Before the 2009 – 2010 season disappears forever, it’s time for one last rant.  With the NHL meeting to discuss rule changes it seems appropriate to rant on a particularly irritating NHL phenomenon: the loser point.

Continue reading this post »

I'm not in the business of counting chickens before they hatch, so let me start by saying that this post is totally hypothetical.  However, as I write this Calgary’s playoff hopes are fading in Boston.  So let us say—hypothetically, of course—that the current top 8 teams in the West remain in a playoff spot.  If you look at points and games remaining, there is a pretty significant rift between the top 4 (San Jose, Chicago, Vancouver, and Phoenix) and the bottom 4 (Nashville, LA, Colorado, and Detroit), so it’s very difficult to imagine any top 4 team dropping into the bottom 4 and vice versa.  However, the battle for position within the top 4 and the bottom 4 is extremely tight.  So, IF this hypothetical scenario plays out, Nashville would not get to play LA, Colorado, or Detroit in the first round, but they could face any team in the top 4.  The question is:  who—among San Jose, Chicago, Vancouver, or Phoenix—do you WANT Nashville to face in the first round?

Looking at the standings tonight, it occurred to me that the Pacific Division had to be the best division in hockey so far this season.  I crunched a few numbers and, sure enough, the Pacific Division appears to be dominating the rest of the league by a fairly hefty margin.  You may remember that last season our Central Division was dubbed by many as the best in the league.  Will the Pacific claim the unofficial title this season? 

Continue reading this post »

If you've been paying attention to attendance numbers lately, you've noticed that attendance has been great in the month of January despite BCS games, busted water pipes, repeat opponents, and (cough) "blizzards."  The last home game was a Saturday sellout against the Anaheim Ducks. 

The month is not even half over, yet we have only two remaining home games this month: Monday the 18th against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Saturday the 30th against the Atlanta Thrashers.  The game on the 30th is likely to be another sellout, but Monday games are typically not great nights for attendance.  However, with a little grassroots effort I think we can make the 18th a sellout as well.

There are several reasons why 18th will be a great night for hockey:

1. Many people will have the day off of work for MLK Day.
2. There is no Monday Night Football.
3. There is no UT or Vandy basketball.
4. Military members can get spectacular seats for just $20.
5. The Toronto Maple Leafs are a RARE opponent in the Sommet Center.
6. EVERY night is a great night for hockey.

So, my fellow Pred fans, get the word out.  Make sure your friends know about the game.  Invite people who have never experienced the Preds before.  The Preds gave us an amazing performance in November, lets return the favor in January by selling out the rest of the month.

How incredible would it be to watch hockey in the Jack Daniel's arena?  Ever since we said "So long!" to the Sommet Center I have been salivating over the thought of Jack Daniel's Arena in downtown Nashville.  It sounds awesome, and it makes perfect sense.  What could be better than a great Tennessee product joining with a great Tennessee hockey team?

I'm so excited about this prospect that I can't just sit around a hope.  We saw what Pred Nation could do on the grassroots level back in 2007.  Lets see if we can help the Preds land a good reliable sponsor during these trying times.

If you would like to attend 41 hockey games, in addition to concerts and other events, in Jack Daniel's Arena, then take a minute to tell the folks down in Lynchburg- http://www.jackdaniels.com/contact.aspx - I'll bathe in whiskey if I have to!

I recently caught the tail end of a discussion over the Carolina Hurricanes many woes, particularly the 3 - 4 week absence of Cam Ward.  The general consensus was that there would be a major trade out of Carolina that would most likely involve a starting goaltender.  I immediately thought, "Hey!  We've got an 'extra' starting goaltender!"

Now, I'm not jumping on the "Trade Ellis" bandwagon, but I think we all know that Pekka Rinne isn't going anywhere.  So assuming that we would trade Dan Ellis, who would we want from Carolina?  Lets assume that we'd want a forward, and Eric Staal is off the table.  Who would you want?

Any other interesting trades you'd like to see?

As Pred Nation crawls out from underneath what will probably be known as "the Kessel hangover," we are left with an annoying sound ringing in our ears.  That sound is the question, "If not Phil, who?"

Who will fill the void left in our top six forwards?  The answer, as it seems for now, is that the 2nd line winger spot will be filled by one of several relatively untested rookies.  Based on the lines we've seen so far in preseason the front-runner for this position would appear to be Mike Santorelli, who played in only 7 NHL games last season.  I would not be surprised, however, to hear that Patric Hornqvist is a close 2nd place for the job.  After all, Hornqvist dawned the Predators jersey a whopping 28 times last year!

In fairness to these two players, both have been lighting it up in the preseason, and I have no doubts that either or both of them could be poised to have breakout seasons this year.  However, I can't help but be reminded of another rookie from last season who seemed poised for greatness: "Captain Hair" himself, Antti Pihlstrom.  As we all know, Pihlstrom didn't exactly "Rock the Casbah" as a winger in the NHL.  So, before we hand over a top six winger to someone like Hornqvist, it's fair to ask the question:  Is Hornqvist another Pihlstrom?

Continue reading this post »