A day off. Huh? What’s that? After playing every other night since the Predators began this playoff run back on April 15th, the Nashville Predators finally have more than one day in between games and they took full advantage of it yesterday, no meetings, no practice, no travel, nothing team related… just rest and recharge. You cannot underestimate how important that full day of rest will be for Nashville.
The Predators will have their first full practice today before flying to San Jose for their game seven showdown. Their first full practice in quite a while… a chance to button up a few things, throw in a wrinkle or two and fully scheme for Thursday’s game seven.
We will begin the preview of game seven tonight on SlapShot Radio (7pm CDT on 102.5 the Game, listen online at thegamenashville.com) with the Voice of the San Jose Sharks, Dan Rusanowsky and one opf our favorite guests, Jeff Marek from Sportsnet. Stu Grimson will be in studio with us and Pete Weber is a game time decision that will depend on NoCal traffic.
The biggest question going into tomorrow night’s game is one that cannot be answered until; the handshake line. Which team will refuse to lose? San Jose still has to deal with questions of past playoff failure and current inability to close out games. They have blown leads in all three games that Nashville has won. They did not look like a team with a killer instinct on Monday night in game six. Can they find it by game time tomorrow? Can they figure out a way to stop the Neal / Fisher / Wilson line?
And what about Nashville? They have been maddeningly inconsistent in the playoffs. When they come to play, they have been hard to stop. The Preds have done a good job on San Jose’s big guns, but the third and fourth line have killed when given the chance. Silly penalties, bad defensive coverage… all tend to send Pred Nation scrambling for the Zantac.
Both teams can make great cases to win this game…
Remember the sign on the Nashville’s locker room instructing the team to pack for six days after their game six win in Round 1? A similar one should be posted today, should the Preds take game seven they will travel directly to either Dallas or St. Louis as the Western Conference Final should begin as early as Saturday. The Stars and Blues play tonight for the other slot in the WCF.
The American Airlines Center is booked on Sunday (The Cure is playing the AAC… jealous!) so I would assume a Saturday/Monday combo for games 1 and 2 if the Stars get through… The options are more wide open if St. Louis wins tonight as the Scottrade Center calendar appears to be clear.
The countdown to game seven is on!
ICYMI, a full album of pics from game six at Bridgestone Arena is at the the SlapShot Radio Facebook page.
All photos are courtesy of SlapShot Radio/DLM
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Cause for Joy – I haven’t seen a single prognosticator picking the Preds in Game 7.
Cause for Concern – San Jose has scored 13 goals in their three home games so far…
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Random Playoff Notes
- The Predators have become big Selena Gomez fans… her concert tonight at SAP Center is the reason they got a day off.
- Jimmy Vesey was quoted (in the understatement of the year) yesterday in the Boston Herald that he thought “there was probably a misunderstanding… regarding his future with the Predators… when asked directly if he promised the Predators he was coming he said “no.… In a huge surprise to no one, he said that Boston would be “on his list.…
- Game 1 of Pittsburgh / Tampa Bay will be Friday at 7pm on NBCSN
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Second Round Snapshots
Lightning / Islanders – TBL Wins 4-1 – Will play PIT in ECF
Capitals / Penguins – PIT wins 4-2 – Will play TBL in ECF
Stars / Blues – Series tied 3-3 – Game 7 Tonight @ DAL – 7 pm – NBCSN
Sharks / Predators – Series tied 3-3 – Game 7 Tomorrow @ SJS – 9pm – NBCSN
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------------------------------------- Season eight of SlapShot Radio is on! Join us every Wednesday night at 7 on 102.5 the Game. Pete Weber and I cover the playoffs from pillar to post.
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