SB Nation - Michael Santorelli

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.

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

David Legwand gets a goal, an assist, and a baby as Nashville wins 4-3 over Columbus

Dirk Hoag — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:36:30 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

about 1 month ago: Nashville Predators center David Legwand (11) scores the winning shootout goal against Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Steve Mason (1) in an NHL hockey game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, in Nashville, Tenn. The Predators won the shootout to win the game 4-3. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Browse more photos »

Nashville Predators center David Legwand enjoyed what is surely one of the most remarkable days any NHL player has ever had, scoring a short-handed goal, earning an assist, and then scoring the game-winning goal in the shootout as the Preds beat Columbus 4-3.

All this, after his wife delivered a son less than two hours before game time!

Follow after the jump for the highlights, advanced even-strength stats, and more on what is being called "the Legwand Hat Trick."

As described by Tom Callahan and Willy Daunic on the post-game radio show, Legwand's wife Lindsey went into labor earlier today, about 2 weeks sooner than expected, and head coach Barry Trotz messaged Legwand basically saying "good luck, we'll get this win without you". After the baby boy was delivered around 5:30 p.m., however, Legwand messaged back saying that he was on his way, and he showed up at the Sommet Center about 10 minutes before the team's pre-game warmup.

As Trotz described in the post-game press conference, you never know what to expect out of a player in that situation; given the excitement, he might be worn out and play awful, or charged up to come out with a great game. Fortunately for Nashville, they got the latter.

Columbus came out and played a strong first period, taking an early lead on an R.J. Umberger goal that was initially waived off under the assumption that it was batted in with a high-stick. What turned out to be the case was that the referee on the spot waived it off, but was overruled by the other ref and the two linesmen, who all thought it was OK. Toronto reviewed the video, but it was ruled inconclusive, the call on the ice stood, and the Blue Jackets had a 1-0 lead.

Later in the period, Nashville continued its solid special teams play with a power play goal from Jason Arnott, who tipped a point shot from Francis Bouillon to tie the game. Just 15 seconds later, however, Umberger added his second score, and Columbus took a 2-1 lead into the 1st intermission.

The Blue Jackets started the second period on a power play, as Arnott had to haul down a Blue Jackets forward with just seconds left in the first as he headed down the slot for a dangerous scoring chance. Instead of just killing off the penalty, however, Legwand scored shorthanded to tie the game up at 2-2. Jacob Voracek basically gave the puck right to Martin Erat, who fed Leggy down low for the score.

Two minutes later, Erat added his own power play goal, giving Nashville a 3-2 lead. With a goal, 4 assists, and a shootout goal in his last seven games, is the Preds' highest-paid player finally springing to life, perhaps?

A consistent story with the Predators this season has been their discipline in staying out of the penalty box, and a brief lapse cost them the lead. Wade Belak basically skewered Jared Boll in front of the bench, and the Blue Jackets scored on the resulting power play to tie the game late in the 2nd.

In the third period, Nashville enjoyed four separate power play opportunities but failed to cash in, and were ultimately fortunate to make it to overtime as Columbus had several dangerous chances on their own late power play, but Pekka Rinne came through with some outstanding saves.

Speaking of goalies, it has to be noted that both of these sophomores were on their game tonight. After the overtime concluded, Steve Mason had stopped 45 of 48 Nashville shots, while Rinne had turned aside 26 of 29 Columbus ones.

In the shootout, Mike Santorelli and David Legwand both scored (bringing Santo to 3-for-3 this season), while Rick Nash scored for Columbus. Rinne turned aside Voracek's attempt in the 3rd round to seal the win for Nashville, its 9th in the last 11 games.

The Preds conclude their 5-game home stand Monday against the Detroit Red Wings with a special 6:00 start time.

Considering the even-strength statistics below, a continuing point of concern is Santorelli's ability to push the offensive while he's on the ice. Granted, he's not getting prime ice time with elite teammates, but he needs to make a difference when he does get a chance. It seems like game after game, his numbers stick out in this table in the wrong way.

On the other hand, Legwand's numbers are outstanding when you consider that he went up mostly against the top scoring line for Columbus all night. Marcel Goc is also starting to make more and more of an impact in an understated way. Watch, for example, when the Arnott line comes out for a defensive zone faceoff. More often than not, Goc takes Steve Sullivan's place to take the draw, then heads to the bench once the play heads into the offensive zone, so Sully can work his magic there. It's a small detail, but one that helps the Preds put the right players in the right position to succeed.

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	15:50	1	1	0	0	9	6	3	16	14	2
Steve Sullivan	L	14:48	3	1	1	0	8	6	2	14	14	0
J P Dumont	R	15:06	3	0	1	0	11	7	4	18	16	2
Martin Erat	R	9:06	0	1	0	0	8	6	2	13	8	5
Jerred Smithson	R	13:43	1	1	0	0	8	4	4	16	8	8
Joel Ward	R	12:58	3	1	1	0	8	4	4	14	8	6
Marcel Goc	C	9:32	2	0	2	0	5	4	1	11	6	5
Michael Santorelli	C	8:14	0	0	0	0	5	6	-1	5	11	-6
Patric Hornqvist	R	12:12	3	1	0	0	9	6	3	11	10	1
Kevin Klein	D	17:06	0	0	0	1	8	7	1	16	14	2
David Legwand	C	13:57	2	0	0	0	9	3	6	16	7	9
Jordin Tootoo	R	8:50	2	0	1	0	5	6	-1	11	12	-1
Wade Belak	R	3:54	0	0	0	1	2	0	2	2	1	1
Ryan Suter	D	15:43	0	2	0	1	8	8	0	13	15	-2
Shea Weber	D	18:34	3	0	2	0	9	8	1	17	14	3
Francis Bouillon	D	14:39	2	2	0	2	10	4	6	14	8	6
Dan Hamhuis	D	17:13	2	1	0	1	13	8	5	23	18	5
Cody Franson	D	10:52	2	0	1	1	9	5	4	14	12	2

Poll

Who is your Predator of the Game?

David Legwand, SH goal, assist, GW shootout goal

17 votes

Lindsey Legwand, delivering a bouncing baby boy in time for David to make the game

95 votes

112 votes | Poll has closed

New Jersey Devils Get a Point, Lose in a Shootout to the Nashville Predators, 3-2

John Fischer — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:28:28 -0000

The New Jersey Devils and the Nashville Predators played a fairly even game in Nashville. One team would begin to get momentum, start going forward in their attack, move the puck well, and get some strong shots on net. And then the other team would stop it and begin to do the same thing themselves. Regulation and overtime was not enough, and so the shootout was necessary. Ridiculously fortunate goal aside by Travis Zajac, Michael Santorelli and Martin Erat were able to beat Martin Brodeur in the shootout to give the home team two points.

And so the Devils didn't win their second straight game, 3-2 via the shootout. NHL.com has their recap up complete with the box score and

I felt both teams earned a point at least from the way things went, which were quite even. I'm sure Dirk Hoag of On the Forecheck will have a different take, seeing his team beat the top teams in each conference in each of their last two games. Continue after the jump my further thoughts on the game.

On the surface, tonight's game actually was even. Both teams put up 28 shots on net in 65 minutes. Both teams scored two goals each, as seen in the embedded highlight video from NHL.com. Both goals came from one player on each team: Zach Parise for the Devils, Jason Arnott for the Predators. Both Devils goals came within less than 5 minutes after Nashville's goals. Both Martin Brodeur and Pekka Rinne made multiple big saves, allowed one goal they had no real chance on due to a deflection, and allowed one goal where they just got fooled on and would have loved to have back.

There were some stark differences in this game. The moribund Nashville power play struck gold to start the third period with an impeccable deflection from Arnott. It wasn't just the goal that made it good, but Nashville set themselves up well in the zone, moved it around with ease, and had the Devils' PK just chasing them. A far cry from Nashville's power play in the second period where two Devils lost their sticks and they still took the puck away and cleared it. Nevertheless, the Devils' power play except for maybe their first one never looked as good as the one Nashville had to start the third period. Oh, and they scored on that power play (caused by a Tyler Eckford hook after a scoring chance where Brodeur robbed Jordin Tootoo - as an aside, Eckford didn't look so bad in his first game and got 3 blocks in less than 10 minutes; but that was an unfortunate penalty to take).

Another big difference was in shot efficiency. According to the Event Summary of the game, the Devils had 28 shots on net, had 11 attempts blocked, and missed the net 8 times. That's not bad, perhaps the Devils should have been more aggressive in putting rubber on Pekka Rinne. But it's far more efficient than Nashville. While they got 28 shots on net, they were blocked 16 times and missed the net 18 times. The Predators had 34 shot attempts that never got to the net and that's definitely not what you'd like to see. When the total of attempts blocked and missed shots outnumber shots on goal, that's not good at all. It speaks well to the Devils' team defense being able to at least recover/adjust/maintain their positioning and prevent Nashville players from getting clear shots at Brodeur.

A third difference was in the forecheck. The Devils didn't sit back tonight, only that I felt they weren't nearly as effective as the Predators at it. The big supporting example is how that surprising first goal was created by Nashville. Jason Arnott just made something happen by going after the puck regardless of who had it - exactly what you hope to happen when pressing an opposition in their own end. Overall, in terms of forecheckers, I was impressed with Nashville's Joel Ward. Ward was all over the place in going after Devils defenders, put up 6 shots on net (1 blocked, 2 missed), and came very, very close to ending it in overtime when he won the puck back in the Devils' end and took it near post (Brodeur was solid on the post, of course). While the forecheck didn't necessarily lead to more shots - as seen by the number of blocks and misses, good work by the Devils defense for making it difficult - they were able to sustain their offense more effectively.

Lastly in terms of differences, the Devils suffered an important injury whereas Nashville did not. Dainius Zubrus blocked a slap shot from the point in the second period with his leg and he went down right afterwards. He got up, blocked another shot inadvertantly, and went right to the bench. On the TV broadcast, Steve Cangelosi noted in between the second and third periods that he would not be returning. I felt he was missed on the ice. The Devils were pounded on faceoffs, winning only 43% of them; and it forced Lemaire to shorten his bench and double shift players far earlier than he's used to. Granted, the adjustment of moving Dean McAmmond into a center from a fourth line winger worked, as he earned his first point as a Devil. And, yes, Zubrus lost the 5 faceoffs he did take before his injury. Still, Big Z could have improved earlier and made an impact within the contest with his puck possession skills and his size in the corners and in the slot.

Hopefully, the injury will not be serious and he'll be back soon because I'm not exactly enthused about a center line up of Zajac, McAmmond, Sestito, Pelley. According to this Tom Gulitti post game post, Zubrus won't be going to Dallas and he'll have his right leg checked out further tomorrow. Gulitti noted in that same post that Zubrus while he was wearing a brace; but he was able to walk with it. I'm hoping that's a positive sign.

In any case, I think the Devils earned their point tonight and that isn't terrible. Given that they lost in the shootout, it wasn't as if they were played off the ice or looked terrible overall. Perhaps the shootout could have gone either way. They could have been more consistent with good shifts at a minimum. I get it, but again, I felt this was an even game overall between the two teams.

But to the team - and I'm confident Jacques Lemaire will make this point - the result isn't all that acceptable. Regardless of how, the fact is that the Devils didn't win. The Devils didn't respond to their first loss since the end of October with a proper result. They are now winless in two and so the pressure to win Saturday's game will likely be increased. The team will do well to not get down on themselves and work on being more consistent in their play. I don't think it's time to panic at all, but another loss would certainly starting creating concerns, regardless of how justified they may be.

Thanks for reading and I thank all the readers and commenters in Steve's GameThread. Please leave all your comments about tonight's game here.

Carey Price's Record Tying Performance Under The Microscope

Robert L — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:14:40 -0000

Seven days ago, Chris Boyle's in depth analysis of the Canadiens goaltenders was a true eye opener on several fronts. Following Carey Price's record tying performance last night in Nashville, I asked Chris if he would put this one game under his microscope so we could all have a similar analysis on how good a game Price played. Down below, the graphs illustrate the story of Saturday's game quite clearly. Following Chris' take, there is a historical recap on where Price's marks fit in with other great one game performances in the team's history.

WHO FIRED WHAT:

In the order of shots on goal, shots blocked and missed shots.

Forwards Shots: 11 (0-0) - Steve Sullivan, 5 (0-0) - Martin Erat, 4 (1-1) - David Legwand, 4 (2-0) - Andreas Thuresson, 3 (0-0) - Michael Santorelli, 3 (1-1) - Jason Arnott, 2 (1-0) - Marcel Goc, 2 (0-3) - Jordin Tootoo, 1 (0-1) - Jerred Smithson, 1 (2-1) - Patrick Hornqvist, 1 (1-2) - Joel Ward, 1 (0-0) - J.P. Dumont

On goal: 38 / Blocked: 8 / Misses: 9

Total directed from forwards: 57

Defense Shots: 5 (0-1) - Dan Hamhuis, 4 (1-2) - Shea Weber, 4 (1-1) - Cody Franzen, 3 (0-0) - Kevin Klein, 1 (0-0) - Francis Bouillon, 0 (0-0) - Ryan Suter

On goal: 17 / Blocked: 2 / Misses: 4

Total directed by defense: 23

Team Totals:

On goal: 55 / Blocked: 10 / Misses: 13

Total directed shots by Nashville: 78

SHOT RANGE

Chris notes that of the 55 shots faced by Price, 22 were fired from a distance of 40 feet or more, another 19 came from within the 20 to 40 foot range, and 14 (including Steve Sullivan's 2 goals) came from up close, within 20 feet of the goal.

SAVE %

Price stopped all 41 shots directed at him from a distance of more than 20 feet out. Of 14 chances within the 20 foot parameter, Sullivan beat Price in close at the crease's lip and from 15 feet out on a rebound, uncovered both times.

Price faced 6 shots registered from less than 10 feet, which according to NHL.com gamelogs, is a total that Tim Thomas took 6 games to register.

Prior to Saturday's game against Montreal, Steve Sullivan had 2 goals and 3 assists in 17 games for the NHL's lowest scoring team. His 11 shots in this game bring his season total to 41.

Chris Notes:

I was reminded of Dryden while watching this game. Not because of Price's goaltending, but because I thought I saw the 6'5" Pekka Rinne engaged in his classic pose watching all the action.

In regards to the Nashville game, I found the following article at Puck Prospects.com very interesting.

In the "more shots" category, I was not surprised to find Nashville and Florida. I’ve always found something fishy about Florida’s inflated shot totals, both during the old Luongo days and more recently with Vokoun. Likewise, Nashville always seems to have a goaltender with a 0.920 save percentage (Tomas Vokoun, Chris Mason, Dan Ellis and Pekka Rinne). Though the most remarkable bias comes on the "less shots" side and is found, unsurprisingly, in New Jersey.

As soon as I saw the first period shot totals I thought of this article from Tom Awad that discussed that Nashville has a tendency to overreport shot totals. Also, Boone referenced it in his live game log when he said NHL.com had registered 17 shots, while RDS was reporting 21. It is an interesting tidbit considering the circumstance.

Also the game in question in which Price almost broke the record for shots faced was March 10, 1974. Wayne Thomas was in goal and faced 57 shots against the Penguins in a 5-4 Win (23 in the first period, 15 in the second, 19 in the third) 2 goals in the first, 1 in the next 2 periods. Gary Innes was in goal for the Pens and gave up 5 goals on 18 shots! 1st period the Habs had 8 shots and 3 goals, followed by 5 shots and 1 goal in each of the next 2 periods.

A look at Price's saves against Nashville from Chris' You Tube compilation.

HISTORY AND PRICE'S RECORD

Previous Canadiens Goalie Records:

For a historical point of view, here is a look back on other noteworthy performances by Canadiens goaltenders. For time and perspective, make use of the hyperlinks provided.

Most Shots On Goal Against - One Game: 57

March 10, 1974, Wayne Thomas in goal, in a 5-4 win against Pittsburgh.

Canadiens lineup / Penguins lineup

Most Saves - One Game: 53

November 14, 2009, Carey Price in goal, in a 2-0 Nashville win

Canadiens lineup / Predators lineup / Game Summary

March 10, 1974, Wayne Thomas in goal, in a 5-4 win against Pittsburgh.

Canadiens lineup / Penguins lineup

Most Shots On Goal - One Period: 24 (3 times)

2009 - November 14: Carey Price vs Nashville (1st), 2-0 Nashville (stopped 23 of 24)

Canadiens lineup / Predators lineup / Game Summary

1976 - March 19: Ken Dryden vs California (1st), 4-1 Montreal (stopped 23 of 24)

Canadiens lineup / Seals lineup Game Summary

1970 - March 15: Rogie Vachon vs Toronto (3rd) 3-3 tie (stopped 23 of 24)

Canadiens lineup / Maple Leafs lineup/ Game Summary

Most Saves - One Period: 23 (5 times)

2009 - November 14: Carey Price vs Nashville (1st), 2-0 Nashville (stopped 23 of 24)

Canadiens lineup / Predators lineup / Game Summary

2002 - October 26: Jeff Hackett vs Ottawa (1st), 5-3 Ottawa (stopped 23 of 23)

Canadiens lineup / Senators lineup

1993 - March 10: Andre Racicot vs Islanders (2nd), 5-1 Montreal (stopped 23 of 23)

Canadiens lineup / Islanders lineup

1976 - March 19: Ken Dryden vs California (1st), 4-1 Montreal (stopped 23 of 24)

Canadiens lineup / Seals lineup / Game Summary

1970 - March 15: Rogie Vachon vs Toronto (3rd) 3-3 tie (stopped 23 of 24)

Canadiens lineup / Maple Leafs lineup/ Game Summary

With the performance against Nashville, Carey Price now owns or shares six Canadiens goaltending records including the two listed above.

CAREY PRICE CANADIENS' GOALTENDING RECORDS

Most Shots Faced In One Shootout: 8

October 27, 2008 vs Pittsburgh, Canadiens 4 Penguins 3 / Game Summary

Most Saves In One Shootout: 8

October 27, 2008 vs Pittsburgh, Canadiens 4 Penguins

Most Shootout Shots Faced In One Season:

22: October 27, 2008 vs Pittsburgh, Canadiens 4 Penguins

Most Shootout Saves In One Season:

18: October 27, 2008 vs Pittsburgh, Canadiens 4 Penguins

For more on this game from the Nashville Predators angle, check out On the Forecheck.

Grading the Nashville Predators: the forwards

Dirk Hoag — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:16:52 -0000

More photos » by Frederick Breedon - AP

about 1 month ago: Nashville Predators right wing Patric Hornqvist (27) shoots the puck over Dallas Stars goaltender Alex Auld, right, to score the game-winning goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009. (AP Photo/Frederick Breedon)

Browse more photos »

It's been delayed a bit, but I wanted to wrap up the early-season grades for the Nashville Predators by concluding with the forwards. If you want to read about the defense and goaltending, those posts went up last week.

Let's get on with it then, how have the Preds forwards done so far?

All the detailed stats are down at the bottom for those interested; I'll keep the analysis and grades up top. Starting with the top line guys and working our way down...

Jason Arnott

#19 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-5

Weight: 220

Born: Oct 11, 1974

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Jason Arnott	9	3	2	5	0	2	1	0	0	0	34	8.8

The season started off well for the team captain, as he potted a power play goal just two minutes into the first game, and appeared to have picked up right where he left off at the end of last season, when he carried the Preds offensively down the stretch. An arm injury cost him a few games, however, and he has yet to round back into top form since returning to the lineup last Tuesday in Anaheim. One encouraging sign is that Arnott has only taken one minor penalty to date; given the team's struggles to score goals, they need to tilt the special teams balance in their favor as much as possible.

Jason Arnott's grade: B

J.P. Dumont

#71 / Right Wing / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 219

Born: Apr 01, 1978

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - J.P. Dumont	9	3	8	11	3	4	0	0	0	0	19	15.8

When healthy, Dumont has been a dynamo, and despite missing a few games, leads the team in scoring. Some may point to his 5-point night in Ottawa as padding his stats, but since the Preds won that game 6-5 I'd say they needed every last contribution that J.P. provided. When he get knocked out of the opening game by Stephane Robidas, there was concern that Dumont might feel lingering effects for a long time, like last season when a similar in a game against Vancouver led to decreased production for weeks afterward. While a second injury has kept him out of recent games, the hope is that he returns to the lineup this week, when we can finally see the top line that was intended coming out of training camp.

J.P. Dumont's grade: A-

Steve Sullivan

#26 / Left Wing / Nashville Predators

Height: 5-9

Weight: 173

Born: Jul 06, 1974

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Steve Sullivan	15	2	3	5	-4	2	0	0	0	0	25	8.0

Without his linemates Dumont and Arnott, Sully has struggled mightily to produce consistently so far. Often he's felt the need to stick-handle the puck through multiple defenders to create a scoring chance, which rarely works for even the best of players. What's become apparent is that rather then driving the Nashville attack, what we can hope for with Sully is that he complements Dumont and Arnott well enough to fill out a top line.

Steve Sullivan's grade: C+

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	15	3	5	8	3	8	0	0	2	0	55	5.5

Hornqvist got off to a great start filling in for Dumont on the top line, but his production has dried up lately, with just 1 goal and no assists in his last 7 games. While he's tilting the ice in the right direction in terms of Shots For & Against, he needs to finish off his opportunities more often to stay in the lineup as injured players return. That 5.5% Shooting Percentage needs to be doubled if he wants to earn a job as a Top Six winger.

Patric Hornqvist's grade: B

David Legwand

#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	15	0	4	4	-6	8	0	0	0	0	22	0.0

With 3 assists in his last 5 games, there's hope that Legwand is finally sparking to life, but it's been a very disappointing start so far. Which is worse; that Leggy is taking fewer shots per game than he ever has before, or the fact that not a single one of them has gone in the net? Often lauded as a two-way center, the offensive side of that description has dropped off the charts. He's had his power play time cut considerably, and probably the only portion of the game we can really give good credit for is on the penalty kill, where his results are decent enough.

For $5 million this year, however, Preds fans should expect much, much more. Even allowing for defensive responsibilities, Legwand should be able to produce at more than a 21-point pace.

David Legwand's Grade: D

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	12	1	2	3	-8	10	0	0	0	0	23	4.3

If Legwand's start is mystifying, than Erat's has to be infuriating. His lone goal wasn't even intended to be a shot on net, it deflected in off a defenseman's skate. At $5.25 million this season, Preds fans should expect a whole lot more. For an exercise in anger, consult the tables below and try to determine whether you're more disappointed in his 5-on-5 or 5-on-4 work. And before we hear the excuse about his defensive assignments, just look at the disastrous Goals Against/60 below, especially when compared with Goals For.

Martin Erat's grade: D-

Joel Ward

#29 / Right Wing / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 220

Born: Dec 02, 1980

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Joel Ward	13	2	3	5	-1	4	1	0	1	0	21	9.5

At least Joel Ward had a good reason for a slow start; groin trouble kept him out of much of training camp, and the first two games of the season. With 2 goals and 2 assists in his last 5 games, Ward is asserting himself offensively recently; we'll need to see, however, if he keeps getting good PP time once Dumont & Wilson are back in the lineup.

On the downside, Ward is a key part of a penalty killing unit which has struggled so far. With the Preds destined to be a low-scoring team once again, they need the PK to rank among the NHL elite as they usually do.

Joel Ward's grade: C+

Colin Wilson

#33 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 213

Born: Oct 20, 1989

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Colin Wilson	10	1	1	2	-1	0	0	0	0	0	14	7.1

While giving fans the occasional dazzling play, Wilson hasn't been able to translate those opportunities into goals quite yet. Expectations need to managed in his rookie season, however, as making the jump from the NCAA is especially difficult for a young player. I suspect that the best is yet to come, once the top line is reunited and Wilson can get more opportunistic matchups against 3rd- and 4th-line opponents.

Colin Wilson's grade: B

Michael Santorelli

#18 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-0

Weight: 189

Born: Dec 14, 1985

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Michael Santorelli	10	1	1	2	-3	4	0	0	0	0	22	4.5

It's been hard to find the right spot for Santorelli within this lineup. Should he play on the wing, or at center? Can he round out a scoring line, or should he anchor a depth line instead? What the Preds are hoping is that don't have a "tweener" here, a guy who dominates the AHL but can't make an impact in the NHL. Despite having played only 4 games with Milwaukee this season, he's that team's leading goal scorer so far, but he can't seem to put the puck in the net for Nashville.

Mike Santorelli's grade: C-

Dave Scatchard

#38 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-3

Weight: 210

Born: Feb 20, 1976

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Dave Scatchard	8	0	2	2	2	4	0	0	0	0	14	0.0

He generated considerable buzz alongside Colin Wilson and Patric Hornqvist for a few games, but his main contribution has been on the defensive side of the puck; his Goals Against/60 both in 5-on-5 and the PK are best on the team, and that kind of work will certainly keep him in the lineup.

Dave Scatchard's grade: B+

Cal O`Reilly

#16 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-0

Weight: 187

Born: Sep 30, 1986

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Cal O`Reilly	6	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	5	0.0

Unlike his opportunity last season, Cal just hasn't clicked in his limited NHL work so far this year. He's doing better down at Milwaukee, but is now looking up at both Santorelli and Wilson on the depth chart. Since he has a two-way contract this season, he might not be back up in Nashville for a while.

Cal O'Reilly's grade: C-

Ryan Jones

#28 / Left Wing / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 206

Born: Jun 14, 1984

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Ryan Jones	8	0	0	0	-2	2	0	0	0	0	7	0.0

8 games and 0 points for Nashville, 5 games and 0 points for Milwaukee. What a free-fall this is, considering he just signed a new two-year contract over the summer.

Ryan Jones' grade: E

Jerred Smithson

#25 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-3

Weight: 204

Born: Feb 04, 1979

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Jerred Smithson	15	3	0	3	3	18	0	2	1	0	11	27.3

His game-winning goal against Minnesota is probably Nashville's highlight of the season so far, but to be fair we do need to ding him as the lead forward on what has been a lousy PK so far (24th in the NHL). I'll be OK with him not scoring another goal all year, if he can help lead this bunch back into the Top 10 in shorthanded play.

Jerred Smithson's grade: B-

Marcel Goc

#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	14	0	1	1	-2	4	0	0	0	0	17	0.0

Goc is a really interesting case; a good skater, hard worker, and decent PK man, Marcel is also a reliable faceoff man, taking many late-game draws when Nashville holds a lead. He draws raves from observers for his hockey smarts, but in the end, he doesn't put up notable results. I guess it's a matter of expectations; if all you're looking for is a 4th-line guy who won't score but can help plug some of the holes that you don't want rookies like Wilson to fill, then Goc could serve a useful purpose on this team.

Marcel Goc's grade: C+

Here are the main numbers from Behind the Net, starting with 5-on-5 play:

NAME	POS	GP	TOI/60	RATING	QUALCOMP	QUALTEAM	PTS/60	GFON/60	GAON/60	+/- per 60
Jason Arnott	C	8	14.7	1.6	0.19	0.39	2.0	2.6	2.6	0.0
Martin Erat	RW	11	14.6	-3.0	0.00	-0.25	0.4	0.4	3.4	-3.0
Steve Sullivan	C	14	14.5	-0.7	0.16	0.55	1.2	2.1	3.3	-1.2
David Legwand	C	14	14.5	-1.1	-0.06	-0.39	0.9	1.2	2.7	-1.5
Patric Hornqvist	LW	14	13.8	2.8	-0.01	0.38	2.5	3.1	1.9	1.3
J.P. Dumont	RW	9	13.4	2.3	0.11	0.06	3.0	3.0	1.5	1.5
Joel Ward	RW	12	13.2	0.6	0.14	-0.25	0.4	1.5	2.3	-0.8
Mike Santorelli	C	9	13.2	-2.8	-0.20	-0.51	0.0	0.0	3.0	-3.0
Dave Scatchard	C	7	13.0	1.4	-0.16	0.76	0.7	1.3	0.7	0.7
Colin Wilson	C	10	11.7	1.5	0.00	0.49	1.0	1.5	1.5	0.0
Cal O'Reilly	C	6	10.5	0.3	-0.05	0.63	0.0	3.8	3.8	0.0
Marcel Goc	C	13	9.5	-0.7	-0.33	0.03	0.5	1.0	2.0	-1.0
Jerred Smithson	C	14	9.4	0.9	-0.24	-0.46	0.5	1.4	1.4	0.0
Ryan Jones	LW	8	8.1	-0.9	-0.59	-0.32	0.0	0.0	1.9	-1.9

And on the power play (5-on-4 only), we have:

NAME	POS	GP	TOI/60	GOALS/60	Assist/60	GFON/60
Jason Arnott	C	9	3.7	1.8	0.0	1.8
Steve Sullivan	C	15	3.3	0.0	1.2	2.4
Patric Hornqvist	LW	15	3.2	0.0	0.0	2.5
Martin Erat	RW	12	2.7	0.0	1.9	1.9
J.P. Dumont	RW	9	2.0	0.0	9.8	9.8
Joel Ward	RW	13	2.0	2.3	0.0	4.6
Cal O'Reilly	C	6	2.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Colin Wilson	C	10	1.8	0.0	0.0	3.3
David Legwand	C	15	1.5	0.0	0.0	5.5
Mike Santorelli	C	10	1.3	0.0	0.0	4.5
Ryan Jones	LW	8	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

And lastly, the 4-on-5 Penalty Kill:

NAME	POS	GP	TOI/60	GAON/60
Jerred Smithson	C	15	2.31	13.8
Joel Ward	RW	13	2.04	11.3
David Legwand	C	15	1.82	6.61
Dave Scatchard	C	8	1.42	0
Marcel Goc	C	14	1.38	9.33
Martin Erat	RW	12	0.71	0

Minnesota Wild vs. Nashville Predators: Game Recap

nathaneide — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:59:29 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

about 1 month ago: Nashville Predators right wing Patric Hornqvist (27) checks Minnesota Wild center Eric Belanger, left, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)

Browse more photos »

Minnesota Wild 3-4 Nashville Predators

You wouldn't have guessed these were the two lowest scoring teams in the NHL. Then again, aside from 1:47 in the second period, the Wild spent 58:13 scoreless on 19 shots. Heck, even in their hot second period, they had three goals on three shots in 1:47, and one shot in the other 18:13.

The Wild once again found themselves down early as J.P. Dumont made a nice play to crash the net and score from close range on the backhand from David Legwand and Steve Sullivan. Then less than three minutes later, with James Sheppard in the box for delay of game (puck over glass), Shea Weber put the Predators up 2-0 with a pretty wrister from Steve Sullivan and Ryan Suter. The Wild started to come back at that point, but it wasn't enough for the home-town fans, as the boo-birds found their way into Xcel Energy Center.

The second period, however, got off to a great start, as the Wild scored on their first three shots. Starting at the 31 second mark, it was Brent Burns from Mikko Koivu on the power play, then at the 2:00 mark, Benoit Pouliot made a beautiful move at the Nashville blue-line, kicking it back to his stick, feeding across to Eric Belanger who slid it to a streaking Cal Clutterbuck who fired a laser beam from above the circle into the upper far corner over Dan Ellis. It was the nicest goal of the night. With Nashville on full retreat, the Wild capped the second period just :18 later with Owen Nolan taking a pass from Marek Zidlicky as he raced into the zone and fired a slapper past Ellis from between the circles. Antti Miettinen started the play after corraling the puck in the neutral zone. The third goal in three shots chased Dan Ellis from the game.

With Pekka Rinne entering, the Wild had to be feeling good. Unfortunately, they only amassed one more shot the rest of the period, and four minutes later, Joel Ward cut across the Wild zone, skated between the circle and fired a snap shot. The puck deflected off Michael Santorelli, tying the game at 3. That goal gave all of the momentum back to Nashville, who then outshot the Wild 9-4 in the second period.

The third period was a much tighter one for both teams defensively. In fact, it looked like we were heading for a fourth straight overtime game until the Wild misplayed a puck on the powerplay halfway through the frame, undressed Marek Zidlicky and fired a shot over Niklas Backstrom as Zidlicky screened him.

The Wild attempted to amass a late comeback, but it was not to be.

Brent Burns added to his horrible +/- with a -2 on the night (-13 for the season). Yes, he scored a goal, but he is still on the ice for far too many opposition goals. He really needs to sit for a couple games. He's just not getting this new system. Taking too many chances, trying too hard to get into the offensive flow, and he's hanging his partner out to dry and leaving Backstrom alone. The Olympics are all but out for Burns, so it's time for him to get his head right and get back into the game.

All in all, this team is a mess. They have flashes of pressure and decent play, but they are just disjointed right now. Someone needs to ask Todd Richards what he thinks is wrong and how he intends to fix it, because at this point, I don't see much improvement, and neither do many members of the team of 18,000.

Please read the game recap over at On the Forecheck

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Pekka Rinne (12 saves)
Cal Clutterbuck (1 G)
Steve Sullivan (2 A)

Questions to Answer

Four home games, four overtime wins? Unfortunately not, though it certainly looked like we were heading for OT for a while there.
How will Zanon perform against his old teammates? Zanon was a -1 in 23:09, but played a decent game. Nothing spectacular, but a reasonably solid defensive showing.
Seriously, Havlat, are you going to do something besides look like a matador? Well, he tried to get into a fight, made a couple of really pretty moves, but was shut down by the Preds defenders.
Is it going to be another night where the Wild rely heavily upon Bruno? Bruno tried to get another clutch goal, and had a prime scoring opportunity down low toward the end but was thwarted by Pekka Rinne.
Defense? Defense? Defense? No, No, No.

Nashville Predators recall Mike Santorelli from Milwaukee, send Ryan Jones to AHL

Dirk Hoag — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:12:30 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

After failing to tally a goal or an assist in 8 games this season, winger Ryan Jones has been assigned to the Nashville Predators' AHL affiliate in Milwaukee.

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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 forward Mike Santorelli from Milwaukee (AHL), and reassigned forward Ryan Jones to the Admirals.

Santorelli, 23 (12/14/85), started 2009-10 with the Predators, suiting up for each of the club's first five games (0g-0a). Upon being reassigned to the Admirals on Oct. 15, he registered eight points (4g-4a) in four games, including five points (1g-4a) in his 2009-10 AHL debut on Oct. 16 at Abbotsford and three goals in two games last weekend. Nashville's sixth choice, 178th overall (sixth round), in the 2004 Entry Draft is pointless in 12 career NHL contests.

Jones, 25 (6/14/84), played in eight of Nashville's first 10 games in 2009-10, averaging 9:01 while being held pointless. In 25 AHL games a season ago, he posted 13 goals and 22 points.

So what do you think, Predators fans? Can Santo light the lamp in a return stint here in Nashville? And how big of a disappointment has Ryan Jones been this fall, after earning a new contract?

Michael Santorelli

#18 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-0

Weight: 189

Born: Dec 14, 1985

Ryan Jones

#28 / Left Wing / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 206

Born: Jun 14, 1984

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

Dirk Hoag — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:09:57 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Despite scoring the shootout winner in the first game of the season, Mike Santorelli has been sent down to the minors by the Nashville Predators.

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From the Nashvile Predators, as first leaked via their @NHLPredsInsider Twitter account:

Obviously the team is desperate to get some offense rolling, having scored just one goal in the last 3 games. Will this make an appreciable impact? In 14:00 of ice time per game, Santorelli had 11 shots on goal so far, the 3rd-best shooting total based on ice time on the team (behind Jason Arnott and Patric Hornqvist).

What remains to be seen is the role that O'Reilly will play. Santorelli's mission in training camp was to train as a winger, but it's doubtful that the Preds would throw O'Reilly into that situation right away. Will Legwand move over to the wing, perhaps, as happened last year to shake him out of an offensive slump?

Michael Santorelli

#18 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-0

Weight: 189

Born: Dec 14, 1985

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Michael Santorelli	5	0	0	0	-5	0	0	0	0	0	11	0.0

The text of the press release follows...

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. J.P. Dumont was also activated from Injured Reserve.

O'Reilly, 23 (9/30/86), amassed four assists in a 5-2 Admirals win over Peoria last night, and leads the American Hockey League in helpers with seven in three games. The Toronto, Ont., native registered five points (3g-2a) in 11 games with the Predators during the 2008-09 season, the first NHL action of his career.

Santorelli, 23 (12/14/85), suited up for each of the Predators first five games in 2009-10, posting no points while averaging 14:00 per game. A season ago, he Led Milwaukee in points (70) and goals (27) in addition to ranking second on the club in assists (43).

Nashville's 6-1 loss to Edmonton: Inside the Numbers

Dirk Hoag — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:50:17 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Ryan Jones led Nashville's forwards with 3 shots on the power play Monday night, but the Predators failed to score with the man advantage.

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What's that you say? You want to relive the magic of Monday night's 6-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, but in a detailed, statistical manner? Well then, you've come to the right place!

Follow after the jump for the breakdown by Even Strength, Power Play and Penalty Kill to see which Nashville Predators fared better or worse across a number of categories...

FYI, I'm hoping to add some aspect of Shot Quality to these tables in the near future, as it occasionally sheds extra light on a given game. In this particular one, for example, Nashville had a massive shooting advantage but Edmonton's shots tended to come from closer in, and were more dangerous.

Even Strength

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	14:07	2	0	1	1	10	6	+4	16	14	+2
Steve Sullivan	L	14:02	1	1	0	1	10	5	+5	15	11	+4
Patric Hornqvist	R	13:36	1	0	1	1	9	8	+1	14	14	0
Martin Erat	R	13:48	2	0	1	0	8	3	+5	11	5	+6
David Legwand	C	9:20	1	1	0	1	6	7	-1	12	8	+4
Michael Santorelli	C	9:27	2	1	0	0	8	6	+2	13	9	+4
Ryan Jones	L	9:05	0	1	0	0	1	5	-4	8	7	+1
Joel Ward	R	14:01	2	0	1	1	4	5	-1	7	9	-2
Colin Wilson	C	13:42	1	1	0	2	4	3	+1	6	7	-1
Marcel Goc	C	7:18	0	0	0	0	4	2	+2	6	4	+2
Triston Grant	L	5:25	1	0	0	0	4	2	+2	5	3	+2
Jerred Smithson	R	6:26	0	0	1	0	4	2	+2	5	4	+1
Shea Weber	D	16:45	4	0	0	1	11	5	+6	15	11	+4
Ryan Suter	D	14:58	2	0	0	0	10	4	+6	12	10	+2
Dan Hamhuis	D	14:41	1	1	1	0	9	7	+2	16	10	+6
Kevin Klein	D	14:07	0	0	0	2	8	9	-1	13	14	-1
Teemu Laakso	D	13:43	3	1	1	1	4	5	-1	10	9	+1
Francis Bouillon	D	15:20	0	0	1	0	6	6	0	12	14	-2

Obviously we all knew that Kevin Klein had a rough night, and these numbers back that up. He was one of just 5 Preds with a negative Shots On Goal +/-, which is something considering Nashville outshot Edmonton 23-13 at even strength.

Amidst all the noise of that loss, however, another quiet effort by Ryan Jones jumps out when you look here. Mike Santorelli, on the other hand, drove pucks to the net in his limited ice time.

Power Play

Power Play				Team Totals While On Ice
Player	Pos	PP TOI	SOG	Goals For	SOG For	Tot Shots For
Ryan Suter	D	7:19	1	0	9	12
Shea Weber	D	6:41	4	0	9	12
Jason Arnott	C	6:27	2	0	9	12
Patric Hornqvist	R	6:27	1	0	9	12
Steve Sullivan	L	6:07	1	0	9	12
Martin Erat	R	5:17	1	0	8	10
Kevin Klein	D	4:39	1	0	7	9
Ryan Jones	L	3:58	3	0	6	7
Dan Hamhuis	D	3:06	2	0	6	7
Colin Wilson	C	2:59	0	0	4	5
David Legwand	C	2:08	0	0	4	5
Joel Ward	R	1:15	0	0	1	2
Teemu Laakso	D	0:54	0	0	1	2
Francis Bouillon	D	0:49	1	0	2	2
Triston Grant	L	0:24	0	0	1	1
Marcel Goc	C	0:10	0	0	0	0

The Preds now stand at 29th in the league on the power play. All that time, all those shots, and no goals.

Penalty Kill

Penalty Kill				Team Totals While On Ice
Player	Pos	PK TOI	Blkd Shts	Goals Ag	SOG Ag	Tot Shots Ag
Jerred Smithson	R	2:27	0	1	1	1
David Legwand	C	2:20	0	1	1	2
Dan Hamhuis	D	2:00	0	0	0	1
Kevin Klein	D	2:00	0	0	0	1
Joel Ward	R	1:16	1	0	1	2
Shea Weber	D	1:08	0	1	2	2
Ryan Suter	D	1:08	0	1	2	2
Martin Erat	R	0:48	0	0	1	1
Teemu Laakso	D	0:47	0	0	0	0
Francis Bouillon	D	0:47	0	0	0	0
Marcel Goc	C	0:35	0	0	0	0
Jason Arnott	C	0:12	0	0	0	0
Steve Sullivan	L	0:12	0	0	0	0

Few shots were given up on the PK, although one ended up in the net.

Nashville's 1-0 loss to Buffalo: Inside the Numbers

Dirk Hoag — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:08:43 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Teemu Laakso, along with most of the Nashville Predators, spent too much of last night chasing opponents in the defensive zone.

Browse more photos »

As if last night's 1-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres wasn't gruesome enough in real time, I thought I'd take another swing at presenting detailed stats from the Nashville perspective.

Readers with delicate constitutions may wish to avoid the horrifying details herein...

Even Strength

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	15:06	0	2	1	0	5	8	-3	14	12	+2
Steve Sullivan	L	15:47	3	0	0	0	6	10	-4	14	14	0
Patric Hornqvist	R	13:59	2	0	0	1	8	7	+1	15	11	+4
David Legwand	C	16:14	2	0	0	1	8	15	-7	14	26	-12
Martin Erat	R	16:02	0	0	0	0	6	12	-6	14	23	-9
Michael Santorelli	C	14:57	3	1	1	1	7	8	-1	12	20	-8
Marcel Goc	C	13:52	0	0	0	0	4	4	0	12	9	+3
Joel Ward	R	13:14	0	1	2	0	3	8	-5	13	13	0
Ryan Jones	L	8:43	2	4	0	0	3	6	-3	10	10	0
Ben Guite	R	5:47	1	0	1	0	2	9	-7	3	10	-7
Jerred Smithson	R	7:59	0	0	1	0	3	9	-6	5	10	-5
Triston Grant	L	7:02	0	0	0	0	3	9	-6	5	10	-5
Shea Weber	D	21:41	2	1	3	2	8	13	-5	21	22	-1
Ryan Suter	D	19:13	0	1	1	4	8	14	-6	18	23	-5
Dan Hamhuis	D	17:15	2	0	2	0	8	7	+1	16	15	+1
Kevin Klein	D	17:29	1	1	0	2	7	7	0	13	15	-2
Francis Bouillon	D	15:40	1	1	0	0	4	18	-14	11	23	-12
Teemu Laakso	D	9:00	0	0	0	0	3	14	-11	7	17	-10

Note: Color shading highlights top (green) and bottom (red) 15% of performers, prorated for ice time. I've attempted to group players by forward line or defensive pairing.

It was a tough night across the board, as all but two players finished on the negative side of the Shots On Goal +/- at even strength (Hornqvist & Hamhuis). The defensive pairing of Bouillon and Laakso had it especially bad. One oddity found here is that Ryan Jones had 4 of his 6 shot attempts blocked, a high proportion for a forward. As for Martin Erat, it may well be milk-carton time; I agree with Brandon Felder's assertion that when J.P. Dumont returns to the lineup, #10 should be banished to the 3rd line (at least) in favor of Hornqvist and Santorelli, who show much more assertiveness offensively.

Just imagine bringing a hockey fan from another city to a Predators game, and ask them which guy they think is the highest paid player on the team. Better yet, bring 1,000. I'd bet not a single one of them would guess Martin Erat.

Power Play

Power Play				Team Totals While On Ice
Player	Pos	PP TOI	SOG	Goals For	SOG For	Tot Shots For
Dan Hamhuis	D	0:50	0	0	0	0
Teemu Laakso	D	0:20	0	0	0	0
Shea Weber	D	0:52	0	0	2	2
Kevin Klein	D	0:48	0	0	0	0
Martin Erat	R	1:08	0	0	0	0
David Legwand	C	1:08	0	0	0	0
Jason Arnott	C	0:52	2	0	2	2
Ryan Suter	D	1:10	0	0	2	2
Steve Sullivan	L	1:10	0	0	2	2
Patric Hornqvist	R	0:52	0	0	2	2
Ryan Jones	L	0:50	0	0	0	0

They only earned two minutes of power play time (a problem all its own), so there's not much here to see.

Penalty Kill

Penalty Kill				Team Totals While On Ice
Player	Pos	PK TOI	Blkd Shts	Goals Ag	SOG Ag	Tot Shots Ag
Jerred Smithson	R	4:18	1	0	3	6
Dan Hamhuis	D	3:50	0	0	3	7
Kevin Klein	D	3:08	0	0	3	7
Marcel Goc	C	2:51	0	0	2	3
Francis Bouillon	D	2:51	0	0	1	1
Ryan Suter	D	2:44	0	0	3	3
Joel Ward	R	2:36	2	0	1	3
David Legwand	C	2:30	0	0	2	3
Shea Weber	D	2:13	0	0	2	2
Ben Guite	R	2:05	0	0	3	4
Teemu Laakso	D	1:14	0	0	0	0
Martin Erat	R	1:05	0	0	1	1
Steve Sullivan	L	0:24	0	0	0	0
Jason Arnott	C	0:11	0	0	0	0

They managed to kill off a full 8 minutes of shorthanded duty without giving up a goal (due in good part, of course, to Pekka Rinne's goaltending), but most of these results aren't bad.

As always, questions or suggestions as to the presentation of single-game advanced stats are welcomed. I do plan on adding faceoff information later on (broken down by on-ice strength and zone).