Nashville has been on a tear lately. St. Louis has held steady as of late, and today’s game will be a momentum swing for one of these teams.
The St. Louis Blues
The Blues are exactly who we thought they were going to be this year. They are right in the thick of things as far as playoff positioning goes, and are 6-3-1 in their last ten games and hold on to the third place spot in the Central Division. Not to mention they are only three points out of first in the division as well.
Tonight’s Opponent
Tonight’s Opponent
St. Louis might be getting some help back this today as Alex Pietrangelo could be making his comeback today. The Blues could use his help as they have now lost two games in a row.
Luckily for the Blues they have some good talent up front to keep them in games. Vladimir Tarasenko is on a rampage this year with 29 goals and 25 assists. He leads the team in goals and total points. That is not to mention that the Blues have five other players that have scored double digit goals this season (Alexander Steen, David Backes, Kevin Shattenkirk, Robby Fabbri, and Troy Brouwer).
We all know what the Blues are capable of at this point. If they lose today, they will only have a six point lead on the Preds. They know how important this game is today, so I wouldn’t expect anything less than 110% from them in this one.
The Nashville Predators
It seems as if the Predators have figured out how to play like last year’s team. They are winning all sorts of games in this recent stretch. A big reason for that is the play of Pekka Rinne and Carter Hutton. Just look at this stat:
Pekka Rinne in his past four starts: 3-0-1, 0.98 GAA, .969 SV%. I think he’s good to go.
— Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) February 26, 2016
Those are ridiculous numbers. I think Pekka has finally figured it out. And not just that, but I think the coaches realized the key to Rinne’s success is rest. As long as Hutton continues to play great in relief, they can give Peks the rest he needs in the final stretch.
The urgency on the ice is there for the Preds. Now it’s time to see if it is there off the ice with David Poile. It will be interesting to see if he makes another trade before the deadline. He said he is ok with the team as is, but you never know with Poile. I am looking forward to seeing who, if anyone, he brings in next.
Pre-game Entertainment
Only because they need a proper homecoming. Also because I saw these guys play at Bridgestone, and they rocked my face off. Enjoy!
Sights And Sounds
FS-TN for television and 102.5 The Game for radio. We have a matinee showing today so don’t miss it! Puck drops at 2:00 pm CST.