The NHL schedule is out for Nashville’s All-Star season and I’ve finally had a chance to take a look in detail… here’s my breakdown.
Month by month
October – 10 games – 5 home, 5 away – The Predators open the NHL season with two home games, against Carolina and Smashville will get a look at Connor McDavid and the new look Edmonton Oilers in game two on Saturday October 10th. The team then goes on the road for three against Eastern Conference teams (Devils, Islanders and Senators) before returning home for three including games against Stanley Cup finalist Tampa Bay, Anaheim and Pittsburgh. The Predators will then hit the road for the annual CMA road trip, heading west to take on San Jose and LA on Halloween night to close out the month.
November - 13 games – 6 home, 7 away – The CMA roadie continues with the second half of a back-to-back in Anaheim, completing the first California road trip before heading to Minnesota to complete the trip with the first divisional game of the season against the Wild. The Preds come back to the friendly confines of Bridgestone Arena for the longest stretch of home games of the regular season, five consecutive at home, starting off with a Saturday Nov. 7th showdown against St. Louis, the Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg and Anaheim. Nashville then lights out for one of two five game road trips in the season schedule. The team will spend the Thanksgiving holiday on the road with games in Columbus, Minnesota, New York Rangers, Buffalo and Philly. Nashville will not host a Thanksgiving game this season, however, they will be the opponent in the traditional Black Friday afternoon game in Philly before returning home to complete the season series with Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres visiting for a Saturday tilt.
December - 15 games – 9 home, 6 away – December will feature the team finally getting into a concentration of divisional games as Nashville has only played three games inside the Central to this point. The month starts with home games against Arizona and Florida before the team’s last appearance to the Joe in Detroit. Nashville then heads to Boston abnd Chicago in a tough back-to-back, before welcoming the Stanley Cup champion to Smashville as a the lid lifter on a three game home stand that begins a stretch of seven of eight games at home. After playing Colorado and Calgary, the Preds head to St. Louis for a single game before coming back home for the Christmas holidays. The Preds will host the Wild and Canadiens before Christmas, then host the Red Wings on Boxing Day before closing the home portion of the December schedule against the Rangers. Nashville finishes the year on the road in St. Louis, then travels to Dallas for a New Year’s Eve tilt against the Stars.
January - 12 games – 3 home – 9 away – While Nashville prepares to host All-Star Weekend on January 29th – 31st, the team will be on the road… a lot. The two games that finished 2015 for the Predators represent the first piece of an 11 of 15 on the road stretch leading up to the All-Star festivities. After beginning the year in Carolina, the team returns home for a Tuesday night game against Winnipeg, then heads to Colorado, Arizona, Chicago and Winnipeg before returning home for divisional showdowns against Minnesota and Chicago. Then it’s back on the road for a Canadian swing that takes the team back to Winnipeg (two January visits to the ‘Peg… yikes, pack your long johns!) then to Edmonton, Vancouver and Calgary before finishing the month with All-Star Weekend.
February – 13 games – 8 home – 5 away – February begins with a four game home stand that brings St. Louis, Philly, San Jose and Washington to town. The team heads down to Florida for a back-to-back against the Lightning and Panthers… SlapShot Radio will take advantage of this as our annual road trip, so keep an eye on SSR’s social media for details on tickets and transportation, you really need to join us, we have a blast on these trips… before coming home for three, Dallas, Boston and Los Angeles. Nashville then goes to Montreal and Toronto for a back to back before finishing in Chicago, then returning to Smashville to complete the month with a divisional tilt against St. Louis.
March - 15 games – 7 home – 8 away – March may rival January as one of the more challenging months of the schedule. After starting off with two at home, against Dallas and New Jersey, the Predators have their second five game roadie of the seasons they vacate Bridgestone Arena for March Madness. It’s a tough Western Conference stretch visiting Colorado, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton. The team comes home for one against the New York Islanders before going to Washington in one of the three back-to-back’s in March. They return home for four, Los Angels, Vancouver, Columbus and Colorado before finishing the month on the road at Dallas and Pittsburgh.
April - 4 games – 3 home – 1 away – The 2015-16 season ends like the 2014-15 season did, on the road in Dallas, three home games precede that finisher, against San Jose, Colorado and Arizona. The playoffs will begin on April 13th.
Longest home stand – Five games – Nov. 7 – 17 Longest road trip – Five games – Nov. 20-27 and Jan. 8-14th
Dates That I Have Circled October 10th – Edmonton comes to Music City for top draft choice and “Next One… Connor McDavid may make his first visit to Bridgestone Arena. Edmonton seems to be making all the right moves to make themselves better.
November 28th - The Buffalo Sabres will definitely be a different looking team and getting a look at the changes from the off season will be interesting, especially is second round draft pick Jack Eichel decides to leave BU and makes the team.
December 5th – The Predators last visit to Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The Red Wings will move to a new arena in the 2016/17 season.
December 8th - Nashville welcomes the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks to Bridgestone Arena for the first visit since last April’s playoff series.
Just a few that I am looking forward to…
Central Division Focus (Season Series Completing Game in BOLD) Chicago – Home 12/10 & 12/19, Away 12/8, 1/12 & 2/25 Colorado – Home – 12/12, 3/28 & 4/5, Away 1/8 & 3/5 Dallas – Home 2/15 & 3/1, Away - 12/31, 3/29 & 4/9 Minnesota – Home – 12/19 & 1/16, Away – 11/5 & 11/21 St. Louis – 11/7, 2/2 & 2/27, Away – 12/17 & 12/29 Winnipeg – Home – 11/14 & 1/5, Away – 1/14, 1/21 & 3/8
An overall look at the schedule indicates some real positives for a team looking to build off a successful return to the playoffs in 2014/15. An Eastern Conference heavy schedule ot the beginning of the season gives the team a chance to get off to another fast start as Nashville has traditionally done well against Eastern Conference foes, last season they posted 42 out of a possible 64 points against the East.
The Central Division schedule has a serious concentration in December and January, which makes the start of the season even more critical.
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Random Note
- Mike Fisher’s signing was good news yesterday. The two year term seems right.
- Now the fun begins to get the rest of the free agents under contract.
- Heading to the Nashville Predators Craft Beer Festival today at Bridgestone Arena! This should be a good time… more info at the Preds website.
- Keep in mind as the Predators make their selections today in the draft, the Predators have seen some incredible success in the later rounds… the Preds selected Shea Weber at #49, Taylor Beck at #70, Craig Smith at #98, Mattias Ekholm at #102 and the king of late round picks, Patric Hornqvist drafted at 230 overall… the Preds first pick at #55
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