The Minnesota Wild come to Nashville tonight to take on the Predators in what is probably their most important game of the season. The Wild are hanging on for dear life in the playoff chase and desperately need two points against a rival. The Predators are flying high, though, and if Pekka Rinne's recent performances are any indication it'll be a tough go for the Wild.
The season's coming to a close, the standings are tight, and both teams are playing well, so continue below for more!
Special Note: Remember, if you're going to tonight's game, parking is a mess downtown right now due to the Music City Center construction, and one option to keep in mind is FREE parking at Lot R next to LP Field. You can either walk across the pedestrian bridge, or catch a $3 (per person) shuttle to Bridgestone Arena from there.
Nashville coming in
Ugly as it may have been, the Predators extended their win streak on Tuesday with a 4-3 win over the Flyers. The key to the game was Pekka Rinne (42 saves), as the Predators spent most of the game in their own zone. They overcame some highly questionable officiating to get the win in the shootout. They didn't get a chance to try out their newfound power play success, however, because Philadelphia didn't take a single minor penalty. The Wild are not quite as disciplined, so look for that to change tonight.
Minnesota coming in
The Wild are also on a three game win streak, beating the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 in their previous contest. They've gotten excellent play out of (former?) backup goalie Josh Harding, and are putting some heat on Calgary for the ninth spot. According to Wild beat man Mike Russo, Derek Boogaard will not make the trip, but Finnish Olympian Niklas Backstrom will. Check out our friends at Hockey Wilderness for any Minnesota needs you may have.
Who's hot
Besides Rinne, of course:
Who's not
He's picked it up slightly, but still gone a ridiculous amount of games (nearly 30?) without a goal:
The Guys in Goal
Your reigning NHL 3rd Star of the Week:
Also playing well:
Projected Lineups
Nashville:
Bouillon - Klein
Minnesota (minus Brent Burns):
Sifers - Schultz
Injury Report
(Ouch)
Did You Know?
- Martin Erat and Jerred Smithson both scored their first career goals against Minnesota
- Erat is approaching the team record for shootout conversions (12)
- Nashville's home power play is 6th in the NHL, and they are 25-8-2 when scoring with the man advantage
Fearless Prediction
Over the past week, the Preds have won ugly (Flyers), pretty (Kings), with defense (Ducks), and scored a lot of goals in another game (Sharks). On top of all that, they've gotten the consistent goaltending needed to succeed in the playoffs. Minnesota is a good team on occasion, but the Predators are better in most facets. After weathering the storm against the Flyers, I don't think Nashville is daunted tonight. Score one on the power play, stay disciplined, hit Cal Clutterbuck, protect Pekka Rinne, and get out. Predators 3, Wild 1.
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