Flames @ Predators Preview: Smashville Goes Nationwide

by Dirk Hoag on Jan 1, 2012 10:40 AM EST in Nashville Predators Game Previews

It's a special 5:00 p.m. start time today at Bridgestone Arena as the Nashville Predators host the Calgary Flames, in a game which will be seen nationwide on NHL Network (FS-TN locally). Can the Preds continue their recent success on home ice (where they've won 5 of the last 6) against a Flames team which desperately wants to remain in the playoff hunt?

Follow after the jump for your preview...

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Tale Of The Tape

Calgary (18-16-5) at Nashville (20-14-4)
CGY Offense vs. NSH Defense				NSH Offense vs. CGY Defense
5-on-5
	GF/60	SF/60	Shoot %	GA/60	SA/60	Save %
CGY Offense	2.3 (19th)	28.8 (18th)	7.8 (22nd)	2.4 (9th)	30.5 (23rd)	921 (11th)	CGY Defense
NSH Defense	2.4 (9th)	31.1 (27th)	923 (8th)	2.1 (24th)	26.3 (28th)	8.0 (21st)	NSH Offense
	GA/60	SA/60	Save %	GF/60	SF/60	Shoot %
Special Teams
CGY PP vs. NSH PK				NSH PP vs. CGY PK
	GF/60	SF/60	Shoot %	GA/60	SA/60	Save %
CGY 5-on-4	6.3 (13th)	44.5 (23rd)	14.2 (6th)	5.1 (10th)	47.7 (7th)	893 (12th)	CGY 4-on-5
NSH 4-on-5	6.8 (22nd)	53.4 (24th)	873 (18th)	6.9 (5th)	51.7 (10th)	13.5 (7th)	NSH 5-on-4
	GA/60	SA/60	Save %	GF/60	SF/60	Shoot %

Calgary Flames

The man to keep an eye on is the Predator Killer himself, Jarome Iginla, who needs just two goals to become the 42nd NHL player to reach 500 career goals, and just the 15th to score them all with one team. In 47 career games against Nashville, Iginla has 28 goals and 25 assists, a pace which, over the course of an 82 game season, would yield 92 points.

So yeah, there's a possibility you could witness some serious history this evening:

Jarome Iginla

#12 / Right Wing / Calgary Flames

Height: 6-1

Weight: 207

Born: Jul 01, 1977

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2011 - Jarome Iginla	39	14	16	30	-3	21	3	0	3		126	11.1

It's always interesting to see injury reports from other teams... can you guess why?

Calgary Flames Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Brett Carson	back	10/05/2011
Matt Stajan	ankle	12/19/2011
Mark Giordano	leg	11/28/2011
David Moss	ankle	11/13/2011
Alex Tanguay	other-excused	12/21/2011
Henrik Karlsson	knee	12/05/2011

Calgary Flames Last 5 Games

@ Ottawa	Fri 12/30	OT - L 3 - 4
@ New York Islanders	Thu 12/29	L 1 - 3
@ Columbus	Tue 12/27	SO - W 2 - 1
@ Vancouver	Fri 12/23	W 3 - 1
Detroit	Thu 12/22	W 3 - 2

Nashville Predators

The roster will get a bit of a tweak heading in to this game, as Shea Weber has been placed on Injured Reserve with his concussion, while Kevin Klein has been restored to the Active Roster. With Klein back in the lineup, which defenseman gets scratched? Ryan Ellis is lowest on the seniority list, but Jack Hillen has been a healthy scratch on occasion, and leaving him out would restore a 3-lefty, 3-righty lineup that Barry Trotz prefers.

Up front, Colin Wilson is expected to miss another game with his upper-body injury, so that removes the necessity of scratching anybody, but the interesting question will be where, and how much, Gabriel Bourque will play. In his 2nd NHL game Friday night, he received 13:51 of ice time playing alongside Nick Spaling and Jordin Tootoo, in Wilson's recent spot. Might Trotz shuffle things up and bring his energy and hustle to either the Legwand or Fisher line instead? Kostitsyn-Fisher-Hornqvist seems like a trio which has really fallen flat, as those three have all gone scoreless over the last four games.

Nashville Predators Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Colin Wilson	other-excused	12/31/2011

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Kevin Klein	other-excused	12/18/2011

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Comments

Nationwide...

for what is always an exciting and high scoring affair between two powerful and skilled opponents.

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by 3DLink on Jan 1, 2012 10:54 AM EST reply actions

yeah, very odd and unfortunate that they chose this matchup to air nationwide...hopefully nashville's offense heats up tonight, or kipper plays bad.

by JBoogie22 on Jan 1, 2012 12:55 PM EST up reply actions

I have a hard time watching Preds v Flames games as a huge Preds fan. I can’t imagine someone with no tie to either team will be psyched about this one

by Stu0624 on Jan 1, 2012 1:00 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

If the NHL network wishes to show a New Years Day game, how many choices do they have? I mean this game is probably the highest profile being played today. So they did not really have a choice DId they?

by Wendy H on Jan 1, 2012 1:58 PM EST up reply actions

Uh, it’s the ONLY game being played today. Period.

"We want to keep beating them...to break their pride and break their season...is a huge thing for us." - David Legwand

by DonBorvio on Jan 1, 2012 2:33 PM EST up reply actions

We've had a great string of sellouts this year...

Anyone have any numbers on what today’s game looks like?

by turd-ferguson on Jan 1, 2012 12:29 PM EST reply actions

It'll be close

Looking at Ticketmaster right now, it looks like there are maybe a few hundreds seats left.

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by Dirk Hoag on Jan 1, 2012 1:06 PM EST up reply actions

According to Josh Cooper Klein is back and Blum will be the healthy scratch

I love this move. Josi and Ellis have looked really solid in their first few games. Blum on the other hand is clearly going through a rough patch.

by Russell Freda on Jan 1, 2012 12:42 PM EST reply actions

Blum’s been playing way better since his return from Milwaukee. I’d like to seem him keep playing so he doesn’t lose any of this new found confidence.

by Stormyt on Jan 1, 2012 3:39 PM EST up reply actions

i agree

I dont know what some of these people have been watching but he has been playing great since the call up. He has 1g 2a in the last 3 i believe how is that playing terrible?

by Shadow23 on Jan 1, 2012 3:43 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions

sorry

Its in the last 4 games not 3

by Shadow23 on Jan 1, 2012 4:25 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions

I think he’s just had some bad turn-overs and bad passes and stuff like that… that’s what I’ve seen at least.

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

by davisca on Jan 1, 2012 5:01 PM EST via Android app up reply actions

the Media response

to today’s game may be very interesting. If is is the usual low scoring affair with the chances mostly being held to the outside, we could hear a lot of complaining.

by Only Fan In J.C. ? on Jan 1, 2012 12:47 PM EST reply actions

Whos going tonight? I know i am with my brother and friend

by Shadow23 on Jan 1, 2012 12:51 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions

not tonight

but I will be there Thursday with 9 or 10 other people, siblings, friends, maybe a cousin from michigan who will pull for the Preds against the Flames.

by Only Fan In J.C. ? on Jan 1, 2012 1:29 PM EST up reply actions

It’s one of those odd start time games, which always seem to be problematic for the home team. Something to keep an eye on………

Defense keeps you in games........offense wins them!

by Grizzledbear on Jan 1, 2012 2:04 PM EST via mobile reply actions

are we watching the same game?

ellis has played what? 11 power plays zero assists . josi has been playing well but to say blum is anything but being held back is totally wrong . pay a little more attention blum has been playing well . is this how trotz developes talent?

by Mamie France on Jan 1, 2012 2:57 PM EST reply actions