Ahhh… Christmas in June! Or at least Boxing Day as the NHL schedule is released and it’s time to take a look at the key dates at Bridgestone Arena and how each month breaks down. Finally, a “regular… regular season schedule, without the compacting that happens in an Olympic year or lockout shortened year…
Some Home Dates to Circle Thursday, October 23rd – Chicago makes the first of its two appearances at Bridgestone Arena. Saturday, October 26th – Sidney Crosby and the Penguins hit town. Tuesday, November 25th – The defending Stanley Cup Champion LA Kings come to Smashville Thursday, November 27th – Thanksgiving Night with the Oilers, a holiday tradition. Friday, January 16th – It is the return of Barry Trotz with the Washington Capitals. Saturday, February 28th – Our old friends, the Detroit Red Wings invade. St. Patrick’s Day – Ryan Suter and the Minnesota Wild make the first of two visits, their second is Fan Appreciation Night on Thursday, April 9th.
TV Games (so far) Three appearances on Hockey Night in Canada, all of them in Nashville, 12/6 against the Blackhawks, 11/15 and 3/7 facing the Winnipeg Jets.
Longest (and most difficult) Road Trip – The usual CMA Roadie takes it again, from 10/29 through 11/8, going from Edmonton to Calgary to Vancouver to Winnipeg to Dallas to St. Louis...then home for one (Edmonton,) back to St. Louis, home for one (Winnipeg) then back out for two. Making a difficult 11 in 13 on the road stretch that lasts almost a month.
Monthly Breakdown
October – Home 6 – Away 4 … Beginning with three consecutive at home can be a good thing for a team getting to know a new system and Smashville will be out in force to support the new coaching regime. Starting off with a team in transition, the Ottawa Senators then diving right into the division with a Saturday night tilt against the Dallas Stars before finishing the homestand with the Calgary Flames. The Predators then start a 13 road game in 18 game stretch with a couple of divisional road games in Winnipeg and Chicago before returning home for three with Arizona, Chicago and Pittsburgh. The the team heads to Western Canada for a visit to Edmonton and Calgary.
November – Home 6 – Away 7 … The CMA road trip continues with a visit to Vancouver before closing it out with three divisional games, Winnipeg, Dallas and St. Louis. No rest for the weary as the Predators are home for one against the Oilers before going back to St. Louis then returning for a Saturday night tilt against Winnipeg (yup… that’s 3 in 14 games.) The road worriors head back to Canada for visits to Toronto and Ottawa before coming home for the Thanksgiving holiday with games against Florida, LA, Edmonton (again, on Thanksgiving) and Columbus. December – Home 5 – Away 8 … The Predators better get used to the road, because they will start December with a quick trip to Carolina before hosting two divisional rivals, St. Louis and Chicago. Then its out of town for six of the next seven with trips to Colorado, Arizona and San Jose before returning for one with Boston on December 16th. That’s the last home game until after Christmas as the team goes to Minnesota, Columbus and Boston before heading home for the holiday. The Predators welcome the Philadelphia Flyers on 12/27, head to Chicago on Monday 12/29 before closing out 2014 against St. Louis at home.
January – Home 5 – Away 7 … 2015 dawns with the Predators on the road again, on the west coast for tilts against LA and Anaheim before returning home for four of the next five games, Carolina and Dallas come a-calling, a quick trip to Minnesota, then back for visits from Vancouver and the return of former Predator head coach Barry Trotz and his Washington Capitals. The Preds finish January (say it with me…) on the road… Detroit and Montreal before a single home game against Avalanche and back on the road for games against the Blues and Colorado.
February – Home 10 – Away 5 … All those road games have to pay off sometime, as this month begins the Predators will have played 26 road games already, after concluding their road trip in Pittsburgh, the Predators will be home for ten of the next 14 games, hosting Toronto, Anaheim and New York before a single game trip to Florida, then four straight at home featuring Tampa Bay, Winnipeg, New Jersey and San Jose before the team heads northeast for a three game swing through Long Island, Philly and Buffalo before closing out the month with three inside the friendly confines of Bridgestone Arena, welcoming Colorado, Minnesota and Detroit.
March – Home 7 – Away 8 … March features the Preds second longest roadie of the year. The team begins March in New York with games against the Rangers and Devils before coming home to welcome the Islanders and Jets for a Hockey Night in Canada tilt. The Predators then head west for visits to Arizona, San Jose, Los Angeles, and Anaheim before coming home to a three game string featuring Minnesota, Buffalo and Montreal. Nashville then heads south to Tampa and north to Washington then comes home to close out the month with Calgary and Vancouver coming to town.
April – Home 2 – Away 2 … All four games in April are divisional tilts, home against Dallas, at Colorado, home against Minnesota then closing out the regular season on the road in Dallas.
At first look… not bad. Heavy home games in February, done with Chicago and St. Louis early, not bad… not bad at all.
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