Classic “good news / bad news… scenario. The Nashville Predators sleep walked through the first two periods of their 4-3 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets before coming back to push the game to overtime before succumbing in the skills competition. Head Coach Peter Laviolette was… shall we say… unhappy. His post-game quote…
"We got mildly better as the game went on but… we can't accept that, that's a standard that's unacceptable."
Ummm… yup. That was an awfully familiar scenario and a bad habit acquired early last season that I am sure the coach wants to nip ion the bud this season. The temptation is to say, “ah, it’s preseason.… That’s a dangerous thought that leads to things like “heck, it’s only October (November, December, etc.) we’ll be fine……
New captain Roman Josi also called the team out for their effort, trying to instill a sense of urgency into the room. That’s a good thing, because the Preds do not have an easy start to the season, starting with two on the road in Boston and Pittsburgh. If they don’t get their minds right now, it could be another rough ride.
T’s not to say all was terrible last night at Bridgestone Arena. There were a few bright spots, all from youngsters…
Kevin Fiala – Preds beat writer Adam Vingan tweeted that he believes Fiala is this year’s Arvidsson… he’s not exactly going out on a limb there, but I agree. I would tend to agree. Fiala has been a whirling dervish throughout preseason, playing like a man on a mission and looking like a player on the verge of a breakout season.
Vladislav Kamenev – Kamenev is making a STRONG bid to make this team. His play has been on an upward trajectory for the length of camp and last night saw a continued elevation of his game.
Samuel Girard – This player is giving the coaching staff fits… the good kind. Girard seems to be making it almost impossible for Peter Laviolette to send him back to juniors. He partnered with Josi, Subban and Irwin last night and seemed to fit in with each player with no observable negative impact. Don’t be surprised if this young man starts the season in gold.
So… one more preseason game Saturday night before they start to count. Gam time is 7pm, some tickets available and it is also the annual Skate of the Union that gets going at 4pm on the plaza. The weather should be beautiful so come on out early!
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I would like to invite you to join us for the Best Buddies Friendship Walk, the number one walk in the country raising awareness and funds to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The walk plays a key role in funding Best Buddies programs dedicated to one-to-one friendships, leadership development, and integrated job opportunities for individuals with IDD.
I am honored to be the host of the walk and it is scheduled for Sunday October 1st at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park from 2 – 5pm.
To get more information, donate or sign up to walk Click Here. This is a great group of people, the weather should be spectacular and we will have a great time supporting a great cause.
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Random Notes
- Nice to see Scott Hartnell get a goal last night, however, I am fairly sure that the goal was tipped in by Kamenev… but the reviews of these goals are a little less robust in preseason.
- Definitely want to see a larger sense of urgency on Saturday night against the Lightning.
- Another almost half million dollars was donated to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital yesterday from the 365 Fund… what great work!
- Kinda cool that Mountain Dew has special edition Preds cans that have just hit the market
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------------------------------------- SlapShot Radio has an exciting season in store for our tenth anniversary season. As the longest running hockey show in the region, SSR feeds hockey fans what they crave… intelligent, fun, entertaining talk about their favorite sport and we do it from the opening of training camp all the way through UFA day… the only local hockey show that does that.
We are on every Wednesday night at 7pm on the Predators flagship station, 102.5 the Game. Our new co-hosts are ex-Preds Dan Keczmer and JP Dumont bringing a true insiders perspective to the show. This week is our annual season preview show featuring Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek and much much more.
We have been delivering great hockey talk to the most energetic and engaged fans in radio and advertising with us drives results at a reasonable price. Just ask our sponsors… including day one sponsor Dr. Jane Bacon at Hermitage Family and Cosmetic Dentistry … make your appointment at (615) 872-7762, Mark Lonsway at ReMax Fine Homes, call him for all your real estate needs at (615) 207-7799, and TurfMasters… check out their great service at TurfMasters.com.
We are also welcoming a new sponsor to the SlapShot Radio family… The Crag… Nashville’s premiere location for indoor rock climbing. Newton Dominey and his awesome crew have a great location in Cool Springs and they are opening a new location in South Nashville at the corner of Old Hickory Blvd and Nolensville Rd. Check out their website at ILoveRockCLimbing.com If you’ve never done it before… you need to try, they specialize on helping first timers.
Advertisers… reach out to me in order to access our activated listener base though great preseason advertising deals available for our tenth season when you email me at paul(@)slapshotradio(dot)com
You can also keep up with all the goings on with SlapShot Radio by following the show on Twitter @SlapShotRadio1 … Also... make sure to "like" SlapShot Radio on Facebook... here's the link.
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