Predators Best Blackhawks 3-2

So you want to play the defending Stanley Cup champs in your first road game of the year. And you want to do it with two rookie goaltenders.

Certainly doesn't sound like a formula for success, does it?

Even without starting netminder Pekka Rinne, who stayed back in Nashville nursing an injury, the Predators prevailed over the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 behind rookie Anders Lindback first start in net.

Joel Ward got the game winner with 26.7 seconds left in the contest with the Predators on the power play. Ward took a nice feed from J.P. Dumont and had an open net in which to shoot the puck. Ward made no mistake in burying the shot and subsequently the Blackhawks.

Imagine how Lindback must have felt.

"Kid, you're getting your first start. Oh yeah. It's against the Blackhawks. On the road."

Chicago fired 10 shots on Lindback in the first period, scoring on their second shot 4:48 in as Patrick Kane lasered a shot over the glove side shoulder of Lindback while the Hawks were on the power play.

Steve Sullivan tied the game at 6:37 of the period, beating Corey Crawford off assists from Cal O'Reilly and Ryan Suter.

Jonathan Toews gave Chicago the lead once again at 16:58 of the first with a goal off a nice assist from Marian Hossa.

The second period was scoreless, but certainly not for lack of effort by both teams. Chicago shelled Lindback early in the period and outshot the Predators 8-1 the first six minutes into the period. Lindback was steady and got good help from his defense clearing the front of the net.

Nashville turned the tables and tilted the ice in the second half of the period, outshooting the Hawks 6-1. For the period, the Hawks outshot the Predators 11-7.

Lindback and the Predators held the Hawks off the board in the third period. Corey Crawford was also strong in net, making some good stops on the Predators. The Predators offensive intensity in the third period was excellent as they controlled play and kept the puck in the Hawks end for much of the period. They put ten shots on Crawford in the third.

The Predators would tie the game at 2 when Colin Wilson took a feed from Marcel Goc and fired a shot that was tipped by a Chicago defenseman and deflected over the shoulder of Crawford.

As good as the offensive effort was in the third period, the defensive effort was even better. The Predators limited the explosive Hawks offense to just four shots in the period. The Hawks had very few scoring chances and were stymied by the Predators defense in the offensive zone. They were unable to get a transition game going as the Predators controlled the neutral zone in the period and refused to let the Hawks establish an offensive flow.

For the game, the Predators outshot the Hawks 27-25.

The game turned on a delay of game penalty on Nick Boynton as he shot the puck over the glass at 17:47 of the period.

With the Predators on the power play, David Legwand slid the puck to J.P. Dumont at the side of the net. Dumont drew the defense to him and found a wide open Joel Ward who had an empty net to pot the game winner.

The Predators displayed perseverance and character in this win tonight. It would have been easy to say that they would not be in this game without their starting goaltender.

They did not.

This team did not back down. They took the best shot the Hawks had and were still fighting, still in the game.

And at the end, they were the best team.


My three stars of the game:

1. Anders Lindback

2. Joel Ward

3. Steve Sullivan

Can the Culture of Hockey Change?

 

The 2010 hockey season is not yet a week old and already two incidents have occurred which have put a negative spotlight on the play on the ice. While each incident is different in nature, there is a common thread that ties the two events together.

One incident is all too painfully familiar to hockey fans. Jason Pominville of the Buffalo Sabres was brutally run into the boards from behind by Chicago's Niklas Hjalmarsson. Pominville would leave the game on a stretcher, suffering from a concussion and requiring 8 stitches to close a gash above his eye.

In the other incident, the New York Islanders James Wisniewski made an obscene gesture toward the New York Rangers resident pest Sean Avery. There was no doubt what the gesture meant and there was no doubt that it was obscene.

The result of both on ice incidents was a two game suspension for both Hjalmarrson and Wisniewski.

The thread that ties the two incidents together?

A lack of respect.

For the game and for the players by the players.

One could argue that what occurred in the the two games are totally unrelated. I think they are intrinsically related because in each incident a player failed to respect their opponent. In failing to respect their opponent, both Hjalmarrson and Wisniewski sullied the game we all love.

Yes, the results of the actions of Hjalmarsson and Wisniewski were decidedly different, but in my view, the root cause was the same.

Disrespect.

Look at the commonality in each incident. In the case of the Hjalmarsson's hit, a defenseless player was viciously run from behind. Pominville did not have the puck, and the blind side hit had the potential to do serious damage. As it is, Pominville was lucky not to be injured more seriously, but is out indefinitely.

Hjalmarrson said the right things after the game. He was sorry, hated to see someone injured, just trying to be physical- the standard platitudes that we hear all too often after this type of hit.

Some have said that Pominville was at fault (?) because he didn't protect himself, because he was floating along the boards and skating backwards. The fact remains that Pominville did not have the puck and was in a vulnerable position.

After the game, Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, Pominville's team mate, said, "...you have to change the culture some time, and I hope the League sets a precedent for the year."

Two games for injuring a player with a vicious hit is probably not the precedent that Miller had in mind.

In the Islanders/Rangers game, Sean Avery was being his usual irritating self. After a stoppage in play, Wisniewski and Avery were exchanging words when Wisniewski made the overt and obvious gesture toward Avery. Everyone that saw it knew exactly what the gesture meant.

I will admit that my first thought was that it was funny and that Avery surely deserved it.

Those thoughts were immediately replaced with how I would explain that to my 11 year old son if he was sitting at that game and saw what Wisniewski had done. The game was an afternoon matinee game on Columbus day, and I am certain that some children had to be in attendance. Even if they weren't at the game, the subsequent media coverage made it difficult to ignore.

I should perfectly clear at this point. I love the physical play of hockey. A great open ice hit- cleanly done- revs me up about as much as my team scoring a goal. I do not want to see the physical aspect of hockey relegated out of the game.

I also know that chirping and trash talk goes on all the time. That is part and parcel of competitive athletics. I don't expect that to go away either.

What has to happen to keep physical play from crossing the line and jeopardizing the health of the athletes we admire is a healthy dose of respect. What has to happen to keep the chirping from attempting to get under the skin of an opponent to becoming obscene is respect.

Respect for an opponent's health. Respect for the game.

And respect for the fans.

Respect does not mean that physical play is removed from the game. Respect does not mean forgoing an attempt to get a mental edge. Respect does not mean that a player puts it all on the line to win a game.

However, respect establishes the firm boundaries of physical play and behavior on the ice.

A lack of respect creates the gray areas in which players are unsure of themselves and what they should do on the ice. A lack of respect for players and for the game causes some to step over the line with their physical play and their behavior after the whistle.

Without the firm boundaries that respect establishes, anything goes on the ice.

So can the culture of hockey change? Can the game evolve where players do not run a vulnerable player on the boards? Can they be feisty without crossing the line into the obscene?

Yes.

It starts at the top, though. If Wisniewski's obscene gesture is worthy of a two game suspension, how much more should Hjalmarsson's hit be suspension worthy? What the League has said is that they do not respect the players enough to appropriately punish a dangerous hit. In effect, a hit that could have permanently injured a player is no worse than a crude school yard gesture from one player toward another.

That has to change.

Players have to know that the League is consistent, fair, and intolerant of dangerous hits. Players need to know that there are no gray areas with these types of hits.

Players also have to respect the game and the fans that support them. It's fine that Wisniewski got suspended for his gesture. He disrespected the game and the fans of the game.

When the League send the message that disrespect of the game- and its fans- is no different than potentially injuring a player permanently, then respect for the players will continue to be inadequate.

And the culture of hockey will never change.

Predators Update

The Nashville Predators starting goaltender Pekka Rinne will not make the trip with the team to play the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. Rinne was injured in a collision with Anaheim's Troy Bodie and Nashville's Francis Buillon. Although Rinne's injury does not appear to be serious, the Predators are going to give him some extra rest to receive treatment.

The Predators will go with rookie Anders Lindback as the starter and have called up Mark Dekanich from their AHL affiliate in Milwaukee to serve as a backup.

Lindback saw 17:22 in ice time in the season opener as he came in in relief of Rinne in the third period. He allowed no goals on the 7 shots he faced.

The Predators will play their first back to back games of the season as they will be home to play the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.

The Predators will also be without Martin Erat for the game with Chicago. Erat missed practice with back spasms, and the training and coaching staff thought it best to let him try to heal rather than push through this injury.

It is unknown how many games Erat and Rinne will miss.

Predators Pound Ducks; Rinne Injured

The Nashville Predators pounded the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 in their season opener. The thrill of that victory was tempered by an injury to starting goaltender Pekka Rinne early in the third period.

Rinne was injured when Troy Bodie of the Ducks and Francis Buillon collided with Rinne as Bodie drove the net. Several players piled in on Rinne as the Predators sought to protect their goaltender. Rinne looked shaken but stayed in the net. After freezing the puck on a shot on net, Rinne took himself out of the game. As he left the ice, he was flexing his right knee. Anders Lindback came in and finished the last 17:22 of the game, stopping all 7 shots that he faced.

After a scoreless first period that saw the Predators tally a 16-9 shot advantage, the Predators got on the board at 4:10 of the second as Marcel Goc gathered in a bouncing puck and fired a shot over the shoulder of Ducks netminder Jonas Hiller.

Anaheim tied the game 1:15 later in the second as Saku Koivu was left alone in the slot and wristed a puck over the shoulder of Rinne.

Steve Sullivan scored on the power play as Sheldon Brookbank was in the box for interference. The Predators had good puck movement and Sullivan was alone on the left wing. He fired a shot at Hiller who was screened by Patric Hornqvist. Hiller never saw the shot as Sullivan put it over the shoulder of Hiller to give the Preds a 2-1 advantage.

The Predators stretched the lead to 3-1 as Patric Hornqvist batted a floating puck out of the air. Shea Weber sent a soft shot toward the net and Hornqvist was able to bat the puck past Hiller to give the Predators a 3-1 lead.

The Predators finished the scoring at 12:39 of the third period as David Legwand shot a puck at Hiller, who sprawled to make the save. The rebound came back to Legwand, who roofed the puck into the back of the net over the prone Hiller.

Rinne was called day to day by Head Coach Barry Trotz in his post game remarks. The Predators have a couple of days off, so it will give the team time to evaluate the seriousness of Rinne's injury.

While the injury to Rinne puts a damper on the Predators win, there are a number of positives that are to be taken away from this game.

The Predators have four lines that can put the puck in the net. This will obviously serve the Predators well during the season. having the ability to roll four lines that are a scoring threat is important to the success of this franchise. The offensive prowess of the Predators came in spite of the fact that the line of Lombardi, Erat, and Wilson- considered one of the top lines for the Predators- was held off the score sheet. It will be important for the Predators to get this line active and on the scoresheet.

The Predators defense did a great job of limiting chances by the Ducks. Nashville out shot the Ducks 47-39, being out shot only in the second period by a 19-12 margin. In the third period, the Predators held the Ducks to only 7 shot on goal. Most times, Rinne and Lindback had a clear look at the puck, with the defense clearing space in front of their netminders throughout the contest.

It's always good to get the first game under your belt, especially when you dominate on home ice like the Predators did tonight. They have to build on this win, and hopefully will not be without their starting netminder in their next contest.

The Predators exhibited the tenacity and toughness that this season will require. They have to continue to play as they did tonight to have continued success.

Do that, and they will continue to confound the pundits that count them out.

My View

Random thoughts from a warped and fevered mind...


Have you ever experienced buyer's remorse? You know, you make a big purchase and then regret the cost associated with that purchase. Seems the voting public has been experiencing buyers remorse when it comes to Obamacare, the socialized medical program rammed through Congress earlier this year. In a Hill/Anga poll of voters in 12 Congressional districts across the nation that were characterized as "battleground" districts- districts where the incumbent is in danger of losing their Congressional seat- the poll found some surprising results. 56% of all likely voters want the health care law repealed. Amazingly, 25% of Democrats in the surveyed districts want the law repealed. Undecided voters want socialized medicine tossed out by a margin of 49% to 27% who are in favor of it. Voters have been apathetic and in some instances naive about the issues. One of the legacies of Obamacare is that socialized medicine will galvanize voters of all political persuasions to action. Incumbent Democrats running for re-election should be very wary of buyer's remorse.


Time is a great healer, but a terrible beautician.


There is no doubt that we all want to save energy. It's good for the planet, not to mention good for our wallets. Appliance makers, automakers, home builders, and numerous other industries have all embraced energy efficiency, with profitable results. The aspect of  consumer and industry driven energy efficiency that is important is that each of us, whether an individual or a business, takes into account the cost of becoming more energy efficient. We do a cost benefit analysis and determine if the cost savings over time of a certain course of action, say installing an energy efficient water heater, is commensurate with the up front cost. These are market forces at work, and companies that make energy efficient products have to contain cost to satisfy this benefit analysis that we all do. That rational analysis is about to get skewed by the heavy hand of government. The Obama administration has initiated more than 20 energy regulations for everyday household appliances that is going to induce sticker shock for the American consumer. For instance, this year the Energy Department finalized regulations for residential water heaters, among others appliances. According to the Energy Department own estimates, these regulations will increase the cost of a hot water heater by $67 to $974, depending on the size and type. New regulations are coming for washers, dryers, and refrigerators. Unnecessary regulations and added costs are the end result of government intervention for negligible energy savings.


Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?


Regular readers of "My View" know that I constantly criticize our profligate spending at the federal level and the ineptitude that is constantly on display in Washington. Much of my criticism, rightfully so, is directed at liberals that have a socialist bent and the inability to constrain spending. That criticism can also be directed at the Republican Party, the party of so-called fiscal constraint. Think that criticism is unjustified? Here is Tom DeLay, then House Majority Leader, quoted in a September 2005 Washington Times story that sorta leaves you speechless:

Republicans have done so well in cutting spending that we are declaring an on-going victory, and there is simply no fat left to cut in the federal budget."

Wow! Just... Wow. If one is wondering why our country is in such a financial mess, look no further. We have a ruling class in Washington that is either so intellectually dishonest or so stupid as to be dangerous. Maybe both. It is time for citizens in this country to get involved and understand the future is decidedly bleak if we keep going down the path our great nation presently treads. It doesn't matter if one is liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican. We are in financial shambles in this country and we are all going to have to sacrifice and make some tough choices to correct these problems.


"I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest?


And that, my friends, is my view.

SOB! Predators Add Gritty Defenseman

 
The Nashville Predators moved former first round draft pick Ryan Parent (again!) and second round pick Jonas Andersson to the Vancouver Canucks for Shane O'Brien and prospect Dan Gendur. The initial reaction from the Nashville fan base was an overwhelming...

"Huh?"...

followed by some questioning of General Manager David Poile's sanity. Some fans worried that all those years of operating on a shoestring budget to cobble together a team had finally made one of the best minds in hockey snap.

Once the dust had settled on this trade, however, it looks as if the mind of David Poile has not snapped, but is just as crafty as ever.

The Predators essentially swapped even on salary for O'Brien; the combined salaries of Parent and Andersson ($1,575,000) are replaced by O'Briens ($1,600,000).

In Parent, the Predators gave up a defenseman that was not at all physical and didn't want the puck in pressure situations. This is not to say that he wasn't a good person or teammate. Coaches have told me he was.

The coaching staff expects the race in the Central Division this year to be a war, and Ryan Parent was not a player with whom they wanted to go to war.

Jonas Andersson is a physically gifted player that just could not elevate his game to the NHL level. Frankly, Andersson had no chance of being full time on the Nashville roster, and with a one way contract for $675,000 became a costly and unproductive asset for the team.

So what do the Predators get in Shane O'Brien?

No doubt they get a gritty player that plays with an edge.

Sometimes, over the edge.

O'Brien has logged over 150 PIM's in three of his four NHL seasons. His ten major penalties were second most among defensemen in the 2008-09 season. Obviously, a player that pushes the limits.

Pushes the limits hard.

They also get a player that has had more than a few runs ins with his previous coach. O'Brien is a player that has had a few off ice incidents. Partying hard at the Roxy, a local Vancouver night club and sleeping in the next day and missing practice put him in the dog house in Vancouver. O'Brien has been known to frequent the Roxy and be quite the party animal.

Part of this is maturity, or the lack thereof on his part. Part of this is a sour relationship with his former coach, Alain Vigneault.

On the other hand, they get a defenseman that will stand up for team mates, one that is not afraid to drop the gloves when necessary. He has also shown the ability to be a responsible defenseman as evidenced by his career +/- of +15.

O'Brien also brings playoff experience, having been in the playoffs and logging quality time in three of the last four seasons.

While not a prolific scorer, he has recorded double digits in points in three of four seasons in the League.

Predators management felt that bringing in a tough, physical defenseman that has playoff experience was a plus for the team. A player that knows how to win and has experience.

So do I.

It will be incumbent on the coaching staff to get control of O'Brien early on in Nashville. Mold him into the type of player that can be an asset to the team. The raw tools and talent are there.


The Central Division- and the Western Conference- will be a war again this year with numerous teams fighting for playoff positioning. When you go to war, you want guys beside you that have experience. Guys that will not back down. Guys that will stand up and be counted.

The Predators have added a SOB that will do just that.

Central Division Preview

The wait is over, as a long hot summer has given way to the crispness of fall and the return of hockey. Fans everywhere await the puck drop for their favorite team and dream of what might be in this upcoming season.

The Central Division has produced 2 of the last 3 Stanley Cup champions, and it can be argued that since the lockout, the Central has emerged as the toughest division in the NHL. This season shapes up no differently.

So let's take a look at the the teams in the Central and what we can expect from them in this upcoming season.


Chicago Blackhawks

2010 record: 55-22-8     112 points     Western Conference finish: 2nd

Departing:    

John Madden; Dustin Byfuglien; Ben Eager; Kris Versteeg; Brent Sopel; Andrew Ladd; Antti Niemi; Adam Burish

Arriving:       

Marty Turco

It would be tempting to look at the Blackhawks and say they sold their soul- well, maybe their immediate future- in order to win the Stanley Cup last season. Gone are key depth players that played essential roles in the success of last season. Oh, yeah, also gone is your starting goaltender that carried you to the championship. Most teams could not absorb the kind of losses the Blackhawks have and still be competitive, but this is a team that has some high end talent on their roster. Guys like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith, and Brent Seabrook make a formidable nucleus around which to plug in younger players. It will be those younger players that will have to step in early and log some quality minutes and their caliber of play that will be a question mark for this team, especially early in the season.

Perhaps the biggest question mark for the Blackhawks will be the play of Marty Turco in net.  Because of cap constraints, the team chose to walk away from the arbitration award of $2.75 million given to Niemi, instead choosing to sign the aging Turco for $1 million for one season. Conventional wisdom says that Turco will be just fine with the Hawks D in front of him. I think conventional wisdom is giving Turco a little too much credit for where he is with his ability. There is no doubt that Turco is talented and can win games. He is, however, no longer an elite goalie, and teams will find opportunity that put pucks on net.

This is a team that has the talent to be a force in the regular season and the playoffs. It remains to be seen if they have the talent to repeat as Cup champions.


Columbus Blue Jackets

2010 record     32-35-15     79 points     Western Conference finish: 14th


Departing:

None


Arriving:

Ethan Moreau; Nikita Filatov


I will go ahead and say it now. This is the Central Division team that will not make the playoffs. It won't be for lack of effort. New Head Coach Scott Arniel is going to do some good things with this team, and the Jackets have one of the best players in the game in Rick Nash. Unfortunately for Columbus and their fans, the talent around Nash has not come close to complimenting what he brings to the ice.

There is potential there, to be sure. Derrick Brassard and Antoine Vermette have the potential to blossom into upper echelon players. Nikita Filatov is a wild card. A potentially phenomenal talent that could not mesh with former Coach Ken Hitchcock and his authoritarian style before fleeing back to Russia on loan is now back with the team. And Steve Mason is attempting to round back into his Calder winning style of play after a precipitous drop in performance last season.

For Columbus, the question is can Arniel develop this talent up front so that it produces consistently, and can he coach up what is at best an average blue line?

Columbus will be better. I don't think Mason will be as bad as he was last season. The team will be better than 79  points.

Better, but not good enough to make the playoffs.


Detroit


2010 record:     44-24-14     102 points     Western Conference finish: 5th


Departing:

Brett Lebda


Arriving:

Jiri Hudler

It's easy to joke about the Red Wings needing to put skates on the walkers and canes of some of their players on the roster, but the fact is that the experience they bring to ice counts for something. Actually, it counts for a lot. This is a well coached team that know how to win and compete in the grind of an 82 game season. Last season, the Wings were decimated by injuries, and if not for the outstanding play of Jimmy Howard, could have possibly finished outside of the playoffs for the first time since 1993.

You can't discount the talent of Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and Johan Franzen. These guys are good. It is the depth players on the third and fourth lines that have to produce for the Wings to get back to the playoffs and make another deep run. The aging Kris Draper has moved to the fourth line and younger players are logging more minutes in quality situations for the Wings. There is not doubt that the Wings have talent in the organization and they have proven they can develop that talent. The health of their stars will go a long way to determining the type of season Detroit will have.

Jimmy Howard has to avoid the sophomore slump that afflicted Steve Mason and continue to play at a high level. The defense is aging, but Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski are still very good, and the second pairing of Niklas Kronwall and Brad Stuart are experienced and physical. After that, the talent level drops a bit.


Nashville Predators


2010 record:     47-29-6     100 points     Western Conference finish: 7th


Departing:

Jason Arnott; Dustin Boyd; Dan Ellis; Dan Hamhuis


Arriving:

Matthew Lombardi; Matt Halischuk; Sergei Kostitsyn; Jonas Andersson; Aaron Johnson


The words "offensively challenged" and "Nashville Predators" are used so often in the same sentence that a casual fan may think the team's name is the Offensively Challenged Nashville Predators. The Predators, however, rank about the middle of the pack for NHL teams in goals per game (2.65, 18th). And it is true that there isn't a dynamic goal scorer like an Ovechkin or Crosby on the roster. What there is, however, is a team that has balanced scoring that can come from all four lines. Lead by 30 goal scorer Patric Hornqvist, the Predators had ten players that logged ten or more goals this past year. For the Predators to get into the playoffs and move beyond the first round, production is going to have to improve from veterans like David Legwand, Marty Erat, and J.P. Dumont, and some new contributors will have to emerge. Players like Cal O'Reilly will be given every opportunity to stick with the big club. Newcomer Matthew Lombardi brings blazing speed to the ice and is expected to be the top line center for the Predators, replacing the departed Jason Arnott.

The Blue line is solid with Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, and veteran Francis Buillon anchoring the back. Cody Franson has inked a new deal and is expected to continue to improve. Kevin Klein's play improved after being split with his D partner last season, Dan Hamhuis. Aaron Johnson is expected to contend for the 7th D position or provide depth from Milwaukee.

Pekka Rinne is the man between the pipes for the Predators. The undisputed starter, Rinne has been focused and sharp in the pre-season. Predator fans hope he can carry the load as his backup will be rookie Anders Lindback, who beat out Mark Dekanich for the role.


St. Louis Blues


2010 record:     40-32-10     90 points     Western Conference finish:     15th

Departing:

Paul Kariya; Keith Tkachuk, Chris Mason


Arriving:

Jaroslav Halak; Vladimir Sobotka


Well, ha-ya-lak me now? At least that is what the Blues fans are saying after the acquisition of Jaroslav Halak from the Montreal Canadiens. Yes, that Halak, the goalie that took le bleu, blanc, et rouge on his back and an improbable run to the Eastern Conference finals. The acquisition of Halak has already made the Blues a sexy pick among pundits and has the fans of the Blues dreaming of the post season.

For the Blues to get there, however, some of their younger players are going to have to elevate their game. David Perron, T.J. Oshie,  and Patrik Bergland are all players the Blues will rely upon to increase their production in the upcoming season. If these players do so, the Blues could surprise in the division.

They will benefit from having Erik Johnson back for the second season after injuring a knee in a freak golf cart accident. His game continues to improve. Barrett Jackman and Roman Polak are steady on the blueline, and  Alex Pietrangelo is a talent that will attempt to stick with the big club this season.


So there you have it: a quick and dirty analysis of the teams in the Central Division.

What's that?

You want a predicted order of finish?

Well, never one to shy away from a challenge, here is my predicted order of finish in the Central Division for the upcoming season:

1.     Chicago

2.     Nashville

3.     Detroit

4.     St. Louis

5.     Columbus