Thursday's notes: Ride the Lightning into Game 7

by Dirk Hoag on May 26, 2011 7:43 AM EDT in Nashville Predators News

There's nothing better in sports than a 7th game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and that's exactly what we'll be treated to Friday in Boston as Tampa Bay staved off elimination in a 5-4 Game 6 victory in the Eastern Conference Finals. Of course, given the storms which rolled through Middle Tennessee last night, you just had to know that it was the Lightning's night...

Nashville Predators News

The View from 111: Change the Model- A Proposal to Make the NHL and Its Teams More Profitable
Mark undertakes an ambitious, mammoth exercise to rewrite the NHL's revenue sharing model. Very interesting stuff to chew over here.

Preds tickets sale up for 2011-12 season - WKRN
It sounds like that playoff run is paying dividends, with season ticket sales "20% ahead of last year's pace."

Top 15 moments of the 2010-11 Preds season: #9 | Section 303
Our #3 of the Regular Season is Jeremy's #9 of the year...

Odds and Ends: Chapter I | The Predatorial
Scattered thoughts on the playoffs...

Budish Bouncing Back From Injury - Gophersports.com
You know it's bad when one of your prospects can say, "I always tell people the first six weeks after ACL surgery is the worst..." Now that Zach Budish is recovering from his second major knee injury, honestly I'll be stunned if he actually makes it to the NHL someday.

Around the NHL

ECF Game 6 Recap: Boston Bruins (3) at Tampa Bay Lightning (5) - Raw Charge
The Lightning came out ahead in a real slug fest, with the winning goal coming just seconds after Boston scored to make it close.

Canucks good to be lucky, lucky to be good - The Globe and Mail
Sure they caught a few breaks, but that's what hockey is all about, putting yourself in position to capitalize when the time is right.

Nobody in the league can agree on just - Sports Illustrated
A discussion on the value of puck possession in the modern NHL, and the lack of reliable, objective statistics to quantify it.

Today in crushed pipe dreams: Shea Weber is not joining your team - Houses of the Hockey
Will writers around North America listen?

The Thin Blue Line - Houses of the Hockey
A good overview of the options Detroit has to replace Brian Rafalski. Trust me, Preds fans, this is a story we'll want to follow closely this summer.

Okposo Signs Five-Year Deal to Remain with Isles - Lighthouse Hockey
This is great news for Islanders fans, as they lock up a good young winger for the long term, at an affordable price.

Red and Black Hockey : Oskar Osala going to KHL
The Carolina Hurricanes are losing a young player to the KHL, to a team which sounds like an upscale version of the Oilers.

Fan shortage has NHL looking north again - Edmonton Journal
The strong Canadian dollar has turned some folks north of the border downright loony.

Is accuracy the difference between average and great goal scorers? - Behind The Net
Anyone know the answer without looking?

Group interested in luring NHL to Seattle | KING5.com Seattle
Seattle would make a superb addition to the NHL as a market, but there's a lot that would have to fall into place to make this happen, like the construction of a new state-of-the-art arena. Key Arena, where the NBA's Sonics used to play, is entirely unsuitable.

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rec’d for having the title of one of my favorite Metallica albums

Canucks new slogan: Show us some hits, we'll show you our tits

by Creeping Death on May 26, 2011 8:15 AM EDT reply actions

If the Thrashers move to Winnipeg, I wonder if it would be feasible for the Coyotes to move to Seattle? Obviously, I don’t want the Coyotes to move, but it seems almost inevitable.

Lemme quote the late, great Colonel Sanders. He said "I'm too drunk to taste this chicken."

by Chris Burton on May 26, 2011 8:52 AM EDT reply actions

I’m living in Seattle now and can tell you that NHL hockey, if properly marketed, would be a huge hit here. We were awarded an MLS soccer team a couple of years ago and I believe they still sell out every single game- first in the league in attendance by a wide margin. This is despite the fact that soccer isn’t nearly as popular as hockey in the pacific northwest.

I do agree, however, that Key Arena is an unsuitable venue and that a new arena would need to be built. This might be a problem as real estate comes at a premium all around Seattle. Nevertheless, I’m sure owners with enough determination and cash could figure something out and it would undoubtedly pay off in the long run.

by Lil cutie on May 26, 2011 9:11 AM EDT up reply actions

A Vancouver-Seattle rivalry would be pretty awesome too.

"My, my, here's one for the (no) neck. Don't relax, 'cause you're next for the check!"

by DonBorvio on May 26, 2011 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions

Why can't they get a new arena up there in Seattle?

With no Sonics now, it’s a no brainer for the NHL to move in with a potential natural Nucks rival 120 miles away. They could build a new arena at the same site as the Key which wouldn’t cost the city for land. Seattle built stadiums for the Seahawks and Mariners, why no arena? The $400 mil they wanted to replace the Key was ridiculous for the Sonics, but a less than gold plated arena can be built for half of that. I don’t get it?

by SFPredsFan on May 26, 2011 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Why wouldn't you want the Yotes to move Chris?

They ONLY lost $35 mil last season with a PO team and it will never get better there with the stupidity of putting the arena in Glendale? Phx fans are behind Atlanta as the worst sports fans?

by SFPredsFan on May 26, 2011 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Because having been through it myself, I don’t wish losing a team upon any fan.

Lemme quote the late, great Colonel Sanders. He said "I'm too drunk to taste this chicken."

by Chris Burton on May 26, 2011 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Hmmm...Even if they don't have fans?

Dude, I hear ya living in Winnipeg when the Jets left. But really….If fans don’t show up and the team is has lost over $150 mil in the last decade, time to find a new place and new fans. Can’t lose money forever and if the Isles don’t get the vote for a new arena bond this summer, move their asses too. I’m sick of seeing less than 10k attendance in the box scores when there’s other markets. I’m a traditionalist, but also a realist.

by SFPredsFan on May 26, 2011 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions