The Lineup: (Subject to Change)
#Preds lines w/o Smith:
Jarnkrok/Johansen/Neal
Forsberg/Ribeiro/Wilson
Arvidsson/Fisher/Salomaki
Bass/Gaustad/SissonsThat may change.
— Kristopher Martel (@kmartel_sports) April 20, 2016
More than likely, the Ducks will go with the same lineup as the game prior (and for good reason).
Predictions:
The OtF crowd has been hollering for the inclusion of Sissons into the lineup, but this is not the way we wanted to see him get a start. Craig Smith, out with the dreaded lower body injury, is listed day-to-day. Hopefully, he can get back into the lineup soon because we need that speed and nose for the net…you know, the things we lacked last game.
Pekka Rinne was his usual self, making a couple game-saving stops had the Predators mustered any sort of offense. The goals he let in were going to go in no matter what, especially with the defense’s lackadaisical approach to clearing out the slot (the third goal came after three tries).
Having Wilson jump up and take Smith’s spot on the second line could be interesting. Having two supreme puck-handlers like Wilson and Forsberg on the same line could make things difficult for the Anaheim Ducks. Still waiting for playoff Wilson to show up although he has shown up on the score sheet, just not in the goal scoring department like he did against Chicago.
Defense is the key to tonight’s game. Go back to the strategy that kept Anaheim frustrated and play a tight checking game with zero space for their attack. And for goodness sake, clear the zone. Too many times the Ducks had one or two guys down low with nary a Gold sweater in ten feet.
Must show resiliency tonight. A 3-1 lead or a 2-2 tie is a huge swing. I’ll be in 304 tonight so if you see “The Sarge,” stop by and say hi. I’m sure you’ll hear me throughout the game.