SB Nation - Alexander Sulzer

Game 31: Jackets take on the Preds in Nashville

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

by Jay LaPrete - AP

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 recall Alexander Sulzer

Dirk Hoag — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:31:06 -0000

From the Nashville Predators:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has recalled defenseman Alexander Sulzer (al-ehx-AN-duhr SUHLT-suhr) from Milwaukee (AHL).

Sulzer, 25 (5/30/84), has been recalled from the Admirals three times this season, and has played in five games with the Predators in 2009-10, posting his first career point/assist on Oct. 22 at Ottawa, while averaging 12:46 of ice time and notching a plus-two rating. During his most recent stint with Milwaukee, the Kaufbeuren, Germany native notched three assists in three games from Dec. 2-5, giving him 10 points (1g-9a) in 10 AHL games this season.

The poor guy's been up and down like a yo-yo... we'll see if he gets some playing time this week.

Alexander Sulzer

#52 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 204

Born: May 30, 1984

Grading the Nashville Predators' November: the defense

Dirk Hoag — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:22:41 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Nashville Predators defenseman Shea Weber continues to play a key role at both ends of the ice.

Browse more photos »

We took a look at the goaltenders the other day, so now it is time to focus our attention on how the Nashville Predators defense played during the second month of the season. For your reference, here are October's grades...

Jump down to the bottom for the Behind the Net stats (which represent the season to date). Within each player capsule, stats reflect performance during the month of November.

Francis Bouillon

#51 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 5-8

Weight: 196

Born: Oct 17, 1975

November totals	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Francis Bouillon	13	1	2	3	-4	6	1	0	0	0	16	6.3

Having settled into a steady job (over 20:00 a night) alongside Kevin Klein, Bouillon is starting to chip in a little bit offensively to go along with his consistent defensive work. He's been rewarded with close to 3 minutes of power play ice time per game, and has also played a large role on the penalty kill. Remember when I said long ago that he'd make people forget Greg Zanon? He's certainly on his way.

And if you look at the 5-on-5 numbers below and are concerned about his team-low GFON/60, keep in mind that it's about twice what it was a month ago, meaning that over the last month that number has been roughly in line with his teammates.

Francis Bouillon's grade: A-

Cody Franson

#32 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-5

Weight: 214

Born: Aug 08, 1987

November totals	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Cody Franson	13	1	2	3	+2	4	0	0	1	0	26	3.8

Barry Trotz is careful to put the rookie in situations where he's best placed to succeed (see the QUALTEAM and QUALCOMP numbers down at the bottom; the quality of teammates he plays with is the hightest, and the quality of competition he plays against is low), but Franson is acquitting himself well so far. Surprisingly he hasn't really produced on the power play as much as one would expect, and that's where the team needs his talent most.

As seen in the game-by-game recaps, Franson has a strong impact on Shots For & Against; his "Relative Corsi", or the difference between Total Shots For & Against when he's on the ice vs. when he's on the bench, is the best on the team.

Cody Franson's grade:B+

Dan Hamhuis

#2 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 203

Born: Dec 13, 1982

November totals	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Dan Hamhuis	13	1	3	4	+6	8	0	0	0	0	20	5.0

What a turnaround for Hammer - a disastrous start has been largely reversed, as Goals Against in 5-on-5 have toned down considerably, and the penalty kill has been much better in recent weeks. He plays mostly along Franson, providing the safety net for the rook, and has provided the sort of two-way play Nashville fans have grown to expect over the last few seasons.

Dan Hamhuis' grade: B+

Kevin Klein

#8 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 203

Born: Dec 13, 1984

November totals	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Kevin Klein	13	0	1	1	-1	4	0	0	0	0	11	0.0

Just as Hamhuis' play has steadied, so has Klein's. Since his offensive contributions are so limited, the nostrum that people often use for referees applies to Klein - when you don't notice him very much, you know he's done a good job. He too deserves credit for the rebounding penalty kill unit.

Kevin Klein's grade: B-

Alexander Sulzer

#52 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 204

Born: May 30, 1984

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

Alexander Sulzer's grade: Incomplete

Ryan Suter

#20 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 194

Born: Jan 21, 1985

November totals	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Ryan Suter	13	0	4	4	-6	10	0	0	0	0	10	0.0

Remember that post from a few days ago covering the 10 NHL Players Who Should Shoot the Puck More Often? Suter was #3 on that list for good reason, not the least of which is his extensive time (roughly 4:00 per game) on the power play. The Preds need more than just 10 shots a month out of him. His 5-on-5 results have taken a nasty turn for the worse, as well. Suter got off to a good start in October, and needs to reverse this recent slide.

Ryan Suter's grade: C-

Shea Weber

#6 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-4

Weight: 230

Born: Aug 14, 1985

November totals	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Shea Weber	11	1	5	6	-6	0	1	0	0	0	32	3.1

While the goals have dried up a bit, the shots are still coming fast and furious, so there's little concern on that front. What really jumps out is that despite playing heavy minutes against top opponents regularly, Weber made it through the entire month without a single penalty. That speaks volumes to his hard work on the defensive end.

Shea Weber's grade: B+

Here are the 5-on-5 numbers for the season to date. For explanations behind the numbers, check Behind the Net:

NAME	GP	TOI/60	RATING	QUALCOMP	QUALTEAM	PTS/60	GFON/60	GAON/60	+/- per 60
Shea Weber	25	17.54	0.06	0.07	0.08	0.68	2.05	2.46	-0.41
Dan Hamhuis	23	17.52	0.69	-0.04	-0.04	1.04	2.53	2.53	0.00
Ryan Suter	27	17.49	-0.01	0.06	0.13	0.51	1.78	2.16	-0.38
Kevin Klein	27	17.11	-1.24	-0.02	-0.09	0.26	1.30	2.47	-1.17
Francis Bouillon	27	16.14	-0.89	0.00	-0.17	0.00	0.96	1.93	-0.96
Cody Franson	21	11.59	2.03	-0.08	0.18	0.99	3.20	1.73	+1.48
Alexander Sulzer	5	11.38	2.80	-0.07	0.50	1.05	3.16	1.05	+2.11

Nashville Predators assign Alexander Sulzer to Milwaukee

Dirk Hoag — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:38:57 -0000

From the Nashville Predators:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has reassigned defenseman Alexander Sulzer (al-ehx-AN-duhr SUHLT-suhr) to Milwaukee (AHL).

Sulzer, 25 (5/30/84), did not dress during his most recent call-up, and has played in five games with the Predators this season, posting his first career point/assist on Oct. 22 at Ottawa, while averaging 12:46 of ice time and notching a plus-two rating.

So much for getting him some game action while he was up here...

Alexander Sulzer

#52 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 204

Born: May 30, 1984

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

Nashville Predators call up Scatchard & Sulzer, assign Thuresson to Milwaukee

Dirk Hoag — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:35:29 -0000

More photos » by Sean Kilpatrick - AP

about 1 month ago: Ottawa Senators' Anton Volchenkov, left, of Russia, ducks as Nashville Predators' Dave Scatchard braces for a shot off the shoulder during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Sean Kilpatrick)

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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 defenseman Alexander Sulzer (al-ehx-AN-duhr SUHLT-suhr) and forward Dave Scatchard (DAYV SKAT-chuhrd) from Milwaukee (AHL), in addition to reassigning forward forward Andreas Thuresson (an-DRAY-uhs THUHR-eh-suhn) to the Admirals.
Scatchard, 33 (2/20/76), played nine games with Nashville during his first recall to the club in 2009-10, posting a pair of assists while leading the team in face-off winning percentage (58%). He played in his first NHL game since Jan. 27, 2007 on Oct. 21 at Boston, and posted his first NHL point since Jan. 7, 2007 at Ottawa the next night. In seven games since returning to Milwaukee on Nov. 12, he has four goals and an assist, and leads the Admirals with seven goals in 11 games this season.
Sulzer, 25 (5/30/84), has played in five games with the Predators this season, posting his first career point/assist on Oct. 22 at Ottawa, while averaging 12:46 of ice time and notching a plus-two rating. He played two games during his most recent stint with Milwaukee, and has seven points (1g-6a) in seven games for the club this season.
Thuresson, 21 (11/18/87), has notched two assists in 10 games for the Predators this season, making his NHL debut on Oct. 31 against Dallas.

Nashville Predators assign Alexander Sulzer to Milwaukee

Dirk Hoag — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:23:39 -0000

More photos » by Paul Vernon - AP

2 months ago: Nashville Predators' Alexander Sulzer, left, and Columbus Blue Jackets' Nikita Filatov, of Russia, fight for the puck in the second period of an NHL preseason hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)

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From the Nashville Predators:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has reassigned defenseman Alexander Sulzer (al-ehx-AN-duhr SUHLT-suhr) to Milwaukee (AHL).

Sulzer, 25 (5/30/84), played in five games during a one-month stint with the Predators, posting his first career point/assist on Oct. 22 at Ottawa, while averaging 12:46 of ice time and notching a plus-two rating.

Cody Franson has clearly won the #6 defenseman's spot, and Sulzer hasn't played since November 7th at Los Angeles, so this is likely aimed at getting Sulzer some game action without disrupting the Preds' lineup. With four games in six days coming up (Wednesday at Colorado, then three games at home between Friday and Monday), I wouldn't be surprised to see more moves this week to provide fresh troops.

Alexander Sulzer

#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

Grading the Nashville Predators' October: the defense

Dirk Hoag — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:04:32 -0000

More photos » by Frederick Breedon - AP

After a rough start, Nashville Predators defenseman Kevin Klein has registered a +4 rating, a goal and an assist over his past 3 games.

Browse more photos »

Yesterday we considered the goaltenders, and now it's time to review how the Nashville Predators' defense corps has performed over the previous month.

It's certainly been a roller-coaster ride at times watching this bunch sort out the most effective pairings, but does the stable play of the last week bode well for the month ahead?

First, let's start off with the numbers from Behind the Net, starting with 5-on-5 data:

NAME	GP	TOI/60	RATING	QUALCOMP	QUALTEAM	PTS/60	GFON/60	GAON/60	+/- per 60
Ryan Suter	13	18.0	+1.91	-0.05	0.43	1.03	2.31	1.79	+0.51
Dan Hamhuis	9	17.8	-2.62	-0.06	-0.25	1.12	1.12	3.75	-2.62
Shea Weber	13	17.6	+1.90	-0.01	0.42	1.05	2.63	2.10	+0.53
Kevin Klein	13	17.0	-1.90	-0.07	-0.34	0.00	0.82	2.72	-1.90
Francis Bouillon	13	16.8	-0.65	-0.05	-0.29	0.00	0.55	1.65	-1.10
Alexander Sulzer	3	12.0	+2.80	0.10	0.74	1.67	3.33	1.67	+1.67
Cody Franson	7	10.7	+1.04	-0.14	0.54	1.61	3.22	2.42	+0.81
Teemu Laakso	7	10.1	-0.81	-0.18	-0.53	0.00	0.85	2.55	-1.70

Now, here's 5-on-4 power play action:

NAME	GP	TOI/60	GOALS/60	ASST/60	GFON/60
Shea Weber	13	3.8	2.44	0	3.66
Ryan Suter	13	3.7	0	1.26	3.77
Cody Franson	7	2.2	0	0	3.85
Francis Bouillon	13	1.4	0	3.32	3.32
Dan Hamhuis	9	1.2	0	0	0
Kevin Klein	13	0.7	0	0	0
Teemu Laakso	7	0.3	0	0	0
Alexander Sulzer	3	0.1	0	0	0

And lastly, 4-on-5 penalty killing:

NAME	GP	TOI/60	GAON/60
Cody Franson	7	0.1	0
Teemu Laakso	7	0.5	0
Francis Bouillon	13	1.5	3.02
Shea Weber	13	1.7	10.71
Ryan Suter	13	1.9	9.97
Dan Hamhuis	9	2.2	12.13
Alexander Sulzer	3	1.5	0
Kevin Klein	13	2.2	10.55

The individual analysis follows...

Francis Bouillon

#51 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 5-8

Weight: 196

Born: Oct 17, 1975

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Francis Bouillon	13	0	1	1	-4	8	0	0	0	0	14	0.0

Considering the fact that Francis Bouillon joined the Predators only during the waning days of training camp, and has had only a few weeks to familiarize himself with his teammates and coaches, his performance has been extraordinary. There's been little time to get comfortable, as injuries have forced the Preds to give him almost 20 minutes a night in a variety of roles. His sole assist so far came as the result of a nice effort on the power play against Chicago on October 29, when he moved down from the point and sent a centering pass to Joel Ward for the score. While it would be nice to see a few more assists by his name, I'm willing to chalk that up to a general lack of team scoring, rather than an individual failing on his part.

The defensive side of his game has been generally excellent so far; in 5-on-5, his Goals Against/60 minutes is the lowest on the team at 1.65. On the penalty kill, Bouillon's ability to jam passing lanes and move opponents has proven very effective. His results in 4-on-5 are best on the team by far.

Francis Bouillon's grade: A-

Cody Franson

#32 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-5

Weight: 214

Born: Aug 08, 1987

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Cody Franson	7	1	1	2	1	4	0	0	0	0	10	10.0

While he failed to make the NHL roster out of training camp, Franson has made the most of the opportunity he was given when called up after Dan Hamhuis was injured. Protected by the coaching staff somewhat (his Quality of Competition is near the lowest among the Preds' blueliners, and he doesn't kill penalties), he's producing positive results, which can provide a nice boost to a team that will rely on contributions from every corner of the roster.

It will be interesting to follow Cody's fortunes in the upcoming road trip as he may play a larger role on the power play due to the absence of Shea Weber. His ability to move the puck, and put quick shots on net through traffic, could prove critical.

Cody Franson's grade: B

Dan Hamhuis

#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	9	0	3	3	-6	10	0	0	0	0	19	0.0

His early-season pairing with Kevin Klein was an unmitigated disaster, as the Goals Against piled up predominantly on their watch (after 6 games, his Plus/Minus stood at -7). He's also been a workhorse on a PK unit that still sits among the league's worst. While things seem to have stabilized since he missed 4 games recently, he has a long ways to go to dig himself out of this hole.

Dan Hamhuis' grade: D+

Kevin Klein

#8 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 203

Born: Dec 13, 1984

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Kevin Klein	13	1	1	2	-4	4	0	0	0	0	9	11.1

If I had to pick a main culprit in the early Hamhuis/Klein disasters, it would probably be Klein; lapses in judgment often left Hamhuis the lone man left around the net defending a 2-on-1, and his Plus/Minus also stood at -7 after just six games. Once that pairing was split due to his partners injury, however, things seem to settle down for Kevin; not only have the Goals Against dried up, but the coaching staff has rewarded stronger play with more ice time in a variety of situations.

Much as with Hamhuis, however, better play of late needs to go a long way forward to make up for an awful start. If he's going to become a regular Top Four NHL defenseman, he also needs to provide more offensive punch as well.

Kevin Klein's grade: D

Teemu Laakso

#4 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 209

Born: Aug 27, 1987

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Teemu Laakso	7	0	0	0	-2	2	0	0	0	0	5	0.0

While the results so far at the NHL level haven't been impressive, the fact that Laakso beat out both Franson and Sulzer to earn a roster spot with the Predators straight out of training camp was an impressive feat. At 22 years of age, he's still maturing as a defenseman, and will surely get another chance down the road.

Teemu Laakso's grade: C

Alexander Sulzer

#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	3	0	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0.0

Sulzer is a bit of an enigma; valued enough by the Nashville front office to earn a one-way contract (which they refused to give to guys like Antti Pihlstrom or Cal O'Reilly), but deserving of a demotion to Milwaukee during the early days of the season (especially damning given the salary the Preds had to pay to keep him there). With Weber on the shelf for 1-2 weeks, Sulzer will presumably get back into the mix, and needs to make an impression if he wants to stay there.

Alexander Sulzer's grade: Incomplete

Ryan Suter

#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	13	2	5	7	2	8	1	0	0	0	17	11.8

Suter appears to be solidifying his place on Team USA's Olympic roster with a fine start, providing steady two-way play in 5-on-5. He could stand to shoot the puck more on the PP, as the Predators need him to assert himself more on the offensive end if they want to develop a 2nd pair which can consistently keep the attack rolling. He does also bear some of the blame for the early PK woes.

Ryan Suter's grade: B

Shea Weber

#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	13	5	4	9	2	4	3	0	1	0	36	13.9

As his partner Suter lines up for Team USA, Weber appears to be making a strong case for wearing Team Canada's colors as well. Tied for the NHL lead in goal scoring among defensemen, Weber's 3 power play goals are as many as the rest of the team has combined. His defensive work remains top-notch as well, as he logs heavy minutes against elite opposition on a nightly basis, and can turn the momentum of a game with one of his thundering hits.

About the only knock against him so far is the lackluster overall special teams play; the Preds' power play is only half as effective in terms of Goals For/60 Minutes as the average NHL unit, and the penalty kill is still

Shea Weber's grade: B+

Poll

Which Predators defenseman has been the most pleasant surprise this season?

Francis Bouillon

71 votes

Cody Franson

24 votes

Ryan Suter

4 votes

Shea Weber

7 votes

106 votes | Poll has closed

Nashville's 6-5 OT win at Ottawa: Inside the Numbers

Dirk Hoag — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:52:42 -0000

More photos » by Sean Kilpatrick - AP

about 1 month ago: Nashville Predators' Ryan Suter, second from left, celebrates a third-period goal with his teammates against the Ottawa Senators during an NHL hockey game in Ottawa on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Sean Kilpatrick)

Browse more photos »

I wanted to draw your attention to the numbers from the Even Strength play in last night's crazy 6-5 victory in Ottawa.

After the jump, check out some surprising performances. The dominant names here are Sulzer, Ward, Wilson and Hornqvist, while the laggards were Erat, Legwand and Sullivan (so much, perhaps, for my suggestion of that trio as a line!).

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
Shea Weber	D	17:17	2	0	2	0	9	13	-4	17	19	-2
Kevin Klein	D	17:23	0	1	0	1	8	7	1	14	11	3
Marcel Goc	C	10:40	1	0	0	0	5	6	-1	9	10	-1
Martin Erat	R	13:14	2	1	1	1	5	10	-5	9	13	-4
David Legwand	C	13:17	0	0	0	0	6	11	-5	9	13	-4
Cal O'Reilly	C	8:42	0	0	0	0	6	4	2	8	7	1
Ryan Suter	D	18:19	1	1	1	2	9	12	-3	17	19	-2
Jerred Smithson	R	6:49	1	0	1	0	2	2	0	5	4	1
Steve Sullivan	L	13:40	2	0	0	0	5	10	-5	8	12	-4
Patric Hornqvist	R	13:06	3	0	1	0	8	4	4	14	6	8
Ryan Jones	L	5:12	0	0	1	0	1	1	0	4	3	1
Joel Ward	R	12:08	3	2	1	0	11	6	5	16	11	5
Cody Franson	D	8:22	1	0	0	0	7	3	4	8	4	4
Colin Wilson	C	12:48	1	0	0	1	9	4	5	16	7	9
Dave Scatchard	C	12:14	2	0	1	0	9	5	4	16	6	10
Francis Bouillon	D	20:37	1	0	0	1	10	11	-1	17	16	1
Alexander Sulzer	D	9:46	0	2	0	0	9	3	6	13	4	9
Jean-Pierre Dumont	R	11:04	2	0	1	0	7	5	2	9	9	0

Nashville Predators hold off Ottawa Senators in wild 6-5 OT win

Dirk Hoag — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:42:51 -0000

More photos » by Sean Kilpatrick - AP

about 1 month ago: Nashville Predators' J.P. Dumont, center left, celebrates a first-period goal with teammates Cal O'Reilly, left, and Joel Ward as Ottawa Senators' Matt Carkner skates away during an NHL hockey game in Ottawa on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Sean Kilpatrick)

Browse more photos »

In another wild game between the Predators and Senators in Ottawa, Nashville took a number of leads only to give them back, before finally finishing the Sens off with a power play goal by Shea Weber in overtime, winning 6-5.

(video might not be available for a few more minutes)

The bounces finally went Nashville's way early in the game as they scored three goals in the 1st period, all of which involved deflections off of a Senators defenseman. Given their difficulty creating offense lately, the Predators weren't about to complain about the "how", and they gladly enjoyed the 3 goal lead, at least until they gave it away in the 3rd period as the Senators potted three goals over the course of seven minutes.

It all started with a long shot from Ryan Suter out on the right point; it deflected off Picard, and put the Preds up 1-0 just 5:03 into the game. A big highlight came on defenseman Cody Franson's 1st NHL goal, which came just three minutes later. He jumped up into the slot, took a feed from J.P. Dumont, and sent a hard shot in on Ottawa goalie Pascal Leclaire. While the initial save was made, the rebound caromed right off Alexandre Picard and into the net.

With Franson's goal giving the Preds momentum, they kept working the simple formula of putting the puck on net, and charging hard for the rebound. J.P. Dumont got his 2nd goal of the season just that way, as Joel Ward fired the shot, while Dumont was on the spot as it bounced off Ottawa defenseman Matt Carkner.

Early in the 3rd, a series of penalties led to a 5-on-3 situation for Ottawa, which they capitalized on with a goal by Chris Campoli, then during a 4-on-4 sequence Nick Foligno scored to make it a one-goal game. The tide swung back towards Nashville as Mike Fisher took a Holding penalty, which made for 5 penalties in the opening 4:29 of the 3rd period, as opposed to 4 penalties during the entire 1st and 2nd periods.

Predictably, however, the Predators power play fizzled, which left them scrambling to hold on, rather than pressing the advantage. When Milan Michalek beat Pekka Rinne with a wrister to the far side at 8:10 of the third, what was really a tie game felt like an Ottawa tidal wave.

What turned things back in Nashville's favor was the formula that worked early in the game; as he received the puck back near the blueline, Alexander Sulzer fired a relatively weak shot towards the Ottawa net, but it led to a rebound that Shea Weber pounced on to put the Predators ahead 4-3. The assist marked Sulzer's first career NHL point, so it was a nice night for both of Nashville's rookie defensemen.

The wild ride wasn't done, however, as Anton Volchenkov buried a shot into an empty net to tie the game with 4:20 left in the third. Jason Spezza carried the puck down the right side, pulling Pekka Rinne entirely out of his crease, then fed the puck back into the slot for the easy score by Volchenkov.

From there it took the Miracle of Miracles, a genuine Power Play goal, for Nashville to take a late 5-4 lead. The Predators PP being what it is, however, they left Chris Phillips wide open in front of their own net during a late push by Ottawa, where he scored a shorthanded goal to tie the game with just 2 seconds left, sending it to OT.

The ultimate killer for the Senators was three late penalties, which gave the Preds those PP chances, including the final one in overtime that led to Shea Weber's (slightly misfired) shot from up high beating Leclaire for the win.

All in all, there was a mix of positives and negatives coming out of tonight's game. Franson's goal and Sulzer's assist were also accompanied by +2 ratings on the night, while Dumont, Suter and Weber all had multi-point games. On the downside, however, Pekka Rinne gave up a couple bad goals among 5 in the 3rd period, and on a night where Nashville scored 6 times, Martin Erat and David Legwand combined for 0 goals, 0 assists, and a -5 rating.

Poll

Who is your Predator of the Game?

J.P. Dumont, 1 goal 4 assists, +3

32 votes

Ryan Suter, 2 goals 1 assist, 28:39 TOI

21 votes

Shea Weber, 2 goals 1 assist, 7 SOG

33 votes

86 votes | Poll has closed