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The Predators are back for one more home game before heading out on a pre-Christmas western Canada swing. The Tampa Bay Lightning are in town for only the second time since the lockout. This is the Predator’s last home game of a 12 home games in 15 game stretch before playing six of their next seven on the road.
The Lighting have lost eight of the ten games they have played since Thanksgiving and haven’t won on the road since November 22nd. Tampa Bay has been having trouble lighting the lamp, scoring only 18 goals over their last ten games, being shutout four times in that span. The Lightning look to Martin St. Louis, Ryan Malone and super soph Steven Stamkos for most of their scoring. Stamkos and Malone are the main goal scorers, primarily being set up by St. Louis and Vincent Lacavalier. For muscle, look no further than Zenon Konopka who leads the team and the league in penalty minutes with 130. No indication on a goaltender yet for tonight’s game as Mike Smith and Antero Niittymaki have split the duties fairly evenly with Niittymaki posting the better numbers.
The Predators are looking to snap a four game losing streak to Tampa Bay, having not tasted victory against the Lightning since 2003. Since Dan Ellis went last night in Columbus, I would expect Pekka Rinne in net for the Preds tonight. The top line of Jason Arnott, Steve Sullivan and Martin Erat has certainly led the way over the past week, generating an offensive explosion that has led to two hat tricks in the past week.
A surprising call up as it appears that Nick Spaling has been tapped to come up to the big club. Most speculation surrounded Andreas Thuresson as the one. I really like this kid and look forward to seeing what he can do.
It’s a Daily’s Super Tuesday tonight, great ticket deals and $2 concessions! Game time is 7pm CST, coverage on 104.5 the Zone… no TV at all tonight.
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Notes and observations from last night…
- The Nashville Predators played one of their most undisciplined games of the season last night at Nationwide Arena against one of the most potent power plays in the NHL, and still came away with a 5-2 victory of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Good stuff, but if Columbus played any kind of decent game 5-on-5, the results would’ve been different.
- It needs to be said… there’s big trouble in Columbus. There seems to be no coherent system being played outside of the power play. The Jackets have way too much talent to be struggling like this, really good piece from Eric Smith on this over on his blog.
- A very telling quote from Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock that was played on the Nashville broadcast last night, Hitch said that the team seemed to be “waiting for power plays.” The Predators didn’t make them wait very often as they had their most penalized game of the year, giving Columbus eight power play opportunities. There would’ve been a radically different result if not for the outstanding play of the penalty kill… especially on the 5-on-3 opportunity in the second period.
- Really nice to see Steve Sullivan get back on the scoring track with his hattie last night, the seventh of his career and fourth as a Predator. Sullivan is back to his point-a-game pace that Pred Nation is used to seeing. After a slow start, Sullivan now has 10 points (4g-6a) in his last seven games, and 15 points (5g-10a) in his last 16 games. Sullivan's performance last night did earn him the second star of the night honors on NHL.com.
- The team is home for the second half of a back-to-back. The good part of having Columbus as the first half was the fact that the team is usually in the air a little more than an hour after the game ends and back in Nashville in time to get a good night’s rest.
- Last night’s win keeps the Predators two points ahead of Detroit and puts the team seven points up on Columbus, ten up on St. Louis in the Central. The team also leapfrogged over Phoenix to take sole possession of sixth in the conference, one point behind 5th place Calgary and only two behind third place (Central leader) Chicago.
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The clue phone is ringing... Nationwide Arena security it's for you… in case you don’t know… it’s OK to throw a hat on the ice when a player scores three goals in a game. Even if it is an opposing player… You really shouldn’t throw people out for that… Bad form.
Sheesh.
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Interesting note – Apparently the Lightning coaching staff was patrolling the lobby of their hotel late last night, ensuring no members of the team would sneak out to party on Broadway. Aww c'mon coach... our economy could use the boost! :-)
Wed. 12/16 – We welcome USA Today hockey writer Kevin Allen on the NHL Hot Sheet. On Home Ice Advantage, we’ll talk to Flames color man Charlie Simmer and from CHED in Edmonton, Dan Tencer, they'll help us preview the Predator's western Canada swing. We will also chat with the Voice of the Milwaukee Admirals, Aaron Sims for his “Down on the Farm” segment.
Wed. 12/23 – “The Best of HockeyBuzz Radio” will feature the best interviews and segments from the first half of the season.
You are invited to follow me on Twitter. Search for PredPAPaul… Not only will I be updating when I get news or updates… I’ll also be updating during Pred home games in season with information and explanations from the PA box.
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