY STAY THERE!
-nashvillepredators-

by davisca on Nov 23, 2011 12:38 AM EST up reply actions  

this site

http://www2.dailyfaceoff.com/starting-goalies/

Has Rinne as Confirmed. Not sure on how accurate they are

by IG-PRED8 on Nov 22, 2011 3:48 PM EST up reply actions  

Goaliepost.com still has Pekka as probable and Dubnyk as likely citing the same sources. And they had Pekka as probable up until about an hour before Lindy started last time.

R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
Part Predator, part Lightning.
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - Albert Einstein

by CAustin on Nov 22, 2011 4:08 PM EST up reply actions  

20-1 Odds Smith Starts1st Line Center over Legwand

As stubborn as Trotz is I might go as far to say 50-1. I know Oak planks that are more forgiving.

by DHack on Nov 22, 2011 2:37 PM EST reply actions  

Go Preds!!!

World Wide Weber.
There is no tenderness or humanity in fanaticism.
~Joe Strummer

by cisar on Nov 22, 2011 3:14 PM EST reply actions  

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