The Nashville Predators made a strategic decision at the trade deadline to stand pat and rely on their young players to help carry the load over the remainder of the season. Tonight, youth was served as two first year players led the Nashville Predators to a 3-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
With the win, the Predators have captured 4 of 5 games against the Red Wings this season. More importantly for the Predators, this was their 4th win in the last 5 games and currently moves them back into a playoff spot in the tightly bunched Western Conference race.
The win give the Predators a record of 37-25-10 and good for 84 points, tied with Chicago for the 7th position in the Western Conference.
Detroit opened the scoring on the power play at 19:38 of the first period. Sergei Kostitsyn was called for elbowing, and just 8 seconds into the power play, the Wings capitalized as Dan Cleary was able to tip the puck over the shoulder of Pekka Rinne for his 23rd goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.
The score could have been 2-0 as an apparent goal by Niklas Kronwall was waved off by referee Stephen Walkom because it was ruled that Tomas Holmstrom interfered with Rinne. The first big break of the game had gone to the Predators with this call.
It was going to be important for the Predators to respond to the score by the Wings. They could ill afford to fall behind by two goals.
Respond the did.
In the second period, the Predators did an excellent job of forechecking and limiting the scoring chances by the Red Wings. They outshot Detroit 18-9 in the period and generated some quality scoring chances.
The offensive effort paid off at 8:42 of the period as first year player Blake Geoffrion scored his third goal of the season and his first on home ice to tie the game. Geoffrion took a centering pass from Patric Hornqvist and tipped the puck over the shoulder of Detroit netminder Jimmy Howard. The goal was very similar to the goal the Wings scored late in the first period and was the result of Geoffrion driving the net and scoring from the hard area at the top of the blue paint. A blue collar goal and typical of how the Predators have scored many of their goals this season.
Late in the second period, Mike Modano streaked in on a breakaway and hit the crossbar with 1:18 remaining. Rinne challenged Modano and was big in the net, forcing the dangerous Wings forward to shoot high.
The second big break of the game goes to the Predators.
Tied at 1 going into the third, this contest would be one that would be decided by who wanted the game more. Who was mentally and physically tougher and would capitalize on their opportunities?
That would be the Predators.
Shane O'Brien pinched in from his defensive position and drove the net. He was tripped by Henrik Zetterberg, and on the ensuing power play, the Predators made the Wings pay.
Sergei Kostitsyn ripped a shot from the slot that caromed off a leg of a Wings defenseman and came directly to Jonathan Blum, who was crashing the net from his defensive position. Blum rifled a shot between Howard and the far post to give the Predators a 2-1 lead at 8:12 of the third period.
One knew the Wings would be coming hard at the Predators over the remainder of the game. As he had done all night, Pekka Rinne made some huge stops for the Predators and kept the Wings off the board. Rinne had an outstanding game, stopping 39 of 40 shots that he faced.
David Legwand would seal the win for the Predators with an empty net goal at 19:38 of the third, and the Predators captured 2 precious points. This was especially sweet as they came at the hands of one of their fiercest rivals.
The Predators showed no quit and refused to yield to the talent and the pressure of Detroit. Throughout the night, the Predators were the more physical team, pounding Detroit with booming body checks. Their physical play was instrumental in setting the tone for the game and turning momentum in their favor.
A special mention should go to the play of Shane O'Brien. O'Brien was physical all night and agitated the Wings, especially getting under the skin of Todd Bertuzzi and taking the big forward off his game. O'Brien did a great job of moving the puck and creating opportunities for the Predators. In my view, it was one of the best games he has played as a member of the Predators.
One could question the reliance on the young players by the Predators. The truth is they have made some rookie mistakes during their time on the ice. Yet players like Blake Geoffrion and Jonathan Blum have accepted the challenge before them and they have contributed positively. Blum has shown that he can be a solid defenseman and his presence on the power play gives the Predators another offensive option. Geoffrion has shown a willingness to go to the hard areas and battle for the puck and for scoring chances.
Youth will be served.
There is no doubt that the young guys will have to contribute for this team to be successful. It will take the enthusiasm and effort of this entire squad to get into the playoffs.
This is the trial by fire, not only for the young guys but for every player on the Predators. This is playoff hockey right now. This is your challenge.
Continue to play with heart. Continue to bring it every game.
And the playoffs will be your reward.
My three stars:
1. Jonathan Blum
2. Blake Geoffrion
3. Pekka Rinne
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
My View
Random ruminations from your resident curmudgeon...
In our federal budget, there are some items for which our government has to spend money- the "mandatory" spending items. Most of these items are for entitlement programs: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other entitlement programs. These are expenditures for which the federal government has made a promise to pay to the beneficiaries and has no "wiggle room"; they MUST make these payments. In 2007, our federal revenues (read: tax collections) exceeded mandatory payments by $1.17 trillion dollars. This excess was spent on items such as defense, interstate highways, and national parks, to name a few. In 2008, the Bush Administration released a report that stated that if unchanged, mandatory spending would consume the entire federal budget within approximately 50 years, meaning no funds would be available for discretionary items like those I just mentioned. Well, guess what? According to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), mandatory spending will exceed the federal budget revenues in 2011. How did that happen? Two factors are at play here. First, with the slumping economy, federal tax receipts have fallen significantly. Secondly, there has been a massive expansion of entitlement programs (think: ObamaCare) and payments on our exponentially growing debt. The fiscal crisis this country faces is very real, yet there is no serious discussion on entitlement reform coming out of Washington. Entitlements must be reformed, debt must be reined in, and we have to get our economy back on track so it can grow. As it is, Washington has not been serious about doing any of these critical things. Look for the "solutions" that come out of Washington to entail primarily taxing more of your hard earned income.
I'm very worried about Egypt's financial situation. It appears to be a pyramid scheme.
Although the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which tracks inflation, will tell us that inflation is benign, consumers know differently. BLS does not count the cost of food and energy in their core inflation calculations, but costs in those areas has been rising dramatically. A more accurate measure of the cost of living comes from the Labor Department, which calculates inflation on a "chain weighted index" which takes into account food and energy costs and more accurately tracks consumer costs. Last month, the chain weighted index hit a 40 year high. We all know that our food and energy costs have gone up- we feel it in our wallets every month. We are paying more for our basic necessities. Part of the responsibility for this condition rests with our Federal Reserve, who through their printing of massive amounts of new dollars have debased the value of our currency. Simply put, our dollar doesn't buy as much as it used to and we consequently are paying more for a gallon of milk and a tank of gas. The effects of this situation are going to continue for some time, as the Federal Reserve shows no inclination of strengthening our dollar. And you and I will pay for this strategy by paying more for our basic necessities.
In the words of Big Bird, this day is brought to you by the letters "W", "T", and "F".
Oil is hovering around $100 a barrel, partly because of fears of a supply disruption from the turmoil in the Middle East. We are close to having demand outstrip the supply of new oil coming on the market. The last time we got into a situation such as this- in 2007- oil spiked to $148 per barrel and created a global economic slump. Conventional wisdom says that the U.S. has only 2% of the worlds oil reserves, and no matter how much we drill, we cannot produce enough oil to meet our demands. Really? It may shock you to learn that the U.S. sits on nearly three times as much recoverable oil as the entire Middle East. New technology has unlocked the potential of oil producing shale, and the U.S. holds vast reserves of these oil resources. In a 35 square mile area of the Green River Basin, there are at least 800 million barrels of oil that can be recovered from shale. It is estimated that with the new drilling technology, there could actually be 1.4 TRILLION barrels of oil in this one region. That is enough oil to meet our demands in this country for the next 200 years. Couple that with the fact that there are proven reserves off our coastlines, and one can see that we have ample reserves in this country. Yet we have an incoherent energy policy that promotes windmills and solar panels. I am all for renewable energy, but the fact remains that our nation's energy policy as presently constructed is ridiculous. It constrains our economy and costs us more money to function. It is time for all our elected leaders to realize we need to develop our own resources for the betterment of our economy and to the benefit of you and me.
It is scientifically proven that a woman can be satisfied with only three inches. And it doesn't matter if it is a Visa or a MasterCard.
And that, my friends, is my view.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Predators Show Heart, Come Back to Beat the Bruins 4-3 in OT
Sometimes a team wins a game when they are short on talent but long on heart and grit. That was the case tonight in the Bridgestone Arena as the Nashville Predators defeated the Boston Bruins in overtime 4-3. For the Predators, this was their first overtime win of the season, and it was two critical points for the Predators, who are fighting for a playoff spot.
With the win, the Predators record is 36-25-10, good for 82 points and currently 9th in the Western Conference, one point out of the 8th position.
The game was billed as a matchup between the two best goalies in the NHL in Boston's Tim Thomas and Nashville's Pekka Rinne. However, Boston chose to go with backup Tuukka Rask against the Predators.
The game did not start well for the Predators, as Boston scored on their first shot of the game. Tyler Seguin beat Rinne high glove side just 1:50 into the game to stake the Bruins to a 1-0 lead.
Sergei Kostitsyn would break his personal scoring drought at 7:53 of the first with a wrist shot from inside the face off circle that would beat Rask for his 17th goal of the season. Good to see Kostitsyn find the net again, as the Predators are going to need contributions from the speedy forward.
Tyler Seguin would factor into another big play in the first period, as Patric Hornqvist was called for elbowing Seguin at at 17:30 of the first period. Although it appeared that Hornqvist made contact with Seguin's shoulder first, Seguin was injured (he received 7 stitches to his ear), and as a result, Hornqvist received a 5 minute major and a game misconduct for the hit.
The Predators had to kill the major over the remainder of the first period and the start of the second, and they were fortunate that the penalty was spread over the two periods as it gave the penalty killers time to recover during the intermission. The Predators were successful in killing the major penalty and their effort not only energized the crowd but the team as well.
Pekka Rinne made an outstanding save on Michael Ryder, who came out of the box after serving a penalty for interference and broke in behind the defense. Rinne stoned Ryder with a fantastic glove save to keep the Bruins off the board.
The Predators built on the momentum of the save and the energy of the crowd and Colin Wilson capitalized at 10:39 of the second period with a wicked wrister that beat Rask to his blocker side. Wilson squeezed the shot in between Rask's blocker and the post for his 15th goal of the season. Once again, a player that had endured a personal goal scoring drought had broken through with a tally. For the Predators to have success in their remaining games, they are going to have to have contributions from all the forwards, and Wilson is one of those that will be counted on to find the net.
David Krejci would tie the game at 13:33 as he fired a rebound of a Nathan Horton shot into an open net. Rinne made the initial save on the Horton shot, but kicked the rebound out and Krejci beat Shea Weber to the rebound and fired it past an out of position Rinne.
Tied at 2 going into the third period, it was obvious that the out manned Predators could play with the talented Bruins. The question was would they be able to reach down and capture a win they desperately needed?
The Bruins recaptured the lead at 1:50 of the third period as Patrice Bergeron notched his 22nd goal of the season as he beat Rinne to the glove side.
The hole was there. How would the Predators respond?
Martin Erat was called for high sticking at 8:46 of the third, and once again the stellar penalty kill of the Predators went to work, and once again, they held the Bruins off the board. Erat came out of the box, and much like Michael Ryder did in the second period, took a stretch pass behind the defense and broke in on Rask. Rask made the initial save and a save on a follow up by Sergei Kostitsyn. David Legwand was also following the play, and with Rask out of position after the second save, buried the third attempt for the game tying goal at 10:56.
Neither team was able to find the net for the remainder of the third period, and it was off to overtime, a period that had not been kind to the Predators this season.
In the extra period, Steven Kampfer was called for tackling Mike Fisher, who was hustling on the cycle in the Bruins zone. The Predators would have the man advantage for the remainder of the overtime period.
The Predators would make the Bruins pay for their transgression at 3:37 of overtime. Ryan Suter slid the puck to Shea Weber, who was creeping in from the blueline. Weber unleashed his cannon shot from 10 feet inside the blueline, and Rask never saw the rocket until it was in the back of the net.
With the home crowd in a frenzy, the Predators celebrated their first overtime victory of the season, a win that came against the team with the best road record in the NHL. More importantly, they captured a precious two points that they had to have to stay in the playoff race.
This would have been an easy game to tank for the Predators. Injuries have ravaged the line up and you lose a forward to a game misconduct in the first period. The talent level of the Bruins was better and they had a healthy squad. They one thing you cannot quantify, however, is heart.
And tonight, the heart of the Predators was bigger.
This is the kind of game the Predators are going to have to play the rest of the season- gritty hockey, hockey that is not fancy but hard working hockey. Hockey with heart.
Play with the heart that you displayed tonight and you will be rewarded.
My three stars:
1. Shea Weber
2. Colin Wilson
3. Tyler Seguin
With the win, the Predators record is 36-25-10, good for 82 points and currently 9th in the Western Conference, one point out of the 8th position.
The game was billed as a matchup between the two best goalies in the NHL in Boston's Tim Thomas and Nashville's Pekka Rinne. However, Boston chose to go with backup Tuukka Rask against the Predators.
The game did not start well for the Predators, as Boston scored on their first shot of the game. Tyler Seguin beat Rinne high glove side just 1:50 into the game to stake the Bruins to a 1-0 lead.
Sergei Kostitsyn would break his personal scoring drought at 7:53 of the first with a wrist shot from inside the face off circle that would beat Rask for his 17th goal of the season. Good to see Kostitsyn find the net again, as the Predators are going to need contributions from the speedy forward.
Tyler Seguin would factor into another big play in the first period, as Patric Hornqvist was called for elbowing Seguin at at 17:30 of the first period. Although it appeared that Hornqvist made contact with Seguin's shoulder first, Seguin was injured (he received 7 stitches to his ear), and as a result, Hornqvist received a 5 minute major and a game misconduct for the hit.
The Predators had to kill the major over the remainder of the first period and the start of the second, and they were fortunate that the penalty was spread over the two periods as it gave the penalty killers time to recover during the intermission. The Predators were successful in killing the major penalty and their effort not only energized the crowd but the team as well.
Pekka Rinne made an outstanding save on Michael Ryder, who came out of the box after serving a penalty for interference and broke in behind the defense. Rinne stoned Ryder with a fantastic glove save to keep the Bruins off the board.
The Predators built on the momentum of the save and the energy of the crowd and Colin Wilson capitalized at 10:39 of the second period with a wicked wrister that beat Rask to his blocker side. Wilson squeezed the shot in between Rask's blocker and the post for his 15th goal of the season. Once again, a player that had endured a personal goal scoring drought had broken through with a tally. For the Predators to have success in their remaining games, they are going to have to have contributions from all the forwards, and Wilson is one of those that will be counted on to find the net.
David Krejci would tie the game at 13:33 as he fired a rebound of a Nathan Horton shot into an open net. Rinne made the initial save on the Horton shot, but kicked the rebound out and Krejci beat Shea Weber to the rebound and fired it past an out of position Rinne.
Tied at 2 going into the third period, it was obvious that the out manned Predators could play with the talented Bruins. The question was would they be able to reach down and capture a win they desperately needed?
The Bruins recaptured the lead at 1:50 of the third period as Patrice Bergeron notched his 22nd goal of the season as he beat Rinne to the glove side.
The hole was there. How would the Predators respond?
Martin Erat was called for high sticking at 8:46 of the third, and once again the stellar penalty kill of the Predators went to work, and once again, they held the Bruins off the board. Erat came out of the box, and much like Michael Ryder did in the second period, took a stretch pass behind the defense and broke in on Rask. Rask made the initial save and a save on a follow up by Sergei Kostitsyn. David Legwand was also following the play, and with Rask out of position after the second save, buried the third attempt for the game tying goal at 10:56.
Neither team was able to find the net for the remainder of the third period, and it was off to overtime, a period that had not been kind to the Predators this season.
In the extra period, Steven Kampfer was called for tackling Mike Fisher, who was hustling on the cycle in the Bruins zone. The Predators would have the man advantage for the remainder of the overtime period.
The Predators would make the Bruins pay for their transgression at 3:37 of overtime. Ryan Suter slid the puck to Shea Weber, who was creeping in from the blueline. Weber unleashed his cannon shot from 10 feet inside the blueline, and Rask never saw the rocket until it was in the back of the net.
With the home crowd in a frenzy, the Predators celebrated their first overtime victory of the season, a win that came against the team with the best road record in the NHL. More importantly, they captured a precious two points that they had to have to stay in the playoff race.
This would have been an easy game to tank for the Predators. Injuries have ravaged the line up and you lose a forward to a game misconduct in the first period. The talent level of the Bruins was better and they had a healthy squad. They one thing you cannot quantify, however, is heart.
And tonight, the heart of the Predators was bigger.
This is the kind of game the Predators are going to have to play the rest of the season- gritty hockey, hockey that is not fancy but hard working hockey. Hockey with heart.
Play with the heart that you displayed tonight and you will be rewarded.
My three stars:
1. Shea Weber
2. Colin Wilson
3. Tyler Seguin
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Kings Choke the Life Out of the Predators 4-2
The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Nashville Predators 4-2 at the Bridgestone Arena. With the loss, the Predators failed to move into a playoff spot. This is not the way the Predators needed to start perhaps the most important week of the season for this team.
Some thoughts from tonight's game...
I thought the first goal and the third goal for the Kings were soft. Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne opened the five hole and Anze Kopitar took advantage for the Kings first tally on only their second shot of the game. This is a goal that Rinne cannot give up. On the third goal, Rinne left the short side post and Wayne Simmonds took advantage. Both goals were atypical for Rinne and created a hole out of which the Predators could not climb.
The Kings second goal by Alec Martinez was a classic case of a defenseman on a 2 on 1 getting caught in no man's land. Jonathan Blum did not take the shooter or close off the passing lane. Martinez took a nice pass from Dustin Brown and buried the shot to give the Kings a 2-1 lead. Blum has to commit to stopping that pass, and he was betwixt and between and did not. Rinne had no chance on the shot from Martinez.
Although the Predators outshot the Kings 32-18, many of the shots were from the perimeter and Kings netminder Jonathan Bernier had a lot of clear looks at the puck. Bernier is a good goalie, but the Predators make him look very good.
The Predators puck support in the offensive zone was awful. Most of the night, the puck carrier was outnumbered and had no one supporting. This oftentimes thwarted any offensive effort by the Predators.
The Kings size absolutely ground up the Predators. I spoke with Head Coach Barry Trotz earlier this season, and the smallish size of the Predators forwards was a concerned for him. Tonight, we saw what happens when a team with size and skill takes on the Predators. The Kings controlled the puck for stretches at ta time in the offensive zone and the choked off the Predators in the neutral zone and trying to enter the offensive zone. The Predators did not match up well against the size of the Kings and could not generate any offensive flow throughout the night.
This is the most important week of the Predators season. They MUST get points in their next three contests or they will find themselves in an unenviable position of being too far back to climb back into the playoff race. This means that the young players on the roster are going to have to grow up fast. Unfortunately for the Predators, they have some passengers right now. Colin Wilson, Sergei Kostitsyn, and Mike Fisher are going to have to start producing. Wilson has been invisible, as has Fisher. Kostitsyn has gone cold. These guys are going to have to produce if this team is going to make the playoffs.
Good to see J.P. Dumont back in the lineup and get a goal tonight. The negative aspect is that Joel Ward was scratched after the pre-skate with an undisclosed lower body injury. We will need Wardo back quickly.
The best forwards on the ice were Marty Erat and Patric Hornqvist. Hornqvist brings it every night, and his compete level is tops on the team. We need more players competing like Hornqvist.
This is a big test for the leadership of Shea Weber. A great leader will take the team and light them up and get them motivated to compete. This is especially important for a team that has a roster full of young players. Shea has to embrace his leadership role and bring this team up to another level for them to be successful.
This team has to regroup and get ready to bring it Thursday night against the Bruins. It goes without saying that the points are critical. This team has to play with desperation and intensity on every shift. Fail to do so and you can make a mid-April tee time. This is the time for everyone on the team to lay it all on the line. This is the playoffs for the Predators.
It's time to find out what you are made of; it's time to find out how badly you want it.
My three stars:
1. Jonathan Bernier
2. Anze Kopitar
3. Jonathan Blum
Some thoughts from tonight's game...
I thought the first goal and the third goal for the Kings were soft. Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne opened the five hole and Anze Kopitar took advantage for the Kings first tally on only their second shot of the game. This is a goal that Rinne cannot give up. On the third goal, Rinne left the short side post and Wayne Simmonds took advantage. Both goals were atypical for Rinne and created a hole out of which the Predators could not climb.
The Kings second goal by Alec Martinez was a classic case of a defenseman on a 2 on 1 getting caught in no man's land. Jonathan Blum did not take the shooter or close off the passing lane. Martinez took a nice pass from Dustin Brown and buried the shot to give the Kings a 2-1 lead. Blum has to commit to stopping that pass, and he was betwixt and between and did not. Rinne had no chance on the shot from Martinez.
Although the Predators outshot the Kings 32-18, many of the shots were from the perimeter and Kings netminder Jonathan Bernier had a lot of clear looks at the puck. Bernier is a good goalie, but the Predators make him look very good.
The Predators puck support in the offensive zone was awful. Most of the night, the puck carrier was outnumbered and had no one supporting. This oftentimes thwarted any offensive effort by the Predators.
The Kings size absolutely ground up the Predators. I spoke with Head Coach Barry Trotz earlier this season, and the smallish size of the Predators forwards was a concerned for him. Tonight, we saw what happens when a team with size and skill takes on the Predators. The Kings controlled the puck for stretches at ta time in the offensive zone and the choked off the Predators in the neutral zone and trying to enter the offensive zone. The Predators did not match up well against the size of the Kings and could not generate any offensive flow throughout the night.
This is the most important week of the Predators season. They MUST get points in their next three contests or they will find themselves in an unenviable position of being too far back to climb back into the playoff race. This means that the young players on the roster are going to have to grow up fast. Unfortunately for the Predators, they have some passengers right now. Colin Wilson, Sergei Kostitsyn, and Mike Fisher are going to have to start producing. Wilson has been invisible, as has Fisher. Kostitsyn has gone cold. These guys are going to have to produce if this team is going to make the playoffs.
Good to see J.P. Dumont back in the lineup and get a goal tonight. The negative aspect is that Joel Ward was scratched after the pre-skate with an undisclosed lower body injury. We will need Wardo back quickly.
The best forwards on the ice were Marty Erat and Patric Hornqvist. Hornqvist brings it every night, and his compete level is tops on the team. We need more players competing like Hornqvist.
This is a big test for the leadership of Shea Weber. A great leader will take the team and light them up and get them motivated to compete. This is especially important for a team that has a roster full of young players. Shea has to embrace his leadership role and bring this team up to another level for them to be successful.
This team has to regroup and get ready to bring it Thursday night against the Bruins. It goes without saying that the points are critical. This team has to play with desperation and intensity on every shift. Fail to do so and you can make a mid-April tee time. This is the time for everyone on the team to lay it all on the line. This is the playoffs for the Predators.
It's time to find out what you are made of; it's time to find out how badly you want it.
My three stars:
1. Jonathan Bernier
2. Anze Kopitar
3. Jonathan Blum
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Predators Conquer Colorado 4-2
In the course of a season, there are wins that are things of beauty. There are also wins that are not pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but they are wins nonetheless. Tonight, the Nashville Predators won a contest with the Colorado Avalanche by a score of 4-2 that was anything but pretty. But it was a win and two precious points for the Predators.
The game opened with the Nashville Predators going up by a 2-0 margin with opportunistic scoring. Shea Weber tallied his 15th goal of the season just as a Predators power play expired. Weber crashed the net and was able to flip a wrister past Colorado netminder Peter Budaj at 4:16 of the opening period. The Predators were very good at establishing pressure on the power play, and though the Avs got Brandon Yip out of the box- where he was serving the too many men on the ice penalty- the Predators continued to control the play. Joel Ward put a shot on net and Weber was able to get the rebound and put it past Budaj to give the Preds a 1-0 lead.
The Predators would stretch the lead to 2-0 at 11:36 of the first as Kevin Klein would put a shot on net that Budaj kicked out with his pad. Matt Halischuk was crashing the net and gathered in the rebound and lifted the puck over the pad of Budaj for his second goal of the season. The play was started by Blake Geoffrion, who stole the puck in the Avs zone and passed the puck to Klein for the shot. The young guys- Geoffrion and Halischuk had a strong game for the Predators tonight.
In the first period, Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne was called upon to make a few good saves, but generally the Predators controlled the play in the period.
That would change in the second period, as the Avalanche turned up the intensity and it appeared as if the Predators were a step slow and unable to match the level of play of the Avs. In this period, the Avalanche outshot the Predators 16-8 and controlled much of the play. This was in part to the Predators taking penalties, including giving Colorado 1:43 of a two man advantage, which they were able to kill.
Colorado would make it 2-1 at 4:15 of the second as they swarmed the Predators net. Rinne made several saves, but was finally beaten by Ryan O'Reilly to cut the deficit to 1. Momentum and energy were definitely in favor of the Avalanche.
Joel Ward would re-establish the Predators two goal advantage at 13:31 with a beautiful goal. Ward would intercept a pass from Jay McClement at the face off circle. He took a stride toward the net and faked a slapshot to draw Budaj out of the net. Ward pulled the puck back and drove to the net, tucking it into the goal from behind the goal line for his 10th goal of the year and his third straight game with a goal. Wardo was deft in his handling of the puck and patient in drawing Budaj out of the net for the scoring opportunity.
Colorado was not going away easily, however, and they once again cut the deficit to one goal at 19:30 as Daniel Winnik Took a shot from the point. The puck was going wide of the net but hit the skate of Colin Wilson and skittered past Rinne into the net.
This set up a third period that would hang in the balance and would require the Predators to match the intensity of the Avalanche to secure the win.
The Predators responded with a much better defensive effort in the third period, holding Colorado to 9 shots while recording 8 of their own. Rinne was solid in the third period and shut the door on the Avs offensive effort. The defense did a better job of limiting second chances and forcing many of the Avs shots from the outside.
Marty Erat would ice the game with an empty netter at 19:58 of the third for the final margin of 4-2.
This was a game the Predators had to have, yet it was a game in which the Predators effort was less than their best. The fact that they persevered and came away with the win is a sign of the growth of this team. They will have to win some ugly games in this stretch drive. They will have to match the intensity of some desperate teams. They will have to find ways to win games that will not make highlight reels.
Contributions will have to come from all the lines, and it won't necessarily be things that show up on the score sheet. Things like Jordin Tootoo being willing to drop the gloves like he did tonight against Ryan Wilson, pounding him to the ice and energizing his team and the crowd. Things like taking hits to make plays. Things like winning battles for the puck.
At times, the Avs dominated play. The fact that this team refused to wilt in the face of that pressure will serve them well.
The battles will continue and the road to the playoffs will not get an easier.
Keep battling like you did tonight, and you will be successful.
My three stars:
1. Joel Ward
2. Pekka Rinne
3. Matt Halischuk
The game opened with the Nashville Predators going up by a 2-0 margin with opportunistic scoring. Shea Weber tallied his 15th goal of the season just as a Predators power play expired. Weber crashed the net and was able to flip a wrister past Colorado netminder Peter Budaj at 4:16 of the opening period. The Predators were very good at establishing pressure on the power play, and though the Avs got Brandon Yip out of the box- where he was serving the too many men on the ice penalty- the Predators continued to control the play. Joel Ward put a shot on net and Weber was able to get the rebound and put it past Budaj to give the Preds a 1-0 lead.
The Predators would stretch the lead to 2-0 at 11:36 of the first as Kevin Klein would put a shot on net that Budaj kicked out with his pad. Matt Halischuk was crashing the net and gathered in the rebound and lifted the puck over the pad of Budaj for his second goal of the season. The play was started by Blake Geoffrion, who stole the puck in the Avs zone and passed the puck to Klein for the shot. The young guys- Geoffrion and Halischuk had a strong game for the Predators tonight.
In the first period, Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne was called upon to make a few good saves, but generally the Predators controlled the play in the period.
That would change in the second period, as the Avalanche turned up the intensity and it appeared as if the Predators were a step slow and unable to match the level of play of the Avs. In this period, the Avalanche outshot the Predators 16-8 and controlled much of the play. This was in part to the Predators taking penalties, including giving Colorado 1:43 of a two man advantage, which they were able to kill.
Colorado would make it 2-1 at 4:15 of the second as they swarmed the Predators net. Rinne made several saves, but was finally beaten by Ryan O'Reilly to cut the deficit to 1. Momentum and energy were definitely in favor of the Avalanche.
Joel Ward would re-establish the Predators two goal advantage at 13:31 with a beautiful goal. Ward would intercept a pass from Jay McClement at the face off circle. He took a stride toward the net and faked a slapshot to draw Budaj out of the net. Ward pulled the puck back and drove to the net, tucking it into the goal from behind the goal line for his 10th goal of the year and his third straight game with a goal. Wardo was deft in his handling of the puck and patient in drawing Budaj out of the net for the scoring opportunity.
Colorado was not going away easily, however, and they once again cut the deficit to one goal at 19:30 as Daniel Winnik Took a shot from the point. The puck was going wide of the net but hit the skate of Colin Wilson and skittered past Rinne into the net.
This set up a third period that would hang in the balance and would require the Predators to match the intensity of the Avalanche to secure the win.
The Predators responded with a much better defensive effort in the third period, holding Colorado to 9 shots while recording 8 of their own. Rinne was solid in the third period and shut the door on the Avs offensive effort. The defense did a better job of limiting second chances and forcing many of the Avs shots from the outside.
Marty Erat would ice the game with an empty netter at 19:58 of the third for the final margin of 4-2.
This was a game the Predators had to have, yet it was a game in which the Predators effort was less than their best. The fact that they persevered and came away with the win is a sign of the growth of this team. They will have to win some ugly games in this stretch drive. They will have to match the intensity of some desperate teams. They will have to find ways to win games that will not make highlight reels.
Contributions will have to come from all the lines, and it won't necessarily be things that show up on the score sheet. Things like Jordin Tootoo being willing to drop the gloves like he did tonight against Ryan Wilson, pounding him to the ice and energizing his team and the crowd. Things like taking hits to make plays. Things like winning battles for the puck.
At times, the Avs dominated play. The fact that this team refused to wilt in the face of that pressure will serve them well.
The battles will continue and the road to the playoffs will not get an easier.
Keep battling like you did tonight, and you will be successful.
My three stars:
1. Joel Ward
2. Pekka Rinne
3. Matt Halischuk
Friday, March 11, 2011
My View
Random thoughts from your resident curmudgeon...
Since the U.S. economy collapsed in 2008, the Federal Reserve has triple the money supply in this country in an effort to revive the economy. This means that more than $20 TRILLION new dollars have been created by our central bank. Why hasn't all this new money jump started the economy? One of the main reasons is that it sits on the books of the majority of the banks in this country, who have tightened lending standards and are reluctant to lend. Regardless of where this money is in the system, the fact that it has been created at these levels is highly inflationary. The worry is that the U.S. has severely debased its currency by creating so much of it. Don't believe me? Let's take a look at what the commodity markets tell us about the weaker dollar. According to the Financial Times of London, here are the annual price increases for various commodities in 2010: heating oil +41%; corn +91%; wheat +79%; cotton +143%. The list goes on and is extensive, showing increases in commodity prices in nearly all areas. This is the practical impact of our screwed up fiscal policy in this country: we are going to be paying higher prices for everyday staples because we have cheapened the value of our dollar so severely. Think about this fact the next time you hear a politician say we must go deeper into debt (print more dollars) for more government spending.
A psychiatrist is a fellow who asks you a lot of expensive questions that your wife will ask you for nothing.
One of the favorable conditions that the U.S. enjoys at the moment is very low borrowing costs. In 2010, the average interest rate on all the U.S. debt was 1.3%. This low rate environment has allowed our leaders to print more money and issue more debt without destroying our budget with a high level of interest payments. That is going to change. In 2010, the U.S. paid $185 billion in interest on our debt. That is projected to increase to $554 billion by 2015. The tripling of our interest payments means one of three things will happen: we will have to severely cut services; taxes will go up substantially; or some combination of these two choices. Our fiscal imprudence will become even more painfully obvious as the interest rate environment changes and rates rise. Know that our leaders in Washington are going to be looking closely at your wallet to bail them out of these mistakes.
I know that there are some who do not love their fellow man. I hate people like that.
We often hear the left criticize capitalism for its "inequality" in rewarding those that work hard and take greater risks in building a business getting a larger share of the the profits for their efforts. We have heard the criticism from the likes of Arianna Huffington, Michael Moore, and Al Gore in various forms or fashion. Well, it seems like capitalism is pretty good for those guys. Huffington recently sold her website Huffington Post for $315 million; Moore, the venal filmmaker, is suing his film company for additional receipts beyond the $20 million he was paid for his last film; and profit of doom Gore, who of the global warming falsehood, has made enough money off that scam to purchase his fourth estate, this one on the Mediterranean. Seems like the benefits of capitalism are pretty good for the left, but according to their world view, not so much for you and me. And this is all you need to know about the left and their ideas.
In America, anyone can be President. That's one of the risks we take.
And that, my friends, is my view.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wild Tamed by the Predators 4-0
With 15 games remaining in the regular season, you hate to think that this game against Minnesota was a must win for the Predators, but with their play of late, this game was definitely one the Predators had to have. The Predators played with this game with a sense of urgency, dispatching the Wild 4-0 at the Bridgestone Arena.
Coming into this contest, the Predators had gone 3-5-2 in their last 10 games, and needed to right the ship and get the long home stand off on a right start. They did just that, as Joel Ward tallied at 3:13 of the first, taking a nice pass from David Legwand from behind the net and snapping the puck over the glove of Minnesota netminder Niklas Backstrom.Ward had a strong game and continued his strong play of late with his second goal in as many games.
The Predators continued to dominate the Wild in the first period, controlling play and giving the Wild no offensive chances. The Wild recorded only five shots in the first period.
The defensive effort by the Predators led to more offensive chances, and the Predators capitalized on those opportunities. Nick Spaling was the beneficiary of a great effort by Jerred Smithson, who backhanded the puck to Spaling while being knocked to the ice. Spaling gathered in the puck at the side of the net and beat Backstom at 4:01 to stretch the advantage to 2-0 for the Predators.
The lead would grow to 3-0 at 12:32 of the first as Marty Erat would backhand a puck over a sprawling Backstom. Erat took a pass from Joel Ward and buried the shot for his 12th goal of the season.
3-0 at the end of one period and the Wild held to only 5 shots, one wondered if the old Predators would come out for the second period. You know, the team that has had a good period of hockey and would sit back and let the other team climb back into the game.
Not tonight.
As good as the Predators defensive effort was in the first period- holding the Wild to 5 shots- it was even better in the second. In that period, the Predators held the Wild to just 4 shots. Although the Predators didn't tally a marker in the second, there was no way the Wild were going to score with this type of defensive effort. The Predators did an excellent job of slowing the Wild in the neutral zone and forced them wide in the defensive zone. Their defensive zone presence was as good as it has been all season and never allowed the Wild to establish any offensive rhythm in the second.
This was as good a two periods of hockey as the Predators have played since the All Star break.
In the third period, the Wild outshot the Predators 10-7, but Pekka Rinne was solid in net and cleaned up any scoring chances the Wild might have had.
Nick Spaling would ice the win with his second goal of the night at 14:59 and he corralled the puck in the low slot and slid the puck past Backstrom for his 7th goal of the year.
Indicative of the Predators defensive effort was the job done on Predators killer Martin Havlat, who has scored more goals against the Predators than any other player, with 35. Havlat finished with just 2 shots on goal, both coming in the third period.
Of a concern for the Predators is the condition of Mike Fisher, who missed most of the third period. According to Head Coach Barry Trotz in his post game remarks, Fisher is "fine", but Predator fans know this can mean anything. Hopefully he is back on the ice for Saturday night's contest against the Avalanche.
There are now 14 games left in the regular season. Reasonably, the Predators are going to have to win 9 of those games to assure themselves of a playoff spot.
Play with this same sense of urgency and discipline and you will tame the upcoming opponents and be well positioned to secure a playoff spot.
My three stars:
1. Nick Spaling
2. Joel Ward
3. Pekka Rinne
Coming into this contest, the Predators had gone 3-5-2 in their last 10 games, and needed to right the ship and get the long home stand off on a right start. They did just that, as Joel Ward tallied at 3:13 of the first, taking a nice pass from David Legwand from behind the net and snapping the puck over the glove of Minnesota netminder Niklas Backstrom.Ward had a strong game and continued his strong play of late with his second goal in as many games.
The Predators continued to dominate the Wild in the first period, controlling play and giving the Wild no offensive chances. The Wild recorded only five shots in the first period.
The defensive effort by the Predators led to more offensive chances, and the Predators capitalized on those opportunities. Nick Spaling was the beneficiary of a great effort by Jerred Smithson, who backhanded the puck to Spaling while being knocked to the ice. Spaling gathered in the puck at the side of the net and beat Backstom at 4:01 to stretch the advantage to 2-0 for the Predators.
The lead would grow to 3-0 at 12:32 of the first as Marty Erat would backhand a puck over a sprawling Backstom. Erat took a pass from Joel Ward and buried the shot for his 12th goal of the season.
3-0 at the end of one period and the Wild held to only 5 shots, one wondered if the old Predators would come out for the second period. You know, the team that has had a good period of hockey and would sit back and let the other team climb back into the game.
Not tonight.
As good as the Predators defensive effort was in the first period- holding the Wild to 5 shots- it was even better in the second. In that period, the Predators held the Wild to just 4 shots. Although the Predators didn't tally a marker in the second, there was no way the Wild were going to score with this type of defensive effort. The Predators did an excellent job of slowing the Wild in the neutral zone and forced them wide in the defensive zone. Their defensive zone presence was as good as it has been all season and never allowed the Wild to establish any offensive rhythm in the second.
This was as good a two periods of hockey as the Predators have played since the All Star break.
In the third period, the Wild outshot the Predators 10-7, but Pekka Rinne was solid in net and cleaned up any scoring chances the Wild might have had.
Nick Spaling would ice the win with his second goal of the night at 14:59 and he corralled the puck in the low slot and slid the puck past Backstrom for his 7th goal of the year.
Indicative of the Predators defensive effort was the job done on Predators killer Martin Havlat, who has scored more goals against the Predators than any other player, with 35. Havlat finished with just 2 shots on goal, both coming in the third period.
Of a concern for the Predators is the condition of Mike Fisher, who missed most of the third period. According to Head Coach Barry Trotz in his post game remarks, Fisher is "fine", but Predator fans know this can mean anything. Hopefully he is back on the ice for Saturday night's contest against the Avalanche.
There are now 14 games left in the regular season. Reasonably, the Predators are going to have to win 9 of those games to assure themselves of a playoff spot.
Play with this same sense of urgency and discipline and you will tame the upcoming opponents and be well positioned to secure a playoff spot.
My three stars:
1. Nick Spaling
2. Joel Ward
3. Pekka Rinne
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