Nashville Predators at Detroit Red Wings preview: Let's Go Streak-Busting

by Dirk Hoag on Feb 17, 2012 7:00 AM EST in Nashville Predators Game Previews

The talk of the NHL lately has been the Detroit Red Wings' league-record 21-game home winning streak, which dates all the way back to November 5th. Are the Nashville Predators the team to end that run?

Let's find out after the jump...

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Tale Of The Tape

Nashville (33-18-6) at Detroit (39-17-2)
NSH Offense vs. DET Defense				DET Offense vs. NSH Defense
5-on-5
	GF/60	SF/60	Shoot %	GA/60	SA/60	Save %
NSH Offense	2.4 (15th)	27.0 (25th)	8.7 (11th)	2.3 (9th)	31.0 (28th)	926 (7th)	NSH Defense
DET Defense	2.0 (5th)	26.5 (4th)	926 (7th)	2.9 (2nd)	32.1 (4th)	9.1 (5th)	DET Offense
	GA/60	SA/60	Save %	GF/60	SF/60	Shoot %
Special Teams
NSH PP vs. DET PK				DET PP vs. NSH PK
	GF/60	SF/60	Shoot %	GA/60	SA/60	Save %
NSH 5-on-4	7.4 (2nd)	48.3 (18th)	15.4 (2nd)	6.9 (23rd)	53.4 (21st)	870 (19th)	NSH 4-on-5
DET 4-on-5	6.7 (21st)	47.3 (9th)	858 (24th)	6.5 (11th)	53.2 (8th)	12.2 (15th)	DET 5-on-4
	GA/60	SA/60	Save %	GF/60	SF/60	Shoot %

The Red Wings are, as usual, an elite puck-possession team, putting up dominant Shots For & Against results once again. This translates to special teams as well, with both the PP and PK working well (goaltending on the penalty kill tends to vary wildly, so I wouldn't read too much into how that inflates their GA/60 of 6.7).

Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings will miss Jimmy Howard, Henrik Zetterberg and Dan Cleary from this one due to injury, so they've called up Tomas Tatar from Grand Rapids, who looks to play his first NHL game of the season.

With 57 points in 55 career games against Nashville, Pavel Datsyuk has feasted on the Preds. With just 3 goals in his last 21 games, however, he has been a bit cold of late. Even though they won't have the option of making the final line change before faceoffs, expect Barry Trotz to get Shea Weber & Ryan Suter out there as much as possible against him:

Pavel Datsyuk

#13 / Center / Detroit Red Wings

Height: 5-11

Weight: 194

Born: Jul 20, 1978

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2011 - Pavel Datsyuk	57	15	42	57	+17	14	4	0	4		138	10.8

As to who will play in goal for Detroit with Howard out, Jeff at Winging It In Motown makes his choice clear:

Damn right Joey MacDonald is the number two goalie. They Red Wings don't have this home win streak record without him. We wish you the best in Grand Rapids, Ty.

Detroit Red Wings Last 5 Games

Dallas	Tue 02/14	W 3 - 1
Philadelphia	Sun 02/12	W 4 - 3
Anaheim	Fri 02/10	SO - W 2 - 1
Edmonton	Wed 02/08	W 4 - 2
@ Phoenix	Mon 02/06	L 1 - 3

Nashville Predators

While they lost their November 26 visit to Motown, the Preds should have plenty of confidence that they can win at Joe Louis Arena, where they took two out of three decisions last season.

Patric Hornqvist has been ruled out of this game, and Sunday's at Dallas, due to an undisclosed injury (he did take some wicked abuse up in Boston last Saturday). That opens an opportunity for the hottest hand in the lineup to take over the team goal-scoring lead:

Mike Fisher

#12 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 208

Born: Jun 05, 1980

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2011 - Mike Fisher	49	17	17	34	+4	25	4	0	5		110	15.4

Can the Predators build off their Tuesday victory over Chicago to keep within striking distance of the Central Division leaders? Tune in at 6:30 p.m. Central on FS-TN to find out...

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