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The roller coaster ride continues...

February 22, 2020, 10:50 AM ET [4 Comments]
Paul McCann
Nashville Predators Blogger •Predators Radio Network • RSSArchiveCONTACT
And the roller coaster ride that is the 2019-2020 Nashville Predators season jump keeps on running. After a 3 game win streak that included back-to-back wins over St. Louis, the Predators have dropped their last two games, only gaining one point in the process. At least they are getting a little help as Nashville actually has a chance to stake a claim for a playoff spot tonight. Any win combined with a regulation loss from Arizona puts them in a playoff spot for the first time since November.

Last night's overtime loss to Chicago was a waste of a vintage performance from Pekka Rinne. Rinne was simply stellar last night and deserved to get the win... it was performances like last night's that earned Rinne the nickname The Eraser as he wiped out defensive mistake after bad giveaway after lazy offensive zone penalty. Rinne (and Rocco Grimaldi) is the reason the Predators got a point.

So... attention turns to tonight's game with Columbus. The first of five consecutive games at home for Nashville. The Blue Jackets are struggling to maintain their surprising place in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt as they battle injuries to key players. Columbus currently lists nine players on IR... that is not a typo... nine players including Joonas Korpisalo, Brandon Dubinsky, Cam Atkinson, Alexander Wennberg and Seth Jones. The injuries have took a toll as the Jackets have lost seven straight and has dropped to the last wild card slot in the East. With the return of Ryan Ellis, the Predators have a clear IR for the first time in 2020, although Nick Bonino missed last night's matchup due to illness.

This Blue Jacket team is desperately trying to get back on track... the Predators will need to meet and exceed that desperation. Smashville will be alive tonight as Pred Nation has reclaimed the noise and willed their team to win in the last two home games... and they saw the team feed off of it. With the next five at home and the trade deadline looming, tonight is the last chance for making a case to stand pat on Monday.

Which this amateur GM thinks is a pretty good idea. Think of it this way, the team just added an all-star calibre defenseman with the return of Ellis. If you look at who you would need to move, will the add be better than the player moved? The two pending UFA's are Craig Smith and Mikael Granlund, arguably two of the better performers since John Hynes became the Preds bench boss.

I would expect to see Juuse Saros in net for the Preds and it is incumbent on Nashville to get off to a fast start and take away any hope of Columbus stopping their losing skid. The best news for Predator's fans is that the goaltending seems to be back where it needs to be. Defensively, overall, the team is better. Now it is time for the offense to get on track, the JoFA line looked decent last night and green shoots are visible... Arvidsson appears to be getting some speed back into his game, Johnasen is starting to put some sandpaper back into his game and Forsberg seems to be dialing it in. Matt Duchene has been slowy but surely making an impact with 17 points in his last 24 games.

Nashville began a stretch of nine games in 16 days last night... the games in hand they posses will be mostly caught up over the next two and a half weeks. It's time to go on a run...

Game time is 7pm tonight at Bridgestone Arena and very limited tickets remain, game coverage on 102.5 the Game and Fox Sports Tennessee.

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Where They Stand – a daily look at where the Predators are in the playoff race.

As play opens on 2/22/2020, the Nashville Predators are in the 5 spot in the Central and the 10 spot in the Western Conference, two points behind Arizona and Calgary. They have two games in hand over the Flames and four(!) games in hand over the Coyotes. The Preds trail Dallas by ten points for third in the Central. The Predators chances for making the playoffs continue to hover around the 50% mark.

Impact games today – WPG @ PHI, TBL @ ARI.

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Random Notes – Presented by

- Ryan Ellis returned to lineup last night after missing 20 games from a criminally under punished, deliberate elbow to the head from Corey Perry in the Winter Classic. He looked really good and seemed to not have missed a step, he logged over 23 minutes of ice time.

- Rocco Grimaldi has been making a real impact, he has four points in his last five games including an assist on Mattias Ekholm's goal last night.

- Death, taxes and 20 from Smith – Craig Smith is only 3 goals away from posting his 6th 20 goal season for the Predators. That would be a franchise record.

- Arizona hosts Tampa tonight, starting at the same time as the Preds. A Preds win and an Arizona loss in regulation puts the Preds in playoff position.

- It was 40 years ago today... Team USA beats the Soviet Union in the “Miracle on Ice” game.

- Today’s games – Noon – WSH @ NJD, WPG @ PHI, BUF @ PIT. 6pm – CAR @ TOR, MTL @ OTT, SJS @ NYR. 7pm – TBL @ ARI, CBJ @ NSH. 9pm - FLA @ VGK, BOS @ VAN. 9:30pm – COL @ LAK.

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SlapShot Radio is back for our 12th season as Zack, Brent and I are on Monday night’s this season. The best hour of hockey talk on the longest running hockey show in the southeast … Join us tonight at 7pm on 102.5 the Game.

Our sponsor list continues to grow. Not only are we welcoming back Drs. Jane Bacon and Aileen Kruger at Hermitage Family and Cosmetic Dentistry … make your appointment at (615) 872-7762 and our good friend Carter Church, Your Murfreesboro real estate expert with Weichert – The Andrews Group. And our newest sponsors… Cool Springs Wines and Spirits! The largest spirit store in all of middle Tennessee! And La-Z-Boy Nashville! Three locations, locally owned and operated, check out La-Z-Boy in Murfreesboro, Hendersonville and Cool Springs!

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