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I have been waiting over five months to write this… It’s Game Night in Smashville!
At long last the regular season is here as the Nashville Predators open up the most anticipated season in franchise history with a home and home against the Chicago Blackhawks. Might as well get a measuring stick on this team right away as the Preds start the season with a nasty little three game stretch against two of the teams they will be battling for Central Division supremacy, then their final regular season trip to the Joe to take on the Red Wings, back home against the defending Stanley Cup champs before heading to the west coast.
Not the easiest start of a season… but one that the Preds seem to be relishing.
It will be a sold out Smashville greeting the team tonight as Pred Nation has been waiting… waiting to get back at it. That feeling has crossed to the team as every player I have spoken to over the past four weeks has indicated that they can’t wait to get going and that they were excited about this team and its’ potential. Heck, even the normally reserved Mike Ribeiro is quoted "Looking forward, I think we have a great team, and I think the city in general is pumped for tomorrow. We have a great opponent, and we're ready to start the season on the right foot. Guys are excited, and the city is excited."
So, the first step of the journey is tonight… against an intensely disliked division rival. National TV tonight as NBCSN will be covering the game and Preds Game Ops has plenty of fun in store. Smashville gets its first look at the potential PK Subban / Roman Josi pairing. Subban’s regular season debut at Bridgestone Arena after posting four points in three preseason games. Mike Fisher’s first home game wearing the C as the new captain of the team. Kevin Fiala’s first Opening Night and much more.
Chicago comes into this back-to-back, home and home off an opening night loss to St. Louis at United Center. The Blackhawks have some of the same cast of characters but they also have quite a few new names, young names… this is a team that has some holes to fill and are hoping to fill them with these youngsters.
The festivities get going at noon with a Golden Lunch Break on the Bridgestone Arena plaza featuring music, food trucks and lots of fun. The Player Gold Walk (hosted by yours truly and Lyndsay Rowley) will start at 4pm on the plaza, immediately followed by the Plaza Party with music from The Weeks. Doors open at 5pm as well, and make sure you are in your seats by 6:45, because the pregame promises to be awesome!
See you tonight in Smashville!
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Random Notes
- Countdown to hockey… It’s here!
- Great quote from Colin Wilson on the Preds website… "As much as I like the nickname 'Playoff Colin Wilson,' I'd rather just be Colin Wilson," the forward said with a laugh. "I'm hoping to have a good regular season, and everything I've done in the offseason was done getting ready to prepare for this, to have a consistent 82 games. I'm extremely ready to go."
- Don’t forget that SlapShot Radio is on tomorrow at 8am, we’ll review Opening Night and preview Saturday’s game… Pete Weber joins us from Chicago so tune in!
- Shea Weber looked good in his Montreal debut last night, posting 24 minutes and a +3 for the Habs in their 4-1 win.
- Jimmy Vesey went scoreless in his NHL debut last night for the Rangers, he got a little more than 13 minutes of ice time in the Rangers wild 5-3 win over the Islanders
- The Buffalo Sabres got a bad break to start their season as they have lost Jack Eichel for 6-8 weeks due to injury.
- The Sabres got another bad break with Evander Kane getting hurt as well. He had to be helped off the ice and was hospitalized for observation.
abs
- Tonight’s NHL Schedule – Three games on the schedule tonight, all times Central – CHI @ NASH 7pm (NBCSN), EDM @ CGY 8pm, PHI @ LAK 9:30pm.
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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. This week’s guests include the author of Stat Shot and the Hockey Abstract, Robb Vollman and Judd Sirrot from the Blackhawks broadcast team joins us to preview Saturday’s Preds/Hawks game in Chicago.
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