Wednesday's notes: Closing the deal

There was a great deal of discussion the other day about treating this home-and-home set with the Colorado Avalanche like a miniature playoff series, and you certainly can't complain about how the Preds started it, with a dominating 4-1 win last night in Denver. Can they apply that proverbial "killer instinct" to follow that up with another strong effort when the two teams square off again tomorrow night at Bridgestone Arena?

Ponder that question while diving into the deep end of your morning hockey notes...

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Nashville Predators News

Preds Voice Pete Weber Named Tennessee Sportscaster of the Year - Nashville Predators - News
Here's the followup to Paul McCann's tweet the other day, about Pete Weber's latest honor.

Hockey Night in Nashville: Wilson's consistency has provided big spark for Predators
Willy's developing into a reliable Top 6 presence this season, just in time for a new contract himself.

Keeping Up with the Predators: Tootoo and 5K - Lady Preds
Go catch Tootoo's radio show tonight, then start training for the Fangtastic 5K (I really need to do that).

Spaling Extends Streak to Lucky 13 | PuckScene.com
For those of you who stock up on rabbit's feet...

Mueller and Ellis for Presiden…err…the All-Star Game! | hockeygalmilwaukee
Stephanie gets the campaign rolling.

Milwaukee Braces for Nine Games in 16 Days | Admirals Roundtable
Life in the AHL can get pretty arduous.

Ryan Ellis starts to pile up points - The Tennessean
Has The Human Rocket Ship earned his NHL chops? Not quite yet...

Postgame ponderings - Predators Insider
Josh gives the Preds credit for some better play at even strength.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Hockey Day Minnesota Dedicated to Jablonski Family | StarTribune.com
The hockey community in Minnesota is rallying around the paralyzed teen.

Player who hit paralyzed Jack Jablonski wins prize during fundraiser in his honor - Puck Daddy
While the main story here is nice, the last paragraph is a shocker.

THE RAID ON AOL: How Vox Pillaged Engadget And Founded An Empire
A pretty nifty look at the story of SB Nation (now the parent company is called Vox Media), and the two new ventures which are taking it into fresh territory - tech & gaming.

Year of Pucking Dangerously | Jerseys and Hockey Love
Whether you're a hockey blogger, any other kind of blogger, or well, just a human being at all, you can relate to Tapeleg here. I know I can!

Ducks Gameday -- The Pacific Division Lives! - Battle of California
Good old Earl... gotta love him.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard out with "Concussion-like Symptoms" - Hockey Wilderness
Bad, bad news for a guy who already missed a season because of one.

Panthers are allowed to hide details on injuries but should they? – Florida Panthers – Sun-Sentinel
Another whack at the NHL's absurd practice of clouding injuries in secrecy.

The Whiteboard: how to play wing in the D-zone better than I ever did - Backhand Shelf
Really enjoyable stuff here from Justin Bourne.

Watch Shawn Thornton embarrass a Vancouver columnist on Boston TV (Video) - Puck Daddy
Funny, funny stuff here as Tony Gallagher faces Shawn Thornton reacting in real time to insipid commentary.

Business as Usual : Tom Benjamin's NHL Blog :: CanucksCorner.com
Tom takes a cynical (but pretty realistic, actually) view of the recent NHL/NHLPA/realignment scuffle.

NHL Midseason Awards: Henrik Lundqvist, Adam Henrique, Dave Bolland Among Winners - SBNation.com
Derek hands out the virtual hardware for the first half.

For NHL GMs, finding a great goalie should be top priority - The Globe and Mail
David Shoalts looks at one night's scoreboard results as evidence to overturn what we've seen across the league over the last several years.

Remembering The Late Ron Caron - St. Louis Game Time
St. Louis fans will long remember the Blues' former GM for being a guy who swung for the fences with many of his deals.

Predators at Avalanche Recap: Avalanche miss first period, drop game 4-1 - Mile High Hockey
In Denver, they're frustrated over the way that first period, in which the Preds jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

Sharks battle against the Wild, lose 5-4 in the shootout - Fear The Fin
it was a roller coaster ride, and at the end, it was Minnesota which took home the two points.

Not Quite Joe Perry's Bass Line: Jackets 2 - Hawks 5 - Second City Hockey
The Blue Jackets proved to be the cure for Chicago's 4-game losing streak.

Canucks At Lightning Recap ; Good Enough (5-4Ws/o) - Nucks Misconduct
Hey, look! It's Richard Rodier!

Jaroslav Halak: Unofficial Mayor Of Montreal - St. Louis Game Time
The Blues' goalie shut out his former Canadiens teammates.

Watch the reaction of Montreal fans to Jaroslav Halak shutting out the Canadiens 3-0 in the... - St. Louis Game Time
...and if you'll recall, those fans did the same for Francis Bouillon when he had a strong game visiting with the Preds.

No Karlsson, no problem: Senators 5, Penguins 1 - Silver Seven
The Penguins are hurting big time, and last night it was the visiting Senators who took two points in Pittsburgh.

Grounded: Bruins Come Back And Shoot Down Jets - Stanley Cup of Chowder
Just another night at the office for the Boston Bruins... except for a remarkable penalty shot goal by Shawn Thornton.

Bob, Other Flyers' Youngsters Come Up Big In 2-1 Victory Over 'Canes - Broad Street Hockey
The kids led the way for the Flyers, with Brayden Shenn and Sean Couturier providing the goals.

Most Dangerous Win in Hockey: Toronto: 2, Buffalo: Gustavsson'd - Pension Plan Puppets
Look out, the Maple Leafs haven't lost a game this year.

Rangers Vs. Coyotes: Rangers Top Coyotes In Shootout To Win Five Straight - Blueshirt Banter
The New York Rangers have won 10 out of their last 11, and lead the overall NHL standings.

Islanders 5, Detroit 1: Just Your Usual Red Wings Visit, Is All - Lighthouse Hockey
What is it about the Islanders that they just have the Red Wings' number?