Blues Embarrass the Predators 6-1

Embarrassing.

That is the only way to describe the Predators effort against the St. Louis Blues in a 6-1 loss at Bridgestone Arena.

The Blues controlled play throughout the game and brought Predators netminder Carter Hutton back to reality, chasing him in the third period after tallying 5 goals. Hutton got no help from his defense and was mercifully pulled for Magnus Hellberg midway of the third.

The Predators got no offensive push at all from their forwards, rarely challenging Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak. The few times they did pressure the net, Halak was up to the challenge. The Predators only goal came on a shorthanded shot from Nick Spaling 52 seconds into the third period.

The Blues are a measuring stick for the Predators, a division rival that has built their team through the draft, much like Nashville. The game tonight shows that the Blues have done a much better job of building a team of talented players that border on elite.

By contrast, the Predators have a team of grinders- guys that work hard and hustle but are not remotely elite.

That falls on GM David Poile.

The Predators have failed to develop offensive talent that can compete against one of the better teams in the league. Yes, there is some potential in a few players, but the reality is that against a team that is tight checking and physical, the Predators lack players that can create offensively and have the potential to change the course of a game.

And the Predators do not have the players on this roster that can do that.

Some observations:

• Carter Hutton was under siege for most of the game. The 5th goal he allowed was probably the only one that he should have legitimately should have stopped. Too often, the defensive breakdowns allowed the Blues some prime scoring chances, and they capitalized.

• The defensive pairing of Ryan Ellis and Victor Bartley was absolutely brutal. Both were -3 and were dominated by the Blues forwards when they were on the ice. Ellis does not have the physical ability to handle big, talented power forwards and the Blues took advantage of him when he was on the ice. An indication of how bad this pairing played? The Predators went nearly 6 minutes into the third period before they saw the ice.

• Craig Smith, Patric Hornqvist, and Matt Cullen showed good hustle and attempted to get the offense going when they were on the ice. Smith had a team high 6 shots for the game.

• David Legwand, Gabriel Bourque, and Colin Wilson were invisible tonight. The Predators need these guys to get their game going consistently. Bourque in particular needs to find the net and get his scoring touch back.

The Predators embark on a 17 game road trip. After this debacle, this team needs to find their offensive touch and confidence.

Maybe the road is the place to do that.

My three stars:

1. Alex Steen

2. T.J. Oshie

3. Jaden Schwartz

My View

Random ruminations from your resident curmudgeon...

The Senate Budget Committee released data this week that shows that over the last 5 years, the U.S. has spent $3.7 TRILLION on all welfare and poverty assistance programs. By contrast, over the same period, the U.S. spent $797.4 billion on education, transportation, and the NASA program. Let that sink in for a moment...

I'll wait...

We are spending nearly 5 times more on welfare and poverty assistance programs as we are on educating our children, maintaining our transportation infrastructure, and funding one of the few government programs (NASA) that has yielded positive results.

Part of the problem is that our federal government currently has 80 different means tested poverty programs. A means tested program is simply based on income, and the recipients of these benefits do not pay anything into the programs, unlike Social Security or Medicare. Oh yeah, this $3.7 trillion over the past 5 years does not include another $200 billion contributed by the states.

One of the numerous problems that we face in managing these welfare/poverty programs is that effective governmental oversight is virtually non-existent. For instance, a person may receive food stamps from the Department of Agriculture and housing subsidies from the Federal Housing Administration and free medical care from the Department of Human Services.

As a country, we must take care of those that need help. No argument there. But there are better ways to do this. Great Britain has consolidated all their social welfare programs into a single credit for the beneficiaries that comes from a single source, and that credit is capped with an annual limit. This improves efficiency for their social services and allows them to track spending per recipient.

While there are some systemic tweaks that can be made to these federal programs, perhaps the more fundamental issues that we as a country should focus upon is that we have created an environment that is not favorable for companies to hire; our educational system is not (for the most) turning out graduates that are ready to compete in a highly competitive global marketplace; and we have made it too easy for potential workers to drop out of the work force.

About that last point...

We have seen an explosion in the number of people that have moved to disability status and have dropped out of the work force. Look at the following graph from the Social Security Administration:





As of mid-year 2013, the number of workers on disability has moved over the 11 million mark. Disability has become the new unemployment, and once workers move to disabled status, they rarely go back into the work force.

Why mention disability? It is just one of the myriad of federal programs that, while intended for good, has become a fallback for many people unable to find a job and becoming gainfully employed. Now you may not think that that has a significant impact on you.

And you would be wrong.

Here are some staggering numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau: as of the 4th quarter of 2011, 49.2% of the American population received some form of government benefit.

Nearly 50% of the population is receiving some form of payment from Washington. 82,457,000 people- 28% of our population- receive Medicaid benefits. 23,228,000 receive benefits under the Women's, Infant's, and Children (WIC) program; 13,433,000 Americans live in government subsidized housing; 5,098,000 receive unemployment benefits; 49,901,000 are currently receiving Social Security; 49,073,000 who received food stamps; 46,440,000 are on Medicare.

And the list goes on.

Keep in mind these numbers are from the end of 2011. Think they have diminished? No, they have exploded higher.

And this does not include the effect of the debacle that is Obamacare.

You can see the problem.

The $3.7 trillion spent on welfare and poverty assistance programs represents a transfer of wealth and income from those that are producers and earners of that income to those that are not.

And we are dangerously close to moving beyond the 50% level of the population that is receiving some form of transfer payment. When that happens, do any of you believe that our politicians will have any incentive to rein in this spending?

They are able to buy votes and power with this ability to keep these programs running and expanding.

Please note that I am decidedly in favor of helping those that are less fortunate. I just want to do it on my terms and not be bullied into having my income confiscated for inefficient benefit programs and have no say in where those funds are directed.

The point of this lengthy and negative post is twofold:

You need to know what is happening in Washington with your money and with these burgeoning programs. You need to know about the growth of the myriad of poverty/welfare programs and you need to demand that Congress get these programs running more efficiently and that they create an environment in this country where it is favorable to work. This includes limiting the benefits in the welfare/poverty outlays and relieving the regulatory and tax pressure on small businesses that are on the front line of job growth.

The other point is simply this:

The growth of our deficit spending and our total debt is unsustainable. The growth of social welfare programs contributes to this situation (along with waste and unnecessary defense spending), and the fiscal discipline to begin to restrain these programs must be enacted soon. We have seen that Washington does not have the cajones to do this on their own, so we must become more involved and we must hold our elected representatives accountable for the action (or inaction) that addresses this mess.

If Washington fails to exact some fiscal discipline and move toward getting their financial house in order, that discipline will eventually happen. But it will be exacted by the markets and it will painful and calamitous.

As a country, we are on an unsustainable financial track. The burden on the taxpayers of this country is heavy, and you can see why. If we stand idly by, it is only going to get worse.

And financially disastrous.

Predators Grind Out a 3-2 OT Win Over Winnipeg

The Nashville Predators learned today that they would be without the services of goaltender Pekka Rinne for at least 4 weeks as he is recovering from surgery to clear a bacterial infection from his surgically repaired hip.

This means that the work load over the next month will fall on back up Carter Hutton.

Hutton got started well with a 3-2 overtime win over the Winnipeg Jets at Bridgestone Arena.

The first period opened with the Jets in control of the puck and the game, and Hutton made some good saves to keep the Jets off the board. The Jets dominated so totally in the first half of the opening period that the Predators didn't record their first shot on goal until 10:48 had elapsed.

The Predators got their legs going and began to claw back into the game in the second half of the period, and finally broke through on the power play at 15:53. Shea Weber blasted a puck from the high slot over the shoulder of Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec off a pass from David Legwand to give the Predators a 1-0 lead. This was Weber's third goal of the season.

Shots were 10-9 in favor of Nashville at the end of the first period.

The Jets tied the game at 1 at 13:49 of the second period when Anthony Peluso took the puck behind the net and wrapped it around and tucked it in just over the goal line. Hutton sprawled across the goal line and got his stick on the puck and it appeared that he made the save. The play was reviewed, and the replay showed that it did cross the goal line.

The second period ended tied at 1. Winnipeg out shot Nashville 14-9 in the period, and once again, Hutton came up with some quality saves for the Predators.

In the third period, Pateic Hornqvist broke the tie at 6:04 when Pavelec kicked out a rebound of a Mike Fisher shot and Hornqvist controlled the puck just inside the face off circle. Hornqvist ripped a shot over the shoulder of Pavelec for his fourth goal of the season to give the Predators a 2-1 lead.

The Jets tied it at 2 at 16:59 as Hutton gave up a rebound off his pads that landed on the tape of Blake Wheeler. Wheeler was completely alone on the right side of the net and he banged home an uncontested shot as Hutton had not recovered to get back in position.

Regulation ended with the score tied at 2. Nashville had a 12-11 shot advantage in the third period.

In the overtime period, the Predators controlled play and fired shots at Pavelec. Unfortunately, most missed the net. That changed at 4:43 of overtime when Craig Smith took a pass from David Legwand and blew a shot short side over the shoulder of Pavelec to give the Predators their second win over the Jets in as many games.

Some observations:

• The Predators welcomed Mike Fisher back into the line up. Fisher had missed 4 games with a fractured foot. Fisher showed no signs of rust and played 17:30 and picked up an assist.

• Craig Smith continues his strong play. Smith used his speed and puck handling skills to create scoring chances and his shot to win the game was a rocket. Smith had four shots on goal and has shown that he can be one of the most offensively creative and dangerous players on the ice.

• Matt Cullen took a puck to the face in the first period. He dropped to the ice and play was stopped as trainers helped him to the bench. After getting some attention on the bench, Cullen returned to the game and did not miss a shift.

• Carter Hutton has shown that he can carry the team when needed. In the first period, the Jets had territorial dominance to open the game. They fired 7 shots on Hutton and he made some good saves. Hutton has good rebound control and rarely leaves a rebound in prime scoring position. The Wheeler goal came off a rebound that caught the Predators defense rotated to one side of the ice, leaving the Jets forward alone at the side of the net. Hutton will be tested in coming games, but his efforts against the Jets show that he is calm and poised in the net, moves well, and has good positioning on shots he faces.

• There were times where the Predators forwards created some good scoring chances, and there were times where they were just grinding in the offensive zone. The line of Cullen, Smith, and Gabriel Bourque has been the Predators best offensive line, and the Predators need more consistency in the offensive zone out of their other lines.

• Speaking of Bourque, it would be good to see him get his offensive game going. I like his hustle and effort, but he needs to find the back of the net.

• I love the way Patric Hornqvist plays. He brings it every night. His hustle and fire set the tone for the team. Some of the other forwards need to follow more closely his style of play.

• Viktor Stalberg was a healthy scratch. The Predators really need Stalberg to get his game going.

The Predators are now 6-4-1 and will play another divisional rival in St. Louis on Saturday night at the Bridge. This will be a tough test and a good measuring stick for this team.

Time for the boys to step up.

My three stars:

1. Craig Smith

2. Carter Hutton

3. Patric Hornqvist

Predators End Road Trip With a Thud, Fall to the Wild 2-0

The Nashville Predators traveled to the Xcel Energy Center to face the Minnesota Wild seeking to win their third game of a three game road trip.

Pekka Rinne was in net for the Predators and the Wild had Josh Harding between the pipes.

The Predators scratched Filip Forsberg and inserted Rich Clune into the line up. The Predators were once again without the services of Mike Fisher, who continues to deal with a lower body injury.

Both teams are fast and both like to play an up tempo game. The Wild had a decided advantage in the early going of the game as the Wild had the Predators back on their heels and controlled the puck in the offensive zone for most of the first part of the period. Thanks to two power plays, the Wild out shot the Predators 13-2 past the midway mark. Pekka Rinne was sharp and made some outstanding saves to keep the Wild off the board.

The first period was scoreless, but the Wild dominated the Predators and it was fortunate that the Predators survived the period. The Wild out shot the Predators 13-3.

The second period was not much better for the Predators. The Wild had the better scoring chances and controlled the puck once again for much of the period.

The Wild finally broke through at 18:53 of the second as Justin Fontaine got his stick on a rebound given up by Rinne  of a Clayton Stoner shot and was able to flip the puck over his shoulder to give the Wild a 1-0 lead. The defense was caught out of position on the play and gave Fontaine an unimpeded path to the front of the net.

The Wild out shot the Predators 11-6 in the second period.

The Predators had been out skated and out worked through 40 minutes. The Predators were going to have to dig down and begin skating and pressuring Harding to have a chance to claw back into this game.

The Predators did not mount much offense in the third period. With Rinne pulled for an extra attacker in the final minute, the Predators swarmed the net and got a puck behind Harding but it was swept off the goal line by Jared Spurgeon.

Jason Pominville sealed the win for the Wild with an empty net goal at 19:35 to make the final score 2-0.

Some observations:

• The Predators were out worked the entire game. They were outshot 29-15 and the Wild controlled play throughout. Whether it was fatigue or just a failure to respond, this was the most disappointing game the team has played in a while.

• Puck support in the offensive zone was virtually non-existent all night. The Predators did not do a good job of getting the puck deep, but when they did, the puck support was not there. This caused numerous turnovers and limited the offensive chances.

• Still waiting for some offense from Viktor Stalberg.

• Colin Wilson was a non-factor tonight. No shots on goal and nothing in the offensive zone.

• Rinne was very good tonight. He had pucks coming at him from all angles tonight and made some excellent saves. Unfortunately, he got no offensive support.

As much as this game was a stinker, it is important to keep this road trip in perspective. The Predators picked up 4 out of  a possible 6 points and except for tonight's effort, played some good hockey.

The Predators will have a chance to put this one behind them on Thursday night when they face the Jets at Bridgestone Arena.

My three stars:

1. Justin Fontaine

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Josh Harding

Predators Pick Up Point in the 'Peg

The Nashville Predators ventured to Winnipeg in search of back to back wins and their second road victory of the season.

This was the first meeting of the season between the new divisional rivals.

With the Predators playing last night in Montreal, Carter Hutton got the start in net. The Jets had Ondrej Pavelec manning the crease.

The first period was scoreless but both teams played an up tempo style that created some good scoring opportunities. The Predators best scoring chance came when Matt Cullen came out of the penalty box and gathered in a puck that had gotten behind the Jets defense. Cullen was stopped on the breakaway by a stick save from Pavelec.

Shots were 15-12 in favor of the Jets in the first period.

Just 10 seconds into the period, Matt Hendricks went to the box for tripping. On the PK, Eric Nystrom blocked a shot by Dustin Byfuglien and took the puck in the neutral zone. He broke in 2 on 1 with Paul Gaustad, but rather than pass he ripped a shot inside the far post to give the Predators a 1-0 lead 20 seconds into the period.

The Jets answered the Predators score with a flurry of shots at the net, requiring Hutton to make some big saves to hold the Predators lead.

The Predators got a gift from the Jets at 12:07 of the second period. Pavelec had gone behind the net to stop the puck. The the puck was cleared around the boards and Patric Hornqvist took possession of the puck along the boards in the offensive zone and just threw the puck at the net. Pavelec was not back in the net, and Hornqvist's shot hit the leg of Zach Bogosian and caromed into the net to make it 2-0.

The Predators got their first power play of the game, and just as the power play expired, Matt Cullen got a pass on his tape from Craig Smith and roofed a shot from the left face off circle to give the Predators a 3-0 lead at 14:57.

The second period ended with the Predators up 3-0. Carter Hutton was strong in net, fending off all 11 shots he faced in the period. The Predators had 7 shots on goal.


Winnipeg got on the board at 9:13 of the third period as Carter Hutton looked to have the puck frozen at the side of the net. Several jets kept banging away at the puck and it trickled out into the blue paint. Evander Kane poked the puck five hole to give the Jets some momentum.

That goal gave the Jets more than momentum. they were buzzing the net and keeping the Predators hemmed in their zone. The Predators looked to have reverted to survival mode trying to hold off the offensive onslaught of the Jets.

The teams traded some power play opportunities but neither could capitalize. The Predators defense was able to limit quality scoring chances and protect the two goal lead for the remainder of the game for the 3-1 victory.

Some observations:

• Carter Hutton looked very good in net. he was poised, relaxed, and was rarely caught out of position. There were questions about Hutton in the back up role before the season began, but if he can continue to give quality starts like tonight, the Predators have found a solid back up.

• Mike Fisher was out of action again tonight with a lower body injury.

• The line of Cullen, Bourque, and Smith continue to play well. They have good chemistry and are very complimentary style players.

• In general, I like the compete level and response of the team. They withstood the pressure of the Jets and matched their speed. There was a stretch in the third period where the Predators ere back on their heels but they rallied back to level the ice. That showed some mental toughness.

• Patric Hornqvist continues his solid play. he constantly battles for the position and the puck and his motor is always going full tilt. He has to work on his breakaway shot, though. After a stellar defensive play, he broke in alone on Pavelec. Instead of getting a shot, he launched it into the net.

• Eric Nystrom has been a very good add for the Predators. He brings intensity and hockey smarts, and tonight, he showed he has a pretty good shot. His shorthanded goal took the energy out of the building and gave the Predators momentum.

With the win, the Predators move their record to 5-3-1. More importantly, the Predators are building confidence with two good road wins and they are beginning to gel as a team.

They will have an opportunity to build on that momentum Tuesday night in Minnesota.

My three stars:

1. Carter Hutton

2. Matt Cullen

3. Eric Nystrom

Predators Pick Up First Road Win, Defeat the Canadiens 2-1

The Nashville Predators began a three game road trip in Montreal looking for their first road win of the season while facing a Canadiens team that is fast and talented.

Mission accomplished.

The first period was a fast paced, penalty filled period that saw the Predators capitalize on one of their four power play opportunities. P. K Subban was in the box for tripping when Ryan White cleared the puck over the glass to give the Predators 39 seconds of 5 on 3. Subban had just exited the box when Shea Weber attempted a cross crease pass that hit Montreal defenseman Josh Georges and caromed into the net past Canadiens netminder Carey Price. Weber's second goal of the season came at 12:31 of the first period.

The Predators out shot the Canadiens 14-6 in the first period thanks to the power play opportunities.

The Predators opened the second period with good jump and had some quality opportunities on the power play  and at even strength but could not bury their shots.

The Canadiens tied the game at 1 at 7:02 of the second as they sent traffic to the net. Pekka Rinne made two stops close in but Brendan Gallagher gathered in a loose puck in the crease and banged it past Rinne.

The Predators kept up the pressure in the second period, out shooting the Canadiens 16-11, but failed to finish on their chances.

Montreal opened the third period swarming the Predators net and was awarded a goal after a furious goal mouth scramble. The play went to review and it showed that Rinne had covered the puck and it did not cross the goal line. For once, the Predators had caught a break after a review from the war room in Toronto.

The Predators would be shorthanded, however, as David Legwand was called for cross checking on the play. Fortunately, the Predators were able to kill the penalty.

The Predators flirted with disaster in the third period, taking three penalties and putting the potent Canadiens power play on the ice. The Predators PK unit came up big, killing all penalties.

The Predators took a 2-1 lead at 18:33 as David Legwand worked a nice give and go with Seth Jones. Jones passed to Legwand on the half board and fed a pass to Jones who was driving the net. Jones beat Price from just inside the face off circle with a nice wrist shot over the blocker.

The Predators defense made that goal stand up for the win.

Some observations:

• Remember when the Predators wouldn't shoot the puck? The Predators out shot the Canadiens 37-29 and were pouring shots on net. Lacking elite goal scorers, this team has to shoot the puck and go hard after rebounds. They have been doing that this season, and this is how they are going to have to play to win games.

• Seth Jones has been solid on the blue line, but he has some very good offensive skills. His goal was a thing of beauty, as he drew the puck back away from the defender and scored off a well placed wrist shot. Jones showed good instincts in jumping into the play and more importantly was able to finish the chance.

• Rinne was very solid. he made some good, scrambling saves when the Canadiens were putting pressure on the net. As goes Rinne, so goes this team.

• The Predators were without Mike Fisher, who was out of the line up with a lower body injury.

• Still waiting for Viktor Stalberg to show up. Once again, he had 10:29 of ice time, the lowest of any Predator that dressed, and has yet to get on the score sheet.

• The Predators PK was outstanding. They killed all five man advantage opportunities by the Canadiens and their play helped to keep Montreal from seizing momentum in a very tight game.

• While the PP did score on one opportunity, this unit has to improve. They are showing some positives, but too often, there is no motion and they are too easy to defend.

This was a solid road win against a very good team. This is the type of win that the team can use to build momentum, and they will get their chance to do just that tomorrow night in Winnipeg.

My three stars:

1. Seth Jones

2. Pekka Rinne

3. David Legwand

My View

Random ruminations from your resident curmudgeon...

As expected, Congress went to the brink before pushing the problem of extending the debt ceiling down the road to next February. Congress did nothing constructive about reining in spending or establishing a framework whereby constructive discussions and budgetary adjustments can occur. Oh, wait, Mitch McConnell, the Senator from Kentucky did get a $2 billion appropriation for his state for waterway and dam improvements- the "Kentucky Kickback"- for delivering the Senate  Republican vote. And in a jaw dropping move by Congress, the debt ceiling has been lifted for the next 16 weeks until February 7th. A provision in the latest debt ceiling deal prohibits the Treasury Department from enforcing the debt limit, which has until now kept Congress and the White House from getting totally out of control with their spending. So Congress can accumulate as much debt as it wants between now and February 7th, and there is no restraint from any source. Some experts guess that our legislators will rack up around $300 billion in new debt. I think it will be more. Look for a new farm bill to amass huge appropriations of our tax dollars as more and more Americans receive food stamps. And if Obama and the Democrats ram through an immigration bill granting amnesty to the roughly 11 million illegals in our country, debt could be more. Much more as they draw on government benefits. Right now, Congress has no restraints on their spending, and the next 16 weeks could (will) be a time where our elected leaders can dole out the pork to their districts and favored groups with impunity. And you and I will be the worse off for it.

A man came to my door and asked if I could donate for a community swimming pool. I gave him a glass of water.

Here is a chart that emphasizes the problem we have with government spending:

Since 1970, median household income has risen 24.2% from $41,358 to $53,360. Now look at the increase in government spending. Federal spending was $926 billion in 1970 and has risen 287.5% to $3.6 trillion in 2010. Incomes have averaged an annual increase of .8% while federal spending has had an average annual increase of 9.5%. This does two significantly negative things to the economy: government spending, especially at these levels, tends to crowd out private investment and drain resources from the private sector; and it creates an enormous tax burden on those that pay taxes. Longer term, the continual printing of dollars to finance this deficit spending has the potential to seriously debase the value of our dollar, which means that everything you and I purchase will become much more expensive. As citizens, we must engage with our elected leaders and tell them this profligate spending has to stop. Fail to do so, and the result for our country will be awful and painful.

They say each day is a gift. If so, does anyone know where I can return Mondays?

Our country holds an extraordinary and enviable position among all other countries. We are considered the paradigm of safety and stability, and as such, our dollar has become the world's reserve currency. This simply means that most foreign transactions are conducted in dollars and that foreign investors will buy our dollar denominated treasury bonds for their safety and the confidence that each investor will be fully repaid. By being the de facto world reserve currency, this has allowed our government to print a lot of dollars- a LOT of dollars- because there was always demand for them. And because their was high demand, our interest rates that we paid on these dollars (our debt) has typically been one of the lowest rates in the developed world. This latest budget impasse and the inability of Congress to show any fiscal discipline and restraint has caused some in the global economic community to take a second look at our dollar. Imagine if our credit rating is down graded. Fitch's Rating Service (similar to Moody's and probably a bit more accurate) has already threatened a credit rating downgrade. This means interest rates will go up and we as a nation will pay more interest. Those additional dollars will come from you and me in the form of higher tax payments. And our dollar will lose value as  more are printed and if other countries decide to not treat our dollar as a reserve currency. And this will have the greatest impact on all of us as our buying power is diminished by the weaker dollar. Our country is headed toward a fiscal train wreck, and it is going to be imperative that we press Congress into making significant changes to avert this disaster.

A friend of mine said that onions were the only food that could make you cry. That's not true. I hit him in the head with a coconut and he started crying.

And that, my friends, is my view.