In a battle between two teams that are surprisingly vying for playoff positioning, the Nashville Predators fell to the Phoenix Coyotes 4-2 at Jobing.com Arena. Despite pouring 43 shots on goal, the Predators could only put two pucks past Coyotes goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov.
After Phoenix took a 1-0 lead early in the second period, Nashville answered with a goal by Patric Hornqvist, his 20th of the year. Hornqvist continues to impress with his courage and work around the net. He was able to gather in a rebound and bank a shot off the back of Bryzgalov to tie the game. At the start of the season, how many Predator fans would have imagined the production we would have gotten from Hornqvist? He has been consistently impressive.
Just :40 seconds later, Ed Jovanoski turned the puck over and Marty Erat made the Coyotes pay, depositing the puck in the back of the net for a 2-1 lead. The game would remain tied going into the third period.
In the third, the Predators gave up three goals, all to former Predator Scottie Upshall. Failing to control the third, the Predators dropped a critical contest to the Coyotes. Both teams entered the contest with 61 points, and by virtue of the win, the Coyotes move into fourth place in the West, and the Predators drop to fifth.
The disappointing aspects of this game are that the Predators could not control play in the third period, and that some of Nashville's big guns have turned invisible. Going in to the third in a hostile environment and with the lead, the Predators wilted under the pressure of the Coyotes. Failing to get pucks past Bryzgalov seemed to energize the Coyotes, and they turned that energy into goals against the Predators. Phoenix exerted pressure and capitalized on their chances; Nashville exerted pressure but couldn't score.
The disappearance of players like Arnott and Sullivan is problematic for this team. These players have to start heating up offensively. Right now, they are cold. This cannot continue- these guys are too important to the offense to be as quiet as they are. It has been great to get the production from the third and fourth lines- that's a bonus for this team. The first line has to be consistently productive, and outside of Hornqvist, they have been erratic.
It gets no easier for the Predators. They have Colorado on Friday night. The Western Conference is going to be a dogfight. Time for the big dogs of the Predators to start playing like big dogs. No losing streaks. No quit. No backing down when you have the lead.
Put this one behind you, boys, and get back to your winning ways in Denver.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Toronto Tabloid Stirs Tempest in Tennessee Teapot
There are certain things in life that occur with striking regularity: the sun rising in the east; University of Tennessee athletes getting arrested for committing felonies; and the Toronto media attempting to cause havoc with the Nashville Predators. David Shoalts, writing in today's edition of the Toronto Globe and Mail headlines an article entitled "Nashville Eyes Tighter Leash on Predators", the gist of which is that the owners of the Predators may have to pony up additional assets to the City because their internal agreement in their partnership provides for more protection for the partners than for the City. Additionally, a consent decree signed by the owners favors the NHL over the City of Nashville in the event of a default.
The article can be found here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/nashville-eyes-tighter-leash-on-predators/article1437135/
Reading Shoalts' article brings to mind a bevy of questions, and I would love for Mr. Shoalts to provide some insight into the following:
What is your agenda here? It is apparent that there is one, and don't hide under the veil of "this is newsworthy". Horse manure. Why does the esteemed Toronto Globe and Mail deem it necessary to request documents related to the lease and inner workings of the relationship of the Predators and the City of Nashville? And who has supplied those documents to you- documents between a private partnership and the City of Nashville?
Once you had those documents, why did you seek out Rusty Lawrence? Ostensibly, he is Chairman of the Nashville Sports Authority's Finance committee; practically, he knows little to nothing about the lease arrangement. C'mon David, getting a reasonable answer from Rusty regarding this lease is like asking you to endorse hockey in, say... Nashville. Frankly, using Rusty as a reliable font of information on this lease is a fool's errand. And yes, that is an indictment of Rusty, and by extension, the Nashville Sports Authority, but there ya go.
I'm telling you David, Rusty doesn't even know how many people are showing up at the hockey games, even though those figures are reported monthly to the Sports Authority. Does that give you a sense of confidence that this is a man with a real understanding of the lease? Or was Rusty just an easy mark for you and your paper? A real rube, right?
There is concern that the Predators could move after this season if the average attendance is below 14,000, according to Rusty. The clause in the lease actually says that it must be below 14,000 for two consecutve years. You might want to do a little research on this one, but the attendance has been above this mark since the new ownership purchased the team.
And the $20MM loss clause that provides an out is not in play. Not even close. Unless you asked Rusty about this information.
There seems to be some consternation on the part of Rusty that the guarantees executed by the partners limit their liability to the city to the percentage of their ownership in the Predators. By contrast, the owners guarantees to the NHL are stronger and they do not get an out if they file bankruptcy. Furthermore, there was a consent decree signed by the owners that gave the NHL the right to be named the primary creditor in the event of a bankruptcy or default and subordinate every other claim, including one that the City of Nashville might have.
I don't know about you, David, but it sounds like the owners negotiated a pretty nice deal with the City, better than they could with the NHL. And the problem with that is...?
Look, the City of Nashville can have a big concrete barn that sits empty most nights, or they can have a tenant that brings people downtown and generates hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue over 41 nights a year. Smarter people than Rusty knew this, and they were accommodating in regards to the negotiated lease. Nothing wrong with that.
But now you have stirred up someone who really isn't attuned to what is going on and he wants to renegotiate. Again, what's your agenda here? Regardless of that agenda, the Predators are not in default and have met the terms of the lease as negotiated. Don't like your lease, City of Nashville? Then your time to change it is when it is up for re-negotiation, not in mid term.
Look, these owners believed in hockey in Nashville enough to put up personal guarantees. Now, I'm just a lowly blogger here, but I suspect you could use the vast resources of your tabloid to find out how many other owners personally guarantee the arena lease of their hockey club. I'm gonna offer you a bet. I think it is under five. If I'm wrong, I will buy you a steak dinner (caveat: you gotta come to Nashville to get it).
I know, David, that you are going to hang your hat on the fact that the majority owner, David Freeman, has a $3.3MM lien filed against him for underpayment of his 2008 taxes. This resulted, as Freeman has publicly stated, from the con that Boots Del Biaggio perpetrated on him to buy the 27% interest in the team. When the con came unraveled all of a sudden, there was a $46MM hole that had to be plugged because Boots couldn't pony up the money. Freeman did it, which indicates to me that the guy has a bit of financial horsepower. However, the transaction caused his taxes to be recalculated and he owes the aforementioned $3.3MM. Now, I know I can't just whip out the ol' personal checkbook and write a check like that, at least not without making a dent in my wife's grocery money allowance. How about you? No? Didn't think so.
So yes, there is a concern over a potential default, a technical default, perhaps, because an owner did not notify the City of a material change in his financial condition. I can tell you, after thirty years in the financial services industry, there are defaults, and then there are defaults. As long a Freeman rectifies his situation with the IRS, which he says he will this month, this is not a default that would cause the City to lose money or the Predators to leave Nashville.
So I go back to my original question, David- what's your agenda? Hate hockey in Nashville? Don't like the fact that the Predators are currently fourth in the Western Conference, while Toronto is, uh let me look waaaay down there in those Eastern Conference standings, oh, there they are, 14th? Don't want any hockey below the 49th parallel? Hell, just throw it out there. We hockey fans in Nashville have endured the baseless attacks and snide remarks before. We will continue to do so. And hockey will continue to grow deep roots and thrive in Nashville.
A friendly word of advice- you might not want to rely on Rusty for your insight and information about what is going on. Citing him as an authoritative figure might do lasting harm to whatever journalistic credibility you might have.
The optics on this look bad. The last time someone was getting documents from the city government and then feeding them back to selected officials was when that bottomfeeder Richard Rodier was stirring up trouble. Your article smacks of that.
I have read your writings for years- good stuff. You're a good writer. But this is a hack job, and it is not appreciated. And candidly, we don't want tabloids in Toronto stirring up tempests in Tennessee.
The article can be found here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/nashville-eyes-tighter-leash-on-predators/article1437135/
Reading Shoalts' article brings to mind a bevy of questions, and I would love for Mr. Shoalts to provide some insight into the following:
What is your agenda here? It is apparent that there is one, and don't hide under the veil of "this is newsworthy". Horse manure. Why does the esteemed Toronto Globe and Mail deem it necessary to request documents related to the lease and inner workings of the relationship of the Predators and the City of Nashville? And who has supplied those documents to you- documents between a private partnership and the City of Nashville?
Once you had those documents, why did you seek out Rusty Lawrence? Ostensibly, he is Chairman of the Nashville Sports Authority's Finance committee; practically, he knows little to nothing about the lease arrangement. C'mon David, getting a reasonable answer from Rusty regarding this lease is like asking you to endorse hockey in, say... Nashville. Frankly, using Rusty as a reliable font of information on this lease is a fool's errand. And yes, that is an indictment of Rusty, and by extension, the Nashville Sports Authority, but there ya go.
I'm telling you David, Rusty doesn't even know how many people are showing up at the hockey games, even though those figures are reported monthly to the Sports Authority. Does that give you a sense of confidence that this is a man with a real understanding of the lease? Or was Rusty just an easy mark for you and your paper? A real rube, right?
There is concern that the Predators could move after this season if the average attendance is below 14,000, according to Rusty. The clause in the lease actually says that it must be below 14,000 for two consecutve years. You might want to do a little research on this one, but the attendance has been above this mark since the new ownership purchased the team.
And the $20MM loss clause that provides an out is not in play. Not even close. Unless you asked Rusty about this information.
There seems to be some consternation on the part of Rusty that the guarantees executed by the partners limit their liability to the city to the percentage of their ownership in the Predators. By contrast, the owners guarantees to the NHL are stronger and they do not get an out if they file bankruptcy. Furthermore, there was a consent decree signed by the owners that gave the NHL the right to be named the primary creditor in the event of a bankruptcy or default and subordinate every other claim, including one that the City of Nashville might have.
I don't know about you, David, but it sounds like the owners negotiated a pretty nice deal with the City, better than they could with the NHL. And the problem with that is...?
Look, the City of Nashville can have a big concrete barn that sits empty most nights, or they can have a tenant that brings people downtown and generates hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue over 41 nights a year. Smarter people than Rusty knew this, and they were accommodating in regards to the negotiated lease. Nothing wrong with that.
But now you have stirred up someone who really isn't attuned to what is going on and he wants to renegotiate. Again, what's your agenda here? Regardless of that agenda, the Predators are not in default and have met the terms of the lease as negotiated. Don't like your lease, City of Nashville? Then your time to change it is when it is up for re-negotiation, not in mid term.
Look, these owners believed in hockey in Nashville enough to put up personal guarantees. Now, I'm just a lowly blogger here, but I suspect you could use the vast resources of your tabloid to find out how many other owners personally guarantee the arena lease of their hockey club. I'm gonna offer you a bet. I think it is under five. If I'm wrong, I will buy you a steak dinner (caveat: you gotta come to Nashville to get it).
I know, David, that you are going to hang your hat on the fact that the majority owner, David Freeman, has a $3.3MM lien filed against him for underpayment of his 2008 taxes. This resulted, as Freeman has publicly stated, from the con that Boots Del Biaggio perpetrated on him to buy the 27% interest in the team. When the con came unraveled all of a sudden, there was a $46MM hole that had to be plugged because Boots couldn't pony up the money. Freeman did it, which indicates to me that the guy has a bit of financial horsepower. However, the transaction caused his taxes to be recalculated and he owes the aforementioned $3.3MM. Now, I know I can't just whip out the ol' personal checkbook and write a check like that, at least not without making a dent in my wife's grocery money allowance. How about you? No? Didn't think so.
So yes, there is a concern over a potential default, a technical default, perhaps, because an owner did not notify the City of a material change in his financial condition. I can tell you, after thirty years in the financial services industry, there are defaults, and then there are defaults. As long a Freeman rectifies his situation with the IRS, which he says he will this month, this is not a default that would cause the City to lose money or the Predators to leave Nashville.
So I go back to my original question, David- what's your agenda? Hate hockey in Nashville? Don't like the fact that the Predators are currently fourth in the Western Conference, while Toronto is, uh let me look waaaay down there in those Eastern Conference standings, oh, there they are, 14th? Don't want any hockey below the 49th parallel? Hell, just throw it out there. We hockey fans in Nashville have endured the baseless attacks and snide remarks before. We will continue to do so. And hockey will continue to grow deep roots and thrive in Nashville.
A friendly word of advice- you might not want to rely on Rusty for your insight and information about what is going on. Citing him as an authoritative figure might do lasting harm to whatever journalistic credibility you might have.
The optics on this look bad. The last time someone was getting documents from the city government and then feeding them back to selected officials was when that bottomfeeder Richard Rodier was stirring up trouble. Your article smacks of that.
I have read your writings for years- good stuff. You're a good writer. But this is a hack job, and it is not appreciated. And candidly, we don't want tabloids in Toronto stirring up tempests in Tennessee.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Predators Stink Up The Joint in 4-3 Loss
When you play a bottom feeder, you have to come out strong, put the hammer down, and put them in a hole. Apparently, that message was lost on the Predators as they fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 on home ice. Another slow, and frankly inexcusable, start doomed the Predators.
Look guys, if you are not going to play sixty minutes of hockey, especially on home ice, then you owe me some money. Soft goals, losing battles on the boards, inability to get the puck through the neutral zone, all of these were characteristic of your effort tonight. And that is unacceptable.
Pekka Rinne got the start in goal, and he was atrocious. Two soft goals and a goal given up on a breakaway and the Preds found themselves in a 3-0 hole at the end of the first period. Rinne was pulled for Dan Ellis, and if Dan had not made some exceptional saves, the score could have been worse.
Props to Marcel Goc, Cody Franson, and Ryan Jones for scoring and getting the Preds back in to the game. But this effort on home ice was sorry, and frankly, I'm freakin tired of this team coming out and being flat on their home ice. If you have to take the team to a hotel the night before and make them believe they are on the road, then do it Trotzy. This team sucks recently on home ice. Want to build attendance? Then don't come out and play sorry hockey at home.
Yes, I'm pissed. The effort in the first 30 minutes was unacceptable. This team cannot afford to give up points against bottom feeders like Toronto. This team cannot afford half assed efforts. This team cannot waste the energy of a home crowd that was into the game.
The points are too precious to waste on home ice. I guess, fortunately, for the Predators, that the road awaits. Apparently, they like playing better on the road than they do at home.
Boys, it's time to reward the fans that support you. It's time to bring the effort on home ice. It's time to stop stinking up the joint.
Look guys, if you are not going to play sixty minutes of hockey, especially on home ice, then you owe me some money. Soft goals, losing battles on the boards, inability to get the puck through the neutral zone, all of these were characteristic of your effort tonight. And that is unacceptable.
Pekka Rinne got the start in goal, and he was atrocious. Two soft goals and a goal given up on a breakaway and the Preds found themselves in a 3-0 hole at the end of the first period. Rinne was pulled for Dan Ellis, and if Dan had not made some exceptional saves, the score could have been worse.
Props to Marcel Goc, Cody Franson, and Ryan Jones for scoring and getting the Preds back in to the game. But this effort on home ice was sorry, and frankly, I'm freakin tired of this team coming out and being flat on their home ice. If you have to take the team to a hotel the night before and make them believe they are on the road, then do it Trotzy. This team sucks recently on home ice. Want to build attendance? Then don't come out and play sorry hockey at home.
Yes, I'm pissed. The effort in the first 30 minutes was unacceptable. This team cannot afford to give up points against bottom feeders like Toronto. This team cannot afford half assed efforts. This team cannot waste the energy of a home crowd that was into the game.
The points are too precious to waste on home ice. I guess, fortunately, for the Predators, that the road awaits. Apparently, they like playing better on the road than they do at home.
Boys, it's time to reward the fans that support you. It's time to bring the effort on home ice. It's time to stop stinking up the joint.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Predators Put Out Flames 1-0
When it's tough, how bad do you want it? How will you respond in a hostile environment? When the other team challenges you, how will you respond? The Nashville Predators would get a chance to answer all those questions at the Pengrowth Saddle Dome against the Calgary Flames.
Dan Ellis got the start and faced the Predators nemesis in net, Miikka Kiprusoff. Ellis was also facing a Flames team that was starting to play with a bit of desperation and frustration with their lack of goal scoring.
The first period was scoreless, but not for lack of opportunities by the Predators. They fired ten shots on net, and Kiprusoff was called upon to make some big saves to keep the Predators off the score board. The aspect of this period that was encouraging was the Predators were skating hard and cycling the puck well, thus generating quality scoring chances. Cal O'Reilly and Ryan Jones had glorious scoring chances that they could not get past Kiprusoff.
Neither team would yield in the second period as defense ruled the play. Calgary had eight shots on goal; Nashville had seven. It was not for lack of effort by either team, but both teams had a strong forecheck and solid defense which limited chances. Shots that got through were snuffed out by both goalies.
The second period has been the bane of the Predators this season, as they seem to come out of the intermission slowly and typically give up goals that force them to scramble back in to the contest. Not tonight. The Predators skated hard and were aggressive and played a solid period of hockey. The Predators put seven shots on net but could not solve Kipper.
The third period unfolded as the first two periods did, with neither goalie blinking. Ellis was aided by a post and Kiprusoff continued to make some quality saves.
That would change at 13:38 of the third, when the Predators controlled the puck in the Calgary zone. Steve Sullivan had the puck behind the net and made a great pass to Patric Hornqvist, who was driving the net. He fired the puck five hole on Kipper just as he was getting flattened by a Calgary D-man for the score. Hornqvist goal was his 19th of the year to lead the Predators. Would you have said that Hornqvist was going to lead the team in goals at this point of the year? I thought so.
Hornqvist has shown no fear going to the tough areas. Terry Crisp called the area in front of the net "Hornqvist's office" since that is where he makes his living. This requires courage and toughness, becasue Hornqvist is getting hammered by the defense every time he goes in to that area. These are the things it takes to win hockey games- the little things, the tough things. Predator hockey.
The Predators were able to choke off any Calgary threat in the remaining 6:22, and the Predators had swept all the western Canada teams on this swing. These arenas have typically been a house of horrors for the Predators. This season, they were 5-1 in their two western Canada trips.
Dan Ellis was solid in net all night, stopping all 22 shots he faced.
The points are essential- the Western Conference race is too tight to take any game lightly. The maturity and chemistry that this team is showing is, in my view, just as important. This is a team that knows that if they play their style of hockey, they have a good chance to win when they step on the ice. This is a team that has developed a grit, a resolve, that will carry them through the grind of the regular season.
The Predators are in sole possession of fourth place in the Western Conference with a 29-16-3 record, good for 61 points and continually confounding the hockey pundits everywhere but in Nashville.
Bottle this effort, build on the chemistry, and keep playing the game with the resiliency and heart that you have shown. And continue to confound the critics.
Dan Ellis got the start and faced the Predators nemesis in net, Miikka Kiprusoff. Ellis was also facing a Flames team that was starting to play with a bit of desperation and frustration with their lack of goal scoring.
The first period was scoreless, but not for lack of opportunities by the Predators. They fired ten shots on net, and Kiprusoff was called upon to make some big saves to keep the Predators off the score board. The aspect of this period that was encouraging was the Predators were skating hard and cycling the puck well, thus generating quality scoring chances. Cal O'Reilly and Ryan Jones had glorious scoring chances that they could not get past Kiprusoff.
Neither team would yield in the second period as defense ruled the play. Calgary had eight shots on goal; Nashville had seven. It was not for lack of effort by either team, but both teams had a strong forecheck and solid defense which limited chances. Shots that got through were snuffed out by both goalies.
The second period has been the bane of the Predators this season, as they seem to come out of the intermission slowly and typically give up goals that force them to scramble back in to the contest. Not tonight. The Predators skated hard and were aggressive and played a solid period of hockey. The Predators put seven shots on net but could not solve Kipper.
The third period unfolded as the first two periods did, with neither goalie blinking. Ellis was aided by a post and Kiprusoff continued to make some quality saves.
That would change at 13:38 of the third, when the Predators controlled the puck in the Calgary zone. Steve Sullivan had the puck behind the net and made a great pass to Patric Hornqvist, who was driving the net. He fired the puck five hole on Kipper just as he was getting flattened by a Calgary D-man for the score. Hornqvist goal was his 19th of the year to lead the Predators. Would you have said that Hornqvist was going to lead the team in goals at this point of the year? I thought so.
Hornqvist has shown no fear going to the tough areas. Terry Crisp called the area in front of the net "Hornqvist's office" since that is where he makes his living. This requires courage and toughness, becasue Hornqvist is getting hammered by the defense every time he goes in to that area. These are the things it takes to win hockey games- the little things, the tough things. Predator hockey.
The Predators were able to choke off any Calgary threat in the remaining 6:22, and the Predators had swept all the western Canada teams on this swing. These arenas have typically been a house of horrors for the Predators. This season, they were 5-1 in their two western Canada trips.
Dan Ellis was solid in net all night, stopping all 22 shots he faced.
The points are essential- the Western Conference race is too tight to take any game lightly. The maturity and chemistry that this team is showing is, in my view, just as important. This is a team that knows that if they play their style of hockey, they have a good chance to win when they step on the ice. This is a team that has developed a grit, a resolve, that will carry them through the grind of the regular season.
The Predators are in sole possession of fourth place in the Western Conference with a 29-16-3 record, good for 61 points and continually confounding the hockey pundits everywhere but in Nashville.
Bottle this effort, build on the chemistry, and keep playing the game with the resiliency and heart that you have shown. And continue to confound the critics.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
My View
Random thoughts from a warped and fevered mind...
A study by Carmen Reinhart of the University of Maryland and Kenneth Rogoff of Harvard University point out the perils of the level of debt we have in this country. Entitled "Growth in a Time of Debt", the study looked at economic data from 200 years of history and from 44 countries. The conclusion: when you owe as much money as we do in this country, the economy is not going to growth rapidly, if at all. The study showed that when a country's debt exceed 60% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is the value of all the goods and services we produce, growth rates drop dramatically. When debt as a percentage of GDP exceeds 90%, growth in the economy comes to a stop and in many cases, contracts. Where is the U.S.? Currently, our national debt is at 84% of our GDP, and that is before socialized medicine and an honest recognition of the true costs of Social Security and Medicare. This does not bode well for those that are out of work today and looking for a job. If the trend does not change, economic growth will be very anemic going forward. If you have children or grandchildren, be very concerned for their economic future.
Someone once said life is like a box of chocolates. I think it's more like jalapenos. What you do today can burn your ass tomorrow.
And while we are on a discussion of GDP, I think it is important to get right to the heart of the debate about the direction of our country. Remember that I said that GDP is the value of all goods and services that we produce. Now here is the critical point: we will typically produce those things we want to use or consume, those things that are beneficial to us. And this presumes that the free market-you and I- are going to make decisions about what we want and be in charge of what is produced and will be in charge of our money. What if less and less of the money is being spent by the people- by you and me- and instead, a larger and growing percentage is being spent by the government? In 1900, government spending accounted for just 3% of all economic output in this country; today it accounts for 46%. That means that the government is spending enormous sums of money that you and I no longer have to spend and controlling more and more of the economy. And the simple fact is this: government spending does not raise your standard of living one bit. And when any government starts controlling a larger percentage of the economy, less resources are available for individual incomes and standards of living begin to fall.
We have a department of counter-intelligence in this country. How about a department of counter-stupidity?
So now I get to the last point of my economic rant (didn't intend for this post to turn out that way, but it did). Please don't misunderstand, there is a need for government programs. I, for one, am glad we have the best military in the world. The question has been asked over and over in these modern times "How do we control government spending?", and lip service has been given to sunsetting defunct programs (they are not) and eliminating waste (uh, get back with me on that one), but no real and effective measures have been implemented. And most of just roll along with this. Perhaps if we ask the question a different way, it would get our attention and stir us to action. I think the salient question to ask is simply this: "Who do we want spending OUR money?" Do we want a vast, inefficient government beauracracy and 535 members of Congress telling us- you and me- how to spend OUR money? Or do I want to control the spending of the money I earn on the things I want and need? Once each of comes to the realization this is OUR money that is being spent- money that you could spend to improve your standard of living and money that is coming out of your pocket, then it becomes more personal and we get more involved. And our involvement is desperately needed to reverse some very dangerous trends.
If you can smile serenely when everything is going wrong, then you already have someone in mind to blame.
And that, my friends, is my view.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Slick Win for the Predators
In recent games, the Predators have shown an annoying habit of starting slow, falling behind, and scrambling like mad to get back in the game. In tonight's game against Edmonton, the Preds reversed that trend, jumping out to a 3-0 first period lead en route to a a 5-3 road win.
The Predators opened the scoring at 4:59 of the first period as Shea Weber unleashed a blast from just inside the blue line that beat Oiler goalie Jeff Drouin-Deslaurier. This was Weber's second goal in as many games and his ninth of the year.
Just :28 seconds later, Marcel Goc gathered in a rebound and fired in a backhand for a 2-0 Predators lead.
J.P. Dumont completed the scoring for the Predators with a beautiful wraparound goal at 19:02 of the first, and the Predators had drained the life out of the Oil and the crowd.
Patric Hornqvist notched his 18th goal of the season at 6:40 of the second period. Marcel Goc controlled the puck behind the Edmonton net and skated out and found Hornqvist in the low slot. He ripped a shot past Deslaurier for a 4-0 advantage. That was the end of the night for Deslaurier as Devan Dubnyk took over in net for the Oil.
The game remained scoreless for the remainder of the second period and for the first seven minutes of the third, when Jean-Francois Jacques slid a puck through Pekka Rinne's pads to make the score 4-1 Predators. In looking at that goal, it was certainly stoppable, as Rinne got most of the shot, but it still managed to slide across the goal line.
Ryan Potulny tallied on a power play for the Oilers at 14:29 of the third, and suddenly, the Oil had life.That was snuffed out at the end of a Predator power play as Ryan Jones was in front of the net to gather a rebound. He backhanded the puck past Dubnyk for a 5-2 Predator advantage.
Dustin Penner closed the scoring on a 5 on 3 power play at the 19:39 mark of the third.The Oil hit a post as time expired, and the Predators had their second victory on this three game western Canada swing.
Pekka Rinne got the start for the Predators, and faced 41 shots, stopping 38 for a .926 save percentage. Pekka had several quality saves to keep the Oilers off the board, and did an excellent job of controlling rebounds.
In their last 13 road games, the Predators are 10-2-1. This is outstanding work in hostile environments and is one of the reasons the Predators are in the thick of the playoff race. This team has dramatically improved their road record this season, reflecting the maturity and confidence of this team.
With this win, the Predators now have 59 points, good for fourth in the Western Conference.Central Division leader Chicago has 66 points; Detroit is third in the Central with 52 points.
While this win feels good, and it certainly feels good to say the Predators are now fourth in the West, the fact remains there is a lot of hockey yet to play and the race in the West is a logjam. Fifth place Colorado has 58 points; sixth place Phoenix (Phoenix!) has 57 points; and seventh place Vancouver has 56 points.
The closeness of the West emphasizes that the Predators have to continue to play Predator hockey. This team cannot afford to let up and go on a losing streak. These points are precious.
Another road win; two more points; and one step closer to the playoffs. Yes, there is a lot of hockey to be played. Keep playing Predator hockey, and keep on getting those slick wins.
The Predators opened the scoring at 4:59 of the first period as Shea Weber unleashed a blast from just inside the blue line that beat Oiler goalie Jeff Drouin-Deslaurier. This was Weber's second goal in as many games and his ninth of the year.
Just :28 seconds later, Marcel Goc gathered in a rebound and fired in a backhand for a 2-0 Predators lead.
J.P. Dumont completed the scoring for the Predators with a beautiful wraparound goal at 19:02 of the first, and the Predators had drained the life out of the Oil and the crowd.
Patric Hornqvist notched his 18th goal of the season at 6:40 of the second period. Marcel Goc controlled the puck behind the Edmonton net and skated out and found Hornqvist in the low slot. He ripped a shot past Deslaurier for a 4-0 advantage. That was the end of the night for Deslaurier as Devan Dubnyk took over in net for the Oil.
The game remained scoreless for the remainder of the second period and for the first seven minutes of the third, when Jean-Francois Jacques slid a puck through Pekka Rinne's pads to make the score 4-1 Predators. In looking at that goal, it was certainly stoppable, as Rinne got most of the shot, but it still managed to slide across the goal line.
Ryan Potulny tallied on a power play for the Oilers at 14:29 of the third, and suddenly, the Oil had life.That was snuffed out at the end of a Predator power play as Ryan Jones was in front of the net to gather a rebound. He backhanded the puck past Dubnyk for a 5-2 Predator advantage.
Dustin Penner closed the scoring on a 5 on 3 power play at the 19:39 mark of the third.The Oil hit a post as time expired, and the Predators had their second victory on this three game western Canada swing.
Pekka Rinne got the start for the Predators, and faced 41 shots, stopping 38 for a .926 save percentage. Pekka had several quality saves to keep the Oilers off the board, and did an excellent job of controlling rebounds.
In their last 13 road games, the Predators are 10-2-1. This is outstanding work in hostile environments and is one of the reasons the Predators are in the thick of the playoff race. This team has dramatically improved their road record this season, reflecting the maturity and confidence of this team.
With this win, the Predators now have 59 points, good for fourth in the Western Conference.Central Division leader Chicago has 66 points; Detroit is third in the Central with 52 points.
While this win feels good, and it certainly feels good to say the Predators are now fourth in the West, the fact remains there is a lot of hockey yet to play and the race in the West is a logjam. Fifth place Colorado has 58 points; sixth place Phoenix (Phoenix!) has 57 points; and seventh place Vancouver has 56 points.
The closeness of the West emphasizes that the Predators have to continue to play Predator hockey. This team cannot afford to let up and go on a losing streak. These points are precious.
Another road win; two more points; and one step closer to the playoffs. Yes, there is a lot of hockey to be played. Keep playing Predator hockey, and keep on getting those slick wins.
Did Auger "Get Back" at Burrows?
After the Predators 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks last night at GM Place, forward Alexandre Burrows went ballistic, claiming that referee Stephane Auger told him before the game that he was going to "get him back" for embarassing him (Auger) in an earlier Predators Canucks contest.
To recap, Predator forward Jerred Smithson was given a five minute major and a game misconduct for apparently boarding Burrows. Replays showed Burrows lying on the ice looking around until Auger skated over, when he feigned his injury resulting in the penalty. The League office, upon reviewing the replay, rescinded the misconduct penalty against Smithson.
There are a number of variables and unknowns at play here, and a tremendous amount of speculation as to what will be the outcome of a League investigation into the claims by Burrows. As it stands now, there is a "she said (Burrows)/he said nothing (Auger) situation. However, I think it is instructive to look at this from several perspectives.
The League office obviously reviewed the situation that was mentioned above regarding the Smithson/Burrows contact and subsequent misconduct penalty since the League rescinded (after the fact) the misconduct call against Smithson. One could reasonably surmise that Auger was critiqued, perhaps severely, for his call in that game.These critiques go in to an overall evaluation package for officials that determines their opportunity to continue to work in the post season.
So let's assume that Auger was called on the carpet by Terry Gregson, the Director of Officiating. Was it painful? Embarassing? Undoubtedly. Will it have an detrimental impact on Auger's ability to work in the post season? That is unknown. This is just one game in the body of work that is the season for an official.
However, when you look at the full body of Auger's work, you see an official that has been no stranger to controversy. He was the official that disallowed a potential game winning goal by the Red Wings in a game earlier this year. He accused Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan of using an ethnic slur offensive to Fench Candians in a game and gave him a game misconduct. And these two participants have crossed paths before, as Auger threw Burrows out of a game last season in Montreal.
So you have an official that has been involved in controversy, and he is going to go to a player with whom he has had run-ins before and forewarn him that he is going to "get him back" for embarassing him on a call? Look, Auger is human and obviously doesn't want to be shown up and remembers past slights, but is he going to jeopardize a career to get retribution against a player for one call? And tell him he is going to do so? Frankly, it just doesn't make sense.
Burrows is not the innocent victim in this situation, either. Sure, he embellished the play in December that got Smithson ejected. Burrows has been known to take cheap shots at other players heads, as he did last year when he ran J.P. Dumont. Bob MacKenzie of TSN calls Burrows "Sean Avery lite", and this is an apt description- a player that agitates but won't back it up with his fists. Burrows is yappy and annoying and I'm certain he has drawn the ire of not only opponents but officials as well. And when you have a reputation for being a pest and being yappy, sometimes officials watch you just a little more closely than they would other players (right, Mr. Tootoo?).
The final aspect of this game that should be brought out is that both Auger and fellow ref Dennis LaRue, uh, what is the technical term I'm looking for... oh yeah, sucked. These guys had some pretty shaky calls, and I'm being generous here. The tenor of any game can be controlled by how well the officials do their job, and last night both teams suffered because of questionable officiating.
So did Auger target Burrows and get him back for an earlier embarassment? On the surface, it doesn't look good for Auger, but once the bile from Burrows has subsided, enough questions emerge to cast doubt on the veracity of his statements. Was there an element of emotion on the part of Auger? I think so. Did he tell Burrows he was going to get him. I would be shocked if he did. Did he get him back? In my opinion, no.
What this incident points out is that an official that is consistently involved in controversy and controversial calls should be monitored closely by the League and an attempt made to improve performance. The League should also be honest and get those officials out that cannot, for whatever reason, perform at the highest level that this beautiful game demands.
It also points out that if you have a reputation, as Burrows does, of being an agitator-lite and taking liberties on the ice, expect to have extra attention paid to the way you play the game. If the officials call it a little more closely against you, remember that you bought that ticket. And if it is found that you fabricated this story, your suspension should be long and painful.
If it is found to be true that Auger had a vendetta against Burrows and did indeed "get him back" with phantom calls, he should be removed from the game. That is an intolerable situation.
It is imperative that the matter be resolved quickly. The League does not need to have every controversial call questioned by fans, wondering if there was an ulterior motive for the call. This great game needs fans to enjoy the speed, grace, and power that is on the ice every night in arenas all across the league free from worry about agendas deciding outcomes.
To recap, Predator forward Jerred Smithson was given a five minute major and a game misconduct for apparently boarding Burrows. Replays showed Burrows lying on the ice looking around until Auger skated over, when he feigned his injury resulting in the penalty. The League office, upon reviewing the replay, rescinded the misconduct penalty against Smithson.
There are a number of variables and unknowns at play here, and a tremendous amount of speculation as to what will be the outcome of a League investigation into the claims by Burrows. As it stands now, there is a "she said (Burrows)/he said nothing (Auger) situation. However, I think it is instructive to look at this from several perspectives.
The League office obviously reviewed the situation that was mentioned above regarding the Smithson/Burrows contact and subsequent misconduct penalty since the League rescinded (after the fact) the misconduct call against Smithson. One could reasonably surmise that Auger was critiqued, perhaps severely, for his call in that game.These critiques go in to an overall evaluation package for officials that determines their opportunity to continue to work in the post season.
So let's assume that Auger was called on the carpet by Terry Gregson, the Director of Officiating. Was it painful? Embarassing? Undoubtedly. Will it have an detrimental impact on Auger's ability to work in the post season? That is unknown. This is just one game in the body of work that is the season for an official.
However, when you look at the full body of Auger's work, you see an official that has been no stranger to controversy. He was the official that disallowed a potential game winning goal by the Red Wings in a game earlier this year. He accused Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan of using an ethnic slur offensive to Fench Candians in a game and gave him a game misconduct. And these two participants have crossed paths before, as Auger threw Burrows out of a game last season in Montreal.
So you have an official that has been involved in controversy, and he is going to go to a player with whom he has had run-ins before and forewarn him that he is going to "get him back" for embarassing him on a call? Look, Auger is human and obviously doesn't want to be shown up and remembers past slights, but is he going to jeopardize a career to get retribution against a player for one call? And tell him he is going to do so? Frankly, it just doesn't make sense.
Burrows is not the innocent victim in this situation, either. Sure, he embellished the play in December that got Smithson ejected. Burrows has been known to take cheap shots at other players heads, as he did last year when he ran J.P. Dumont. Bob MacKenzie of TSN calls Burrows "Sean Avery lite", and this is an apt description- a player that agitates but won't back it up with his fists. Burrows is yappy and annoying and I'm certain he has drawn the ire of not only opponents but officials as well. And when you have a reputation for being a pest and being yappy, sometimes officials watch you just a little more closely than they would other players (right, Mr. Tootoo?).
The final aspect of this game that should be brought out is that both Auger and fellow ref Dennis LaRue, uh, what is the technical term I'm looking for... oh yeah, sucked. These guys had some pretty shaky calls, and I'm being generous here. The tenor of any game can be controlled by how well the officials do their job, and last night both teams suffered because of questionable officiating.
So did Auger target Burrows and get him back for an earlier embarassment? On the surface, it doesn't look good for Auger, but once the bile from Burrows has subsided, enough questions emerge to cast doubt on the veracity of his statements. Was there an element of emotion on the part of Auger? I think so. Did he tell Burrows he was going to get him. I would be shocked if he did. Did he get him back? In my opinion, no.
What this incident points out is that an official that is consistently involved in controversy and controversial calls should be monitored closely by the League and an attempt made to improve performance. The League should also be honest and get those officials out that cannot, for whatever reason, perform at the highest level that this beautiful game demands.
It also points out that if you have a reputation, as Burrows does, of being an agitator-lite and taking liberties on the ice, expect to have extra attention paid to the way you play the game. If the officials call it a little more closely against you, remember that you bought that ticket. And if it is found that you fabricated this story, your suspension should be long and painful.
If it is found to be true that Auger had a vendetta against Burrows and did indeed "get him back" with phantom calls, he should be removed from the game. That is an intolerable situation.
It is imperative that the matter be resolved quickly. The League does not need to have every controversial call questioned by fans, wondering if there was an ulterior motive for the call. This great game needs fans to enjoy the speed, grace, and power that is on the ice every night in arenas all across the league free from worry about agendas deciding outcomes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)