Time to get back at it… tonight in Smashville, the Dallas Stars come a-callin’. Nothing like divisional neighbors visiting over the holidays. The Stars have struggled with injuries this year and find themselves in a pitched battle for a wild card slot in the Western Conference. It’s the second time these two teams have tangled this season, the last time was a 5-4 overtime win in Dallas back on November 10. The last win on the road for Nashville.
Home has been very good to the Predators this season, after a mixed start inside the friendly confines, the Preds are 14-5-0 at home… after going 3-3 in their first six home games, the Preds have gone 11-2 since then. They will need to continue that home dominance against a team that struggles mightily away from American Airlines Center.
The big question now is, when do we see Viktor Arvidsson and PK Subban back in the lineup? They traveled with the team on the pre-Christmas road trip, getting one or both back would be a huge lift for the team. Dallas has been hurting as well, especially on the blueline. They just got John Klingberg back in the lineup and are still listing Marc Methot on IR.
Tonight is the first of a stretch where the Preds have three of four at home, with a trip to DC sandwiched in. A six game road trip looms large in early January, especially a five game in seven night stretch… but let’s stay focused on the week ahead.
Game time is 7pm at Bridgestone Arena, game coverage gets going at 6pm with pregame on the Predators Radio Network (flagship 102.5 the Game) and 6:30 on Fox Sports Tennessee. Tickets are extremely scarce for these next three home games and the secondary market prices are already rising…
See you at the Bridge…
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Random Notes
- Milwaukee Update –The Admirals dropped a 4-1 decision to Chicago last night… their next game is Saturday in Iowa.
- If Ryan Hartman is in the lineup tonight, it will be his 200th career NHL game.
- A crazy first day for the WJC… three 2-1 decisions and a 14-0 shellacking!
- Team USA had one of those 2-1 decisions over Slovakia… for quite a while it looked like the Slovaks were going to steal that game, but the US broke out with 2 goals in the third to take the win.
- Team Canada posted two touchdowns yesterday, humiliating Denmark 14-0. Canada got hat tricks (that’s right… plural) from Maxime Comtois and Morgan Frost.
- If you look at the individual stats after day one… the top five scoring spots are owned by Team Canada.
- Eeli Tolvanen was held off the scoresheet in Finland’s 2-1 loss to Sweden.
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SlapShot Radio’s 11th season is on! 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. We are on every Wednesday at 7 on the Predators flagship station, 102.5 the Game. Please join Brent Peterson, Zack McCann and me.
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