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Crazy Christmas Gift - Game Night in Big D

December 23, 2011, 12:09 PM ET [ Comments]
Paul McCann
Nashville Predators Blogger •Predators Radio Network • RSSArchiveCONTACT
What a crazy Christmas present delivered by the Nashville Predators last night, a wacky, last second, come-from-behind 6-5 victory over the hapless Columbus Blue Jackets. This is a game that had all the elements of your typical Preds/Jackets game, a little nastiness and some improbable comebacks and a more recent phenomenon, a last second effort resulting in a win for Nashville.

Make no mistake, Nashville has traditionally dominated this series, but the last two games these teams have played have simply been soul crushing for Columbus. Old coach, new coach, old players, new players, it just doesn’t seem to matter, the Jackets expect the world to fall down around them in the third period against the Predators.

Post game quotes from Jackets coach Scott Arneil really point to the fact that he doesn’t seem to have any answers, the Columbus Dispatch has this quote “We just, we just…we’re mentally right now …we’re gone.” Not exactly a quote from a confident coach, and he really has no reason to be. How else can you explain giving up two three goal leads and wasting a hat trick from Jeff Carter.

You could see it in the eyes of the team as David Legwand scored the goal that brought them to within one with less than four minutes to go. They knew that something was going to happen… and Martin Erat was the Jacket killer again, taking an excellent outlet pass from Ryan Suter, catching the Columbus defense flatfooted, knifing through three Jacket defenders, breaking in and going five hole on Curtis Sanford for the win… Merry Christmas indeed.

This Columbus team is in complete disarray, it makes you wonder when they will make a move. They have the front line talent, they have a decent defense, the goaltending and the coaching is a big question mark right now, especially given last night, when Curtis Sanford appeared to be laboring through the last half of the third period, is the team confident in Steve Mason? It does not appear so. Why else do you not replace Sanford when he obviously was struggling? Decisions need to happen in Columbus, the only question left is when…

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The Predators are in Dallas for their first game against the Jeckyl and Hyde Stars, which team will show up tonight? The Stars were leading the Western Conference before going on a November free fall. They have recovered nicely and have gone 6-4 over their last ten, standing 8th, one point behind the 7th place Predators. This is the first game of the season series for these two teams.

Dallas is being led in scoring by Jamie Benn and Michael Ryder but has missed goaltender Kari Lehtonen, who was dominant until injuring his groin in late November. Backup Andrew Raycroft has been serviceable, but the story may be in 24 year old Utah native Richard Bachman, he is 4-2 in six starts with a nifty .915 save percentage, posting wins over the NY Rangers, NY Islanders and Anaheim Ducks before losing to the Flyers on Wednesday night. No word yet on who will start for Dallas as of this writing... Expect to see Pekka Rinne in the net for the Preds tonight, last night wasn’t a stellar effort, but as the game went on, he settled in nicely.

The Predators could be riding a nice emotional wave after their win last night going into a traditional house of horrors for them. American Airlines Arena has traditionally not been kind to Nashville.

Game time is 7:30pm central… coverage on 102.5 the Game and Fox Sports Tennessee.

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Random Notes

- The Predators penalty kill could now be called a major concern. Last night it looked flat out bad, giving up four power play goals, three of them in Brian McGrattan’s five minute major in the first period. No practice time available until Tuesday, but I would expect some work on the PK in today’s day of game skate.

- The Predators were originally given an 0-1 on the power play in last Saturday’s St Louis game. The stat has been adjusted to 0-0 by the league.

- Two Preds prospects have made the roster in the upcoming WJC… Austin Watson for Team USA and Miikka Salomaki for Team Finland.

- I saw an amazing thing last night. Predators hockey advisor Brent Peterson running to the locker room during the first intermission. Simply an amazing thing what the DBS surgery has done for him. An incredible gift…

- I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the furor over the new coach of the Montreal Canadiens. Since when does a coach have to speak a certain language to coach? Does the entire team speak French and only French??? Sheesh…

- I know I will be flipping a bit tonight between the Pred game and the Flyers/Rangers on NHL Network.

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