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Game Night in Smashville - Halfway Point & ICYMI Mr. 2000

January 10, 2017, 12:01 PM ET [3 Comments]
Paul McCann
Nashville Predators Blogger •Predators Radio Network • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Tonight’s game in Smashville between the Canucks and Preds is the 41st game of the season… the halfway point. Coming into the game the Nashville Predators are well… to quote Ulysses Everett McGill… “damn… we’re in a tight spot!” The Predators stand sixth in the division, sixth in the Wild Card race, posting just slightly more than a point per game.

That ain’t gonna cut it to make the playoffs.

Tonight’s opponent is one of the teams the Predators are chasing in the wild card race. With all the hue and cry over OT points, the point that most often gets missed is this. While the OTL point doesn’t have a significant impact on the standings in the long rn, it DOES make it more difficult to move up and leap frog others. The Preds are only 3 points out of a wild card, but have to jump three teams now to get there.

Time is most definitely not on the Predators side right now. Time and injuries. PK SUbban, Miikka Salomaki and James Neal remain on IR, Viktor Arvidsson and Colin Wilson are day-to-day.

Vancouver hits town after their six-game win streak was snapped on Saturday night. That win streak put them smack dab in the middle of the playoff race in the Western Conference, but the Canucks are battling their own injury bug with four players on IR, Ben Hutton did not make the trip and Chris Tanev was a scratch on Saturday after taking a slap shot to the back in Friday’s win over Calgary.

Vancouver is a team that has struggled on the road this season as their 5-13-1 record can attest. Nashville has been struggling at home going 2-4-4 in their last ten inside the friendly confines of Bridgestone Arena. So, in some respects, tonight is a “somethings gotta give” game.

Game time is 7pm, coverage on Fox Sports Tennessee and 102.5 the Game.

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ICYMI – Here was my blog from yesterday regarding our own Pete Weber…

Mr. 2000

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, this is Pete Weber.” That (or something like it) was uttered on October 11, 1978 in Weber’s first NHL broadcast, opening a game as color commentator for the Los Angeles Kings. He spent three seasons with the Kings and called 280 games. After some time broadcasting a myriad of sports, Pete returned to the NHL in 1995 as the play-by-play man for the Buffalo Sabres, broadcasting another 254 games with the Western New York NHL team. Then he was named the original Voice of the Nashville Predators in 1998 and has been entertaining sports fans in middle Tennessee and across the nation for almost 20 years.

Tomorrow night, Pete will open the broadcast on the Predators Radio Network... and when he does… it will be his 2000th NHL broadcast.

2000 games broadcast over a stellar 24 year career with 3 NHL teams.

Pete Weber along with his partners over the years, Mike Greenlay, Terry Crisp, Brent Peterson and Chris Mason has taught middle Tennessee hockey fans the game. Just like Gene Hart did in the Philadelphia area, Rick Jeannrette in Buffalo, Bob Miller in Los Angeles, Mike Lange in Pittsburgh… just to name a few. Pete is a huge part of Nashville’s development as a hockey market. His twisted sense of humor, his encyclopedic knowledge of hockey and sports in general and his love of what he does shines through in every one of his broadcasts.

Pete has worked with some legendary names in hockey broadcasting, but I think the most fun Pete has had in the booth was his partnership with Terry Crisp. Over their years together, they dressed in costumes for Halloween, kidded each other, had a nasty habit of cracking each other up and matched each other’s sharp wit on the broadcast. They knew that they were there to bring you the game, but also entertain and maybe teach a little, while not letting you know you were being taught. They were always known by Pred Nation as Pete and Terry… most times it even ran into one word PetenTerry. Their performance is no act, they are best friends away from the rink as well, and their admiration and respect for each other comes across clearly.

I have yet to run into a single person who has something negative to say about Pete Weber, Pred Nation loves him, the players love him, his peers love him. He truly is a legend among not just hockey broadcasters... but all broadcasters, winning the Tennessee Sportscaster of the Year in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2016. I have been lucky enough to work with Pete on SlapShot Radio for eight years now, his delightfully quick wit and deep knowledge is so much fun to work with. I am proud to call him a friend and besides... anyone that can come up with a SlapShot, Airplane or Blazing Saddles quote at the drop of a hat is always fun to be around!

So Happy 2000th Pete… you are a treasure to us hockey fans in middle Tennessee and across the hockey world!

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Random Notes

- Where We Stand – After last night’s play, the Nashville Predators have played 40 games and stand 6th in the Central Division, training 5th place Dallas by one point (1 GIH), 4th place Winnipeg by 2 points (2 GIH), 3rd place St. Louis by 6 points. Nashville is 3 points out of a Wild Card spot. The Predators are 5 points behind, with three games in hand over the first wild card team Calgary and have a game in hand over the 2nd Wild Card team, Los Angeles who they trail by 3 points. A win tonight will leap frop Vancouver in the wild card race.

- Nashville did not practice yesterday so there is not much intel on tonight’s lineup as I write this.

- Pontus Aberg has been called up from Milwaukee.

- Petter Granberg cleared waivers and was assigned to Milwaukee.

- Sevengames in the NHL tonight, all times CST – 6pm – CBJ @ CAR, PHI @ BUF. 7pm – BOS @ STL, VAN @ NSH. 7:30pm – DET @ CHI. 8pm – SJS @ EDM. 9pm – DAL @ ANA.

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SSR’s season nine is on, our next show is Saturday at 8am on 102.5 the Game. SlapShot Radio is the longest running hockey show in the mid-south and Pete Weber and I bring you the best in hockey talk all season long.

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