The road domination continues in the Minnesota / Nashville season series as the road team won again last night as the Wild picked up a 3-2 overtime win over the Predators. In hindsight… it all came down to a :53 second sequence late in the second period. After taking the lead 15 inutes into the second period on two goals from the hot Roman Josi, the Preds ended up with a 5-on3 situation that they did not convert. That kill reversed the momentum for the Wild and led to the second consecutive blown third period lead for the Preds… and the second consecutive loss… and the fifth consecutive home loss.
At least they got a point out of it… and no help from the Calgary Flames.
The Predators next game is Saturday night, they are off today then practice both Thursday and Friday, the first back-to-back practice days the team has had since the acquisition of Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli and the first of six practices on the Preds calendar through the end of the month. Considering that since the 2/15 trade, the team has had a total of three… count ‘em… three practices, there is finally a real chance to clean some things up, rest some weary legs and get back on track for the second season.
I ain’t pushing the panic button, although my finger has been getting kind itchy… if the effort hasn’t been there, I’d be jumping all over it. Part of what has made the last three weeks so frustrating has been the fact that the team isn’t getting the same results from their effort as they did earlier in the season.
Now, the Preds are a point behind St. Louis in the division, and the Chicago Blackhawks are coming up on the outside, only four points back, putting almost certain home ice advantage in the playoffs in serious jeopardy. It’s time to recharge and get ready, because the road only gets harder.
Here are the highlights, from nhl.com
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It’s only five days to the SlapShot Radio Cook Off. Predators forward Eric Nystrom and I will be battling it out at The Chef and I in Lenox Village on Monday night, March 23rd. If you have never been to The Chef and I, it is an “open kitchen… restaurant that allows you to watch the chef create your dinner! An incredible, accessible and unique experience. Eric and I will be taking over the show kitchen to compete in an “Iron Chef… like battle to win the Cup!
The Measuring Cup that is…
It’s all to raise money for the Nashville Predators Foundation and should be a lot of fun! Tickets are on sale at our EventBrite site all tickets include a three course gourmet meal prepared by Chef Chris Rains.
The judges for the evening are Dawn Davenport and Neil Orne from News 2 This Morning and Woody and Jim from 107.5 The River’s Woody and Jim Show. Please join us for all the fun, for a great cause! And by the way… you might want to check out The Chef and I’s website… they handle catering, conduct fun cooking classes and run a fantastic restaurant. Chris and Erica Rains are amazing people!
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Random Notes
- Standings update after play on 3/17 – St. Louis has taken over top spot in the conference with 95 points, Anaheim is tied in points but the Blues own the tie-breaker. Nashville trails in the division by one point, Chicago is four points back of the Preds. The Blues have two games in hand over Nashville, the Blackhawks have three.
- The Western Wild Card – Minnesota (70 games played) owns the first wild card slot with 85 points, with their win last night, the Winnipeg Jets (70) are back in the second slot with 82 points. The Calgary Flames (70) loss catapulted the LA Kings (69) into the third spot in the Pacific and dropped the Flames out of the playoff mix for now by virtue of the tie-breakers. The Flames trail the Jets by 1 point. San Jose (70) trails the Jets by six points.
- If the playoffs started today Predators would play Chicago and would have home ice advantage. The other Western Conference matchups would be Blues/Jets, Ducks/Wild and Canucks/Kings.
- That was the first overtime goal Pekka Rinne has given up in 13 OT games.
- Bridgestone Arena unveiled a new organ last night… a top of the line Roland AT-900 Platinum Edition. It’s a new toy for “Krazy… Kyle Hankins, longtime organist for the Preds.
- Three games in the NHL tonight – Blackhawks @ Rangers, Blue Jackets @ Oilers, Kings @ Ducks.
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You are invited to follow me on Twitter. Search for @PredPAPaul… Not only will I be updating when I get news or updates, but we are having a bit of fun by getting your input on Gnash introductions, weigh in on Twitter and who knows, we may use your introduction for the best mascot in the NHL at the next Preds game! You can also keep up with all the goings on with SlapShot Radio by following the show on Twitter @SlapShotRadio1
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SlapShot Radio is back every Wednesday at 7pm on 102.5 the Game and the SlapShot Radio Network… our next show is Wednesday March 25th … make sure to check out Eric Nystrom’s Show at Mason’s Bar in Lowes Vanderbilt tonight… his special guest is Pekka Rinne!
Our premier, day one sponsor is Dr. Jane Bacon at Hermitage Family and Cosmetic Dentistry … make your appointment at 615-872-7762. Also The Wine Shoppe at Green Hills and Burger Republic!
We’ve got room for your business to be part of the SlapShot Radio family with effective and affordable advertising packages for every budget. Be part of the excitement of Nashville hockey… Advertisers… reach out to me to access our activated listener base via email at paul(@)slapshotradio(dot)com
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Our podcasts are posted…
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