I have been scouring the standings and I can’t seem to find the column for ugly wins because if there was one, last night certainly qualifies. The Nashville Predators completed a successful revenge week with a 2-1 shootout win over the pesky Arizona Coyotes and in the process, took over first place in the Central Division.
For those that are complaining that the Predators should’ve won 35-0… just stop. Yes, the Coyotes are in the basement of the league, but last night proved something to this observer… they won’t be there long. This is a team that is just like my country… young, scrappy and hungry. Head coach Rick Toccet has the Coyotes on the right track. They need a few pieces, but the rest of the conference better watch out, the deserts dogs aren’t going to be doormats forever.
Case in point… when the Predators took the lead late in the 2nd period last night, the Coyotes put on a furious pushback, imposing their will on the Predators, tying the game with a few seconds left in the period. It was the kind of push you want to see from a team after giving up a back breaker goal. I know it certainly made the Preds take notice. Arizona is stealing a page from the Vegas book, work hard and skate your ass off and even though they are on a 5 game losing streak, they have gained points in four of them.
Last night’s win was the 2018 offensive coming out party for Ryan Ellis, who assisted on Scott Hartnell’s goal (his 100th in a Pred jersey) with a spectacular stretch pass that sprung the veteran forward for a successful breakaway and then just wired home a laser to tie the game with less than 3 minutes to play. Ellis rounding back into form is nothing but good news for Nashville.
So… overtime solved nothing, then the Preds got shootout tallies from Kyle Turris and Craig Smith… game over…
Here are the highlights
A four game win streak is on the line when the Florida Panthers hit town tomorrow night. Very limited tickets remain.
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“Where We Stand” update… a daily tracking of where the Preds are in the standings and the games that impact them most, brought to you by Mark Lonsway - THE real estate professional for hockey fans!
After last night’s play, the Predators stand first in the Central Division with 60 points, one point ahead of both Winnipeg (2 GIH) and St. Louis (4 GIH) … the Preds lead Dallas (3 GIH) by four points and Colorado by seven.
Impact games tonight (all times Central) – 9pm – LAK @ ANA.
Playoff Odds Courtesy SportsClubStats.com - The Predators playoff chances are now at 97.4% after yesterday’s play.
The Playoff Point Line - I look at the point level needed for a 75%+ chance to make the playoffs… right now, it stands at 97 points.
Western Conference Teams on Bye Week - Winnipeg, Calgary, Minnesota, Chicago, Edmonton, Vancouver.
Playoff odds and playoff point line courtesy of SportsClubStats.com
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Random Notes
- Interesting defensive pairing last night as Peter Laviolette’s strategy of playing one of “the big 4” on each pairing continues to play out well.
- Is Chicago really in danger of missing the playoffs? They are currently last in the division, which doesn’t mean much considering they are only 3 points out of a wild card… but they do have at least four teams to leap over… the hole is getting deeper for the Hawks.
- Vegas avoided their second three game losing streak last night with an impressive road win over Tampa. They are in Sunrise tonight, playing the Preds Saturday opponent, Florida.
- Eeli Watch – Eeli Tolvanen’s Jokerit team is in action today vs. HC Sochi. He has 17 goals and 16 assists in 43 KHL games.
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