Friday's notes: Accentuate The Positive

So what do we take away from last night's 6-5 win by the Nashville Predators at Vancouver? There were enough highlights in that one to provide a storyline for just about everybody, from the stellar (Colin Wilson, Anders Lindback) to the... well... not so stellar (Kevin Klein & Jack Hillen). I suppose the bottom line may be that a win like this can provide for a nice springboard - the coaches have plenty of material with which to point out mistakes and focus on improvement, some of the forwards may get a jolt of confidence after potting a few goals, and the team took an unlikely two points in the standings at the same time.

Just listen to this while surfing through your morning hockey news...

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Nashville Predators News

Nashville Predators Value Increases 10% in Latest Forbes Estimate - The Hockey Writers
George walks through the latest Forbes numbers on NHL franchise valuation.

Postgame ponderings - Predators Insider
"Mike Fisher seems to play better with Craig Smith on his line." That seems to happen to a lot of guys, doesn't it?

Former Predator Alex Sulzer hopes for playoff series - The Tennessean
Alex is having a tough time cracking the lineup in Vancouver.

How to beat Schneider - Predators Insider
Forget about the goalie stuff. The line in here from Barry Trotz on Brent Peterson's surgery the other day is pure gold.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Brassard's Agent Slams Arniel | BlueJackets Xtra
This doesn't come off well for Derick Brassard at all. His agent releases a public statement blasting the Columbus head coach for using Brassard as the team's scapegoat.

Erik Cole paid for Louis Leblanc’s parents to see his first NHL game - Puck Daddy
Now this is just a great story. It only adds to the reputation of hockey players being the most down-to-earth pro athletes out there.

On Stats, "Stat-heads," and the Minnesota Wild - Hockey Wilderness
A nice meditation here on what to do when your team is riding high in the standings, but the fundamental stats portend a fall. BTW, those same stats bode very ill for the Predators.

Mason Raymond misses return because of 'paperwork' - The Globe and Mail
This is a shame, as everyone was looking forward to seeing the Vancouver forward return to game action last night after suffering a horrific back injury in the Stanley Cup Final.

Red Light - Posts It’s the time of the season for NHL coaching upheaval
When Scotty Bowman speaks, you should listen.

Bruce Boudreau, Randy Carlyle, Jim Rutherford Were Connected Before This Week - SBNation.com
Mighty interesting coincidence here...

Montreal Canadiens: Not all problems can be traced to Jacques Martin - Montreal Gazette
Despite all the recent firings, there are still a few other coaches in jeopardy, including Montreal's Martin.

Key to coaching - keep players on your side - Ottawa Citizen
With all the coaching changes going on around the league, Cam Cole gets thoughts from Barry Trotz and Alain Vignault on what has led to their extended tenure behind the bench.

Don Cherry’s ratings take a hit - The Globe and Mail
According to new reports, when the 1st period ends on Hockey Night in Canada, hundreds of thousands of viewers move on to something else rather than watch Coach's Corner.

Bettman addresses realignment talk on 'NHL Hour' - NHL.com
It sounds like we may have the realignment solution delivered next week...

The long and short of shootouts - Toronto Sun
Did you know the NHL had its 1,000th shootout on Wednesday?

Goalie Power Rankings - CBC Sports
Kevin Weekes puts the Preds in the middle of the pack (found at Kukla's Korner.

IIHF Hall welcomes quintet - IIHF
The International Ice Hockey Federation will induct 5 new members to its Hall of Fame in Helsinki, Finland in May. The new class includes Pavel Bure and Phil Housley.

Predators At Canucks Recap ; All In Good Fun (6-5L) - Nucks Misconduct
All they can do is sober up and move on in Vancouver.

Game 25 Recap: Stealing Points - The Cannon
The Blue Jackets are starting to pick up points with regularity, after a shootout win at Calgary.

Second line reunites, gets right in 4-3 shootout win - Fear The Fin
The Sharks are now 7-3 in their last 10, after beating Montreal last night.

The Afterburners: Coyotes Can Only Sit Back and Howl at the Jets, 1-0 - Arctic Ice Hockey
Ondrej Pavelec pitched a shutout as the Jets beat the ex-Jets in Winnipeg.

Sens give up two late goals, lose 3-2 to Stars - Silver Seven
The Dallas Stars came back to beat Ottawa on home ice, and Sens fans are frustrated with the loss.

New York Rangers Recap: Rangers Win Fourth Straight, 5-3, Over Hurricanes - Blueshirt Banter
The New York Rangers, along with Boston, are the two hottest teams in the league these days.

Locking it Down: Pens' Defense Helps Secure a 2-1 Win Over Capitals - PensBurgh
The Penguins are getting used to having Sidney Crosby back in the lineup.