Before I get to today’s column… I want to send thoughts and prayers to the good folks in Gatlinburg who are being hit so hard by wild fires right now. My wife and I have spent so much time there over the past 25+ years that we consider it our second home. We were just there 10 days ago and our hearts are breaking seeing the horrific video coming from the Smokies. To our East Tennessee family, stay safe!
You can help by reaching out to the American Red Cross... you can make a $10 donation by texting the word REDCROSS to 90999.
Turning to tonight’s game in Colorado, the Predators limp into to Denver looking to correct their road woes with a game against the Avalanche at Pepsi Center tonight, where a lot of observers believe the Preds began to turn their season around back on November 1 as they beat the Av’s 5-1. They remain shorthanded as Ryan Ellis, James Neal and Colton Sissons are still on IR and not travelling with the team. Miikka Salomaki is still listed on IR, but he has been practicing with the team since Saturday.
You can’t really use injuries as an excuse for the team’s horrendous 2-7-2 road record. The eye test on Sunday’s game in Winnipeg had the team pouring 42 shots on a goalie that was on his head. Sometimes the shots just don’t fall… but the concern will continue to grow until the Predators show some consistency on the road. Tonight can be a start, but reality is, the road record cannot be fixed or declared fixed until some sustained success happens. Given the December schedule, that’s a good news / bad news scenario. 14 games, only five of them on the road. The team will have a three at home, two on the road pattern until after Christmas. Tonight is a “something’s gotta give” game as the Av’s have a losing record at the Pepsi Center so far this season.
Colorado trails the Preds by 4 points, currently residing in the Central Division basement but the team has been showing signs of life lately, gathering points in three of their past four games. They come in fairly healthy only listing Gabriel Landeskog as out for tonight. The Preds will need to key on shutting down a fairly lethal top two lines for the Avalanche, especially noted Pred-killer Jarome Iginla.
Expect the goaltending matchup to be Pekka Rinne vs Calvin PIckard. Rinne’s stats speak for themselves, despite some pundit’s desperate attempt to prove themselves right about his demise… you have to wonder if Pickard will continue his hot play as Semyon Varlamov sits for the second straight game due to a wrist issue. Pickard has posted a 4-1-1 record with a save percentage at .932 and a GAA of 2.03.
The Predators have a chance to finish November the way they started it and gain valuable points in the heated Central Division race. Game time is 8pm central, coverage on Fox Sports Tennessee, 102.5 the Game and the Predators Radio Network.
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Random Notes
- Keep an eye on Filip Forsberg and Craig Smith tonight, both are riding point streaks against Colorado. Forsberg in five consecutive, Smith in four straight.
- The principle owner of the Predators is quoted in yesterday’s Nashville Business Journal as scouting four different areas for a new rink to be built. Speculation has the locations being scouted are in Bellevue, Clarksville, Mt. Juliet and Franklin.
- Wow… the situation in Florida with the Panthers is still weird. After a bizarre offseason that saw change for change sake now sees Gerard Gallant being fired after the first game of a road trip and stranded at the rink without a ride… bad optics to say the least.
- USA Today is reporting that Gallant was fired due to a “philosophical difference.” You didn’t know about that before embarrassing the man on the road? Bad form…
- Twelve games in the NHL today, all times central – 6pm – CAR @ NYR, TBL @ CBJ. 6:30pm – BOS @ PHI, BUF @ OTT, DAL @ DET. 7pm – NJD @ WPG. 7:30pm – FLA @ DHI. 8pm – NSH @ COL, TML @ EDM. 9pm – MIN @ VAN, MTL @ ANA, ARI @ SJS.
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