Saturday's notes: Homecoming
by Dirk Hoag on Dec 3, 2011 8:03 AM EST
in Nashville Predators News
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PrintThe Nashville Predators begin an important stretch of games here in December (with 6 of the next 7 at Bridgestone Arena) against the Buffalo Sabres tonight, a team which in many ways is an Eastern Conference doppelganger of the Preds. Traditionally a small-market team battling against the NHL's titans in Toronto & Montreal, they've enjoyed long-term stable leadership with a GM & head coach in Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff who have been around since, well, the Nashville Predators even started playing in the league.
I hope to have a preview up later this morning, but until then, our morning notes around the league start off with a terrifying injury to one of the Sabres forwards last night...
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The writeup's not much, but check the comments for a nice tribute to a former Preds captain.
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Referencing Cam’s article from The Province:
The Predators weren’t "opportunistic" here. They were lucky, and the 18 guys who could have lost the game for them all owe Anders Lindback a drink. He made five big, big saves.
I absolutely abhor it when a game is won with goaltending (in this case, the play of Lindback) and is called “luck”.
Luck is success (or failure) brought by random chance rather than by actions. So, using Cam’s method of thought: Regardless of skill, every win or loss is a result of luck…and is not indicative of skill level.
Cam also contradicts himself in that statement. You can’t say the Preds won with luck and, in the next sentence, give the reason for that luck to be a goalie that “…made five big, big saves”. That’s not luck, that’s goalie skill (or lack thereof in the case of Rinne, Schneider, and Louongo).
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
I agree that a lot of hard work and talent has gone into making the LSGs what they are today, and not nearly as much luck as some folks want to believe. I agree that Anders the Giant was rock solid and extremely impressive. He made it possible for the Preds to hang in and get the win,
Which is all very well and good, but the Preds were lucky on Thursday. It came down to a lot of chance that the last goal was Fisher’s and not a Canuck’s because the Preds’ defense kept allowing the Canucks to put pucks towards the net. In many, many cases, one more of those 81 chances are going to go in.
R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
Part Predator, part Lightning.
"Breathe deep. Think of smiley puppies"--@FakeLindback
Minute left in the game, Erat’s pass, Fisher’s shot…luck?
by Hockey Hillbilly on Dec 3, 2011 1:22 PM EST up reply actions
R u saying that none of those 32 shots (76 attempted shots) that didn’t go in didn’t go in because the Preds were just that good? Comes down to more than one shot. Good goaltending’s not a result of luck (the flawed part of that article’s premise), but the Preds won that game by luck more than skill.
R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
Part Predator, part Lightning.
"Breathe deep. Think of smiley puppies"--@FakeLindback
I’d have to agree, getting outshot almost 2 to 1 to the Nucks will 9 times out of 10 result in being blown out. Never hurts to get a few breaks go your way during the course of the season. But Anders is a rock back there (at a low cost to boot!). ;)
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 3, 2011 1:22 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Luck favors the prepared mind.
World Wide Weber.
There is no tenderness or humanity in fanaticism.
~Joe Strummer
by cisar on Dec 3, 2011 5:27 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Here is what I absolutely love
When I learn more reading OTF than I did in 12 years of secondary school, 4 years of college and 2 years of grad school – COMBINED! Way to go Dirk – pulling out the doppelganger! Nice! Ranks up there with Tom Callahan’s vomitorium.
by predsbelonginblue on Dec 3, 2011 9:35 AM EST reply actions
@JoshuaCooper
JoshuaCooper
Lindback first goalie off ice. Look for him to get the start tonight.
R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
Part Predator, part Lightning.
"Breathe deep. Think of smiley puppies"--@FakeLindback
Goalie controversy!
Just had to do it, CA. ;p
But hey, why should only the Canucks have a goalie controversy? We can be bigtime too! :D
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 3, 2011 1:20 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
On realignment.........
Happened to hear Kevin Allen being interviewed between periods of the Blues/Avs game last night. He made a very insightful point that the reason it’s unlikely the league will go back to a 4 division structure is that, while the Western Conference teams would like it, the Eastern Conference teams would rather it stay the way it is, and needing a 2/3 majority to change from the current format, it’s highly unlikely that the West would prevail in getting it changed.
Allen seemed to think that the Wild will get put in the Central division and the Wings moved to the East, with the Jets taking the Wild’s spot in the Northwest division. The Avs will likely be the team most unhappy with the end result of all of this. I’d prefer the Stars to get moved to the Central, the Avs to the Pacific and the Wild and Jets both in the Northwest, but Allen is probably on the mark with his prediction here.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 3, 2011 1:32 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Vancouver should get moved to the pacific instead of the Avs. I’m amazed they aren’t in the Pacific already.
hockey connoisseur. t-shirt addict. not famous. nerd.
It’s the whole Canadian thing, the Nucks want to be in a division with other teams north of the border. Adding the Jets to their division will make them even happier, as it will Winnipeg too. Logistically speaking, I agree with your idea.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 3, 2011 3:03 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
meanwhile, Dallas gets hosed, travel- and time zone-wise
R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
Part Predator, part Lightning.
"Breathe deep. Think of smiley puppies"--@FakeLindback
True, but no more than they already are. Whichever American based team gets stuck in that Northwest division in the one who will really get hosed.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 3, 2011 3:14 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I’ll disagree. The Wild are a perfect fit into the Northwest. Colorado doesn’t make much sense to me. Denver is sooooo much farther south than Minneapolis. Leaving the Wild in the NW while you rotate the other teams isn’t too bad. Back to your point though, I’ve heard Vancouver doesn’t want to be the only Canadian team in the Pacific division, and Colorado doesn’t want to be the only American team in the Northwest. I’ll assume Minnesota feels the same way.
The Eastern conference is vehemently opposed to major realignment changes (i.e. 4 divisions) since they are locked in to a ridiculously advantaged travel position, I don’t know how you break the owners up on that issue. I feel more and more like it is going to be a crappy 1 for 1 swap until the Phoenix situation is resolved.
And how about another crazy realignment thought… one that won’t unbalance the conferences. Split the US north and south and create West, Central, and East divisions?
hockey connoisseur. t-shirt addict. not famous. nerd.
Geographically, the Wild are the best fit to be the lone American team in the Northeast. What’s at issue for whichever lone US team is in that division is the passport issue. Someone is going to have to bite that bullet though.
The argument Allen made that the Wild would prefer to be back into that old Norris Division doesn’t really fit anymore with the Wings heading east. Will be interesting to see which team of the Wild, Avs and Stars gets their way in this realignment.
Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!
by Grizzledbear on Dec 3, 2011 4:50 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
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