It’s game night in Smashville as the January home stand heats up with a visit from the white-hot Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks are in the midst of a four game win streak are 9-1-0 in their last ten and lead the Western Conference standings. The Ducks have lost just one game in regulation since Thanksgiving. This is the first of three between these two teams, with the Ducks looking to put some distance between them and the pack in the West and the Preds looking to continue their climb back to playoff contention.
Anaheim is a scoring machine, during their last home stand, in which they were undefeated, they posted 20 goals, potting at least four in each game. They boast four double digit scorers and two Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are at or over 20 goals. Their goaltending has been on point as Jonas Hiller seems to be back to his normal form and backup Frederik Andersen has been simply stellar.
The Predators have been slowly, methodically putting things together, gathering points in five of their last six games and posting a rather surprising 5-2-2 record against the powerful Pacific Division so far this season, but to be fair, none have been against this Anaheim team.
Injuries become more of a factor as the season goes along, the Ducks IR list includes Bryan Allen, Sheldon Souray and Luca Sbisa, forward Dustin Penner is listed as questionable with an upper body injury. The Preds have Pekka Rinne on IR and list Patric Hornqvist as questionable as he left Tuesday night’s win in the third period with a lower body injury.
The Predator’s Central Division climb has begun, they trail Dallas by three points and Sunday night’s visitor, the Minnesota Wild by seven. One bite at a time… Game time is 7pm at Bridgestone Arena.
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Random Notes…
- Filip Forsberg has been officially recalled to the big team, I’ll be curious to see the impact his World Junior’s experience has had.
- A press conference was held today to “officially… open the new entrance south of Broadway. As part of the event it was announced that legendary piano man Billy Joel will be coming to Nashville on March 14th. Tickets go on sale January 18th.
- The Dauphin Clippers are in town for their annual visit with the Father Ryan High School hockey team. This has been a tradition that goes back about eight years, the team visiting for a week, playing a few games and shadowing the FRHS boys at school.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have certainly recovered from their rocky start, winning three straight overall and their last 10 at home.
- Off topic – A note to Vanderbilt head football coach James Franklin – Good luck in your decision to remain at Vandy or move on to either Penn State or the NFL, but coach… keep this in mind. You have set the course for a program that is just beginning to bear fruit and have an opportunity to become legend in the role you are in right now. Penn State will ALWAYS belong to JoePa… always… but if you stay with Vandy… you have an opportunity to be THE name associated with a program... Vandy’s JoePa as it were… Compete for an SEC Championship or (heaven forbid) a national championship… that will last forever at a school that really has no real football legacy, until now… just sayin’
- Nine games tonight, 6pm starts – Panthers @ Sabres, Stars @ Devils, Maple Leafs @ Hurricanes. 6:30pm start – Capitals @ Lightning. 7pm start – Ducks @ Predators. 8pm starts – Blues @ Flames, Wild @ Coyotes. 9:30pm starts – Bruins @ Kings, Red Wings @ Sharks.
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