For all the wringing of hands over the Predators 3-0 start, game four saw their best offensive effort with 47 shots on goal… and a loss. Go figure. The team concludes the three game eastern swing with a tilt in Canada’s capital tonight.
The Ottawa Senators made the playoffs last season riding the sensational goaltending of Andrew Hammond, but due to injury, the Senators are back to using Craig Anderson as their starter. The Sens are off to a solid start with a 3-2-0 record and are coming into tonight’s game off a 2-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Look for former Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson to fire the offense as he is leading the team with 7 points, all assists. Leading in the goal scoring department for Ottawa is Kyle Turris with four goals.
The Predators took a maintenance day yesterday and did not practice. Expect Pekka Rinne between the pipes (UPDATE - Just found out that Carter Hutton will be in net tonight) and expect a lot of focus on Filip Forsberg as he is riding a three game point streak. The sniper had his first multi-point game of the season Thursday in Brooklyn, reacting to the center switch as head coach Peter Laviolette moved Mike Fisher to work with Forsberg and Neal while Mike Ribiero centered Colin Wilson and Craig Smith. The blueline has been solid as ice time has been split much more evenly than previous seasons. The top pairing of Weber and Josi have seen a reduction of around three minutes per game over the first four… that will be significant as the marathon season wears on.
The teams split the season series last season, each holding serve on home ice. Game time is 6pm CDT, coverage on Fox Sports Tennessee and the Predators Radio Network anchored by the flagship station, 102.5 the Game.
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Random Notes
- Pred Nation saw its first coaches challenge against the Islanders. The Islanders lost the challenge.
- Real concern in Ottawa on the status of Clarke MacArthur who suffered his third head injury in eight months this past Wednesday night. MacArthur will not play tonight.
- Keeping track of the “favorites…… The Kings, Ducks, Penguins and Blue Jackets are now 2-14-1 on the season as Pittsburgh and LA got their first wins…
- Iron Mike is looking for work again as Keenan has been fired by Magnitogorsk of the KHL.
- St. Louis won a big one over Vancouver last night, but lost Paul Stastny to a lower body injury… no word on how long the forward will be out.
- Columbus went into last night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs knowing they had to start winning or that there would be “consequences… according to Brandon Dubinsky. So much for that motivation as the Jackets went out and dropped an ugly 6-3 decision at home. That seast under Todd Richards just got a tad hotter.
- Speaking of hot seats, with each loss the temperature goes up on Bruce Boudreau in Anaheim… it may not be fair… or right… but the expectations heaped on this team ain’t helping.
- I don’t know why the NHL allowed the sham of a situation with Mike Richards and the LA Kings. The settlement allowed Los Angeles to avoid massive cap hits from the Richards contract… and last I checked, Richards STILL hasn’t been charged with anything. SMH.
- Bad news in San Jose as Logan Couture has a broken leg and will be out 4-6 weeks.
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