It’s a Game Night… ok… more than a Game Night, a Playoff Game Night… nah, for the first time in franchise history… a Western Conference Final Game Night. In the 13 years I have been writing for HockeyBuzz; I have never had the pleasure of writing that sentence regarding the Nashville Predators until today.
The Western Conference Final begins in Anaheim tonight with an interesting rematch of last season’s first round series between the Ducks and Predators. Nashville won that series 4-3 with a pulse pounding game seven victory at Honda Center, adding to a miserable stretch of five consecutive game sevens dropped at home for Anaheim.
That streak is over as Anaheim slayed that particular dragon on Wednesday night, winning a game seven on home ice and setting up the rematch. The Predators have faced the Ducks in two previous playoff series and have won them both. Does that make Nashville their new dragon to slay? Who knows? But that is something to be wary of… For Nashville, they are in uncharted territory for this franchise.
Let’s get to the preview…
Western Conference
Anaheim Ducks vs Nashville Predators – Anaheim made quick work of Calgary, then went seven with Edmonton, breaking the hearts of two Canadian fan bases in one playoff run. Nashville swept the Blackhawks then took down the St. Louis Blues in six games. The between series rest that the Predators have gotten was certainly an asset in round two and I expect it to be the same in this round. This series will get nasty, fast. Anaheim certainly remembers last season first round ouster
X-Factor – For the Ducks, it may just be John Gibson. Gibson has been streaky and wildly inconsistent in the playoffs. The 23 year old netminder will have to be on the top of his game to keep Anaheim in this series as Nashville has been pretty good at wearing down defenses this playoff series. For Nashville it’s a pair of longtime Predators that have been fairly quiet thus far, mostly due to injury... they are Colin Wilson and Craig Smith. Wilson returned to play in game one of the Blues series and immediately got a goal, now that he has his legs under him, his contributions will be much needed… as will the contributions of Craig Smith, who returned from injury late in the Blues series. He was flying on the ice in game six and my expectation is that he contributes mightily in this series.
How Can the Underdog Win? - Nashville is most definitely the underdog in this series, even after knocking out the top seeded Blackhawks… The Predators will need to take a little from their Chicago playbook, a little from their Blues playbook. Their advantage in this series is speed and they need to leverage it at every opportunity. They also need to initiate the physicality as Anaheim is not exactly known as a disciplined team. The Predators special teams will have to take advantage of the opportunities that will be presented to them
Prediction -This will be a hard fought, highly physical series, but the Predators take it in six games.
I will be back with the GBU from Game One and a preview of the East tomorrow.
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Conference Final Reset/b>
Eastern Conference
PIT vs. OTT – Series begins Saturday in Pittsburgh
Western Conference
ANA vs. NSH – Series begins tonight in Anaheim.
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Playoff Random Notes
- You wonder how the teams come out in Game One… Anaheim is on one day rest, Nashville had five… it may not show tonight, but the longer this series goes, the more fatigue could play into it.
- Peter Laviolette in only the third head coach since conference playoff split in 1994 to take three different teams to a conference final
- The hockey world certainly is calling for a Preds win… always makes me nervous… this is not going to be an easy series.
- Lot os love being shown to Phil Housley as a head coaching candidate… he is being rumored to be sought after by both Florida and Buffalo.
- The Dallas Stars now have three goaltenders accounting for over $15 million against the cap with the signing of Ben Bishop… the prevailing wisdom is that Antti Niemi is the odd man out, but I would not be surprised if Dallas moves both Niemi and Lehtonen if possible.
- The Washington Capitals locker room clean out day was today… all reports point to it being like a funeral viewing. Changes are coming, just no one knows what they are.
- One game in the NHL tonight - 8pm - NSH @ ANA (NBCSN)
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