Tuesday afternoon notes: It's a Cap Trap!

Our afternoon hockey notes will help set the table for tonight's early start against the Washington Capitals (6:00 p.m. on FS-TN, tonight I'm sitting in on the 102.5 The Game pre- and post-game shows, starting at 5:00 p.m.). We've got backup goalies suiting up, a discussion of Washington's boring new style of play (yup, you read that right), a celebration of Mike Knuble as he hits the milestone of 1,000 regular season games played.

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Nashville Predators News

Smashville 24/7: Know the Enemy: Fisher previews Washington
Ryan gets commentary from Mike Fisher about playing the Caps.

Nashville Predators Breakdown: Winning Hides Many Faults - The Hockey Writers
Don't let the winning streak fool you, writes Michael (but please, ignore the giveaway stat, it's worthless).

Holy-Jumpin': Allocating Resources in the NHL
Another stab at the "how well teams spend money" question, but I'm not sure that this clarifies the issue very much.

Predators XMAS Wish List 2011 | Hack Whack and Snack
A new Preds blog hits the scene, with a Predators-based list for Santa.

Lindback in, Blum and Geoffrion talk Milwaukee - Predators Insider
A few roster updates from Josh Cooper prior to tonight's game.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Knuble persevered to reach 1,000-game mark - NHL.com
Well ain't that a coincidence? I had no idea, but the first game I covered with media access back in the days of yore was also Mike Knuble's NHL debut. Tonight, he hits the 1,000 mark.

The Trap, Congress and Caps Coaches - Japers' Rink
Just call it the Cap Trap now. It may not be exciting, but if it produces a winner, Washington fans won't complain.

Michal Neuvirth to start against Predators - Capitals Insider - The Washington Post
It's a battle of the backups tonight...

NHL Power Rankings: Boston Bruins Lead The Pack; St. Louis Blues Shaking Up Central - SBNation.com
3 of the NHL's Top 10 teams come from the Central Division in the latest SB Nation rankings.

Canes Now - As debate rages in Montreal, Muller's glass is "demi" full | newsobserver.com blogs
Kirk Muller dodged a real firestorm by escaping Montreal.

Puck Daddy’s 10 biggest trades of 2011 - Puck Daddy
What??? No "Alexander Sulzer to Florida for a conditional draft pick"???

What To Expect When You're Expecting Darryl Sutter - Battle of California
Mike Chen dusts off the keyboard to give Kings fans a guide on what to expect from their soon-to-be head coach.

A different take on the All-Name Team - Backhand Shelf
A past, present & future Predator all make the list here.

Looking at the standings a year ago: the direction of every NHL team - Backhand Shelf
Nashville is just a hair off last season's pace currently.

NHL Rookies: Studs and Duds-Part 1 - The Hockey Writers
I'll give you just one guess as to which Pred shows up here.

U.S. WJC Camp Roundup: Bjugstad Banged Up, Scrimmage Notes, Links | The United States of Hockey
You have to wonder if an injury to Nick Bjugstad might open up a larger opportunity for Preds prospect Austin Watson on Team USA's World Junior team.

Here’s How NHL Network Will Cover the World Juniors " Puck The Media
For those of you who experience difficulty with the channel guide.

Video: Making of Ilya Bryzgalov, Bernie Parent Winter Classic masks - Puck Daddy
The Flyers goalie will sport something special on January 2nd.