Hope everyone had a great holiday!
The Nashville Predators are back on the ice tonight after the league mandated Christmas holiday break. The front office is naming this “Rivalry Week… for good reason, three games against Central Division opponents beginning tonight against the Minnesota Wild. Nashville will be trying to erase the stink of a 4-0 beat down from the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota will be trying to keep up their torrid December as the Wild are riding a 10 game win streak and an 11 game point streak... their December record? 10-0-1.
The Predators on the other hand, have had a Jekyll and Hyde month, going 4-5-2 so far and giving back a lot of the progress they made in their excellent November. Sometimes, timing is everything, and going 2-1-0 in their last 3 games is a good thing… but the last one was a home loss that just didn’t sit well. After giving up the first goal, the team just couldn’t seem to get it together.
So… Nashville needs to come out strong tonight. A first goal would be a good thing… playing on their toes with a strong forecheck would be even better.
Minnesota has ridden strong goaltending, lockdown defense and timely scoring to their franchise record win streak. Their play has drawn them to within 3 points of division leading Chicago, with 3 games in hand over the Blackhawks, certainly a great position to be in to finish the calendar year. Their top six have been balanced in their attack and opportunistic, converting mistakes into goals with regularity. You know that you are getting contributions across the board when Zach Parise barely makes the top 10 in scoring for your team.
Expect Pekka Rinne vs. Devan Dubnyk in net as the unofficial second half of the season gets started, even though tonight is game 34 for both teams. The games in hand over the teams being chased is an advantage for Nashville in the playoff hunt, but only if they take advantage of it. At present, Nashville has 3 games in hand over Chicago, Winnipeg and Calgary, 2 over St. Louis and Dallas, 1 over Los Angeles.
Game time is 7pm at Bridgestone Arena, tickets are kinda scarce to tonight and Thursday. Coverage on 102.5 the Game and Fox Sports Tennessee.
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Random Notes
- Reid Boucher has been recalled from his conditioning assignment to Milwaukee. The 23 year old played 5 games for the Admirals and posted 4 goals and 1 assist.
- No word on PK Subban’s status for tonight’s game.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins extended coach Mike Sullivan’s contract by three years.
- Fun first day of the World Juniors in Montreal. Team Canada and Team USA bith won.
- Ten games in the NHL tonight, all times CST – 6pm – PIT @ NJD, WSH @ NYI, OTT @ NYR, BOS @ CBJ. 6:30pm – BUF @ DET. 7pm – MIN @ NSH. 7:30pm – WPG @ CHI 8pm – CGY @ COL, DAL @ ARI. 10pm – SJS @ ANA.
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------------------------------------- SSR’s season nine is on, our next show is tomorrow at 6pm 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’ll be taling outdoor games with Chris Mason and also getting the lowdown on the World Juniors.
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