SB Nation - Patric Hornqvist

Look Out! Here Come The Preds!

Sean Zandberg — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:00:22 -0000

PREDATORS (22-11-3) AT CANUCKS (20-16-0)

GAME TIME: 7:30 PM

TV: Sportsnet Pacific

UPDATE (11:23 AM): It was apparently heard on the Team 1040 that Pavol Demitra is back practicing with the Canucks...already. They must have good drugs in Slovakia. Just tuned in to the Team and if you gauge what AV said...Alexander Edler could play tonight.

UPDATE (1:08 AM): Salo and Johnson are expected to play tonight. For more on that, and some praise by AV for O'Brien, check out the Vancouver Sun.

UPDATE (1:24 AM): Jason Arnott is "questionable" for tonight with an upper body injury.

********************

Oh no! Not another Central Division team! No! The Canucks are 1-7 against that heinous group. Turn on the game and pop an anxiety pill, right? Well, maybe not. There are a couple possibilities/reasons why the Canucks might show up for this one.

A. They usually follow lackluster efforts with good ones.

B. Nashville sits 4th in the West. The Canucks won't be playing down to their competition. Nashville is 7 points ahead of Vancouver.

Almost amazingly, the Canucks can still find themselves in 8th spot tomorrow night if they beat the Preds and ~~Dallas loses to San Jose in regulation tonight~~.(DONE!) Detroit and Dallas play on Wednesday and will probably push us out then if we sneak in.

The Preds are rolling right now. Since their 4-2 win over the Canucks on December 8th, they have a 5-0-1 record. They have won 4 in a row (Canucks don't know what that is like), and have a 7-1-2 record in their last 10 games. Good lord, is this Nashville we are talking about? What gives?

In the 4 game winning streak, there are a few unlikely heroes in Nashville's lineup:

-Patric Hornqvist has 4 goals and 7 points, earning him the NHL's 3rd Star Of The Week.

-Marcel Goc (good buddies with Ehrhoff) has 2 goals and 4 assists.

-Joel Ward has 1 goal and 5 assists.

Then we have what should be the usual suspects:

-David Legwand and Martin Erat have 2 goals and 4 assists each.

-Steve Sullivan has 3 goals and 1 assist.

-JP Dumont (3 points) and Jason Arnott (2 points) have slowed down. Doesn't mean we should discount them. They can strike at any moment.

So Nashville has a lot of good things going on right now, especially with the scoring from several sources.

How do the other stats add up?

COMPARATIVE STATS

-GOALS PER GAME: Canucks 5th, Preds 13th

-GOALS AGAINST PER GAME: Canucks 10th, Preds 16th

-5 ON 5: Canucks 6th, Preds 11th

-POWER PLAY: Canucks 5th, Preds 26th.

-PENALTY KILL: Canucks 19th, Preds 28th

SHOTS PER GAME: Canucks 11th, Preds 12th

SHOTS AGAINST PER GAME: Canucks 10th, Preds 11th.

WINNING % WHEN LEADING AFTER 1: Preds 3rd, Canucks 6th

WINNING % WHEN LEADING AFTER 2: Preds 1st (100%), Canucks 8th (.933)

FACEOFF %: Canucks 11th, Preds 14th

Sad, isn't it? We are better than them in most statistical categories but are still 7 points behind them. Crazy to think that in Nashville's 4-game winning streak they have scored 23 goals, but only 1 of them on the power play, which goes along with their ranking above.

I would really appreciate it if the Canucks would just calm the hell down and play their game. They need to stop getting caught up-ice. They need to play an aggressive, consistent, and defensively sound game. Can someone please teach them how to properly break out of their own zone? Please!

Willie Mitchell said Monday: "We have to go into this one prepared to win 1-0 or 2-1," said Mitchell. "If we do that, we'll be more consistent."

Oh, and check out Kevin Bieksa's disdain about having his ice time reduced. There is some finger-pointing going right now.

Can we clone 12 Ryan Keslers? Is that possible?

Fantasy Hockey Team of the Week: Dec.14-20

Rafal Ladysz — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:28:57 -0000

More photos » by Steve Mitchell - AP

8 months ago: Florida Panthers forward Nathan Horton holds his hand up to his right eye after being hit by the Ottawa Senators defenseman Chris Phillips during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 31, 2009, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Mitchell)

Browse more photos »

Welcome to fantasy hockey team of the week, a series which will be found weekly on Die By the Blade. Our primary objective is to create the finest fantasy squad consisting of a center, left winger, right winger, two defensemen and one goaltender. In other words, just like a normal group regularly on the ice in game action.

We'll in addition herald a young gun, have a laugh at the gaffe of the week, highlight the best goal and more. By the season's end, a count will be undertaken to determine which players showed up in the most weeks. Of course, I'll try to provide some tips, real tips, for those involved in deep fantasy hockey pools.

Tons of scoring took place for the Nashville Predators, 23 goals in four victories to be exact, but it wasn't the expected players taking care of business for the most part. Marcel Goc has been tossed onto a number of lines by Barry Trotz and has blossomed alongside whomever. The German native came over from San Jose and if he can continue to bring the goods, it may allow the Predators to forget about that Rich Peverley character.

Numbers: four games played, two goals, four assists, six points, plus-six rating.

There are some indubitable certainties in life. We live, we sleep, we die and Ilya Kovalchuk will put pucks past goalkeepers. Atlanta's franchise performer, for the time being, has gone pointless on just eight occasions owning the instincts of a sniper. His back-checking and defensive play are another story but Kovalchuk gets paid to shoot the puck.

Numbers: four games played, two goals, four assists, six points, minus-one rating.

Sick of being referred to as enigmatic, Nathan Horton's potential has floated back to him quickly as he sits even with Rick Nash in points. What a sweet relief it must be for the Florida Panthers to witness the third overall selection in 2003 playing the best hockey of his career. The press loves to hound struggling stars but Horton seems like he can do no wrong lately.

Numbers: four games played, three goals, four assists, seven points, plus-two rating.

Two Thrashers make up our back line and we'll start with Tobias Enstrom who has proven to be an influential defender. Covering the ice well, the 25-year-old is dependable in sending that first break-out pass and sneaking into the play. While he could benefit from a bigger frame, Enstrom uses his assets well defensively to shut down the opposing competition.

Numbers: four games played, five assists, five points, plus-two rating.

Rounding out our five-man unit is Pavel Kubina and he's fit in well in Atlanta. With a plus-14 rating, he leads the squad in that regard and still packs a heavy shot which goaltenders will be lucky to stop but won't be able to avoid rebounds on always. The assists will arrive in packages for the former Maple Leaf considering the Thrasher forwards that hover towards the goal.

Numbers: four games played, one goal, four assists, five points, plus-one rating.

On we go to the most important individual on any team. In a far from convincing Pittsburgh display in Buffalo yesterday, Marc-Andre Fleury kept his side in the game with vital stops, none more impressive than his stretch across robbing Clarke MacArthur. As Sabres supporters, we know all about goaltenders being the No.1 star so no hard feelings to the Penguins netminder.

Numbers: three games played, three wins, 1.33 goals against average, .951 save percentage.

Team of the Week

Center: Marcel Goc

Left Wing: Ilya Kovalchuk

Right Wing: Nathan Horton

Defenseman: Tobias Enstrom

Defenseman: Pavel Kubina

Goaltender: Marc-Andre Fleury

Our young gun spotlight goes to Patric Hornqvist for his seven-point effort in Nashville's dominance. The rookie is up to ten goals and will undoubtedly surpass 20 come April. It's not often that Shea Weber and Steve Sullivan aren't overshadowed by a freshman often but the Swede managed to do it.

Matt Stajan had his head down and the body usually follows in those moments. Johnny Boychuk lined him up delivering a perfect open-ice check tucking the shoulder in and taking aim at the body. A little bloodied, Stajan skated off on his own and returned to finish out the match Saturday. That's our hit of the week in case you're wondering.

Drew Miller, younger brother of Ryan, has picked up the pieces in Detroit and gave the Tampa Bay Lightning something to remember him by. Knocking down a long pass out of the air, he managed to contain the puck and make a sweet move to the backhand as Mike Smith went for a poke-check. You can see it below.

Gaffe of the week is automatically handed to Vesa Toskala for his latest glove misusing. Toronto was controlling play up until that mistake which gave Buffalo the lead and really grabbed the life out of the Maple Leafs. Better luck next time Vesa if there is a next time.

Congratulations are in order for Mike Brodeur earning his first NHL win over the weekend in Ottawa. The Canadian has a huge last name to live up to if he looks to resemble the other Brodeur. One victory down, 578 to go.

Finally, a bit of recommendation for fantasy poolies. Do not drop Marc-Andre Bergeron because of Andrei Markov's early return from injury. The defenseman is planning on being used as a fourth-line forward and remaining on the powerplay alongside Markov. This was the type of role Mark Streit excelled in a few years ago before becoming a well-known blue liner.

Can the Nashville Predators keep scoring like this?

Dirk Hoag — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:45:17 -0000

More photos » by Jay LaPrete - AP

Ryan Jones is riding a 4-game goal-scoring streak, but can the Nashville Predators maintain the offensive pace they've set over the last few weeks?

Browse more photos »

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the current 5-0-1 run that the Nashville Predators are on is an unexpected surge in goal-scoring, which is coming from all four of the forward lines. Ryan Jones is working a 4-game streak, Patric Hornqvist reached double-digits with two goals in Edmonton last night, and both Martin Erat and Steve Sullivan have achieved hat tricks in recent days. Even Jerred Smithson and Joel Ward scored as well.

After trouncing the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-4 at home Tuesday night, John Glennon started the post-game press conference by asking Barry Trotz if the team had transformed into an offensive dynamo. Trotz replied with a deadpan "No", for of course he doesn't want anybody to lose sight of the lunch-bucket mentality that is the hallmark of his coaching style.

But the question remains - how much of this current scoring trend is sustainable? Let's take a look...

The tool I'm going to use to dig into this question is called Shot Quality; the notion that each shot can be assigned a value between 0 and 1, which represents the chance that a shot of that type will result in a goal. The factors I'm using here are the distance from the net, the shot type (slap, wrist, backhand, etc.) and whether or not it is a rebound attempt.

For example, a wrist shot from between 10 and 20 feet out might have a 14% chance of resulting in a goal on a normal attempt, but if it's a rebound opportunity, that value jumps to 34%. If you sum up all the Shot Quality values for a given game, you get an Expected Goals figure, which reflects how many goals you should score based on average goaltending.

I'm also using only Even Strength play here, setting special teams aside for the moment.

Since 80% or so of an NHL game is spent at Even Strength, my question here is how many goals the Preds should be scoring, and how the bounces of any given game have worked out.

The graph below shows the actual Even Strength goals scored per game (in red), and the Expected Goals (in blue). The game numbers below the horizontal axis are the game ID's from NHL.com. As an example, last night in Edmonton the Preds scored 5 goals at Even Strength, but based on the total of Shot Quality, they should only have Expected to score 2.25.

So what does this tell us?

Preds finally getting a break

The first thing to note is that the last 9 games (starting with a 5-4 overtime loss at Minnesota) are the first stretch that has seen the Actual Goals exceed the Expected Goals for any length of time, with a difference of +14.33 total goals; in other words, the bounces are finally going their way. That makes up for the first 22 games of the season, which saw the Preds score 14.5 goals less than Expected. In the 35 games to date, they've scored 1.91 goals less than Expected at Even Strength, which isn't a significant deviation for the overall total.

Basically, this hot streak lately has balanced out some snake-bitten games early on (recall the 1-0 loss to Buffalo, for example). This tells us that we shouldn't bank on the guys earning Frosties for the fans again any time soon, as a good chunk of this recent production is simply a matter of luck.

These aren't last season's Predators

The good news, however, is that this team is generating scoring opportunities at a decent pace, and if the goaltending and team defense hold up, the Predators should be able to keep up an above-average Goals For/Against performance.

To date this season, the Preds are generating 2.11 Expected Goals per Game at Even Strength, good for 7th in the NHL. In 2008-9, that figure was just 1.83, which ranked 22nd. Thanks in large part to the return of Steve Sullivan and production outside the Top Six by guys like Hornqvist and Jones, the Preds are a significantly better offensive team this time around.

Caveats

Just to repeat, I'm looking only at Even Strength activity here; special teams warrant their own analysis, which will await another day. Also, the Shot Quality model I'm using is relatively crude compared to the latest tweaks discussed over at HockeyAnalytics.com (PDF). I'm just starting to get this stuff into database form where I can do this kind of analysis, and hope to flesh it out more thoroughly as the season progresses.

That said, this provides a more nuanced view of offensive performance than merely looking at shot totals.

Game 33 Preview: Jackets in tough against the Preds

Mike MacLean — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:08:16 -0000

by Carlos Osorio - ASSOCIATED PRESS

View full size photo »

Every year I always seem to say this: those damned Preds! Nashville comes to town for the first time this season, after going 2-0 so far against the Jackets in Nashville. The Jackets have dug themselves in a hole whereby they have to win games from here out, plain and simple. They play in the best division in hockey so intra-division games are crucial.

Some lineup changes of note- Chimmer moves up with Vermmy and Nasher, and there's a new line of Modin, Brass and Torres. That one sounds interesting, a little bit of everything. With Dorsett out with a broken hand, Murray goes back into the lineup on the checking unit with Sammy and Boller. Mase gets the start against Rinne.

I can't stress the importance of these games. The Jackets desperately need to go on a winning streak, why not start tonight?

Fearless Prediction: A win, please.

Game Time: 7:00pm ET

Opponent's Blog: On the Forecheck

Game Page: Predators vs Blue Jackets Coverage

TSN Preview: Predators vs Blue Jackets Preview

TV: FSN Ohio

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

More after the jump...

From the Columbus Dispatch:

A meeting of polar opposites: The Blue Jackets are a skilled club that lacks resiliency and on-ice cohesion; the Predators make up for a lack of high-end talent with immense resolve. The previous two meetings, both in Nashville, ended in 4-3 shootout wins for the Predators. The Blue Jackets won all three meetings in Nationwide Arena last season.

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

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

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

Steve Mason

Mathieu Garon

EXTRA: Michael Blunden, Mathieu Roy

INJURED: Rostislav Klesla, Derek Dorsett

Nashville Predators

Steve Sullivan	Jason Arnott	Martin Erat
Jerred Smithson	David Legwand	Joel Ward
Patric Hornqvist	Marcel Goc	J.P. Dumont
Wade Belak	Dave Scatchard	Ryan Jones

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

Pekka Rinne

Dan Ellis

Game 31: Jackets take on the Preds in Nashville

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

by Jay LaPrete - AP

View full size photo »

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

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

Game 20 Preview: New Jersey Devils @ Nashville Predators - 11/19/2009

John Fischer — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:12 -0000

by Matt Slocum - AP

Zach Parise and his shots were well covered by defenders all night against Philadelphia. Can he break free into space in Nashville tonight? (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

View full size photo »

The Time: 8 PM EST

The Broadcasting Info: MSG+ for the TV; 660 AM WFAN for the radio

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (14-5-0) @ the Nashville Predators (10-8-1)

The Last Devils Game: The New Jersey Devils went into Philadelphia with 9 straight road wins and 8 straight wins overall and got outplayed by the Flyers. A late consolation goal led to a flattering 3-2 score; but from where I stood, the Devils definitely earned that loss.

The Last Predators Game: The Nashville Predators took on the San Jose Sharks and more than held their own against the Western Conference leaders last night. Their checking line had a big night, Pekka Rinne was solid in net, and they overcame the Sharks 4-3. Dirk Hoag has recapped the game at On the Forecheck, complete with a wonderful table of even strength statistics.

The Goal: Stay calm. The Devils had a long winning streak broken on Monday, getting out played by a Philadelphia team that was able to get to Brodeur's crease with ease and prevent Devils to get right in front of Ray Emery. Perhaps doing better on around the crease in both ends will help. It's what the Devils worked on practice on Tuesday according to Tom Gulitti. But I feel keeping a level head is more crucial. Tonight, they will take on a team who has won 7 of their last 9 and just beat the top team in the West largely due to a power play that has otherwise been miserable. It may be easy to start getting frustrated or play with a little more desperation in an attempt to make a statement or prevent a slump. I feel that could be counter-productive against a team that has to be feeling good and playing well. The Devils have come from behind in so many of their recent wins by not getting frustrated within the game while looking to work harder on the next shift. That was the key to their success and they can get back to doing that Nashville. Only if they stay calm, in my opinion.

Read on for a guess at lines, some further thoughts, and some insight into the Nashville Predators as Dirk Hoag of On the Forecheck answers some question about the team he supports.

The recent big news with respect to the lineup is that the Devils have sent Cory Murphy down to Lowell and have called up Tyler Eckford. The Devils have called up Matthew Corrente earlier this month, so one of the two Devils' top defenseman prospects will be in tonight's game. Corrente has been highly regarded in the Devils' system since being drafted in the first round in 2006, tonight could be his NHL debut to see how he's developed. Eckford has had the hot hands in Lowell, with 2 goals and 7 assists in 3 games last week. Eckford has grown like wildfire since being a seventh round draft pick in 2004, putting up plenty of points in the CCHA before joining Lowell. With Murphy sent down, the Devils can see how Eckford could do in a similar role as an offensive defenseman.

Either way, in the comments to Steve's Murphy-down, Eckford-up post, I explained why I thought Murphy was sent down. Regardless of who gets their first NHL game against Nashville, the Devils' current top four defensemen will have to carry the majority of minutes yet again. Andy Greene, Colin White, Mike Mottau, and Bryce Salvador had unimpressive-at-best games in Philly. If those four can not panic in their own end, not allow Nashville forwards to get behind them, and steady themselves tonight, then it'll go a long way towards a good result for New Jersey.

In any case, here is my guess for the Devils' line up. As usual, expect the forward lines to shift during the game. With respect to who will be in or out, your best bet is to check out Gulitti or Chere later in the day. Again, this is only a guess:

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Jamie Langenbrunner
Patrik Elias - Dainius Zubrus - Niclas Bergfors
Brian Rolston - Tim Sestito - David Clarkson
Matt Halischuk - Rod Pelley - Ilkka Pikkarainen

Andy Greene - Bryce Salvador
Colin White - Mike Mottau
Mark Fraser - Matthew Corrente

Martin Brodeur
Yann Danis

While Eckford was just called up, I'm guessing Corrente will get to make his debut as he's been up with the team already and have been practicing to get himself acclimated to the team. I'm also guessing Jacques Lemaire will mix up his wingers and give Ilkka Pikkarainen a shot since the Devils may not necessarily need a big, fighting (?) dude like Peters tonight.

Anyway, let's look at the Nashville Predators. Do you know much about the Predators other than that they beat the San Jose Sharks last night? Did you know that head coach Barry Trotz aired a beef about the arena clock operator at the Sommet Center after the win (via Puck Daddy)? Do you know who is the highest played player on the Nashville Predators? (Just for fun, guess without looking up CapGeek - I think you'll be amazed at the answer) Well, I had some other questions about how the Predators have been doing and the man to ask about the Predators is Dirk Hoag of On the Forecheck. I was able to ask him five questions about the Predators and tonight's game. Keep in mind the questions came before

Question #1. The big story with Nashville on the surface is their difficulty in scoring goals. Prior to the San Jose game, they have scored only 39 goals in 18 games (2.11 average - second lowest in the league) and their power play is dead last at a 11.6% success rate. Yet, the Predators average 30.8 shots per game, the tenth best average in the league. While it's clear to me the Predators are getting shots on net, what has prevented Nashville from scoring goals so far this season?

DH: There are a few reasons for that discrepancy - the first is obviously a lack of finishers, the guys who can take that extra half-second to pick their spot when shooting. The Preds have only had their top line playing together for 3 games now, and the replacement personnel just don't provide that skill. Also, the team is playing a style that dictates firing the puck on net more often and having supporting forwards crash the net for rebounds, rather than circle around and try to set up a perfect shot. As for the power play, that's been a persistent problem for the last three seasons now, and although they scored twice against San Jose on Tuesday, nobody's breaking out the party balloons quite yet.

Question #2. One team stat that I'm sure you're thrilled with are team's penalties. The Predators average only 9.6 minutes per game and have taken a total of only 158 minutes; leading the league in both categories. Why are the Predators so disciplined this season?

DH: Barry Trotz has mentioned quite often in recent days that staying out of the box has been a major focus with this team. He's emphasized "checking with your feet", in other words, having players keep hustling to stay with a play rather than tail off and have to hook or hold an opponent. The team is still playing tough hockey in terms of initiating contact and following through on body checks, but avoiding penalties is key. One interesting point there is the return of Martin Gelinas to the organization as Director of Player Development; when he played with the Preds in 2007-8, he is credited with mentoring Jordin Tootoo during his most disciplined and productive season, so perhaps he's providing some advice on that front as well.

Question #3. Let's talk goalies. Dan Ellis and Pekka Rinne have been splitting time so far this season, though Rinne has the better numbers so far. Does this mean that Rinne has - or should be - the team's starter; or do you not mind the two goalies splitting time?

DH: I don't mind having both split the duty, although the balance does appear to be tipping in Rinne's favor. Both are solid NHL goaltenders, and since they are in the final year of their contracts, each is motivated to make an impact whenever they get the chance. With the compressed schedule this season, all teams will need reliable depth in goal, and the Preds are set up as well as anybody on that front.

Question #4. Among the Predator players, Shea Weber and Ryan Suter lead the Nashville defense in terms of minutes. While they are certainly impressive players to an outsider like me, who on the Predators should the Devils look out for that hasn't necessarily got the attention (or credit) they deserve?

DH: Up front, the two guys you'll want to watch for are Patric Hornqvist, a second-year Swede who battles around the net like a right-handed Tomas Holmstrom, and Jerred Smithson, a veteran who is usually focused on checking and PK work, but is clicking on a line with Joel Ward and David Legwand. Smitty is a hard worker, and unexpectedly ranks 3rd among Nashville forwards with 4 goals already. On defense, Kevin Klein has grown into a Top 4 role and is playing well after a rocky start, and also look for Cody Franson, a rookie who is getting work on the power play.

Question #5. Lastly, what is your prediction for tonight's game?

DH: I don't usually do predictions, but I really like the way the Preds are playing right now. I'll go with 3-2 Nashville.

Big thanks to Dirk for his responses. As usual, I disagree with his prediction; but he is right that the team is loaded with hard working, under-the-radar players. They got two solid goaltenders; while the Devils may see Dan Ellis tonight since Rinne got the San Jose game, Nashville won't be weaker in net.

That their power play was successful against San Jose is a real interesting note, perhaps the start of something big. With respect to special teams play, that Nashville takes so few penalties is a big plus in their favor; a power play unit that finally just got a spark could really make them more dangerous of an opponent along with being rarely shorthanded. After all, a little confidence can turn a slumping part of a team's game right around - and Nashville's offense has clearly been in a lull this season. The Devils would do well to remember that going into tonight's game. As well as staying calm on the ice will minimize the number man advantages the Predators will have to get confident on their power play and on offense in general.

Thanks for reading. Steve will have the GameThread up later today. As usual, please feel free to use this post comment about tonight's game as well as any new news with either team up until the GameThread begins. If you can, check out the Devils' viewing party at the Black Bear Bar in Hoboken. I unfortunately won't be able to make it, so I'll comment during the game here. Go Devils!

Wednesday's news: Will Patric Hornqvist make the Swedish Olympic team?

Dirk Hoag — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:07:21 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Patric Hornqvist's willingness to battle around the opponent's goal crease has him drawing consideration for Team Sweden's hockey team in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Browse more photos »

While Nashville Predators fans are basking in the glow of last night's impressive 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks, the road ahead doesn't get any easier. Tomorrow, the New Jersey Devils bring their 9-1 road record into the Sommet Center, making for another big challenge for a Preds team which, fortunately, appears to be playing its best hockey of the season at this point.

Until then, however, let's check out the morning news & notes. We've got reaction to the Sharks game, a projection of how Sweden's Olympic roster might shape up, and video of a goal celebration that goes horribly awry...

Predators News

See Puck City: Revenge Is Sweet or Shark Meat Is Delicious: Preds Win 4-3
Dedication is a fan that does everything he can to get to a game, even if it's only for the final few minutes...

What The Puck: 11/17/09 - San Jose at Nashville: W 3-4
Rachel's summary from last night includes the question of what's happened to Patric Hornqvist, who was pretty much invisible last night. My answer would be that he's on a line centered by Mike Santorelli, who's in danger of becoming a tweener - a guy that can light up the AHL, but has a hard time making an impact at the NHL level.

NHL Olympic picks: Team Sweden - Vancouver Canucks
Adam Kimelman, writing for the Canucks website, touts Patric Hornqvist as "a prime example of someone playing their way onto an Olympic team."

Patric Hornqvist

#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	19	5	5	10	3	8	0	0	2	0	67	7.5

Around the NHL

What is the value of a game-tying goal? - The Copper & Blue
A wonderful observation from Bruce McCurdy; in the modern NHL's regular season, it's the tying goal that helps a team get to overtime that is really the most valuable in the standings. I really, really, really can't stand the OT/SO "loser point".

Dustin Penner, an ace penalty killer? As unlikely as that sounds, that's the case. - Cult of Hockey
David Staples points out that besides having a great year offensively, Dustin Penner is getting the job done on the PK for Edmonton. That's also one area where at least Martin Erat is contributing for Nashville; at under a minute per game in 4-on-5 play, however, perhaps the Preds could give him more work there, at least if he's helping.

Lowetide: A Letter to Daryl Katz
Folks aren't happy with the way things are going for the Edmonton Oilers, and Lowetide sends a missive to owner Darryl Katz outlining a few specific concerns.

The 10 worst teams of the last decade - Puck Daddy
A look at the most awesomely awful hockey teams of the 2000's. The first picture in the article alone is worth checking out...

Filatov: Why I'm leaving Columbus for Russia - Puck Daddy
Dmitri Chesnokov translates a SovSport interview with Nikita Filatov as he leaves Columbus to finish the season in the KHL. At this point, everyone assumes that he'll be back next fall with the Blue Jackets, but we'll see...

Filatov Commentary - The Cannon
More musings from Columbus over the fact that Nikita Filatov will finish the season over in Russia, rather than with the Blue Jackets.

Thankless Thrashers: Atlanta Players Getting It Done Outside the Spotlight - Bird Watchers Anonymous
The Thrashers are getting contributions from a whole cast of characters during their strong 10-6-1 start.

And lastly, I've just got to share the video that's making its way around the hockey sites this morning - a goal celebration that goes wrong over in Sweden...

Game Day Preview: San Jose Sharks @ Nashville Predators

Dirk Hoag — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:19:59 -0000

More photos » by George Nikitin - AP

The Predators and Sharks meet tonight in Nashville, in a rematch of last week's 4-3 win by San Jose.

Browse more photos »

Can the Nashville Predators avenge a disappointing last-minute loss in San Jose last week, as they host the Sharks at the Sommet Center this evening? Remember, there's no TV tonight (at all), but you still have time to get tickets - you can follow this link and use the special offer code "PREDS" to get discounted seats.

After the jump, let's take a look at how these two teams match up...

Meet the Enemy

You know 'em, you hate 'em, you're sick of looking up at 'em in the Western Conference standings - yes, it's the San Jose Sharks once again. At 14-4-4, the Sharks are cruising along atop the Pacific Division despite L.A.'s surprising start.

It looks like Devin Setoguchi and Brad Staubitz will both miss this one for the Sharks, which saps their depth up front a bit. The guys at Fear the Fin are focused on looking ahead, however, to the return of Torrey Mitchell, which is expected soon (but not tonight). David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News projects their lines as follows:

Heatley-Thornton-Clowe
Malhotra-Marleau-Pavelski
Ortmeyer-Nichol-McGinn
McLaren-Couture-Ferriero

Meet the Good Guys

With Colin Wilson and Wade Belak day-to-day (and Wilson likely headed to the AHL for conditioning when he's ready), we're likely to see a similar lineup to Saturday's:

Forwards

Sullivan - Arnott - Dumont

Erat - Santorelli - Hornqvist

Ward - Legwand - Smithson

Thuresson - Goc - Tootoo

Defense

Suter - Weber

Bouillon - Klein

Hamhuis - Franson

The good news here is that the Preds seem to be getting solid play from all lines and defensive pairs, and have improved their record to 9-8-1 after a 3-6-1 start.

Keep an eye out for Patric Hornqvist, who hopes to impress Swedish Olympic coach Bengt-Ake Gustafson as he tours the NHL while deciding upon the roster for the Tre Kronors.

Even Strength Play

	5-on-5 Team Data from Behind the Net
Team	GP	GF	GA	GF/60	Shots For/60	Sht %	GA/60	Shots Ag/60	Save %	+/- per 60
San Jose	22	47	36	2.8	30.2	9.2	2.1	28.0	924	+0.6
Nashville	18	26	30	1.8	29.1	6.3	2.1	28.7	.926	-0.3

As daunting a challenge as this might appear, the numbers aren't quite so skewed as they were last week when the Preds visited San Jose. The biggest opportunity for Nashville still lies in that Shooting Percentage, which is 3rd-worst in the NHL during 5-on-5 play. As we all saw Saturday night, piling a ton of shots on net is fun, but putting them behind the goaltender is even better.

San Jose PP vs. Nashville PK

The loss of Setoguchi, who draws penalties like a magnet, is significant here; the Sharks boast a dangerous power play (25%, 4th in the NHL), and keeping them off the PP is critical for Nashville tonight. Following the morning skate today, Barry Trotz stressed the importance of staying out of the box and "checking with your feet", i.e. making sure that back-checking Preds work hard to keep pace with the San Jose forwards, and avoid situations where they have to hook or hold to slow an opponent up.

On the PK, however, the Preds continue making steady progress, having climbed now to 20th in the league with a 79% kill rate.

Nashville PP vs. San Jose PK

Not only do the Preds have an NHL-worst power play (11.6%), but the Sharks boast the league's best penalty kill at 87.8%.

Dare we hope for an anomaly tonight, and a Predators power play outburst?

Goaltending

Thomas Greiss gets the start again for the Sharks; against Nashville last week, he made 23 saves on 26 shots to earn the win.

Thomas Greiss

#1 / Goalie / San Jose Sharks

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Born: Jan 29, 1986

	GP	MIN	W	L			GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Thomas Greiss	3	147	2	1			5	2.04	73	68	.932	0

For the Predators, Pekka Rinne gets to follow up on his 22-save shutout of Montreal Saturday night. In two career games against the Sharks, he's 1-0-1 with a 1.92 GAA and .942 Save Percentage.

Pekka Rinne

#35 / Goalie / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-5

Weight: 206

Born: Nov 03, 1982

	GP	MIN	W	L			GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Pekka Rinne	11	590	6	4			23	2.34	272	249	.915	2

Summary

Having reversed a slow start with a 6-2 record in their last 8 games, a tough test begins tonight for the Preds against the top team in the West, and continues Thursday night when the East-leading Devils come to town. If the team plays anything like they did last week in San Jose, they should fare well here - especially now that the Sulivan-Arnott-Dumont line is reunited and creating dangerous scoring chances consistently.

It wouldn't hurt for Rinne to to rise up and steal a game for the team as well (especially since they gave him an easy time of it against Montreal Saturday night).

For further pre-game musings check out (from the San Jose side) Mike Chen at Battle of California, and for the good guys, Paul McCann and Preds On the Glass.

Nashville Predators Fantasy Hockey Update - November 15, 2009

Dirk Hoag — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:26:04 -0000

More photos » by Gus Ruelas - AP

With his linemates Jason Arnott and J.P. Dumont back in the lineup, Nashville Predators winger Steve Sullivan makes a fine fantasy hockey option these days.

Browse more photos »

Now that healthy players are finally returning to fill out the lineup, it's worth taking a look at the Nashville Predators and how they'll impact your fantasy hockey team over the next week.

After the jump, let's see who you should start or bench...

Start 'Em

Steve Sullivan, Jason Arnott, and J.P. Dumont have finally gotten a couple games together on the top line after a variety of injuries kept them apart early on, and the results have been impressive so far. Over the next two weeks the Preds play a heavy home-ice schedule that should allow Barry Trotz to get them favorable matchups, and when combined with all the power play opportunities they can handle, those three should all be considered solid options for your fantasy lineup.

On defense, Shea Weber has successfully returned from a foot injury that caused him to miss a week earlier this month. He's making a strong case for a spot on Team Canada's roster at the Winter Olympics, and is on pace to meet or exceed his 23 goals from last season.

Pekka Rinne appears to be establishing himself as the dominant presence in goal, having earned his second shutout of the season last night and having given up 2 goals or less in 5 of his last 6 games. Just as importantly, Nashville's overall team defense has tightened up

Bench 'Em

Martin Erat, despite earning 3 assists during the last week, is still struggling to make a consistent impact offensively, and has seen his ice time drop considerably. In each of the first 9 games of the season he played at least 17 minutes, a mark he has exceed only once in the last six. He's currently playing on the 3rd line, and during Saturday night's win over Montreal, he played only 12:46, his lowest ice time of the season.

Until he produces regularly enough to earn his way back into the Top Six, he's not someone you want taking up a roster spot.

Martin Erat

#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	15	1	3	4	-8	10	0	0	0	0	31	3.2

On the Fence

David Legwand, while still under-performing offensively, has at least shown signs of life (1 goal and 3 assists in his last 8 games), and continues to get healthy amounts of ice time.

Patric Hornqvist leads the team in Shots On Goal, but could get pushed down the depth chart now that the top line is reunited. Once Colin Wilson returns to action (hopefully last this week) he might get on a more favorable line, but in the short term his production might take a hit.

Ryan Suter remains paired with Shea Weber on Nashville's top unit, but doesn't assert himself offensively as much in 5-on-5 situations, nor does he look to shoot from the point with Weber at the opposite corner. Unless the Predators power play starts producing on a consistent basis, Suter's numbers will likely lag well behind his partner's.

Dan Ellis is capable of beating good teams on any given night, but is only likely to get a minority of the starts based on Rinne's play of late. You'll need to check on the day of a game to see if he's going to get in there.