New Dixie Flyers Video Showcases Nashville's Hockey History

Long before the Predators came into existence, Nashville enjoyed a series of professional hockey teams, starting with the Eastern Hockey League's Dixie Flyers, who played in Nashville from 1962-1971. As Hockey Hillbilly noted in a FanPost recently, they are Music City's only Cup-winning hockey team, having won championships in 1966 & 1967.

Preds fan Jeremy Dickens (@logickal on Twitter) posted video to YouTube recently of his grandfather's home movies from that time. So kick back for a bit and enjoy a bit of Old Time Hockey...

Vancouver Canucks 1, Nashville Predators 0: A Luongo Shutout

The Predators started the game hot but were unable to convert on their early chances, ultimately getting shutout by their Western Conference foes. Nashville outshot Vancouver 13-3 midway through the second period, but the Nucks bounced back in the second and third period, out-shooting the Preds 24 to 23, including Dale Weise's first of the season at 9:14 of the third period.

The Predators won't have a chance to stew over this game, as they are back in action tonight against the Detroit Red Wings. It will be Nashville's second meeting with Detroit this year, their previous meeting happening just this week with a dramatic 4-3 Preds' win thanks to Shea Weber's heroics in OT.

Some interesting story lines about tonight's game:

Canuck's defenseman Kevin Bieksa left midway through the game and did not return. No indication on what happened to him.

The Predators have now killed off 21 straight penalties at home.

On a not so positive note, the Predators were shutout for the fourth time this season and the second time in seven games.

The Red Wings are on a five game losing streak and are 3-7 in their last 10.

Boxscore - Game Summary - Event Summary

Roll the video highlights...

And your advanced stats...

Nashville Predators

Player	Pos	ES TOI	Total Shots For	Total Shots Against	Corsi	Net Zone Starts	Adjusted Corsi
Mike Fisher	C	16:34	14	25	-11	-1	-11
Gabriel Bourque	L	16:28	12	28	-16	0	-16
David Legwand	C	15:43	6	18	-12	-1	-12
Colin Wilson	C	15:17	10	13	-3	0	-3
Patric Hornqvist	R	14:38	13	17	-4	0	-4
Martin Erat	R	13:45	9	12	-3	0	-3
Brandon Yip	R	13:00	7	10	-3	-1	-3
Craig Smith	C	11:28	9	5	+4	-1	+4
Sergei Kostitsyn	L	11:09	7	6	+1	-1	+1
Nick Spaling	C	10:14	5	14	-9	-1	-9
Matt Halischuk	R	9:07	6	8	-2	0	-2
Rich Clune	L	8:50	5	7	-2	0	-2
Shea Weber	D	20:03	17	23	-6	-2	-5
Roman Josi	D	19:44	13	26	-13	-2	-12
Kevin Klein	D	18:48	10	21	-11	+2	-12
Scott Hannan	D	18:33	9	19	-10	+2	-11
Ryan Ellis	D	14:42	9	11	-2	-2	-1
Hal Gill	D	12:10	10	8	+2	-2	+3

Vancouver Canucks

Player	Pos	ES TOI	Total Shots For	Total Shots Against	Corsi	Net Zone Starts	Adjusted Corsi
Jannik Hansen	R	15:43	15	11	+4	0	+4
Henrik Sedin	C	15:38	21	10	+11	+1	+11
Chris Higgins	L	15:30	15	12	+3	0	+3
Daniel Sedin	L	14:03	17	9	+8	+1	+8
Alexandre Burrows	L	13:58	18	13	+5	+2	+4
Ryan Kesler	C	13:56	14	8	+6	-2	+7
Mason Raymond	L	12:49	14	3	+11	+1	+11
David Booth	L	12:30	14	3	+11	+2	+10
Jordan Schroeder	C	12:02	11	4	+7	+1	+7
Maxim Lapierre	C	11:19	10	12	-2	0	-2
Zack Kassian	R	9:26	8	8	0	0	0
Dale Weise	R	9:06	5	9	-4	0	-4
Dan Hamhuis	D	22:40	27	10	+17	0	+17
Alexander Edler	D	20:37	14	20	-6	+4	-8
Christopher Tanev	D	18:00	11	12	-1	-2	-0
Jason Garrison	D	17:28	19	13	+6	+2	+5
Keith Ballard	D	16:54	24	10	+14	+1	+14
Kevin Bieksa	D	8:21	13	3	+10	-1	+10

Vancouver Canucks @ Nashville Predators: Welcome Back, Kesler

The perennial Northwest Division leaders pay their first visit to Nashville this season, rekindling a rivalry born in the 2011 playoffs.

The Stats

	Vancouver Canucks		Nashville Predators
Record	9-3-4	6th	8-4-5	10th
GF/Game	2.88	7th	2.18	29th
GA/Game	2.25	7th	2.00	3rd
5-on-5 SF/60	27.6	22nd	21.2	30th
5-on-5 SA/60	26.5	7th	25.4	5th
Fenwick Close	53.23	6th	47.47	22nd
5-on-5 Save %	.932	6th	.943	1st
5-on-4 GF/60	6.1	11th	5.6	17th
# of PP's/Gm	4.56	4th	3.47	26th
4-on-5 GA/60	7.0	20th	4.2	4th
# of PK's/Gm	4.13	19th	3.53	5th

Vancouver is a very well-rounded team, with perhaps their weak spot being the penalty kill.

Be ready for the next hat trick at Bridgestone, and get yourself a new Nashville Predators hat!

Vancouver Canucks

Just as we've noted the times that the Predators have faced a well-rested opponent after having played the night before, it's Nashville's turn to be on the positive end of that issue, as the Canucks roll in after defeating Dallas last night 4-3.

The big news with the Canucks these days has been the return of our old pal Ryan Kesler to the lineup, after having hip surgery during the offseason. In four games so far, Kesler has a goal and three assists, and is already averaging over 20 minutes a game. Where would you rank Kesler on a Preds fan Most Hated Player list these days?

---

Ryan Kesler

#17 / Center / Vancouver Canucks

Height: 6-2

Weight: 202

Born: Aug 31, 1984

---

---

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Ryan Kesler	4	1	3	4	-3	2	1	0	0		13	7.7

Since Corey Schneider played last night, that means we're likely to see Vancouver's other #1 goaltender face the Predators:

---

Roberto Luongo

#1 / Goalie / Vancouver Canucks

Height: 6-3

Weight: 217

Born: Apr 04, 1979

---

---

	GP	MIN	W	L	OTL	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2012 - Roberto Luongo	8	478	4	0	3	13	1.63	198	185	.934	1

---

In 28 games against Nashville all-time, Luongo is 12-12-3 with a .922 save percentage, 2.26 GAA and two shutouts.

Throughout the day, keep an eye on our SB Nation fellows at Nucks Misconduct for more from their side. I'll have a "3 Questions" post from them later on.

Nashville Predators

With the Predators, it looks like the offensive attack is starting to come to life, thanks in part to Patric Hornqvist's return to duty. In two games, he's directed 16 shots at net - that's more than Sergei Kostitsyn has taken all season! While it's easy to say that guys should work the top of the crease, it's a devilishly difficult thing to do in practice. There is a great deal of timing and "feel" involved in knowing when and where to pick your spots, and tipping shots is one of the hardest skills to develop in all of hockey.

Of course, the return of Hornqvist adds to the decision-making that Barry Trotz has to make each night. So far, the odd man out has been Hal Gill, as the Predators have returned to dressing six defense and Jonathon Blum has earned steady work.

Up front, the hot hand for the Preds might just be the guy that Nucks Misconduct was making fun of this morning, Mike Fisher. In 19 career games against the Canucks, Fish has 10 goals and 4 assists, and after a slow start offensively, he has chipped in two goals and assist in his last four:

---

Mike Fisher

#12 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 208

Born: Jun 05, 1980

---

---

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Mike Fisher	17	3	4	7	+2	6	1	0	0		36	8.3

---

In the past, we've seen Fisher matched up against Kesler head-to-head, so keep an eye out to see if that develops tonight as well.

Check back later today for our 3 Questions with Nucks Misconduct, and the Game Thread to post shortly before game time (7:00 p.m.).

3 Questions With Nucks Misconduct

Sean Zandberg of Nucks Misconduct sounds off on Roberto Luongo, Jason Garrison, and more...

1) It seems like people have been talking about a Roberto Luongo trade forever. How tenable is the goaltending situation in Vancouver, considering that both he and Corey Schneider are performing well? Does the upcoming drop in the salary cap for next season mean that Luongo has to go?

A: The Luongo trade talk has died down. I think the biggest reason for this is that at times Cory Schneider (more than Luongo) has not looked particularly sharp. Then Luongo steps in and performs masterfully. I think that the two elite goaltender "problem" we have right now is a good thing. I have no doubt that Luongo's contract will be a problem for the Canucks to get to the cap limit next season, so Mike Gillis will move him by then. Plus, as far as I am concerned, Luongo wants out (and to be closer to Florida). Will this deal happen by the trade deadline? I am not so sure of that anymore.

2) Jason Garrison was one of the biggest free agent signings of the summer, but it looks like he hasn't been producing much so far. How is he fitting into the lineup?

A: Garrison is not fitting in yet. He is making countless mistakes in his decisions and he has not been able to establish himself as Sami Salo's replacement on the top power play unit. Now he is demoted to the 3rd pairing with Keith Ballard. It's going to take time for him to find his game here, it appears.

3) With the Canucks the heavy favorite to win the Northwest Division yet again, what's the feeling up there about the team's chances in the playoffs? Do fans like the current roster, or is there a glaring need which needs to be addressed via trade?

A: The Northwest Division is so weak that it's practically a lock. There is a lot of positivity about this team for another playoff run. It's kind of hard not to be with all the depth we have at all positions. The biggest thing is that there are some ongoing gelling issues. David Booth still does not fit in. Zack Kassian started hot and has cooled off completely. Garrison has not found a steady D partner yet. A lot of the time the defence can be very suspect and prone to mistakes. This is why we love our goaltending duo! We are really happy with the positive effect Ryan Kesler has had on our power play. He completely revived it.

Last season felt like a hangover from getting to the Finals. The guys looked gassed and like they were not physically and mentally ready for another deep playoff run. Not this season though.

Thanks to Sean, and make sure to swing by Nucks Misconduct today to check out the enemy point of view...

Nashville Predators @ Detroit Red Wings Preview: Rematch in Motown

The Stats

	Nashville Predators		Detroit Red Wings
Record	8-5-5	10th	7-7-3	19th
GF/Game	2.06	30th	2.59	18th
GA/Game	1.94	3rd	3.00	21st
5-on-5 SF/60	21.3	30th	29.6	9th
5-on-5 SA/60	25.5	5th	28.5	16th
Fenwick Close	46.28	24th	53.27	6th
5-on-5 Save %	.944	1st	.926	12th
5-on-4 GF/60	5.3	18th	3.9	28th
# of PP's/Gm	3.39	27th	4.59	3rd
4-on-5 GA/60	4.0	3rd	9.0	27th
# of PK's/Gm	3.44	4th	4.35	23rd

You know, if you took the team names away from the top of this table, there's no way you'd convince me that Detroit is the team on the right.

The Preds host Jaromir Jagr and the Dallas Stars on Monday - find the best deals on tickets at TiqIQ!

Detroit Red Wings

Since these two teams last met on Tuesday, the Red Wings lost on home ice to Columbus, 3-2. Worse yet for Detroit fans, this involved coughing up a 2-0 lead on their way to defeat. There's a whiff of panic on the air in Motown these days:

This loss is on everyone. It's on the coaching staff for continuing to put Cleary and Abdelkader with the best player on the team. It's on Valtteri Filppula for apparently being a fluke last year. It's on Damien Brunner for not maintaining control of the puck with less than a minute left. It's on the defense for not covering a man wide open in front of the net. It's on Jimmy Howard for biting so hard on the pass that led to the winning goal.

This team is Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and a bunch of 'who-knows-what'. The power play sucks, the penalty kill sucks, their bottom 6 can't score, their defense is porous, and their goalie can't make the big stops.

--- Winging It In Motown

I do pity Howard a little bit here, as goalies can get caught looking foolish when they lose confidence in their defense and start gambling more.

This could be the worst Red Wings team since the days when Per Djoos (one of the greatest hockey names ever) patrolled the blueline in Detroit, and the adjustment of expectations will be a painful process in the post-Lidstrom era.

Nashville Predators

Well, so much for the offense getting back in gear, eh? Last night's shutout was certainly disappointing, and heading into Detroit on the tail end of a back-to-back set doesn't generally bode well, but so far the Predators are defying expectations there. This is the fourth set of back-to-back games for Nashville, and they've put up a 0-2-2 record in the front half of those sets, with a 2-1-0 record on the back half.

After opting to dress Hal Gill over Jonathon Blum last night, it will be interesting to see if that decision holds tonight as well. Detroit has been less than stellar on the power play, perhaps leading one to think that Gill might not be as much of a necessity, but the veteran might come in handy against the skilled forwards the Red Wings still boast up front.

The other major call, of course, is whether to go with Pekka Rinne on back to back nights, or give Chris Mason a chance to erase the memory of that Presidents Day stinker at Colorado.

Sorry for the abbreviated preview this morning, but I'm out of town doing this remotely... and it's time to have some coffee & donuts.

Remember, this is a relatively early start (6:00 p.m.) tonight, so check back for the Game Thread at 5:30!

Friday's Dump & Chase: Injuries Piling Up Around the NHL

Nashville Predators News

NHL Lockout Not Hurting Nashville Predators - Nashville Sports Hub
Many were worried about the damage the lockout might inflict on smaller markets, but Nashville is thriving, writes Robby.

'Klein gains recognition for his ability to go unnoticed by referees | Nashville City Paper

David Boclair celebrates Kleiner's greatest virtue as a player - how he plays major minutes against quality opponents, but doesn't take penalties.

Nashville Predators' Jonathon Blum learned from demotion | The Tennessean
Blum's getting every-night work these days, something which looked unlikely just a few weeks ago.

Smashville 24/7 - Preds getting pucks, bodies to net
Patric Hornqvist's return bodes well here.

Paul McCann - Two Coach Stories - Firing and Challenges
Paul sounds off on Lindy Ruff and the idea of coaches being able to challenge a call.

Ads take big step back at Lake Erie | Admirals Roundtable
After losing by six goals Saturday night, the Admirals repeated the feat in a 7-1 thumping.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Artem Anisimov stretchered off after freak injury vs. Red Wings (VIDEO) | Puck Daddy
Anisimov hit his head on the ice last night as Kyle Quincey fell on him, leading to a scary scene.

Twitterverse reacts to Taylor Hall’s hit on Clutterbuck: "Vicious, dirty hit." | Edmonton Journal
Will the NHL suspend one of its bright young stars?

Matt Read injury: Flyers forward out six weeks with muscle tears - Broad Street Hockey
Torn muscles in the rib cage? Ouch...

Canucks At Predators Game Preview: Tearing Up The Highway Like A Big 'Ol Dinosaur - Nucks Misconduct
Our comrades up in BC have their Game Preview ready. Ours will come later this morning.

Brian Burke Hired As Ducks Part-Time GM ... er ... Professional Scout - Anaheim Calling
He's baaaaaack...

Investing in Analytics | MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference
Fancy stats must be integrated into a team's decision making process in an organized fashion if real value is to be derived from it, writes Benjamin Alamar, Professor of Sports Management at Menlo College.

Did Jim Matheson Out the Oilers? - The Copper & Blue
A fascinating gaffe by an Edmonton sports writer has fans wondering whether the Oilers might have been guilty of tampering the Justin Schultz signing.

Why hockey fans don't care if you like their sport. | SportsonEarth.com
Now that the lockout is over, we can all feel better about that "hockey fans are the greatest" thing.

Nonis: Teams have inquired about Connolly - sportsnet.ca
Crank up the trade speculation... Tim Connolly could provide bit of offensive punch in the right situation.

ESPN's John Skipper: "We are doing hockey highlights." - Awful Announcing

No, it's not just hockey blogs which perceive a slight from ESPN.

Kazzinc-Torpedo’s ‘death by firing squad’: Weirdest hockey postgame celebration ever (VIDEO) | Puck Daddy

Freaking Weird.

Vancouver Canucks @ Nashville Predators Preview: Welcome Back, Kesler

The Stats

	Vancouver Canucks		Nashville Predators
Record	9-3-4	6th	8-4-5	10th
GF/Game	2.88	7th	2.18	29th
GA/Game	2.25	7th	2.00	3rd
5-on-5 SF/60	27.6	22nd	21.2	30th
5-on-5 SA/60	26.5	7th	25.4	5th
Fenwick Close	53.23	6th	47.47	22nd
5-on-5 Save %	.932	6th	.943	1st
5-on-4 GF/60	6.1	11th	5.6	17th
# of PP's/Gm	4.56	4th	3.47	26th
4-on-5 GA/60	7.0	20th	4.2	4th
# of PK's/Gm	4.13	19th	3.53	5th

Vancouver is a very well-rounded team, with perhaps their weak spot being the penalty kill.

Be ready for the next hat trick at Bridgestone, and get yourself a new Nashville Predators hat!

Vancouver Canucks

Just as we've noted the times that the Predators have faced a well-rested opponent after having played the night before, it's Nashville's turn to be on the positive end of that issue, as the Canucks roll in after defeating Dallas last night 4-3.

The big news with the Canucks these days has been the return of our old pal Ryan Kesler to the lineup, after having hip surgery during the offseason. In four games so far, Kesler has a goal and three assists, and is already averaging over 20 minutes a game. Where would you rank Kesler on a Preds fan Most Hated Player list these days?

---

Ryan Kesler

#17 / Center / Vancouver Canucks

Height: 6-2

Weight: 202

Born: Aug 31, 1984

---

---

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Ryan Kesler	4	1	3	4	-3	2	1	0	0		13	7.7

Since Corey Schneider played last night, that means we're likely to see Vancouver's other #1 goaltender face the Predators:

---

Roberto Luongo

#1 / Goalie / Vancouver Canucks

Height: 6-3

Weight: 217

Born: Apr 04, 1979

---

---

	GP	MIN	W	L	OTL	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2012 - Roberto Luongo	8	478	4	0	3	13	1.63	198	185	.934	1

---

In 28 games against Nashville all-time, Luongo is 12-12-3 with a .922 save percentage, 2.26 GAA and two shutouts.

Throughout the day, keep an eye on our SB Nation fellows at Nucks Misconduct for more from their side. I'll have a "3 Questions" post from them later on.

Nashville Predators

With the Predators, it looks like the offensive attack is starting to come to life, thanks in part to Patric Hornqvist's return to duty. In two games, he's directed 16 shots at net - that's more than Sergei Kostitsyn has taken all season! While it's easy to say that guys should work the top of the crease, it's a devilishly difficult thing to do in practice. There is a great deal of timing and "feel" involved in knowing when and where to pick your spots, and tipping shots is one of the hardest skills to develop in all of hockey.

Of course, the return of Hornqvist adds to the decision-making that Barry Trotz has to make each night. So far, the odd man out has been Hal Gill, as the Predators have returned to dressing six defense and Jonathon Blum has earned steady work.

Up front, the hot hand for the Preds might just be the guy that Nucks Misconduct was making fun of this morning, Mike Fisher. In 19 career games against the Canucks, Fish has 10 goals and 4 assists, and after a slow start offensively, he has chipped in two goals and assist in his last four:

---

Mike Fisher

#12 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 208

Born: Jun 05, 1980

---

---

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Mike Fisher	17	3	4	7	+2	6	1	0	0		36	8.3

---

In the past, we've seen Fisher matched up against Kesler head-to-head, so keep an eye out to see if that develops tonight as well.

Check back later today for our 3 Questions with Nucks Misconduct, and the Game Thread to post shortly before game time (7:00 p.m.).

Buffalo Fires Lindy Ruff: Barry Trotz Now NHL's Longest-Tenured Head Coach

The Buffalo Sabres' disappointing 6-10-1 start has cost head coach Lindy Ruff his job, after a long run behind the bench.

This, from NHL.com:

Ruff, who played most of his NHL career for the Sabres, began coaching the team in 1997-98 and, at 16 years, was the longest-tenured coach in the League. He led the Sabres to the 1999 Stanley Cup Final and had a career regular-season record of 562-452-84 along with 78 ties.

Ruff was also the second-longest tenured coach in North American pro sports next to Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs.

Those descriptions now pass to Nashville's Barry Trotz, who spent some time with Ruff coaching Canada at the World Championships in 2009. Here, in a video posted in 2011, he talks about his respect for Ruff and their similarities as coaches:

Follow @Forechecker

Rich Clune Fined for Boarding in Colorado Game

4th-line banger Rich Clune has been fined for a charging incident in Monday's game at Colorado, in what is becoming a busy week for Brendan Shanahan's office. Today Vancouver's Jannick Hansen was suspended one game for roughing Chicago's Marian Hossa, and yesterday Calgary's Mark Giordano and Minnesota's Devin Setoguchi were fined for separate incidents.

---

Rich Clune

#16 / Left Wing / Nashville Predators

Height: 5-10

Weight: 198

Born: Apr 25, 1987

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	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Rich Clune	16	1	0	1	+1	33	0	0	1		7	14.2

The statement from the NHL reads as follows:

Nashville Predators forward Rich Clune has been fined $1,452.70, the maximum allowed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for boarding Colorado Avalanche forward Aaron Palushaj in NHL Game No. 221 in Colorado on Monday, February 18, the National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 12:32 of the first period. Clune was assessed a minor penalty for boarding.

As a first-time offender, the maximum Clune could be fined was the lesser of $10,000 or one-half of his daily salary.

The fine money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

Thursday's Dump & Chase: Change Amidst Continuity

Nashville Predators News

Nashville Predators forward Colin Wilson goes into attack mode | The Tennessean
Josh Cooper drops a little Corsi love while heaping praise on Willy.

Assistant GM Paul Fenton vital in finding future Nashville Predators | The Tennessean
You can't help but wonder how much longer Fenton will be with the Preds, before moving on for a GM's position of his own.

Nick Spaling's diary: Veterans offer good advice for improving on faceoffs | The Tennessean
Spals is trying to find his way on the dot, by consulting fellow lefties.

Smashville 24/7 - The ‘it’ team in the ‘it’ city
These are heady days for the Predators as a franchise. The uncertainty of 2007/2008 is but a distant memory, and sellouts are the norm.

The View from 111: Fans Get to Meet the Predators
Take a peek inside last night's Meet The Team event for season ticket holders.

Isn't it about time you got yourself a new Nashville Predators t-shirt?

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Lindy Ruff Fired: What Does This Mean For The Sabres Franchise? - Die By The Blade
A quick money splurge hasn't brought success to Terry Pegula's Sabres, but now it's time to reassess their course.

Sabres Hire Ron Rolston To Replace Lindy Ruff As Interim Head Coach - Die By The Blade
Buffalo promotes their AHL head coach to run the show.

NBC’s Mike Milbury calls Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin ‘crack addicts’ (VIDEO) | Puck Daddy
Hey, at least he meant it as a compliment.

Blues’ Vladimir Tarasenko gets flattened by Avs’ Mark Olver (VIDEO) | Puck Daddy
The St. Louis sensation takes a nasty hit. It's amazing to see all the little adjustments seasoned players make throughout the course of play to protect themselves from situations like this.

It's Officially Official, Hansen Gets One Game Off - Second City Hockey
Vancouver's Jannik Hansen gets a one-game sit-down from the NHL for his hit on Marian Hossa.

Carolina Hurricanes Recall Ryan Murphy; Announce Jeff Skinner Has Concussion - Canes Country
Dire news in Carolina...

Are hockey fans into fancy stats? - SI.com
Most fans? Certainly not.

Using Zone Entry Data To Separate Offensive, Neutral, And Defensive Zone Performance - Sloan Sports Analytics Conference
For those of you who do like analytics, get your geek on with this paper (the link is a PDF) on Zone Entries submitted to this year's Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (also known as the reason I get depressed around this time each year, since I can never go). The implication here is that the difference in team offensive & defensive performance is largely driven by neutral zone play, expressed as (1) how often you're entering the offensive zone as compared to your opponent, and (2) how often you enter the zone with possession of the puck, rather than playing dump & chase.

Ducks Act Fasth: Goalie Signed To Two Year Extension After Nine Games - Anaheim Calling
Surprising news out of Anaheim, as Viktor Fasth's hot start is rewarded with a two-year, $5.8 million contract.

Puck Daddy chats with Bruce Boudreau about surprising Anaheim Ducks, Alex Ovechkin, Teemu Selanne and figure-four leg lock | Puck Daddy
Like I've been saying for a long while, Washington's big mistake was in abandoning the high-octane Boudreau attack. Their loss is Anaheim's gain.

Paul Gaustad Injury: Goose Out for Detroit Game

Josh Cooper confirms what was hinted at yesterday after Paul Gaustad left the game at Colorado yesterday afternoon, that Goose will not play tonight against Detroit. As for the timeline of when Gaustad might be ready to play again, that sounds like an open question:

When asked if he knew how long Gaustad would be out, coach Barry Trotz said he would have a better idea "in the next day or so."

Among centers with a significant number of faceoffs, Gaustad stands 2nd in the league with a 62.6% winning percentage, a hair behind Boston's Patrice Bergeron at 62.8%. Nobody performs on the dot at nearly the level that Goose does, so it will be interesting to see how the centers are deployed tonight.

Not only does Gaustad take plenty of faceoffs, but he sees a tremendous number of shifts which start out in the defensive zone. To whatever extent guys like Mike Fisher and David Legwand have to pick up that slack, it could impact their offensive effectiveness.

---

Paul Gaustad

#28 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-5

Weight: 212

Born: Feb 03, 1982

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	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Paul Gaustad	13	1	2	3	0	12	0	0	0		19	5.2

---

Follow @Forechecker

Nashville Predators 4, Detroit Red Wings 3: Weber Wins It In OT

It was a dramatic night at Bridgestone Arena, as Jordin Tootoo scored in his return, he received a standing ovation during a touching video tribute, and the Nashville Predators beat their greatest rival on a goal from their captain, who appears to be picking up steam.

Along the way we had a two-point night for Colin Wilson, who continues to lead the Preds in scoring, a highlight-reel goal from Pavel Datsyuk, and enough sensationalism from Pekka Rinne to keep the team in it despite some furious north-south hockey that isn't typically Nashville's style.

As for Barry Trotz, he's feeling pretty good about Shea Weber's game after a bit of a slow start:

He's scored in three straight games. I think for some of these big guys, it takes a little bit to get going. He's a beast off the ice. He trains very hard off the ice. I think he needs that exhibition season. Every night he's playing against the top players in the world for a lot of minutes. I think he's got his hands and feet going to help his overall game to get going. He's a big contributor.

--- Quote provided by Nashville Predators PR

Random Observations

• I sat with my oldest son in 118 last night, and warned him about Pavel Datsyuk right from the start. It's incredible to watch that guy work up close. While his goal was ridiculous, check out the effort he put in to set up Dan Cleary's - that's a perfect example of the old cliche about "best players being you best players". When the most talented player in the world is also busting his butt on the PK like that, it's a powerful combination.
• The second and third periods were as loose and entertaining as we've seen the Preds play this season. I'm sure the coaching staff isn't crazy about such wide-open action, but for Craig Smith and Gabriel Bourque in particular, I thought it highlighted their speed.
• How about the Jordin Tootoo tribute? I thought it was very well done, and the ovation from the fans was great.
• Speaking of ovations, the first TV Timeout Standing Ovation of the season came in the right way, at the right time. Inspiring, spine-tingling stuff that still works like magic.
• I think my favorite thing abour Colin Wilson's game these days is that he's a consistently impactful power forward - he's got a new physical assertiveness (I wouldn't say aggressive) that makes a difference in battles for the puck and has him winning more often than not.
• It was really nice running into an OTF reader on the way out of the arena after the game. It's always a treat to know you folks are out there!

Boxscore - Game Summary - Event Summary

Roll the video highlights...

And your advanced stats...

Nashville Predators

Player	Pos	ES TOI	Total Shots For	Total Shots Against	Corsi	Net Zone Starts	Adjusted Corsi
David Legwand	C	15:10	9	17	-8	-2	-7
Gabriel Bourque	L	14:54	11	16	-5	-3	-4
Martin Erat	R	13:26	9	15	-6	0	-6
Mike Fisher	C	12:50	9	12	-3	-2	-2
Colin Wilson	C	11:20	9	13	-4	0	-4
Patric Hornqvist	R	11:14	9	13	-4	-1	-4
Brandon Yip	R	11:06	6	15	-9	-1	-9
Matt Halischuk	R	10:42	7	8	-1	-1	-1
Sergei Kostitsyn	L	9:56	9	14	-5	-1	-5
Nick Spaling	C	9:33	7	7	0	-1	+0
Craig Smith	C	9:33	6	16	-10	0	-10
Rich Clune	L	7:43	6	5	+1	0	+1
Kevin Klein	D	19:03	11	19	-8	-3	-7
Scott Hannan	D	18:29	15	16	-1	0	-1
Roman Josi	D	17:07	12	23	-11	-2	-10
Shea Weber	D	15:40	14	21	-7	-2	-6
Jonathon Blum	D	11:11	4	12	-8	-2	-7
Ryan Ellis	D	10:26	10	11	-1	+1	-1

Detroit Red Wings

Player	Pos	ES TOI	Total Shots For	Total Shots Against	Corsi	Net Zone Starts	Adjusted Corsi
Henrik Zetterberg	L	14:26	22	14	+8	0	+8
Daniel Cleary	R	13:56	16	5	+11	+3	+10
Valtteri Filppula	C	13:43	21	12	+9	0	+9
Pavel Datsyuk	C	13:17	16	5	+11	+3	+10
Damien Brunner	C	12:41	18	13	+5	0	+5
Drew Miller	L	11:57	9	5	+4	+1	+4
Jordin Tootoo	R	11:38	13	5	+8	+2	+7
Justin Abdelkader	L	11:14	16	4	+12	+2	+11
Cory Emmerton	C	10:29	7	5	+2	+1	+2
Patrick Eaves	R	8:37	4	10	-6	0	-6
Tomas Tatar	C	7:37	5	9	-4	0	-4
Joakim Andersson	C	7:12	5	9	-4	0	-4
Jonathan Ericsson	D	20:09	22	17	+5	+2	+4
Ian White	D	17:34	26	12	+14	+1	+14
Niklas Kronwall	D	17:30	15	17	-2	-1	-2
Brian Lashoff	D	14:56	16	8	+8	+1	+8
Kyle Quincey	D	12:02	12	6	+6	+3	+5
Jakub Kindl	D	10:08	11	7	+4	+2	+3

Poll

Who is your Predator of the Game?

• Pekka Rinne
• Shea Weber
• Colin Wilson

  79 votes | Results

Detroit Red Wings @ Nashville Predators: A Rivalry Renewed

The Nashville Predators welcome in their top rival for the first time this season tonight at Bridgestone Arena. Now without legendary defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, have the Red Wings lost some of their mystique?

The Stats

	Detroit Red Wings		Nashville Predators
Record	7-6-2	17th	7-4-5	10th
GF/Game	2.60	19th	2.06	30th
GA/Game	2.93	20th	1.94	3rd
5-on-5 SF/60	29.9	9th	21.2	30th
5-on-5 SA/60	28.9	20th	25.4	4th
Fenwick Close	53.79	5th	47.47	23rd
5-on-5 Save %	.928	10th	.943	1st
5-on-4 GF/60	4.2	27th	5.6	17th
# of PP's/Gm	4.80	3rd	3.31	28th
4-on-5 GA/60	8.7	27th	4.2	4th
# of PK's/Gm	4.33	23rd	3.63	7th

Most of those numbers are fair-to-middling for Detroit, a stark reminder of the effect that the retirement of Nicklas Lidstrom was bound to have. Once you get a decent ways into the season, however (as we are now), probably the single strongest indicator of team talent is Fenwick Close, and there it appears that the Red Wings are still winning the possession battle against most of their opponents during the action that really matters.

Find the Best Deals on Predators vs Red Wings tickets!

Detroit Red Wings

While Lidstrom may be gone, the dynamic duo of Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk are still as fearsome a pair of stars as exist in the NHL.

---

Henrik Zetterberg

#40 / Left Wing / Detroit Red Wings

Height: 5-11

Weight: 195

Born: Oct 09, 1980

---

---

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Henrik Zetterberg	15	5	15	20	+1	10	2	1	1		55	9.1

---

The Red Wings have scored 39 goals this season, and Zetterberg has played a direct role in more than half of them.

The focus in Motown, however, is simply to reverse a 3-game slide that has them sinking through the standings:

This game would be much more fun if the Red Wings weren't desperate for a win. Getting revenge for last season's first round playoff loss to the Predators would be ideal. Watching Jordin Tootoo skate like crazy again his old team is going to be exciting. But, instead, to be honest, I don't care about much of that tonight. I just want to see the Red Wings end their losing steak.

--- Winging It In Motown

Rather than just a blip on the radar, that step back into the middle of the pack might be the norm for Detroit after an incredible 20-year run as the league's most accomplished team. Another post at WIIM takes a look at where they stand after 15 games:

The picture is becoming clearer with each 5-game segment that this team is exactly what many predicted: a middle-of-the-pack team that will dominate at times and struggle at others. That they've been unable to go on a prolonged winning streak suggests that we should just prepare ourselves for the fact that this team could either get beat up on a good team or blow a lead and lose to a bad one.

The team's leaders are setting the pace, but now it's up to the depth players to step up and contribute offensively. On the back-end, the defense needs to play a more consistent game, and now allow any of the back-breaking mistakes we've seen end up in the Wings' net. In goal, Jimmy Howard has been very good at times and just ok at others, but I chalk a lot of this up to the fact he's played 12 and 3/4 of the first 15 games, and he's going to need more time off.

Of course, just as the Predators have pulled alongside (or passed) Detroit, Chicago & St. Louis have jumped to the fore. Regardless, Nashville/Detroit games will always mean something special to Preds fans.

Nashville Predators

No sooner did Patric Hornqvist return to the lineup yesterday at Colorado than the Predators lost another key forward to injury, as Paul Gaustad left due to an upper-body issue. He's listed as "questionable" for tonight's game. That likely means more work for Nick Spaling at the center spot, and possibly some opportunity for Craig Smith to get work there as well. Smith has shown more spark in recent games, but still isn't cashing in as a result.

The guy who is delivering results, however, is Colin Wilson, who has taken over sole possession of the team scoring lead, and is playing the most consistently effective hockey of his career these days:

---

Colin Wilson

#33 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 214

Born: Oct 20, 1989

---

---

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Colin Wilson	16	5	7	12	+2	4	1	0	1		21	23.8

---

All eyes will be on Pekka Rinne in goal, as he was supposed to get some rest yesterday but ended up playing in relief of Chris Mason. Will he be sharp right from the start against a team he's beaten many times before? In 19 career games against Detroit, Peks is 11-5-3 with a .932 save percentage, 2.29 GAA and 3 shutouts.

Nashville Predators Make AHL Trade with St. Louis

The Nashville Predators released the following:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has acquired defenseman Scott Ford from the St. Louis Blues for forward Jani Lajunen. Ford will report to the Predators primary developmental affiliate, the American Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals, where he played from 2008-12, serving as the Admirals captain in 2011-12.

Ford, 33 (12/24/79), posted six points (2g-4a) and 54 penalty minutes while serving as captain for the AHL's Peoria Rivermen in 2012-13. In 423 career AHL games since 2004, the Fort St. John, B.C., native tallied 56 points (15g-41a) and 650 penalty minutes. In four seasons with the Admirals starting in 2008-09, he registered 36 points (11g-25a) and 465 penalty minutes in 279 games.

The 6-3, 216-pound blueliner played 118 games during a four-year career at Brown University, posting 47 points (15g-32a). He captained the Brown Bears during his senior season in 2003-04, and was a 2004 First Team All-Ivy selection and winner of the 2004 ECAC Best Defensive Defenseman Award.

Follow @Forechecker

Wednesday's Dump & Chase: Looking for Sparks

Nashville Predators News

Smith Finally Finds Back of the Net | PuckScene.com
Will last night's goal get the Honey Badger rolling?

Smashville 24/7 - Hornqvist creating chances for Preds
Patric Hornqvist has wasted no time at all getting right into the thick of things.

Smashville 24/7 - Mason talks blown call in Colorado
Chris Mason discusses Monday's controversial play.

Breaking down Matt Duchene’s goal that wasn’t in any way illegal, nope, nothing to see here | Backhand Shelf
Relive the agony in excruciating detail.

Nashville Predators: 1st Intermission Report Card | Predlines
Since it's hockey, doing a review 1/3rd of the way through makes sense.

Pekka Rinne is best option for Nashville Predators | The Tennessean
After Monday's stinker by Chris Mason, David Climer is ready to see Peks pretty much play every game going forward. #smh

Is Pekka Rinne the most valuable player in the NHL? - CBSSports.com
A pretty good argument is made here.

Thoughts On Today’s Transactions | Admirals Roundtable
It sounds like Patrick Cehlin has been struggling, to say the least.

Beyond the Bradley Center: Turning Points and Paul Fenton talk | Admirals Roundtable
Jason wonders if the way Milwaukee rebounded from a Saturday night blowout might bode well for the rest of the campaign.

Also, listen in to Barry Trotz's appearance on 102.5 The Game this morning (2 segments):

Get tickets to Friday's Vancouver Canucks/Nashville Predators game at TiqIQ!

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Zamboni waterskiing? Former NHLer David Ling pretends to ice-ski during broken glass delay (VIDEO) | Puck Daddy
Well done, sir.

Larry Brooks: Injury to Rick Nash hurting New York Rangers, head injuries around league hurting NHL - NYPOST.com
Is the Rangers' big winger suffering post-concussion symptoms?

Court of Public Opinion: Was Hansen’s blow to the back of Hossa’s head intentional? | Backhand Shelf
Marian Hossa left last night's Chicago/Vancouver game, and hopefully won't be out long.

The Death of the Hurry Up Face-off - The Hockey Writers
There was a great example of this last night, where a linesman took forever to drop the puck.

Down Goes Brown: Other letters that NHL teams have recently sent to their fans
The Colorado Avalanche entry here is especially good.

Who tells hockey writers to die in Aurora-like shooting massacres? Pediatric doctors, apparently | Puck Daddy
Twitter has a rather impressive ability to put idiots in the spotlight.

Rumblings: Can B's lure Alfredsson away? - Cross Checks Blog - ESPN
Pierre LeBrun gets the trade speculation simmering...

The Seven Levels of Dirty Hockey - The Triangle Blog - Grantland
A handy reference here from DGB.

How reliable is the NHL.com shot tracker? - Eyes On The Prize
The NHL's in-game data gathering is embarrassingly bad at times.

The Quiet Room: Shut your filthy mouth | Backhand Shelf
This goes out to all the disgusting potty-mouths who bite other players.

Is It Possible To Accidentally Break A Player's Jaw With A Two-Handed Stick Swing? - Deadspin
Um, absolutely.

Devin Setoguchi fined $8108.11 for Kyle Quincey Hit - Hockey Wilderness
That'll teach him.

Jay Bouwmeester: Raising the Bar for Playoff Futility - The Hockey Writers
It's amazing to see Bouwmeester having played more than 730 games without ever getting a chance at the playoffs.

Boston Bruins visit Newtown, lend support to Sandy Hook shooting victims (VIDEO) | Puck Daddy
A good day for the Bruins and the people of Newtown.

Colorado Avalanche 6, Nashville Predators 5: Video & Advanced Stats

Caroline shared her reaction to this afternoon's 6-5 loss, one of the crazier games in recent Preds history. Despite the heroic comeback attempt in the third period, the loss drops Nashville to 7-4-5 on the season, and 19 points leaves them 5th in the Western Conference standings. There's no rest for the Predators, however, as they head right back home for a game Tuesday night.

Jordin Tootoo returns to Smashville wearing the red & white as the Detroit Red Wings visit tomorrow night. Find your tickets at TiqIQ!

Random Observations

I've got none - I just don't understand why games are held during the afternoon on weekdays, even when a small percentage of people get the day off.

Video Highlghts

Feel free to mute the audio and play Yakety Sax instead:

As for the advanced stats...

Nashville Predators

Player	Pos	ES TOI	Total Shots For	Total Shots Against	Corsi	Net Zone Starts	Adjusted Corsi
David Legwand	C	16:59	28	12	+16	0	+16
Gabriel Bourque	L	15:48	19	7	+12	-1	+12
Martin Erat	R	14:47	25	15	+10	0	+10
Mike Fisher	C	14:34	21	12	+9	+2	+8
Colin Wilson	C	14:05	21	13	+8	+2	+7
Sergei Kostitsyn	L	13:34	18	8	+10	0	+10
Craig Smith	C	12:18	18	13	+5	+4	+3
Nick Spaling	C	12:15	11	10	+1	+3	-0
Patric Hornqvist	R	12:13	24	8	+16	+4	+14
Matt Halischuk	R	9:14	11	7	+4	+1	+4
Rich Clune	L	8:08	12	4	+8	+5	+6
Paul Gaustad	C	0:58	0	2	-2	-1	-2
Roman Josi	D	18:21	23	16	+7	+1	+7
Shea Weber	D	18:04	23	14	+9	+3	+8
Kevin Klein	D	16:01	25	13	+12	+1	+12
Jonathon Blum	D	15:23	29	14	+15	0	+15
Ryan Ellis	D	13:25	14	9	+5	+3	+4
Scott Hannan	D	13:23	17	8	+9	+4	+7

Colorado Avalanche

Player	Pos	ES TOI	Total Shots For	Total Shots Against	Corsi	Net Zone Starts	Adjusted Corsi
David Jones	R	15:42	10	20	-10	-3	-9
Jamie Mcginn	L	15:35	16	23	-7	0	-7
Matt Duchene	C	15:33	15	22	-7	-2	-6
Pa Parenteau	R	15:29	17	16	+1	-2	+2
Paul Stastny	C	14:47	11	19	-8	-3	-7
Milan Hejduk	R	14:32	7	31	-24	-2	-23
Aaron Palushaj	R	14:01	11	18	-7	-2	-6
John Mitchell	C	13:16	8	20	-12	-2	-11
Cody Mcleod	L	9:29	6	11	-5	0	-5
Chuck Kobasew	R	5:49	4	8	-4	-1	-4
Mark Olver	C	5:15	3	8	-5	-1	-5
Patrick Bordeleau	L	2:52	2	2	0	0	0
Ryan O'Byrne	D	17:44	14	26	-12	-1	-12
Jan Hejda	D	17:13	12	19	-7	-7	-4
Matt Hunwick	D	16:43	12	18	-6	-2	-5
Tyson Barrie	D	16:42	11	18	-7	-5	-5
Greg Zanon	D	14:16	14	31	-17	+2	-18
Stefan Elliott	D	12:07	12	20	-8	+1	-8

Nashville Predators @ Colorado Avalanche: Presidents Day Matinee

The strangest game of the Nashville Predators' season took place this afternoon in Denver...

The Stats

	Nashville Predators		Colorado Avalanche
Record	7-3-5	6th	5-7-1	28th
GF/Game	1.87	30th	2.31	26th
GA/Game	1.67	1st	2.92	19th
5-on-5 SF/60	21.2	30th	32.2	4th
5-on-5 SA/60	25.4	4th	29.9	23rd
Fenwick Close	47.47	23rd	49.38	19th
5-on-5 Save %	.943	2nd	.919	17th
5-on-4 GF/60	5.6	16th	4.5	24th
# of PP's/Gm	3.20	29th	3.31	28th
4-on-5 GA/60	4.2	5th	7.3	20th
# of PK's/Gm	3.73	7th	4.62	27th

Keep in mind that even though the Avs rank 28th in the league standings, they've played two fewer games than the Predators, and their fundamentals aren't quite so bad as you might think at first blush. With a 3-6-1 record in their last 10 games, however, the mood is sour in Colorado.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche has dropped nine straight games against Nashville, and are itching to

Over at Mile High Hockey, they have a complete listing of their players' performance against the Predators all-time, but the guy I'm most interested to watch is P.A. Parenteau, who signed with Colorado as a free agent last summer and is off to a fine start with his new team:

---

P.A. Parenteau

#15 / Left Wing / Colorado Avalanche

Height: 6-0

Weight: 193

Born: Mar 24, 1983

---

---

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - P.A. Parenteau	13	7	4	11	+5	8	1	0	1		31	22.6

---

Of course, the major drama surrounding the Avs is the situation between the team and Ryan O'Reilly, brother of former Pred Cal and a restricted free agent who can't come to terms with the Avalanche. After a 55-point season in 2011-2012, is he really a prime time star, deserving that kind of pay? While that question remains unresolved, the Avs have to do without one of their top talents.

Nashville Predators

At long last, Patric Hornqvist is due to return to action today, a little bit ahead of the schedule initially discussed by the team. How will his presence impact the forward lines?

Preds' PR informs us that since the 2003-4 season, Nashville is 22-7-8 in afternoon games, so even if you have to work and can't watch this one (like the vast majority of us) you can cling to that for hope.

The man of the hour these days, of course, is leading scorer Colin Wilson:

---

Colin Wilson

#33 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 214

Born: Oct 20, 1989

---

---

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Colin Wilson	15	4	6	10	+3	4	1	0	1		20	20.0

Perhaps the most impressive goal of his career came in Denver a couple years ago. Will he be inspired by a return to the scene of this dandy?

Avalanche 6, Preds 5, Linesman 1: The Weirdest of Games

The Preds had an afternoon game against the Colorado Avalanche this Presidents Day, and what a weird one this turned out to be. If you weren't expecting it to happen, it probably happened. (Since this is my first post-game write up, I'll leave the advanced stats and normal stuff for Dirk to post later.)

On the good side of life...

• The Preds finished the game with a total of 38 (that's THIRTY-freaking-EIGHT) shots on goal. 38. Honestly. That happened. I couldn't make stuff like that up if I tried.
• Speaking of shots on goal... Patric Hornqvist, returning from a leave of absence due to a knee injury had 12 shots on goal. TWELVE.
• Horny was also supposed to play 3rd/4th line minutes to warm himself up and work his way back into the line up. He ended up playing 17:58. So much for needing time to get back into it.
• 5 different players left the game today with both a goal and an assist: Weber (who initially had two goals, but the first was given to Fish after he tipped it past Varlamov), Blum, Fish (5 SOG), Wilson, and Tits.
• Speaking of Tits... he took FOUR WHOLE SHOTS today! Nice to have something positive to say about him, for a change.
• Pekka came in with 5 minutes left in the third second (what the heck? Brain fart...). He stopped all 10 shots he faced, and generally played like Pekka.

On the mediocre/meh side of life...

• HB took a pretty bad holding penalty in the first. He ended the day with a -2, 1 assist, 2 PIM, and 0 SOG. Meh. He's coming along a little slowly this year, but patience is a virtue. He'll get there.
• I wasn't pleased with it, but out of interest... both teams scored 5 goals in a span of 3 minutes and 30 seconds, including 2 goals in 13 seconds for Colorado. I thought they were showing a replay of the first goal when the scored their second one. Urgh. Mason was pulled after that.

On the down-right bad side of life...

• Speaking of Chris Mason... he let in 6 goals on 18 shots. That's an 0.667% save percentage. That's REALLY ugly. The defense certainly made a few crappy mistakes that ended up leading to goals, but Mase also let in some downright nasty goals. And not nasty in a good way. Not a good game for him.
• That lack-of-offsides call by the referee was absolutely atrocious. The rule states (per se) that if the Preds had been in control of the puck and actively put it into their own zone while Duchene was in there, Dutchy could snag the puck without a whistle being blown. However, seeing as the puck BOUNCED off of Craig Smith and into the defensive zone, I don't understand how that could possibly be seen as falling under those rules.
• Here's the picture, just to piss everyone off a little more:

Seriously? Preds should get free Mary Kaye the rest of the season twitter.com/krazykylepreds…

— Kyle Hankins (@krazykylepreds) February 18, 2013

Looking forward...

Detroit comes to town tomorrow, so hopefully the Preds are pissed off about this and ready to avenge their loss. I know everyone is probably really frustrated by this game, but remember - WE SCORED FIVE GOALS TONIGHT.

Five.

That's a lot.

We can do it again.

Go Preds.

Detroit Red Wings @ Nashville Predators Preview: A Rivalry Renewed

The Stats

	Detroit Red Wings		Nashville Predators
Record	7-6-2	17th	7-4-5	10th
GF/Game	2.60	19th	2.06	30th
GA/Game	2.93	20th	1.94	3rd
5-on-5 SF/60	29.9	9th	21.2	30th
5-on-5 SA/60	28.9	20th	25.4	4th
Fenwick Close	53.79	5th	47.47	23rd
5-on-5 Save %	.928	10th	.943	1st
5-on-4 GF/60	4.2	27th	5.6	17th
# of PP's/Gm	4.80	3rd	3.31	28th
4-on-5 GA/60	8.7	27th	4.2	4th
# of PK's/Gm	4.33	23rd	3.63	7th

Most of those numbers are fair-to-middling for Detroit, a stark reminder of the effect that the retirement of Nicklas Lidstrom was bound to have. Once you get a decent ways into the season, however (as we are now), probably the single strongest indicator of team talent is Fenwick Close, and there it appears that the Red Wings are still winning the possession battle against most of their opponents during the action that really matters.

Find the Best Deals on Predators vs Red Wings tickets!

Detroit Red Wings

While Lidstrom may be gone, the dynamic duo of Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk are still as fearsome a pair of stars as exist in the NHL.

---

Henrik Zetterberg

#40 / Left Wing / Detroit Red Wings

Height: 5-11

Weight: 195

Born: Oct 09, 1980

---

---

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Henrik Zetterberg	15	5	15	20	+1	10	2	1	1		55	9.1

---

The Red Wings have scored 39 goals this season, and Zetterberg has played a direct role in more than half of them.

The focus in Motown, however, is simply to reverse a 3-game slide that has them sinking through the standings:

This game would be much more fun if the Red Wings weren't desperate for a win. Getting revenge for last season's first round playoff loss to the Predators would be ideal. Watching Jordin Tootoo skate like crazy again his old team is going to be exciting. But, instead, to be honest, I don't care about much of that tonight. I just want to see the Red Wings end their losing steak.

--- Winging It In Motown

Rather than just a blip on the radar, that step back into the middle of the pack might be the norm for Detroit after an incredible 20-year run as the league's most accomplished team. Another post at WIIM takes a look at where they stand after 15 games:

The picture is becoming clearer with each 5-game segment that this team is exactly what many predicted: a middle-of-the-pack team that will dominate at times and struggle at others. That they've been unable to go on a prolonged winning streak suggests that we should just prepare ourselves for the fact that this team could either get beat up on a good team or blow a lead and lose to a bad one.

The team's leaders are setting the pace, but now it's up to the depth players to step up and contribute offensively. On the back-end, the defense needs to play a more consistent game, and now allow any of the back-breaking mistakes we've seen end up in the Wings' net. In goal, Jimmy Howard has been very good at times and just ok at others, but I chalk a lot of this up to the fact he's played 12 and 3/4 of the first 15 games, and he's going to need more time off.

Of course, just as the Predators have pulled alongside (or passed) Detroit, Chicago & St. Louis have jumped to the fore. Regardless, Nashville/Detroit games will always mean something special to Preds fans.

Nashville Predators

No sooner did Patric Hornqvist return to the lineup yesterday at Colorado than the Predators lost another key forward to injury, as Paul Gaustad left due to an upper-body issue. He's listed as "questionable" for tonight's game. That likely means more work for Nick Spaling at the center spot, and possibly some opportunity for Craig Smith to get work there as well. Smith has shown more spark in recent games, but still isn't cashing in as a result.

The guy who is delivering results, however, is Colin Wilson, who has taken over sole possession of the team scoring lead, and is playing the most consistently effective hockey of his career these days:

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Colin Wilson

#33 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 214

Born: Oct 20, 1989

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	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Colin Wilson	16	5	7	12	+2	4	1	0	1		21	23.8

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All eyes will be on Pekka Rinne in goal, as he was supposed to get some rest yesterday but ended up playing in relief of Chris Mason. Will he be sharp right from the start against a team he's beaten many times before? In 19 career games against Detroit, Peks is 11-5-3 with a .932 save percentage, 2.29 GAA and 3 shutouts.

Tuesday's Dump & Chase: Welcome Back, Jordin Tootoo

Nashville Predators News

Smashville 24/7 - Top moments of Preds-Wings rivalry
What better way to get ready for Predators/Red Wings tonight than with a few memories from Pete Weber?

Puck Daddy chats with Nick Spaling about Nashville Predators, catching the Blackhawks and his war against lettuce | Puck Daddy
Meet Nick Spaling, lettuce hater.

Colin Wilson Plays 200th NHL Game | Predlines
A minor milestone, but Willy's playing his best hockey these days.

Boclair: Weber’s lack of offense takes Norris off table | Nashville City Paper
With Erik Karlsson lost to injury, and Shea Weber off to a slow start offensively, the race for the 2013 Norris is wide open.

Do you need a new Nashville Predators hat? Check out our selection...

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Jordin Tootoo returns to Bridgestone, as a Red Wing | The Tennessean
Regardless of any bitter feelings towards the end of his time here, Jordin Tootoo remains one of the most storied figures in Nashville Predators history.

Red Wings-Predators set-up and overnight report: Hello again, Nashville - The Malik Report - Kukla's Korner
An exhaustive look at what's going on with the Red Wings heading into tonight's game.

Manny Malhotra, injury, and risk: Do players need to be saved from themselves? | Backhand Shelf
The line between sacrifice for the team and foolhardiness can be a blurry one.

KHL.RU - official site - All-clear for Arena Traktor
The arena in Chelyabinsk which suffered some damage from the meteor strike has been given the go-ahead, so Traktor (featuring former Predator Andrei Kostitsyn) can host upcoming games in the KHL playoffs.

KHL.RU - official site - The quest for Gagarin Cup glory – Western Conference, round one
Speaking of KHL playoffs, here's a preview of one side of the bracket, featuring Alexander Radulov's CSKA Moscow vs. Lev Prague.

Zeitgeist: Russian Hockey Superboy Arrives Via Meteor - Lighthouse Hockey
Is this hockey's Sidd Finch?

Ty Ulmer: Making the Biggest Save of His Life - The Hockey Writers
This story is a-freaking-mazing. It reminds me of in my life when playing hockey became more than just a game, but a much-needed exercise in self-improvement on a number of levels.

Max Pacioretty scores on center ice dump-in, courtesy of Cam Ward’s gaffe (VIDEO) | Puck Daddy
Save this for the year-end blooper reel...

Jerry Buss dies: Remembering his time as Los Angeles Kings owner - SBNation.com
The Los Angeles Lakers' owner was a hockey guy, too.

UK Hockey Team Ditches New American Owner After It Turns Out He's A Registered Sex Offender - Deadspin
Yikes, I think we can all feel a little bit better about the Boots Del Biaggio thing.

New York Rangers News: Darroll Powe Diagnosed With Concussion - Blueshirt Banter
Tough news for the depth forward who was brought over from Minnesota via trade earlier this season.

Ranking the Top Tournaments in Olympic Hockey History - The Triangle Blog - Grantland
Around these parts, 2010 was pretty amazing given the Shea Weber vs. Ryan Suter gold medal game.

Patrick Hornqvist Officially Activated From Injured Reserve

As of this morning, the NHL's media site now shows Patrick Hornqvist as having returned to the Nashville Predators' active roster, restoring them to 23 players (Brian McGrattan is still considered to be on the regular roster even as he skates in Milwaukee on a conditioning assignment).

This comes in time for today's 2:00 p.m. start at Colorado, so we'll have to see where he slots into the lineup.

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Patric Hornqvist

#27 / Right Wing / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-0

Weight: 188

Born: Jan 01, 1987

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	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Patric Hornqvist	5	1	3	4	-1	4	1	0	0		16	6.3

Nashville Predators @ Colorado Avalanche Preview: Patrick Hornqvist's Return

The Stats

	Nashville Predators		Colorado Avalanche
Record	7-3-5	6th	5-7-1	28th
GF/Game	1.87	30th	2.31	26th
GA/Game	1.67	1st	2.92	19th
5-on-5 SF/60	21.2	30th	32.2	4th
5-on-5 SA/60	25.4	4th	29.9	23rd
Fenwick Close	47.47	23rd	49.38	19th
5-on-5 Save %	.943	2nd	.919	17th
5-on-4 GF/60	5.6	16th	4.5	24th
# of PP's/Gm	3.20	29th	3.31	28th
4-on-5 GA/60	4.2	5th	7.3	20th
# of PK's/Gm	3.73	7th	4.62	27th

Keep in mind that even though the Avs rank 28th in the league standings, they've played two fewer games than the Predators, and their fundamentals aren't quite so bad as you might think at first blush. With a 3-6-1 record in their last 10 games, however, the mood is sour in Colorado.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche has dropped nine straight games against Nashville, and are itching to

Over at Mile High Hockey, they have a complete listing of their players' performance against the Predators all-time, but the guy I'm most interested to watch is P.A. Parenteau, who signed with Colorado as a free agent last summer and is off to a fine start with his new team:

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P.A. Parenteau

#15 / Left Wing / Colorado Avalanche

Height: 6-0

Weight: 193

Born: Mar 24, 1983

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	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - P.A. Parenteau	13	7	4	11	+5	8	1	0	1		31	22.6

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Of course, the major drama surrounding the Avs is the situation between the team and Ryan O'Reilly, brother of former Pred Cal and a restricted free agent who can't come to terms with the Avalanche. After a 55-point season in 2011-2012, is he really a prime time star, deserving that kind of pay? While that question remains unresolved, the Avs have to do without one of their top talents.

Nashville Predators

At long last, Patric Hornqvist is due to return to action today, a little bit ahead of the schedule initially discussed by the team. How will his presence impact the forward lines?

Preds' PR informs us that since the 2003-4 season, Nashville is 22-7-8 in afternoon games, so even if you have to work and can't watch this one (like the vast majority of us) you can cling to that for hope.

The man of the hour these days, of course, is leading scorer Colin Wilson:

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Colin Wilson

#33 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 214

Born: Oct 20, 1989

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	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Colin Wilson	15	4	6	10	+3	4	1	0	1		20	20.0

Perhaps the most impressive goal of his career came in Denver a couple years ago. Will he be inspired by a return to the scene of this dandy?