Update - 12:30pm CT - Reports from today's day of game skate have James Neal potentially back in the lineup... quite a surprise if he ends up in the lineup tonight.
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Two straight losses at home, that is the first time I have had to write that yet this season. But after a disaster of a weekend, when nothing seemed to bounce the Preds way beginning at about 2pm Saturday afternoon, the Predators find themselves in a 0-2 hole for this three game homestand that finishes tonight at Bridgestone Arena with a Central Division tilt against the Colorado Avalanche.
The injury plagued Predators find themselves two points out of playoff position as play begins today, but every team the Preds are chasing have played at least one more game than Nashville and in some cases… four more games. The last two games did show some cracks in the Preds veneer… they are missing Ryan Ellis and James Neal… a lot. That is not to minimize the losses of MIikka Salomaki, Colton Sissons and Anthony Bitetto… but the scoring and PP quarterbacking of those two players are critical elements that are sorely missing from the Preds play, and the lack of finish being shown is becoming a big issue.
So attention turns to players like Kevin Fiala, Craig Smith, Colin Wilson and Filip Forsberg to fill the holes and make up the scoring. The name on that list that is sticking out to me is Forsberg. He seems to be squeezing the stick just a bit and pressing a bit too hard. You can almost see how his lack of scoring is causing him to press a bit as shots are going just wide, just a bit high, clanging off the iron.
Another player to keep an eye on is waiver wire pickup Reid Boucher. The 23 year old native of Lansing, Michigan has played in 83 NHL games with 11 goals and 18 assists. Boucher was a scoring machine in Juniors when playing for the Sarnia Sting, breaking Steven Stamkos’ goal scoring record, scoring 62 goals in 67 games. Perhaps that accomplishment set the expectation bar a little too high in New Jersey… and frankly, every indication is, that the Devils were trying to sneak him through waivers and really didn’t want to lose him. Boucher has ability, but he hasn’t been able to effecvtively and consistently translate it to the NHL yet. A new start… a different ystem? Who knows what may happen here…
The Avalanche are desperately seeking a way back into the playoff race. 3-6-1 in their last ten and on a 3 game losing streak, the Av’s have to get the ship righted quickly before they fall too far behind in the Central Division race. They are still missing their captain, as Gabriel Landeskog remains on IR and they took a devastating injury in Saturday’s 3-0 loss to Dallas as their best defenseman, Erik Johnson, broke his leg blocking a shot and will be out for 6-8 weeks.
In net, Semyon Varlamov and Pekka Rinne should be the starters.
Both teams are looking to get well… both teams are looking for answers… something’s gotta give. Game time is 7pm in Smashville, limited tickets remain for the 3rd game of the season series between these two teams. Coverage begins with pregame at 6pm on 102,5 the Game, 6:30pm on Fox Sports Tennessee, puck drop is at 7:07pm.
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Random Notes
- The Predators backup goalie-go-round continues as Juuse Saros has been sent to Milwaukee and Marek Mazanec has been recalled.
- The Predators have also reassigned Pontus Aberg to Milwaukee as well.
- Encouraging all that are going to be on the SlapShot Radio road trip to bring a teddy bear to toss at the Roadrunners game on Friday night. That should be fun!
- The death of former Predator, former Av Marek Svatos was due to a drug overdose according to the Denver coroner… tragic story.
- Nine games in the NHL tonight, all times CST – 6pm – EDM @ BUF, VAN @ NJD, NYR @ NYI, FLA @ PHI. 7pm – MTL @ STL, COL @ NSH, DET @ WPG. 7:30pm ARI @ CHI, CGY @ DAL.
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SSR’s season nine is on, our next show is Wednesday at 7pm 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. We will be previewing the SlapShot Radio road trip, talking to the Voice of the Tucson Roadrunners, former Preds radio man Tom Callahan and we will also be chatting with Bob Heethuis, Coyotes radio play-by-play man.
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