On Saturday nights at Bridgestone Arena, SlapShot Radio’s photographer captures the color and the action from Smashville, so here is your Sunday Shots…
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| From Predators vs Devils February 14, 2015 |
Love was in the air last night at Bridgestone Arena, from Krazy Kyle serenading the crowd to marriage proposals… ahhh… let’s face it… if your Valentine comes with you to a hockey game on Feb 14… he or she is a keeper! Nashville’s 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils featured all of the above and a pretty good hockey game to boot.
Head Coach Peter Laviolette shook up the lines in yesterday’s morning skate, unhappy with the team’s 5-on-5 performance over the past few games. Just like everything else this coach has tried this season, he got immediate results. The Predators came out flying in the first period, laying siege to Devils goaltender Corey Schneider, pouring shots on the New Jersey net like a frat boy at Spring Break. Twenty of them to be exact… and Schneider was more than up to the task. He was outstanding the whole game through, only giving up one goal during that first period barrage, keeping his team in the game.
New Jersey took advantage of the second life in the second period, finally putting on a push that saw the game evened up late in the period as Steve Bernier made the Predators pay for a delay of game penalty, tipping home the equalizer with less than three minutes to go in the second. As it was succinctly observed by Terry Crisp on the intermission show, leaving a team like New Jersey hanging around can come to a bad end.
The Preds righted the ship n the third period and you felt the ice tilt as it progressed, culminating the a two goal burst sixteen and a half minutes in from Colin Wilson and Craig Smith, finally cracking Schneider on shots number 37 and 38 of the game. Wilson had been a little snake bit since his return, seeming to have the opponent goalie robbing him in each game… it even happened in the first period as Schneider made an outstanding save on a Wilson shot. Wilson’s 18th of the season was the game winner and Smith’s 15th was the insurance as the Predators won their fifth straight game.
The Predators will be at the annual GnashVegas gala tonight at Bridgestone Arena, next game is San Jose on Tuesday night before the team heads to the northeast for a three game roadie.
Here are your highlights courtesy of nhl.com…
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From earlier… Trade Reaction
The Nashville Predators went all Blues Brothers today as they put some of the band back together by bringing back Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli to the organization. The trade sends recent perma-scratch Olli Jokinen, prospect Brendan Leipsic and a first round pick to Toronto.
First, let’s talk what’s going out… Olli Jokinen never really fit in to Peter Laviolette’s system. It could be a speed thing, but Jokinen struggled, perhaps it will be a chance for him to set himself up for another contract next season, which most definitely would not come in Nashville. That’s a good thing…
Fiesty prospect Brendan Leipsic goes to Toronto. Small, talented, speedy and tries to play bigger than his body, which sometimes gets him in trouble. Leipsic is one of quite a few smallish forwards in the Predators system so he was a bit expendable… you have to give to get, so… OK.
A first rounder… if it ends up being number 30… well… we will deal with it.
Coming Nashville’s way… a couple of players that Pred Nation knows…
Mike Santorelli never seemed to be able to crack the Nashville lineup on a consistent basis but has made a name for himself in Toronto. The Laviolette system should play to his strengths and give the team more depth at forward as Santorelli can play all three forward positions.
Cody Franson – coveted by quite a few teams looking for a right hand shot from the blueline. Offensive minded defenseman that should blossom in this system. Franson owns one of the more memorable assists in Predators history in game five of the Anaheim series (thanks to Jim Diamond for the reminder of that one.)
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Random Notes
- Standings update after play on 2/14 – The Predators extended their lead in the President’s Trophy race, now leading Anaheim by five and St. Louis by six points. The Blues have a game in hand over Nashville. The Predators have extended their lead over 3rd place Chicago to 10 points, with both teams having played 56 games.
- The Western Wild Card… Winnipeg’s win over Detroit last night puts the Jets only five points behind the Blackhawks for 3rd in the division but Chicago does have 2 games in hand. The Calgary Flames hold the second wild card with 65 points, leading Minnesota by two points, Los Angeles by three and Dallas by five. The Wild and Kings both have a game in hand on Calgary.
- Perhaps some good news on the injury front as Ryan Ellis is now skating with the team.
- One main difference about this Predators team… they not only want to win… they expect to win. It’s a definite mindset that has become obvious over the past few months.
- With news of the trade today, Anthony Bitetto has been sent back to Milwaukee.
- Maybe the best news of this trade is that it keeps Los Angeles from getting Franson to help their defense.
- Happy Birthday Jaromir Jagr! He turns 43 today. Last night was Jagr’s 1525th career game in the NHL.
- Olli Jokinen is sporting a new ‘do as he donated 14 inches of his famous flow to charity.
- Dallas forward Tyler Seguin could be out for 3-6 weeks after the nasty hit he took from Dmitry Kulikov. The book is about to be thrown at the Panthers d-man as he was offered an in-person hearing from the DOPS.
- The Stars also lost Ales Hemsky from the Panther’s game… he will be out with a lower body injury and may be back next week.
- Wow… Habs d-man PK Subban posted 35:21 in ice time last night…
- Five games in the NHL today – Penguins @ Blackhawks, Blues @ Panthers, Flyers @ Sabres, Capitals @ Ducks, Lightning @ Sharks.
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