Hockey Preseason is officially here with the start of the Predators Prospects Tournament and of course, back for her sixth season bringing these pictures to you… SlapShot Radio’s photographer was busy during last evening’s action at the brand new Ford Ice Center for our regular Sunday feature… here are your Sunday Shots…
Check out the entire album at
SlapShot Radio’s Website.
Courtesy DLM/SlapShot Radio
While calling the first Preds game of the Prospects Tournament yesterday, the first goal of the game was scored six minutes into the second period… My announcement?
“Goal scored by number 56, Kevin Fiala… assisted by number nine, Filip Forsberg… time of the goal six minutes, eight seconds.”
Get used to hearing it… because I have a funny feeling (if things develop the way they should) I may be saying that a lot in the upcoming years.
My impressions of the first prospect game center around Forsberg and Fiala, both showed shifty moves, blinding speed, incredible hands and finish, oh how these two can finish. Fiala’s goal was a beauty, snapping a nasty wrister past Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy off of a sick setup from Forsberg. Forsberg’s game was a bit more up and down as he took three penalties in a twenty three minute span between the end of the first period and early in the third.
This was an extremely undisciplined portion of the game as the baby Preds took five consecutive penalties, seven out of eight and had to kill off a full 5 on 3 power play, most of this in the second period. But that stretch also saw some very solid goaltending from Magnius Hellberg and Rob Madore. Madore having to make nine saves on the ten shots he faced in the second half of the second period. Goaltending was solid throughout the game on both sides.
Jonathan-Ismael Diaby was solid on the blueline as well… he was the cause of a scary moment, winding up for a slap shot in the third that caught Lightning prospect Slater Koekkoek in shoulder and dropped him like a sack of potatoes. Koekkoek bounced up quickly after a dazed couple of seconds on the ice. Diaby brought a nice physical presence and a nasty streak that was clearly getting under the skin of the Lightning.
Brandon Leipsic… this mouthguard chewing dervish showed speed and grit… looking forward to seeing more of him today.
Overall, a solid first performance from the Preds prospect group who are back in action tonight against the Florida Panthers. Puck drop is 7pm at Ford Ice Center. I’ll be behind the mic to call both games today, Lighting/Bruins begins at 4:30pm, so we’ll see you there!
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Random Notes
- Big kudos to Pred Nation, the place was packed last night. Every seat was taken and fans were lined up four deep at the glass for the Predators game and the first game of the day saw a great crowd show up as well, another step in the growth of Nashville as a hockey market.
- Kudos as well to the team that drove, developed and built the Ford Ice Center. It is a beautiful facility. Now… two sheets in the Lebanon/Mt. Juliet area and two sheets in the Hendersonville area and we are set for ice time in the market!
- Vancouver ticket broker Kingsley Bailey appeared on CKWX and dropped this bomb… by his estimation, demand for Canucks tickets has dropped “about 40 percent.” Be careful of the agenda’s at work here, but that can’t be good news for a team struggling to reclaim its identity.
- The Dallas Stars unveiled their new mascot on Twitter yesterday. The neon green, Philly Phanatic looking character goes by the name Victor E. Green. Insert snide comment here…
- The staring contest between Ryan Johanson and the Columbus Blue Jackets continues. According to Aaron Portzline, the two sides have recently met and they are still $3 million apart.
- Former Nashville Predator Jordin Tootoo is joining the New Jersey Devils camp on a tryout basis. The 31 year old disturber was bought out by Detroit back in June. Good like to him, I’d like to see him make it.
- In a league desperate for competent goaltending, it amazes me that veteran goaltender Tomas Vokoun isn’t signed at this point. Health issues are behind him and he has made it clear he wants to play. Another one of the good guys, I hope he finds a spot.
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