SB Nation - Martin Erat

Predators continue home-ice dominance over Columbus in 4-3 shootout win

Dirk Hoag — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:30:04 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne, of Finland, is congratulated by his teammates after the Predators won a shootout for a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

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It took five rounds of a shootout, but the Nashville Predators beat Columbus on home ice for the 13th straight time, taking a 4-3 decision. Ryan Suter led all Preds scorers with two assists, in what was a relatively wide-open affair between two teams that normally prefer to play close, tight-checking games. With the win, Nashville is now 11-3-1 in their last 15 games.

Follow after the jump for video highlights, the recap, and advanced even-strength stats...

Despite the long-running success that the Predators have enjoyed over the Blue Jackets in Nashville, Columbus always seems to put up a tough fight. Three times tonight the Preds took a one-goal lead, and each time the Blue Jackets tied the game back up.

Dave Scatchard got the initial goal off a nice feed from Kevin Klein, a great way to celebrate his return to the lineup. He buzzed around the net whenever he could tonight, notching 4 shots in just 8:03 of ice time. After Columbus defenseman Kris Russel answered back early in the second, Martin Erat continued his torrid goal-scoring pace by following up on a rebound to put the Preds up 2-1. Marty's now got 9 goals in his last 11 games, and is officially "on fire" after a lousy start over his first 17.

Just minutes later, however, Raffi Torres banked a shot from just behind the goal line off of Pekka Rinne to tie the game back up at 2-2. What followed at the end of the 2nd was truly unusual for a Predators-Blue Jackets game. As explained by Terry Crisp in his intermission breakdown, Jason Arnott pulled a fast one, faking like he was going to the bench for a line change but circling back to take a lead pass from Shea Weber. He broke in all alone and lifted a nifty backhander of the glove of Mathieu Garon to put Nashville back up 3-2 with just seconds left in the period.

Rick Nash tied the game up at 3-3 early in the 3rd, and despite a number of good chances for both teams down the stretch and during overtime, they headed to the shootout, where Garon has enjoyed some great success over the years (in 2007-8, he went 10-0 for Edmonton in the shootout).

On the other hand, Rinne ain't so bad himself, going 5-2 last year with a .792 save percentage (a typical goalie is about .670 in that situation). After four rounds, each team had scored twice, but in Round 5, Rinne stuffed Antoine Vermette, leaving Steve Sullivan the opportunity to win the game, which he did with a nice forehand move to score the final goal.

The Preds move on now to Saturday night against Detroit, which is 4-5-1 in their last 10 and reeling from a number of injuries to key players.

For discounted tickets to any Nashville Predators home game, you can follow this link and use the special offer code "PREDS".

As to the advanced stats, the top line was definitely productive tonight for the Preds, while the Tootoo-Goc-Dumont line struggled a bit. Despite limited ice time, the Jones-Scatchard-Hornqvist trio acquitted themselves well, while perhaps the best effort overall goes to the defense duo of Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Klein (yes, the pair that got shredded so much during the early weeks of the season).

All in all, I'm sure Barry Trotz will have some finger-wagging for the boys tomorrow given the number of defensive breakdowns, but it was good to see enough scoring step up to seal the win. You can't plan on winning 2-1 every night...

Even Strength		Individual Totals					Team Totals While Player Is On Ice
Player	Pos	EV TOI	Shots	Shts Blkd	Missed Shts	Blocks	SOG For	SOG Ag	SOG +/-	Tot SF	Tot SA	Corsi
Martin Erat	R	15:49	3	1	0	1	13	10	3	19	16	3
Jason Arnott	C	17:27	4	1	0	2	13	12	1	17	18	-1
Steve Sullivan	L	16:21	2	0	0	0	14	9	5	18	17	1
David Legwand	C	18:04	2	0	2	1	7	4	3	17	10	7
Jerred Smithson	R	17:12	2	1	0	0	7	4	3	17	11	6
Joel Ward	R	18:12	1	1	2	0	8	5	3	17	10	7
Marcel Goc	C	12:41	0	0	0	0	3	7	-4	8	11	-3
Jordin Tootoo	R	10:46	1	0	0	0	3	7	-4	8	11	-3
J P Dumont	R	10:41	0	0	2	0	4	8	-4	8	12	-4
Patric Hornqvist	R	7:38	0	1	0	0	4	2	2	5	4	1
Ryan Jones	L	7:28	0	0	0	1	5	1	4	6	2	4
Dave Scatchard	C	7:54	3	0	0	0	5	1	4	7	3	4
Shea Weber	D	20:11	2	0	1	2	13	9	4	21	20	1
Ryan Suter	D	21:49	1	3	1	2	10	9	1	18	21	-3
Dan Hamhuis	D	20:15	0	0	1	1	12	5	7	21	8	13
Kevin Klein	D	20:19	4	1	2	0	10	5	5	19	9	10
Francis Bouillon	D	14:41	2	0	0	0	9	10	-1	13	17	-4
Alexander Sulzer	D	12:44	1	1	0	1	8	10	-2	12	15	-3

Poll

Who is your Predator of the Game?

Game 31: Jackets take on the Preds in Nashville

Mike MacLean — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:01:17 -0000

by Jay LaPrete - AP

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This is a good day. I just had a fantastic day at work, the Jackets are coming off a huge win last night, where they looked like the team they should be. Mase was stellar, let's see if Garon can turn his game around tonight against those damned Predators. The Preds definitely have the Jackets number, especially in Nashville. I look for a typical Jackets/Preds game tonight, one with tight checking, maybe a scrap or two (if our guys have the green light to do so) and some timely goals. A score of 1-0 or 2-1 could happen.

The Preds are one of those teams that always gets it done, no matter who is on the ice. I credit GM David Poile and coach Barry Trotz for that. I would love for the kind of long-term consistency from Howson and Hitch that those two gentleman have supplied. Pekka Rinne is the straw that stirs the drink in Nashville. In my opinion he is the future of Finnish goaltending. Backstrom and Kipper are the top dogs now, but Rinne will be a great goaltender for a long time. Add to that a fun rivalry with Steve Mason, and we could be seeing a genuine goaltending battle year-in and year-out between these clubs.

The Jackets aren't making any major lineup changes with the exception of Garon getting the start. The line of Chimmer, Umby and Jake looked dangerous on almost every shift last night, and I look for them to continue that tonight. One guy who really needs to step it up is Rick Nash. Even last night, to me he was the guy who looked the worst. He was committing turnovers, and I think he is really pressing. Seemingly every time he had the puck in the offensive zone he was going with the slapper, very unlike the Captain. I would like to see he and Brass play together for a bit to see if that will spark him. Vermmy doesn't seem to be the right fit for Nasher.

Fearless Prediction: The run of bad play in Nashville has to end sometime right? Jackets win, Chimmer continues his hot streak.

Game Time: 8:00pm ET

Opponent's Blog: On the Forecheck

Game Page: Blue Jackets vs Predators coverage

TSN Preview: Blue Jackets vs Predators Preview

TV: FSN Ohio

Radio: WBNS-AM (1460); WWCD-FM (101.1)

More after the jump...

From the Columbus Dispatch:

Gaylord Entertainment Center. Sommet Center. Nashville Arena. Doesn't matter what it's named, it's a house of horrors for the Blue Jackets, who are 0-10-2 in Nashville since April 3, 2006. The Jackets blew leads of 1-0 and 2-1 and lost 4-3 in a shootout Nov. 21 in Nashville.

Jackets Links:

Columbus Blue Jackets / Columbus Blue Jackets Schedule

Columbus Blue Jackets Roster / Columbus Blue Jackets Stats

Here are the lineups for tonight's tilt:

Columbus Blue Jackets

Kristian Huselius	Antoine Vermette	Rick Nash
Jason Chimera	R.J. Umberger	Jakub Voracek
Andrew Murray	Samuel Pahlsson	Jared Boll
Raffi Torres	Derick Brassard	Derek Dorsett

Fedor Tyutin	Anton Stralman
Mike Commodore	Jan Hejda
Kris Russell	Marc Methot

Mathieu Garon

Steve Mason

EXTRA: Mike Blunden, Mathieu Roy, Derek MacKenzie

INJURED: Fredrik Modin, Rostislav Klesla

Nashville Predators

Steve Sullivan	Jason Arnott	Martin Erat
Jerred Smithson	David Legwand	Joel Ward
Jordin Tootoo	Marcel Goc	J.P. Dumont
Ryan Jones	Cal O'Reilly	Patric Hornqvist

Shea Weber	Ryan Suter
Francis Bouillon	Alexander Sulzer
Kevin Klein	Dan Hamhuis

Pekka Rinne

Dan Ellis

Thursday thoughts: Can Martin Erat follow up on his hat trick?

Dirk Hoag — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:23:02 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

2 days ago: Nashville Predators left wing Martin Erat, right, of the Czech Republic, controls the puck with his hand as he comes down the ice against Vancouver Canucks players Kevin Bieksa (3) and Jannik Hansen (36), of Denmark, during the first period of an NHL hockey game on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

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This morning's news opens up a number of questions - can Martin Erat keep up the scoring? Will Canada get a 7th NHL team anytime soon? Are the Dallas Stars in financial trouble? Did Philadelphia make the right move in firing their coach?

I don't have answers for you, but there are all these questions and a whole lot more after the jump...

Predators News

Preds Get An E(rat) For Effort " Pull My (Fang)Finger
AJ sums up the play of the Preds over the last couple weeks, and wonders if Marty is finally ready to reward Poile and Trotz for all their patience with him.

Erat has a tough act to follow — his own | Nashville City Paper
David Boclair writes that Erat has a challenge in front of him, to maintain the scoring pace he's set lately.

Top 5 teams that need to make a deal - Red Light District
Do the Predators need a goal-scorer on the wing? Personally, I think the bigger need is for a playmaking center, and that we won't see a deal on that front until Nashville knows whether Colin Wilson will be healthy and able to help at the NHL level this season.

Winning NHL faceoff is mix of finesse, fury - The Tennessean
Bryan Mullen gets lots of thoughts about what goes into winning faceoffs. The thing is, however, with most teams winning between 48-52% of draws, there's really not much of a difference there. Despite all the drama, faceoffs just aren't a major factor in winning hockey games.

Around the NHL

Early indication is Alex Edler will be out for two weeks - The White Towel
Shea Weber broke the Vancouver defenseman with a thundering hit along the boards Tuesday night.

The View from 111: Desperate Financial Times in Big D
Mark sorts through the financial lingo to show that the Dallas Stars might be the next team requiring monetary support from the NHL, as owner Tom Hicks has nearly depleted a reserve fund he's been using to make up for operating losses.

The Hockey News: Despite setbacks in 2009, NHL fans feel Canada is set to get a 7th team
Shocking news, I know.

Game 30 Recap: Mase'd - The Cannon
The Blue Jackets handled Florida 3-0 on home ice last night, setting up a big battle this evening with the Predators.

Shutdown in C-Bus - On Frozen Pond
The Florida perspective on last night's game in Columbus includes word of some down-sizing by the Panthers organization.

'Ice Guru' Craig is ready to make ice at Fenway - NHL.com
The preparations are under way for the Winter Classic, which pits Boston against Philadelphia on New Year's Day.

Winter Classic Interview with Ed Olcyzk. His take on playing outside, kids and Martin Havlat - Hockey Wilderness
Good stuff from SB Nation's Minnesota Wild blog with "Eddie O".

Boivin: Coyotes more than a novelty
Can Phoenix maintain the pace they've set in the early going this season? I think so - if you look at Goals For & Against, they're a better fit for their record than Colorado, Los Angeles, or Nashville. (hat tip to Kukla's Korner)

Jovanovski suspended two games - The Globe and Mail
The Coyotes defenseman gets a two-gamer for a head shot on Minnesota's Andrew Ebbett. Will Jerred Smithson hear from the league office today?

Sawchuk - The Copper & Blue
A great reflection on Terry Sawchuk, the Hall of Fame goalie whose shutout record Martin Brodeur just tied.

"Big Sexy": The College Free Agent Brian Burke Didn't Sign - Hockey Or Die!
In case you're wondering why Martin Erat didn't get named the NHL's first star of the night for his hat trick on Tuesday, meet the guy who did get the honor, a kid out of Bowling Green who scored his first two career NHL goals that evening.

Edmonton - Tampa Bay post-game: Zorg, meet Gordie - The Copper & Blue
Zach Stortini, who gave the Preds fits earlier this season, racked up an elusive "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" last night against the Lightning.

Experiencing A Canadiens' Win In Ottawa's (Not So) Rival Rink - Habs Eyes On The Prize
Robert reports on following the Canadiens for a road game at Ottawa, and infiltrating a hostile crowd.

Five Hole Fanatics: John Stevens - Scapegoat before the Percentages
Kent makes a good case that Philly made a rash decision in axing their head coach.

Lastly, we've got more amazing goal calls from Florida Panthers radio man Randy Moller...

Martin Erat's hat trick leads Nashville to 4-2 win over Vancouver

Dirk Hoag — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:17:02 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Nashville Predators left wing Martin Erat (10), of the Czech Republic, shoots and scores his third goal of the game as Vancouver Canucks center Henrik Sedin (33), of Sweden, tries to block him in the third period.

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This is the type of game that David Poile and Barry Trotz have been referring to when talking about Martin Erat developing into an offensive leader for the Nashville Predators. With an empty-net goal, Erat completed just his 2nd career hat trick as the Preds knocked off the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 in a hard-fought game.

After the jump you can check out the video highlights, recap, and advanced even-strength statistics...

This was easily Erat's best game this season; he was opportunistic (banking in his first goal from behind the net), showed great speed (as on the breakaway that led to his second goal) and moved the puck decisively (shown on the power play goal by Hornqvist midway through the 3rd). If Nashville can get him scoring on a consistent basis, it could add enough punch to make the Preds a more dangerous team over the long haul of the regular season. In his last four games, the Czech winger now has 5 goals and 3 assists.

Erat wasn't the only star, however. Pekka Rinne was very solid, stopping 34 of 36 Vancouver shots and giving up very few rebound opportunities. Ryan Kesler and Daniel Sedin each scored once and led the charge up front, with 8 and 6 shots apiece. Steve Sullivan and Jason Arnott each got two assists as the new top line of Erat, Arnott and Sullivan provided constant pressure. The game-winning goal came on a slick tic-tac-toe passing play that led to an easy tap-in for Patric Hornqvist, his first score since November 12 at St. Louis.

Jerred Smithson was sent off in the 2nd period, receiving a major and a game misconduct for a hit on Alex Burrows. The refs called it Charging, but it was basically Boarding; a shoulder-to-shoulder hit that spun Burrows nastily into the dasher from a couple feet out. Burrows shook it off and was back in action two minutes later, but initially the hit looked pretty dangerous.

A Hornqvist penalty a few minutes later led to a 5-on-3 power play for Vancouver, and a goal for Kesler. In general the Nashville penalty killing was very strong. Team discipline also played a factor, as the Preds enjoyed 5 power plays to Vancouver's 4 (and one of those lasted only 1 second due to overlapping penalties).

In the third, Nashville stretched their lead to 3-1 on the Hornqvist power play goal, but the Canucks drew to within 3-2 as Daniel Sedin scored just after killing a penalty. From there on it was mostly about the Preds playing it safe with the puck and waiting for Vancouver to pull Roberto Luongo out of the next for the extra attacker, after which Erat completed his hat trick. It was the first hat trick for Nashville since February 28, when Jason Arnott pulled off the feat in the memorable 8-0 victory over Detroit.

Looking at the advanced even-strength stats, Shea Weber and Ryan Suter had strong efforts (Shea playing for the hometown fans watching on TV back in BC?), as did the new third line of Jordin Tootoo, Marcel Goc, and J.P. Dumont. David Legwand and Joel Ward had the tough task of dealing with the Sedins, and were able to minimize the damage despite giving up a fair portion of shots. Alexander Sulzer looked fine in his first NHL action since November 7 at Los Angeles.

Even Strength		Individual Totals					Team Totals While Player Is On Ice
Player	Pos	EV TOI	Shots	Shts Blkd	Missed Shts	Blocks	SOG For	SOG Ag	SOG +/-	Tot SF	Tot SA	Corsi
Martin Erat	R	14:24	1	0	2	0	9	6	3	16	8	8
Jason Arnott	C	15:28	0	2	0	0	8	8	0	16	12	4
Steve Sullivan	L	14:31	0	0	1	1	8	6	2	19	9	10
David Legwand	C	13:48	1	1	1	2	5	8	-3	13	21	-8
Jerred Smithson	R	7:32	0	0	0	0	1	3	-2	2	8	-6
Joel Ward	R	13:29	1	0	0	0	3	10	-7	8	21	-13
Marcel Goc	C	12:20	0	1	1	2	5	6	-1	16	11	5
Jordin Tootoo	R	8:41	0	0	2	0	2	6	-4	12	9	3
J P Dumont	R	10:14	2	2	1	0	4	5	-1	16	8	8
Cal O'Reilly	C	7:27	0	0	0	0	2	5	-3	4	9	-5
Patric Hornqvist	R	8:31	3	0	0	1	3	6	-3	5	11	-6
Ryan Jones	L	8:06	0	0	0	0	4	3	1	9	9	0
Shea Weber	D	18:23	2	4	2	0	8	7	1	23	11	12
Ryan Suter	D	17:17	2	0	1	1	8	8	0	23	13	10
Kevin Klein	D	15:10	0	0	1	1	2	8	-6	7	18	-11
Francis Bouillon	D	14:09	1	3	2	1	8	9	-1	17	17	0
Dan Hamhuis	D	16:32	0	0	1	3	3	11	-8	8	23	-15
Alexander Sulzer	D	10:05	3	0	0	0	6	5	1	11	10	1

Poll

Who is your Predator of the Game?

Martin Erat, 3 goals 1 assist

92 votes

Patric Hornqvist, game-winning PP goal

0 votes

Pekka Rinne, 34 saves

6 votes

98 votes | Poll has closed

Nashville Predators recall Cal O'Reilly, assign Mike Santorelli to Milwaukee

Dirk Hoag — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:45:51 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Outside of his 3-for-3 performance in shootout attempts, Mike Santorelli has struggled to make an impact for Nashville.

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From the Nashville Predators:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has recalled center Cal O'Reilly from Milwaukee (AHL), and reassigned forward Mike Santorelli to the Admirals.

O'Reilly, 23 (9/30/86), started the season in Milwaukee before being recalled to Nashville on Oct. 15. He was pointless in six games, and was reassigned on Oct. 30. In 17 games at the AHL level, the Toronto, Ont., native leads the Admirals in points (21) and is tied for fifth in the league in assists (17).

Santorelli, 23 (12/14/85), has suited up for 21 of Nashville's 27 games this season, posting three points (2g-1a). The Vancouver, B.C., native scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 28 at Minnesota, and collected his first career assist two games later on Oct. 31 vs. Dallas. He is also 3-for-3 in shootouts for the Predators this season. This is Santorelli's second trip to Milwaukee, as he amassed eight points (4g-4a) in four games with the club from Oct. 16-24

It's interesting to see Cal O'Reilly as the callup instead of Colin Wilson, who by all reports has been pretty ordinary during his stint in Milwaukee the last couple weeks.

Santo's ice time has dwindled in recent days, and it is a bit of a surprise that with another line shuffle in the works, Barry Trotz isn't going to give him a chance alongside David Legwand and Martin Erat, a combo that worked well in the pre-season. The chart below shows how both his total Time On Ice, and power play Time On Ice, have tracked as the season has progressed. The last time he went to the AHL, he lit up the scoreboard. Can he regain that touch once again?

Mike Santorelli's ice time with Nashville

Michael Santorelli

#18 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-0

Weight: 189

Born: Dec 14, 1985

Nashville Predators can't handle the Flames, lose 5-0

Dirk Hoag — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:49:20 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Calgary Flames defenseman Aaron Johnson blocks the path of Nashville Predators left wing Martin Erat in the offensive zone. Erat now has just one shot on goal in his last three games.

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The Calgary Flames ran their impressive road record to 10-1-3 at the expense of the Nashville Predators tonight, thanks to a gritty defensive effort that was complemented with opportunistic scoring. Curtis Glencross led all scorers with a goal and two assists, while Miikka Kiprusoff turned aside 22 shots for the shutout.

After the jump we've got the video highlights, recap, and advanced even-strength statistics...

The Flames played pretty much an ideal road game; a concerted effort to backcheck through center ice and defend the slot in their own zone, combined with an ability to capitalize on the offensive opportunities they were able to create for themselves. A scoreless first period led to an early goal in the second for David Moss, who took a blocked shot the other way, breaking in alone on Pekka Rinne.

Rinne was generally solid while the game was competitive as the Preds got outshot 30-22 on the evening. Nashville failed to generate many dangerous scoring chances despite furious line juggling by Barry Trotz in the final period. The Predators power play also failed to connect for the third straight game, this time in three chances.

Martin Erat, after showing some life last week, was completely ineffective once again, with 0 shots on goal in 16:48 of ice time. In his last three games, he has a grand total of 1 shot on goal in a combined 51:48 of action.

Despite the loss, Nashville finished the month with an impressive 9-4-0 record, and remain in 2nd place in the Central Division. They head out for two games on the road now, Wednesday at Minnesota and Friday at Chicago.

Looking at the advanced even-strength stats, the top line of Sullivan-Arnott-Dumont had a rough night, leading to the 3rd period breakup. While Erat had positive Shots For/Against totals for the team while he was on the ice, he needs to play a leading role offensively for Nashville, and so far, his season has been a bust.

As for positives? Take a look down at the bottom again, and admire the fine results for Cody Franson.

Even Strength		Individual Totals					Team Totals While Player Is On Ice
Player	Pos	EV TOI	Shots	Shts Blkd	Missed Shts	Blocks	SOG For	SOG Ag	SOG +/-	Tot SF	Tot SA	Corsi
Jason Arnott	C	12:58	0	1	1	0	2	7	-5	11	14	-3
Steve Sullivan	L	12:02	1	0	0	0	2	7	-5	13	13	0
J P Dumont	R	12:19	0	0	0	3	3	8	-5	8	14	-6
David Legwand	C	16:14	2	2	1	1	10	10	0	24	16	8
Jerred Smithson	R	14:58	3	1	0	0	11	7	4	21	14	7
Joel Ward	R	16:23	2	1	2	0	10	10	0	20	16	4
Marcel Goc	C	13:45	1	1	1	0	5	4	1	14	9	5
Martin Erat	R	13:53	0	2	0	0	6	3	3	21	7	14
Jordin Tootoo	R	16:35	1	1	2	0	2	8	-6	16	13	3
Wade Belak	R	5:26	0	0	0	0	3	2	1	3	5	-2
Michael Santorelli	C	9:12	1	0	0	0	5	4	1	7	7	0
Patric Hornqvist	R	12:23	2	0	2	0	6	5	1	10	10	0
Shea Weber	D	18:31	1	0	4	1	12	12	0	24	18	6
Ryan Suter	D	18:10	3	1	2	1	11	10	1	23	17	6
Kevin Klein	D	17:19	1	2	3	2	4	10	-6	21	16	5
Francis Bouillon	D	16:39	2	0	0	1	6	4	2	12	11	1
Dan Hamhuis	D	17:28	0	2	1	0	3	10	-7	19	18	1
Cody Franson	D	16:11	1	1	0	2	8	4	4	13	12	1

Nashville Predators 2010 Winter Olympics Preview

Dirk Hoag — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:00:31 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

The power, speed and skill of Nashville's Shea Weber are expected to be a big part of Team Canada's blueline at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Browse more photos »

As part of SB Nation's series of previews for the upcoming Winter Olympics, let's take a look at the Nashville Predators who are expected to represent their country this February in Vancouver. We'll break down which players should pack their bags already, which are in a battle for a roster spot, and which have real work to do if they want their shot at Olympic glory.

Pack Your Bags!

The most prominent Predators discussed in terms of the Winter Olympics are Nashville's twin towers on defense, Ryan Suter and Shea Weber:

Ryan Suter - USA

#20 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 194

Born: Jan 21, 1985

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Ryan Suter	25	2	9	11	-2	16	1	0	0	0	24	8.3

Suter, as has been discussed repeatedly, is the son of Bob Suter, a member of the 1980 "Miracle On Ice" U.S. Mens Team. A steady two-way defender who faces elite opposition every night, Suter's greatest strength is his ability to carry the puck from defensive to offensive zone, and get the attack moving. The U.S. should contend for a medal, and Suter is likely to play a major role on a pretty young American squad.

Shea Weber - Canada

#6 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-4

Weight: 230

Born: Aug 14, 1985

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Shea Weber	23	6	9	15	-2	4	4	0	1	0	66	9.1

The roster selection for Team Canada is one of the most-talked about hockey stories this year. In every online projection for which players will don the Maple Leaf, however, you'll see Shea Weber's name listed as a regular on the blueline. He brings that rare combination of reliable defensive work, outstanding offensive production, and brute physical force that franchises dream of building a team around.

Alexander Radulov - Russia

#47 / Right Wing / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 188

Born: Jul 05, 1986

Well, he's still under a valid NHL contract with Nashville, so I guess this counts. Radulov should provide secondary scoring for what should be a dynamite Russian squad led by the formidable trio of Alexander Ovechkin, Pavel Datsyuk, and Evgeni Malkin.

Marcel Goc - Germany

#9 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Born: Aug 24, 1983

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Marcel Goc	23	2	1	3	-2	6	0	0	0	0	36	5.6

Germany isn't exactly stacked with NHL-level talent, and the versatile Goc is sure to be included on Uwe Krupp's team.

Roman Josi - Switzerland

Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 198

Born: June 1, 1990

This smooth-skating young blueliner, Nashville's 2nd-round pick (38th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, plays in the Swiss League, and last season led all players under age 20 in goals, points and assists. Having appeared in the 2009 World Championships, he's expected to suit up in Vancouver for his native Switzerland, which is capable of the occasional upset, having beaten both the Czech Republic and Canada in the 2006 Turin Games.

In A Battle

Patric Hornqvist - Sweden

#27 / Right Wing / Nashville Predators

Height: 5-11

Weight: 186

Born: Jan 01, 1987

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Patric Hornqvist	25	5	5	10	2	8	0	0	2	0	82	6.1

Sweden is the defending gold medal champion, and while being hailed as "a prime example of someone playing their way onto an Olympic team", the field of potential forwards is a tough one to crack, especially if Peter Forsberg is healthy and ready to go.

Pekka Rinne - Finland

#35 / Goalie / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-5

Weight: 206

Born: Nov 03, 1982

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Pekka Rinne	17	961	11	5			38	2.37	452	414	.916	2

Finland is turning into a real hotbed of goaltending, and with Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff proclaiming that he'd rather stay home if he's not the #1 starter, Rinne might be able to play himself onto this squad alongside competitors like Nicklas Backstrom, Tuukka Rask, and Antero Niitymaki.

Alexander Sulzer - Germany

#52 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 204

Born: May 30, 1984

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Alexander Sulzer	5	0	1	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0.0

Originally thought of as a lock for the German team, Sulzer's OIympic dreams have likely taken a hit given his lack of playing time so far this season.

Work To Do

Robert Dietrich - Germany

#50 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 5-10

Weight: 172

Born: Jul 25, 1986

Dietrich was on Germany's preliminary roster at their summer organizational camp, but is part of a crowded field of players in either North American minor league hockey or European elite leagues. With Milwaukee, he is the Admirals' 2nd-leading scorer with a goal and 13 assists in 21 games.

Martin Erat - Czech Republic

#10 / Left Wing / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-0

Weight: 203

Born: Aug 29, 1981

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Martin Erat	22	4	5	9	-7	20	2	0	1	0	43	9.3

Perhaps the recent injury to Edmonton's Ales Hemsky opens up a roster spot at forward, but Erat's slow start hasn't helped his chances.

Dan Hamhuis - Canada

#2 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 203

Born: Dec 13, 1982

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Dan Hamhuis	21	1	6	7	1	18	0	0	0	0	39	2.6

Hamhuis has represented Team Canada at the World Championships on a number of occasions, and was invited to their Olympic camp this summer. There's little reason to believe he'll crack the lineup for the Winter Olympics, however; that's not a crack on his ability, as the competition there is incredibly tough.

David Legwand - USA

#11 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-2

Weight: 202

Born: Aug 17, 1980

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - David Legwand	25	5	9	14	-1	10	0	1	2	0	53	9.4

Given his stellar defensive work this season in a checking role between Joel Ward and Jerred Smithson, Legwand might gain consideration for a similar job on Team USA. There are few players in the world that can match Leggy's combination of skating ability and size at the center position, and he could help an American team that will hope to win tough, low-scoring games. He'll have to maintain his recent offensive success, however, to get noticed as a hot commodity.

Poll

How many Nashville Predators (including Radulov) will play in the Winter Olympics?

1-3

16 votes

4-6

40 votes

7-9

9 votes

10-12

4 votes

69 votes | Poll has closed

Tuesday notes: Good times in Smashville as the Predators sweep a 5-game home stand

Dirk Hoag — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:21:45 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Nashville Predators left wing Martin Erat (10), celebrates with Jordin Tootoo, right, after Erat scored his second goal of the game against the Detroit Red Wings, in the third period Monday in Nashville.

Browse more photos »

After seeing the Predators wrap up a perfect 5-0 home stand last night against Detroit, the mood in Nashville is understandably bright these days. For reaction to last night's win, you can start your morning touring Preds On The Glass, Pull My (Fang) Finger, See Puck City, What the Puck, and the blogs of Paul McCann and Brandon Felder.

Good times, indeed.

After the jump, however, we've got the rest of your morning news & notes, including some reasons behind Nashville's recent success, a new 3rd jersey debuted by the Florida Panthers, and one of the Preds' division rivals getting lit up on the road...

Predators News

Postgame ponderings - Inside Predators
John Glennon likes the Erat-Goc-Tootoo line, but not so much the Thuresson-Santorelli-Hornqvist one. I haven't been particularly impressed with Santorelli either, but last night that line actually did a great job in limited action.

Predators maintain power play prowess in victory over Detroit - Nashville City Paper
David Boclair highlights the power play as a big reason for Nashville's current hot streak.

Erat carries offense vs. Red Wings - The Tennessean
Bryan Mullen writes about Martin Erat's sudden resurgence, and what it means to the Preds.

Around the NHL

Iginla stapled to bench during shootout -- huh? - Flames Insider
An odd call last night in Anaheim, as Jarome Iginla (you know, only one of the great goal-scorers in the game) wasn't used by Brent Sutter when the Flames went to a shootout.

Pass or Fail: Florida's new third jerseys are borrowed and blue - Puck Daddy
I say "Fail", because the new Florida Panthers jerseys don't remind me of the team at all; it's such a radical departure from their normal ones, they just look generic.

Overtime - Behind The Net
Hawerchuk points out how the NHL provides incentives for bad teams to hold on in OT and try to reach the shootout.

Night to forget | BlueJacketsXtra
The Blue Jackets gave up seven(!) straight goals to the New York Rangers last night.

John Tavares and his Toronto Circus | Hockey From the Cheap Seats
Never mind the actual game between the Islanders and Maple Leafs, the real spectacle was having John Tavares playing his first NHL game in Toronto.

OK, I’ll go back on Twitter | All Things Avs
Adrian Dater keeps the drama rolling, and re-joins Twitter after deleting his account a few days ago.

Who Wore The First Number 99 In Hockey? - Habs Eyes On The Prize
Great stuff about the NHL's original #99...

CBCSports.ca - Blogs - Hawks soaring, Flames' unrest and 30 thoughts
Good stuff as always from Elliotte Friedman.

More on Burns' concussion; Other injury updates; Ramsey misses practice | StarTribune.com
More bad news for the Minnesota Wild...

How Much Does Star Power Matter? - Bird Watchers Anonymous
The Falconer answers Puck Daddy's question from last week.

Wings fall to Predators 3-1

Christy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:30:29 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

17 days ago: Detroit Red Wings left wing Drew Miller (20) scores a goal against Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne (35), of Finland, in the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Nov. 23, 2009, in Nashville, Tenn. Also defending for the Predators is Kevin Klein, center. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Browse more photos »

After escaping Montreal with a narrow 3-2 shootout victory on Saturday, the Wings headed to Nashville with the hopes of earning their first win streak on the road. Unfortunately, it was not to be as the Wings dropped the game in a 3-1 loss to the Predators.

Chris Osgood got the start in goal, making allowing three goals on 25 shots while the Wings got off 31 shots in their losing effort.

The Wings' penalty kill woes continued, allowing two goals on four penalty kills. Jason Arnott got Nashville on the board first with a power-play tally at the 10:24 mark in the opening period.

The Predators grabbed a two-goal lead just 1:21 into the middle frame with another power-play marker, but this time from Martin Erat. He scored Nashville's insurance goal with 2:20 remaining in the contest.

Once again, the Wings stumbled out of the gate before firing on all cylinders in the third period just a little too late. Detroit's lone tally came at the 6:38 point in the second stanza when former Spartan Drew Miller registered his first goal as a Wing. According to MLive.com, "it was his first goal in 20 games this season, his first in 27 games dating to last season when he played for Anaheim."

The Wings now have lost the last three of four games. Detroit returns to play on Wednesday against Atlanta at Joe Louis Arena at 7:30 p.m. EDT.

Martin Erat scores twice as Nashville Predators beat Detroit 3-1

Dirk Hoag — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:58:54 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

17 days ago: Nashville Predators center Jason Arnott (19) shoots through a group of Detroit Red Wings to score a goal in the first period of an NHL hockey game on Monday, Nov. 23, 2009 in Nashville, Tenn. From left are Detroit Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood (30), defenseman Jonathan Ericsson (52), of Sweden, center Darren Helm (43), defenseman Brad Stuart (23), and right wing Patrick Eaves (17). (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Browse more photos »

The Nashville Predators continued their upward climb through the standings with a 3-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings in front of a national TV audience on Versus. Martin Erat scored twice (his first multi-goal game of the season), and Pekka Rinne made 30 saves for his sixth straight win.

Combined with a loss by Columbus in New York, the Preds have now risen to 2nd place in the Central Division.

After the jump you'll find the video highlights, recap, and advanced even-strength statistics...

Once again, the Nashville power play came through, with Jason Arnott scoring in the first and Martin Erat adding a goal in the 2nd to give the Preds a 2-0 lead. Nashville earned four power play chances by taking advantage of the slowest Detroit forwards, Tomas Holmstrom and Todd Bertuzzi, who took two minor penalties each.

The Red Wings did close the gap to 2-1 about five minutes after Erat's goal, as Drew Miller powered his way to the net off the sideboards and stuffed the puck short-side past Pekka Rinne.

In the 3rd period, Detroit came out determined to tie the score, dominating the flow of the game (outshooting Nashville 14-3 on the period at one point), but Rinne stood tall in his crease.

To be honest, at 6'5", Pekka stands tall just about anywhere, but you get the idea.

Erat capped off his big night with Nashville's 3rd goal at 17:40 of the third, taking a feed from Jordin Tootoo and ripping it past Chris Osgood for his 4th of the season. If Erat can start producing like this regularly, the Predators could have the scoring depth they've been looking for.

During a furious finish the Red Wings clanked a shot off the post during the final minute, but the Preds hung on for their seventh straight victory on home ice (tied for the 2nd-best streak in team history), and 10th in their last 12 games.

Looking at the Even Strength statistics, it becomes clear what a big night this was for Nashville's depth players. The top line of Sullivan-Arnott-Dumont had a rough time against the likes of Datsyuk and Zetterberg, but for the Predators, the two lines of Erat-Goc-Tootoo and Hornqvist-Santorelli-Thuresson put forth great efforts. The shot numbers look especially skewed given the hailstorm of shots Detroit fired in the 3rd period (16 of their 31).

Even Strength		Individual Totals					Team Totals While Player Is On Ice
Player	Pos	EV TOI	Shots	Shts Blkd	Missed Shts	Blocks	SOG For	SOG Ag	SOG +/-	Tot SF	Tot SA	Corsi
Jason Arnott	C	13:36	1	0	0	1	1	11	-10	5	24	-19
Steve Sullivan	L	11:06	0	0	0	0	1	11	-10	4	17	-13
J P Dumont	R	12:15	0	1	0	0	1	11	-10	4	21	-17
David Legwand	C	15:07	1	0	0	2	3	7	-4	7	14	-7
Jerred Smithson	R	14:15	1	0	1	1	1	7	-6	5	15	-10
Joel Ward	R	15:48	0	1	0	0	1	7	-6	5	17	-12
Marcel Goc	C	11:47	2	1	0	1	9	8	1	15	20	-5
Martin Erat	R	12:22	3	2	0	1	11	8	3	18	21	-3
Jordin Tootoo	R	12:27	3	0	2	0	11	8	3	18	20	-2
Andreas Thuresson	R	9:57	1	0	0	2	7	1	6	10	9	1
Michael Santorelli	C	9:31	2	0	0	0	7	1	6	10	8	2
Patric Hornqvist	R	9:42	1	2	0	2	7	1	6	10	9	1
Shea Weber	D	18:34	1	1	3	2	6	11	-5	14	25	-11
Ryan Suter	D	16:40	0	0	0	0	5	10	-5	13	23	-10
Kevin Klein	D	17:49	1	0	0	1	6	8	-2	9	25	-16
Francis Bouillon	D	17:06	0	1	0	4	9	10	-1	12	24	-12
Dan Hamhuis	D	18:30	1	1	1	2	9	10	-1	15	24	-9
Cody Franson	D	10:13	1	0	0	1	5	5	0	11	9	2

Poll

Who is your Predator of the Game?

Martin Erat, 2 goals

59 votes

Pekka Rinne, 30 saves

44 votes

103 votes | Poll has closed