All-Star week is here and the Nashville Predators finish their pre-break schedule with a back-to-back tonight and tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a rematch of Saturday night’s Chicago game with the Blackhawks looking for payback. Tonight is another rematch, the final game of the season series with Columbus, following Nashville’s 3-0 shutout of the Jackets last Thursday night in Ohio. The Blue Jackets hit town to meet a Predators team that has won 10 of their last 12 games, while the Jackets have lost 5 of their last seven.
It’s the Rick Nash show in Columbus, anything good in this season from hell for Jackets’ fans, has come from him. Nash leads the team in goals and overall scoring and is attempting to push the team to not give up on the season. The team added significant payroll in the off season and had high hopes for the ’11-’12 season, those hopes have been thoroughly dashed as Columbus has only 13 wins, going 13-28-6, good for 32 points, dead last in the West.
Injuries and suspensions have certainly contributed to Columbus’ struggles this season. The Jackets come into tonight’s game listing Radek Martinek, Jeff Carter, Mark Letestu, RJ UMberger, Kristian Huselius and James Wisniewski on injured reserve. Nikita Nikitin and RJ Umberger are listed as questionable for tonight’s game, however the Columbus Dispatch is reporting that Bret Lebda will play tonight in place of Nikitin. The Dispatch is also reporting that Umberger may return to the Jackets lineup tonight after missing five games with a concussion. The Predators’ IR continues to be clear, Ryan Suter is listed as probable and Francis Bouillon who left Saturday night’s game with an upper body injury, is listed as questionable.
Given all that, do not expect tonight to be a walk in the park for Nashville. Columbus took Detroit to the wall on Saturday night before finally succumbing in the shootout. Interim head coach Todd Richards has this team playing harder and there are no signs this team has packed it in… there will be nothing Columbus would like better that to come in here and take two points from the Predators.
The Predators need to play the kind of game we have seen from them over the last couple of games, strong d, excellent goaltending, scoring by committee all need to be in effect tonight to gain two more points in the team’s quest to tie the Blackhawks before the All-Star game.
Game time is 7pm at the Bridge, coverage is on 102.5 the Game and Fox Sports Tennessee.
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In case you missed it... SlapShot Radio's intrepid photographer was at it again Saturday night for our regular feature, Sunday Shots...
Courtesy DLM/SlapShot Radio
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Random Notes
- The Predators remain 6th in the Western Conference and 4th in the Central Division with 60 points. They trail 5th place Chicago and 4th place St. Louis by four points and trail 1st place Detroit by five points. While it is a little early to look at games-in-hand, The Predators have a game in hand on Chicago, St. Louis has a game in hand on the Preds.
- Great piece in the Examiner from Jim Diamond on Francis Bouillon’s influence on the young d-men on this team…
click here for the story.
- Jonathan Toews appeared to aggravate an injury to his hand on Saturday night when the star forward left the game in the second period. The team is taking it very seriously.
- Dispatch Jackets beat writer Aaron Portzline is reporting that club president Mike Preist and GM Scott Howson’s jobs are secure in Columbus, this coming from the Jackets ownership meeting last week. After nine head coaches and multiple directions, you have to wonder when the time has come to blow the whole thing up and start over… to this observer, that time has come and gone. Good read from Portzline
here.
- Portzline mentions that Jeff Carter may be on his way out in Columbus... given how that relationship started, is anyone surprised?
- There is some more separation building in the chase group for the last few playoffs spots in the West. Colorado and Minnesota continue to swap spots on a regular basis between 8th and 9th. Dallas, Colorado and Phoenix are bringing up the rear on the chase group. There is an interesting story developing in Anaheim. The Ducks have a five game win streak and have gone 8-1-1 in their last ten, moving to within 7 points of the chase group. They may jump back into this thing yet. Edmonton continues to slide and Columbus is 22 points off the pace.
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On the next
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SlapShot Radio will be getting you ready for the All-Star game with exclusive interviews with all three Nashville All-Stars, we will also chat with Katie Baker author of Coldhearted, the great hockey blog on ESPN.com’s Grantland and get a visit from one of our favorite guests… Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek. All this on SlapShot Radio built by
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