Mike Ribiero was quoted by the Predators website yesterday when asked about tonight’s matchup against the St. Louis Blues… “They’re just a good team, and we seem to play good against good teams,……
Pred Nation is hoping so as the Predators are in St. Louis tonight to start what this observer believes is one of the toughest parts of their schedule. A three game Murderer’s Row against the Blues, Minnesota and Montreal that leads into the Christmas break. Coming out of that break, an equally difficult four game year-ending string that sees Detroit and the New York Rangers in Smashville before the Predators end 2015 on the road in St. Louis and Dallas. As this seven game gauntlet begins, one thought keeps running through my mind…
The time has come to either make a move on the ice… or make one off it.
The Predators are 3-4-3 in their last ten. The only thing that has kept them relevant in the race in the Central Division is that Chicago, St. Louis and Minnesota haven’t taken full advantage of the Preds swoon. Patience is wearing thin in Pred Nation, in the locker room and given the GM’s comments lately, in the front office. The phone lines into and out of David Poile’s office have to burning up a bit as GM’s try and make a move before the NHL’s holiday roster freeze takes effect on Saturday.
You hear the names… Stamkos, Hall, Johanson, et al… but what hole do you create on the team to get one of those names? Do you send a defenseman? A forward and a pick or two? A prospect, a forward, and a pick? It is times like these when I do not envy Poile’s job.
So far… there has only been one trade during the regular season and that happened early this week. A very unusual occurrence for an NHL season. Plenty of talk… very little action. But, who knows… maybe things break loose before the deadline.
Attention turns to the matter at hand, the St. Louis Blues. Another team that hasn’t won back to back games since mid-November, another team struggling a bit at home after starting the season red hot. Like the proverbial spider doing push-ups on a mirror, these are two teams in very similar circumstances. Key players on IR, underwhelming performances from players that were expected to deliver more, defenses that are a tad leaky… these things happen over an 82 game season… but again… make a move on the ice, or make a move off it. Something that goes for both teams tonight.
There is a good chance that Colin Wilson will return to the Predators lineup as he traveled with the team after participating fully in yesterday’s practice. Wilson has missed the five of the last eight games with a lower body injury. He is officially listed as “questionable… for tonight.
The Predators will be looking for some measure of revenge after dominating the stats and getting beat 4-0 by the Blues back in November at Bridgestone Arena. Game time is 7pm with coverage on 102.5 the Game and Fox Sports Tennessee.
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Here is last night’s SlapShot Radio… our guests were Greg “Puck Daddy… Wyshynski and Minnesota Wild radio color analyst Tom Reid. Join us every Wednesday live on 102.5 the Game Nashville at 7pm CT.
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Random Notes
- All-Star Voting Update – Rob Scuderi being traded to the Blackhawks impacted the standings in All-Star voting as he comes into the division in 6th… Shea Weber drops to #25 in overall vote getters and 7th in the Central race for captain of the team. Other Preds… Roman Josi is at #48, Pekka Rinne at #57, Filip Forsberg at #89. You can vote up to 10 times a day at the NHL’s All-Star Voting Site
- Calle Jarnkrok is quietly turning into a solid face-off guy, he won 10 of 15 on Tuesday for a 67% rate.
- I have to admit… the Washington Capitals outdid themselves with their holiday video this year…
- I will be curious to see how Jarret Stoll fits in with the Wild, the waiver wire pickup could be in the lineup tonight against… his old team, the New York Rangers.
- Tuukka Rask was stellar last night for the Bruins as they shut out the Penguins on Rivalry Night.
- Eleven NHL games tonight (all start times CT) – 6pm – ANA @ BUF, FLA @ NJD, VAN @ PHI. 6:30pm – SJS @ TOR, LAK @ MTL. 7pm – NSH @ STL, NYR @ MIN. 7:30pm – EDM @ CHI, CGY @ DAL. 8pm – NYI @ COL, CBJ @ ARI
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