Tag Search Results for "Ville"
Just like Imus' comments on the Rutgers women's basketball team, I'm sure I'll take some major heat from hockey purists with what I'm about to say.
[b]To be honest, I'm not much of a fan of the playoffs.[/b] It's actually quite uninteresting to me(probably because of the old days of watching the Wings and Coyotes play each other for two or three years in the mid-90's) unt...
Welcome fellow hockey/bruins fans. Here I will be posting my thoughts and wishes for the Bruins organization, the NHL and my thoughts on Fantasy Hockey.
I will try to update this a few times a week.
First thought, THE PLAYOFFS start tonight!
Series I am looking forward to most is San Jose vs. Nashville. This could turn out to one great series. I still think the...
[b](Originally Posted 4/9/07 on [url]http://www.PredNation.com[/url])[/b]
Flashback to last season: the Nashville Predators were coming off their best season in franchise history and were going into the playoffs with the fourth seed and home-ice advantage against one of the hottest teams in the league in San Jose. There were questions due to the injuries to Vokoun, Su...
WEST
[b]Detroit vs Calgary - Calgary in 6[/b]
I think Detroit is too soft to compete with Calgary if they forecheck hard all series. The older D for the Wings will get banged up early, and Hasek will look for a way out after losing 2 of the first 3 games. I would also take Calgary's Superstar players over Detroit's in a tough series. The one problem Calgary may have is...
If any word describes tonight, it is the word draining. Physical, emotional, and mentally just a draining game. If the fans and media are drained, I can only imagine what it must be like for both teams right now. That was a classic game for the Nashville Predator history books. Even though the Preds lost, there is still much to be positive about:
1. Coming back ...
Just got done watching the Predators pwn the Sharks, 5-2. The Sharks just didn't seem to be 100% in it after Dumont's short-handed goal and his subsequent 5-on-3 PP goal. Series is now tied 1-1, and Vokoun is playing much better.
And I am now an advocate of extending Alex Radulov's contract by an extra 15 years or so.
Now for the purpose of this blog. Free agents tha...
I have to hit the sack tonight since I have a TV gig in the morning, but just wanted to preview what I'll talk about tomorrow, which will probably be a LONG blog:
1. A Game Recap
2. Quotes from the locker room that I got
3. My thoughts on the "bad blood" in this series
4. Ron Wilson and his now famous, "I HAVE NO COMMENT"
5. Keys to Game 3 and what I expect.....
...
I have some rest and I am now ready to tell all about the game last night. I'm breaking this blog down into sections today that way if people just want to read quotes, they can do that. If you just want a recap, you'll get that. So here are the subcategories:
1. Game Recap
2. Quotes from the Preds locker room
3. Ron Wilson
4. The rivalry and its' bad blood
5. Ga...
[b]By D. Smith[/b]:
Remember a couple months ago, way back in the pre-Forsberg dark ages, when media outlets all over North America were calling for the Predators to leave Music City? Supposedly our chronic attendance problems were dooming our franchise, and simply put, our fan support was "lukewarm". We didn't deserve this team. We didn't appreciate the great product t...
[b]By D. Smith:[/b]
Sure I'm a member of the Nashville Loyal Legion, but it doesn't take an expert (which I'm far from) to realize that the Preds/Sharks series has had all the makings of a classic playoff series.
Fights. League reviews. Suspensions. Bad blood. Double overtime. Coaches exchanging words. You name it.
Should we really be surprised? Two 51 game winn...
That distinction belongs to the 2006-2007 Nashville Predators. Of course, there have been teams over the years that have been much worse away from home, but this is different. We were actually led to believe that this was a team built for a serious Stanley Cup run.
No way.
The Preds were 23-15-3 on the road this year. Sure, it doesn't seem too bad at first glance, bu...
[b]By D. Smith:[/b]
This has been quite a year for Predator fans. The 0-3 start. The 7 game road win streak. The climb to the top. The Al Strachan "Get Out of Nashville" article. The Forsberg trade. The Tootoo/Robidas incident. The Nashville/San Jose exchanges in the playoffs.
What a year it's been. And it seems like it's been an awfully long one. I feel like the ...
It's a shame, but I'm just not sure the Barry Trotz "no-neck" jokes will ever get old...
[b]Switched at birth?[/b]
[img:right]http://www.melindafan.net/gallery/albums/uploads/photoshoots/tvguide%20photoshoots/american%20idol%20top%2012%20tvguide%20photoshoot/AI12TVGuide_3.jpg[/img][img:left]http://images.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/_photos/2006-11-20-trotz.jpg[/img]
...
Another April, another disappointing playoff series.
But this time, this team was the most talented in the league, had the most individual season ticket holders in the NHL, was playing against a team that they matched up well against during the season, and was favored by some to win the Stanley Cup. And lest we forget Peter Forsberg, who came here because he thought we ...
I think the Sharks' intensity level was just higher. San Jose was the better team and it showed. San Jose is deeper than ever before, and they are definitely a team to be feared in these playoffs.
Where Nashville lost this series, however, was with the penalties. San Jose's power play was lousy, but the penalties to Nashville just killed their momentum. Thats one th...
Hockey players have an annual tradition where they grow out their beards when the playoffs roll around. No one is quite sure when the "playoff beard" first sprouted roots, but it's as entrenched in the game of hockey as sudden death overtimes and the two pad stack.
Certain diehard fans take their admiration of their favorite players to the next level by mimicking their ...
It always hurts a little (or sometimes a lot depending on your “closeness” to a team) to see your hockey club lose. During the regular season you can soothe the pain by thinking ahead to the next game, but the playoffs hold a certain finality to them. What I mean is, once you have lost 4 games, that is all she wrote for that season, it is over, done, finis...
[b]By D. Smith:[/b]
Well, hindsight is always 20/20, but I believe the deal was worth making. Also, you have to remember that injuries played a role that no one saw coming. Bringing in Forsberg was supposed to secure three incredibly talented lines in Nashville. (in no order) the 3 centers were supposed to be Forsberg, Arnott, and Legwand. The 6 surrounding wings were...
Epilogue
Posted Tuesday |
Comments 0
[b][Originally posted on PredNation.com 4/23/07][/b]
To begin, I must congratulate the San Jose Sharks on a well played series. I obviously felt that Nashville would win this series in six games going in, but San Jose played a much better overall game and capitalized on their chances. They played a disciplined game, worked very hard, played an aggressive forecheck, an...
Rumor has it that the Preds are picking up the one year option on Barry Trotz and his contract. This means that the coaching staff will be together one more season before the org. will decide whether or not to let Trotz and his staff go. Expect more after the 2 pm PC. Just to clarify, this is a rumor, but I did get it from a qualified media source.
Early estimates had the Predators averaging *13,600 fans this past season but Tuesday the Predators announced that the average paid attendance was in fact 13,815. That puts the Preds much closer to the magic 14k paid figure that they need by 08-09 (a stipulation set in the last CBA)to take part in the revenue sharing. On the flip side it also still has them below 14k and t...
I love the NHL playoffs…I really do but I guess I’m a little preoccupied with the San Jose – Detroit series for a couple of reasons. The first being that San Jose just knocked us (the Preds) out in five games in round one. You get to know another team pretty well during a playoff series. I got to know, for better or worse, these Sharks really well during round one.
...
Courtesy of 104.5FM and News Channel Five out of Nashville. Leipold has sold the team to Jim Ballsile(or however you spell his last name), that crazy Ontarian who made a bid to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Daunic just confirmed it's an outright sale.
Leipold has stated that the Predators will play the 07-08 season in Nashville, but after that nothing is guaranteed.
...
Much talk has been made of the purchase of the Nashville Predators by Research in Motion CEO Jim Balsillie. It appears the team will be transferred to him, and, with it, rumours are in the works for a team to perhaps go to Kitchener-Waterloo.
I have been debating this for some time, so I'll retierate a lot of what I thought:
Logistically speaking, in that case, it wo...
The Nashville Predators have signed a whopping FIVE European prospects in the last week. Sources have Djurgardens forward Patric Hornqvist to an entry-level three year, two-way contract. Hornqvist posted 6 points (2g-4a) and a +2 in 9 games at the World Championships. He is also one of only a handful of players- including Peter Frosberg, Marcus Naslund, and one of the Sedi...
Per HFboards- the Nashville Predators have signed Finnish forward Antti Pihlström. An up-tempo player with great speed, a decent shot, and a hard right, Pihller complied 16 goals and 23 assists along with a +11 and 63 penalty minutes in 56 games last season with Hämeenlinna. He's been drawing comparisons to Ville Nieminen and Sami Kapanen.
From what I can gather, this...
I just got word today that Preds prospect center Patric Hornqvist will play his first full professional season in the Elitserien, rather than in the NHL or AHL.
I'm not surprised, but I am a bit disappointed. I really think Patric's stock peaked this year and THIS was the year he needed to come over.
Then again, he may be like Nicklas Bacstrom and use the year to fully...
The Anaheim Ducks have won the Stanley Cup. Not only did they win it, they won it [i]convincingly[/i]. Three straight seasons- maybe four (did the Detroit-Carolina series go seven games?)- the Finals were decided in seven games. This was the first truly lop-sided final I've sat down and watched since the Red Wings swept the Flyers back in '97 (now THAT was a show of force)...
From a contact close to the team:
[quote]I got a juicy one for ya......
A respected player [that won't be named] said that there is no way that the Preds are interested in resigning Hartnell, because, for one, everybody in the locker room couldn't stand him.....[/quote]
Well, folks, looks like there was more in common between Walker and Hartnell than their first n...
We are getting down to crunch time here. Free Agency begins July 1st and right now the Predators are not 100% sure who will own the team at that time. In order for a sale to happen the prospective buy Jim Basillie needs to appear before the NHL board of governers. A meeting is scheduled for June on June 20th…while it is not too late to get on the agenda time is runni...
According to an article on the AHL's Website, EA Sports' NHL08 will feature all 29 teams from the American Hockey League as fully playable for the first time in video gaming history. Let's just hope the AHL doesn't opt to expand next year and make the game worthless. ;)
Still no word on Euro leagues, unfortunately. I was really disappointed that they cut them out of NHL...
I saw a Flyers blogger mention that Cory Sarich would sign in Nashville and would "replace Timonen." :? Huh!?
Cory Sarich was a second round draft selection of the Buffalo Sabres in 1996. He was traded to the Lightning in 2000. From 2002-2007, he has played every single regular season game- for those who hate math, that's 328 games. I think he's also played every playof...
I had this all ready to post on another message board, tried to post it, and found out the thread had been locked. RATS!
So I'm posting it here. I'd been craving having something to blog about anyways.
This is a little modified to make more sense for the blog.
Nashville simply hasn't had enough time to become a viable market. But there's no reason it still could...
...but Paul Holmgren has just shown how bad of a GM he is. He has drastically overpaid for Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell.
Hartnell, 24, has a great deal of potential, and when he was drafted was pegged to be a captain some day. But in the last two years that has faded away, and he's had numerous head-on collisions with the coaching staff, and most of the locker room ...
Expansion, Relocation and Shootouts, oh my! When will the madness that has become the NHL ever end? Would Howie Morenz, Ace Bailey and Eddie Shore even recognize the sport they helped to create?
Did you hear the one about the priest, a rabbi and a minister going into a bar? I don't remember the rest of the joke, but the punch line is "The Nashville Predators."
Sadly,...
Craig, if you will pardon me for being so informal, I felt the need to write to you once again. I haven’t written since November 4th, 2004. The league was in the midst of the lockout at that time, and I felt compelled to write to you regarding my support of the key role you were playing in obtaining a CBA for the league that would put all franchises on near-equal footi...
It seems that the Predators-Flyers deal, much like the one at the deadline, has opened up the flood gates. Eklund has stated in his blog that the phones are ringing off the hook. Today and the subsequent two days will be quite exciting for many fans. Expect the unexpected unless it involves Bryan Berard.
--------------------------------
And now for the second batch of FA...
We've seen different franchises move before, mainly from Canadian markets to American, and it has gone quite smoothly. Why are we seeing so much talk about the Predators possible relocation to Hamilton? Did the other franchises that moved have to sell 14,000 tickets in advance? No. Then why does Mr. Balsillie have to do it? Yes I know there are many factors why people don'...
The Nashville Predators finished off last season third in the overall standings, many people expected them to make it deep into the playoffs, if not win the Stanley Cup altogether. The Predators faced the red hot San Jose Sharks in the first round of the Western Conference Quarter Finals and even with a trade deadline acquisition of Peter Forsberg they lost in a 4-1 series...
It has been a tough couple months to be a fan of the Nashville Predators. It has been painful to watch great hockey fans on this site have a feeding frenzy over the possible relocation of our team, and it has been extremely frustrating watching media and bloggers embellish facts and just plain tell complete lies to help their case that the city of Nashville does not ...
One team that, i think, is going to struggle the most this summer, with the new cap, is Nashville
No player want's to sign there, now because of their indecisiveness for a new owner, and the lease running out after the 08 season. When Kariya goes to the market, that puts them in the basement, cap-wise. I heared Home Ice, today, that after trading Vokoun and losing Kari...
Uncertainty
This word surrounds the Nashville Predators and its' fans. This state has cost the team Paul Kariya and possibly other Free Agent's this NHL off season. This state surrounds the events in which the Predators ownership situation stands. You could also use this word to describe the upcoming season. It seems as though the entire NHL world and its' media has foc...
Let me preface this by saying I don't mean any ill will towards people in Canada who actually love and research the league and its "goings-on", I'm speaking to "Generic Canada Fan":
We understand that you don't like the Predators in Nashville. We understand you think you know the situation we have brewing down here. We understand you think no one else deserves your spor...
LISTEN UP HOCKEY FANS...
whatever the case of the financial this and financial that. i remember years ago hockey was 85% hockey talk, 10% 'whats a better hockey name, oggie ogalthorpe or darren puppa?, and about 5% hockey financials.
everyone needs to take a step back.
the sport is one that we all obviously know and love. 4pm on a tuesday rolls around and all the ...
As I sit back and watch a replay of the 1994 Grey Cup game because the BC Lions game is blacked out, it reminds me of watching that game live and what it meant. For those that don't know or remember, the game was between the BC Lions and the Baltimore Colts, Stallions, CFLers whatever you want to call them. This was an American team in our CFL. This American team was comp...
I know it maybe August, but my anticipation is growing for the coming season. I haven't seen many Predator blogs lately and I just wanted to know everyone's opinion on the Predators' lines for this upcoming season.
1. Sullivan-Arnott-Dumont
Pluses-This line has a lot of chemistry as they displayed last season. Arnott and Dumont's size helps to open up space for Sulliv...
Since it's the off-season, I feel like about a third of my social life has gone away.
There are so many people we see only during hockey season, so many activities that are directly a result of Preds games.
First there are our cellmates in Sections 303 and 304. They've been with us through wins, through losses, through that time Paul and I got to do an on-ice contest...
Much is being made of Nashvilles support levels for the Predators coming from various levels of government. Some might be suggesting that Nashvillians don't truly support their team if they don't want to see tax dollars spent on it. Of course, it should be remembered that CANADIANS didn't want to see their tax dollars going to fund hockey teams either. In this blog I ...
When you think of the word Captain for the sabres, you think without a doubt the likes of Chris Drury and Danny Briere from last year. When you think for this coming season who will be the captain you are left wondering who would be the best to fit the role. Would there be another co-captain duo this year as there was last year? My guess would be as good as yours. However,...
So, hubby is running a Yahoo Fantasy NHL league again this year, and he wants me to join.
I'm not sure that's such a good idea.
I joined the league last year, and it was a blast. I got to trash talk his co-workers and learn a lot more about the NHL. I even managed to draft many of my beloved Predators for my team.
It is for the sake of the Predators, though, that ...
I got to check out Preds practice today. Squeal! So much fun.
Training camp hasn't started yet. These are just informal practice sessions with the players who are already in town. Since Hockey Husband has to work during the day, it's my duty to go and document practice when he can't be there. I took almost 200 pictures.
It was great to see the guys back on the ice. ...
Preds fans, do you have your fan-wear for the upcoming season?
Much of Pred Nation grabbed their gear during the Save the Predators rally, when the pro shop at the Sommet Center was having a crazy-go-nuts sale. However, if you missed that event, you still have time to grab shirts and jerseys from various places around town.
I needed to replace the Vokoun t-shirt I wo...
Summer is over - Hockey is upon us and it's time for me to pipe in with my rumblings and bumblings about what I have seen and heard throughout the summer silly season and beyond. The NHL has had an interesting summer, to say the least, and there is a lot to bumble on about. So without further ado:
[b]Buying and Selling and Selling and Buying[/b]
Nashville had a buy...
[img]http://www.newsday.com/media/photo/2001-09/680485.jpg[/img]
I cannot imagine the horror that was felt by those who lived, worked, visited or had family or friends inside the Twin Towers on that fateful day six years ago. My heart can only go out to them on this day of remembrance.
Let us not only morn for those who were lost, but also celebrate the lives of t...
So, the draft for my fantasy hockey league was this weekend. I went second from last, so my top picks (the usual -- Crosby, Ovechkin, Chris Mason) were long gone. I got most of my other requested players, though.
This is going to be a tough league. In addition to my Hockey Husband, who is running the league, we have Hockey Buzz bloggers Paul McCann and Brandon Felder, p...
Jason Arnott has been named captain of the Nashville Predators for the 2007-2008 season.
Brilliant choice.
Do you know why that was a brilliant choice, my friends?
Because Jason Arnott once saved his dog's life by giving it CPR after it had fallen into a swimming pool.
THAT is the kind of leadership we need on the team, people.
(Congrats to Arnott, a great p...
I have always wondered about this, but have never asked. Why do the Avs have a foot on the shoulders of their jerseys? Don't think I'm some novice to hockey, I quess I just missed the memo on that one.
Now that Vokoun is with the Florida Panthers, will he suck?
I refer not to his admirable goalie skills, but to the welcome he will receive when the Panthers play Nashville this year.
As many of you know, we Preds fans have a charming way of welcome the starting lineup of opposing teams at the beginning of each game. As the names are announced, we gleefully yell "SUCK...
David Legwand is looking to improve on last years career highs in goals and points.
Last night on the eve of Nashville’s first pre-season home game I had a dream that the Preds raised the Stanley Cup at the Sommet Center in front of a packed house for the first time in Preds history. I remember the dream so vividly because it was almost like every time that cup was ...
After watching the Preds outplay both Colorado and Dallas in the 1st 2 games, I have had to endure 2 ugly losses to the Blues and the Coyotes. And as I am typing, the Preds are losing to the Flames in a 4-6 blowout in which Mason looks horrible in goal. As much as I consider myself a diehard preds fan, and have argued tooth and nail with the pundits and critics, I have t...
So, I just watched what was quite possibly the worst hockey game I have ever seen in my life. The LA Kings just crushed the Preds 6 - 0. Thats right. 2 field goals and a shut out. I don't know where to begin, so I will break it all down.
Goalie - I am not going to say that Chris Mason has to shoulder the load for this team, but every time a hockey team goes on a w...
The rollercoaster that is the sale of the Predators could easily be compared to the Energizer Bunny- it keeps going, and going, and going. Today, Craig Leipold announced that the negotiations with the Freeman-led group of local investors would continue for an unspecified period of time. What does this mean for Nashville? With a brutal road-stretch going on (starting omi...
With Nashville and Chicago both looking for 3 straight wins Sunday evening at the United Center, one could only foresee a battle within the Central Division.
Even though Chris Mason of the Nashville Predators has received his fair share of disbelief from the fans, he certainly showed his talent tonight against a young Chicago Blackhawks team. Mason finally snapped his ...
Just got word that the local ownership group and the city of Nashville of agreed to the lease changes with the team staying until at least 2011. More details to follow.
Here is a link to the story.
http://thehockeynews.com/articles/10825-Sources-New-deal-will-keep-Predators-in-Nashville-for-at-least-three-years.html
This started as a response to Andy Strickland's blog on Garth Brooks interest in being a part of a KC hockey team, but it got too long, so here I go. I posted on these message boards about KC hockey before, so I thought I would compile it all into one blog.
First of all, I've lived in Kansas City for the better part of three years now, but I grew up a rabid St. Louis Bl...
Its not often that I write about an individual game as I normally write about trends that I observe relating to the Preds. But I feel compelled to write about tonights game, especially since it was the back end of a home and away series against the Jackets. The Jackets, much like the rest of the Central, is a much improved team. And while I and many Preds fans will alwa...
[i](Updated 4:17 CST) Looks like the Deal that the Investors have accepted was the 'final offer' that the Mayor proposed.
Freeman just said on 104.5 The Zone that the team is "virtually guaranteed to be in Nashville for the next five years."
Freeman said they are not coming in with solutions with how to market the team better. They are just a group of people to tryin...
So I was up early this morning. Its been 3 days since the Predators have played a hockey game and I am going out of my mind. Of course it doesn't help that we lost an overtime game on Saturday to the Blues and then got outright beat on Monday by the Blues. So I am up early, all of the family who is in from out of town are starting to make noise upstairs and it won't bel...
Let's examine the attendance issue of the Predators and the Economic Impact they have on downtown Nashville. Here are the stats. (Taken from ESPN)
(Past 7 seasons, All attendance not just paid attendance, Titans and Preds)
Titans GP Total Attendance
69,143 5 345,715 (thru 5 home games this season)
69,143 8 553,144
69,149 8 553,192
68,901 8 551,208
68,809 8 550,472...
Now that it looks like the Preds sell will actually go to the Local Ownership group, lead by David Freeman, I am interested to hear from you Pred fans as to what moves you think they will make and what moves you would like to see them make. I am referring to on-ice personnel, of course. If you would like to share your ideas on what they should do off-ice as well those comm...
So we are a quarter of the way through the season and I thought I would offer up my analysis of the Preds on a player by player basis. Hockey is a team sport but when you analyze a team, it helps if you can have some individual stats to compare with. So here it goes.
Forwards:
Martin Erat -Currently leads the team with 24 points and is well on his way to passing his...
We have all heard the cliche's about character, veteran leadership, and playing as a team versus as an individual. I will spare everyone 'most' of the cliche's, but the last 2 victories for the Predators have shown me something that I haven't seen consistantly from this team in past years.
How many times have we seen a team totally dominate the regular season only to...
It's been quite a while since I had a chance to actually sit here and type something up that was really long enough to post as a blog. Plus, with all the holiday shopping, education, and a few lady friends along the way ;) I've definitely had my hands full.
But now, with the holidays over and a couple of sound thrashings at the hands of the very talented Chicago Blackha...
C J. Spacek
A J. Pominville
A A. Kotalik or J. Hecht
Spacek has turned into a complete player. he asked for more playing time and when lindy ruff gave it to him he responded by being the best defencemen on the team. he has had big hits and big goals in my opinion there is no one else that deserves this honor more then him.
Pominville has been on fire. hes scored 15...
The Flames dropped their fourth in a row tonight, losing to Nashville 3-0. For the second straight game in a row, the team was outright hard to watch, as the best scoring chance the Flames got all night was a clanger in the first period by Dion. The only good part of the game was seeing Calgary product Curtis McElhinney play a fine third period in what will likely be his l...
Well, it's coming down to crunch time before the trade deadline and already we have been bombarded with rumours about us getting a guy and them getting a lot of our guys. If you are like me, you have probably thought about what the numbers are and who is in the mix. Well, technically everyone is in the mix (e.g. Vokoun) but, I thought I would give the info on who our UFA...
The Nashville Women's Ice Hockey League is having an open house today with a scrimmage and on-ice demonstrations. If you're a female hockey fan in the Nashville area, go check it out.
You can try on hockey equipment, get a mini-skating lesson, and shoot at the net. Best of all, it's free! ($2 if you need to rent skates)
Registration starts at 1:30, and the festivitie...
So as it would be, I am sitting here in Nashville celebrating the XMAS with family and while everyone is still asleep, I thought I would think about putting up a new blog about the Predators. Its been a long time since I have due a new job I took on around last XMAS. But after watching last night loss(Not even going to comment on the offense or lack of effort), I thought...
I kind of stole this idea from THN but heres a list of changes that I would make if I had one day to do anything and everything to the NHL. Let me know what you think and any other ideas that you would like to see.
[b]1. Florida Panthers move to Winnipeg [/b]
I don't know how this team manages to survive in Florida. They haven't made the playoffs since 2000-01. They h...
The core fans are the ones who buy the products, the tickets, show up to games. The perimeter fans, you have to have them, just like you have to have and develop new fans all the time, but you better take care of that core fan first.
This is why the NHL needs to get back to cold weather cities, the Core is in the north, period.
My idea is a migration of teams nort...
I posted this as a comment in one of the topics in the forum, but I felt it was long and detailed enough to post as my blog as well;
First of all....I would make no major changes to the game itself....maybe just eliminate the instigator penalty.
Some of you guys are arguing that owners would lose too much money expanding the ice surface........ummm.....why the hell d...
6-3 Dallas
I don't know if tonight was a fluke or not, but if the Loui Eriksson that was on the ice tonight is the real Loui Eriksson then Dallas doesn't need to trade for a scorer. Morrow/Ribeiro/Eriksson, Hagman/Jokinen/Miettinen, Ott/Modano/Lehtinen, Halpern/Barnes/Lundqvist is a 12 man unit I'll go to war with. I heard Ralph and Razor use the Stanley Cup phrase...
Yuck. I'll bet Dave Tippett wasn't too pleased with that. Apparently NOFX wasn't either since they went to the game in lieu of rehearsing. I apparently picked wisely by going to that show instead of the Stars game. Lackluster efforts like this really need to get ironed out before April.
Lines
1.Morrow/Ribeiro/Eriksson
2.Ott/Modano/Lehtinen
3.Hagman/Richards/Miettine...
Why Not ?
Who would of thought 2 months ago when the Canucks were tied for 10th place in the Western Conference that with 9 games left in the season they would be within striking distance of defending the Northwest division that they won in style last year.
Let me tell you I for sure didn't, I assumed we were doomed with Nashville and Phoenix knocking at the doo...
We Canadians understand that hockey should be in a place where people want the sport. Winnipeg, Hamilton, Quebec City ... anyone listening? However, when it comes to expansion teams this isn't the case; Bettman is still searching for his American audience and this just may be the place to find it.
LAS VEGAS; over 40 million tourists visit every year. It's one of the fas...
[b]Just another voice in the crowd...[/b]
This is a personal observation, and in this, my inaugural blog on Hockeybuzz.com, please understand that I in no way speak for everyone. However in response to the listening, reading and observing I do on a daily basis, here's my take on the Nashville Predators' 2007-2008 season.
I've been a Predators season ticket holder si...
Today the NHL announced its finalists for the Lady Byng Award. And to be honest I was first shocked to see Pominville's name listed as a finalist. But then I realized that it isn't that far fetched for Jason to be nominated. Do you ever see 29 complain? He is a true professional on the ice. He lets his skill and hard work tell his story. I think he has a legitimate shot a...
Well on July 1st some teams were bragging about snagging some star player, some teams were crying because they weren't able to sign their teams prized player and then their was us. By us I mean Pred fans who were walloping around just waiting for the season to start as we all knew nothing was going to happen and nothing ever did. Their really wasn't any reason to party...
Okay, I've read through all the articles and all the comments, now here's my weigh-in on [b]The Great Radu-dini[/b]'s disappearing act from Nashville.
It may all be smoke and mirrors, but even if so, the smoke stinks and the mirrors reflect very badly for both the Nashville Predators and especially for one whose promise as a bright star in the NHL has now been all but ...
Now, depending on who you read and which NHL insiders you trust, the next coach of the Islanders will be someone who is accepting of a massive youth movement. No, wait, he will have to be able to deal with disgruntled veterans. Hold it. That is not it either. I got it. I think.
He willl have to be a little crazy. Why? Besides the obvious reasons like a terrible arena, d...
With the summer coming to a close (as much as I want hockey season back, I hope this next month moves like a glacier) the Islanders are working hard to fill the vacancy left by Ted Nolan's removal.
The potential candidates have been mentioned constantly in the media. I am confident in who I think should be the next one to take the bench, but the list is filled with man...
Sooner or later the powers to be have to wake up and publicly admit the NHL has a big problem in the U.S. gaining a fan base to compete with the NFL,MLB and even the NBA and NASCAR. You can't fix a problem you wont admit you have.
When poker shows on ESPN where out performing live primetime NHL broadcast
someone should have took notice and said "Toronto we have a pr...
Sure, Jason Pominville is no Eric Staal, but the timing of this 7-year extension for one of the NHL's brightest young stars could not have been worse for the Blue and Gold faithful.
7 years, $57.75 million is a lot of dough. That's $8.25 per season. You might say that this deal is the opposite of a hometown discount. I like Eric Staal, but I think that's a bit steep,...
Update, 3:30 p.m. EST: The entry I had posted here before is meaningless now! Pommer signs a 5-year extension this afternoon, reportedly between $5 and $6 mill per season. Thoughts? I think it's a great deal and I'm ecstatic to hear the news! No more distractions going into Camp. Let's get the season started, Sabres fans!
Sabres fans on pins and needles...Just wait...
We hav all be able to enjoy two sagas this summer. The Mats Sundin Saga , and now that it is finally losing its edge . The Radulov saga.
As we all know , Radulov bolted the NHL to the KHL for a boat load of money and all the vodka he can drink. In the confusion that followed no one was really sure exactly who was to blame ; Raddy for running for money , David Pollie not...
First things first. The Nashville Predators have proven they have a good GM a good Coach and a good Hockey Team. They do a good job at the draft table, have a good AHL affiliate and have a good building to play in. So good. But is good,good enough for a team struggling to meet even minimum attendance goals and still has not managed to compete in the local media and local b...
It's Sunday morning and you spent all of last night basking in drink after drink. You were the life of the party, from what you remember anyway, and even that's a blur - almost seems like a lifetime ago. You're still gaining your senses this morning and you have a horrible feeling in the gut of your stomach. You don't want to do a THING today.
Now you know what the S...
Going into this season, its pretty clear who will be at the top of the Central Division: The St. Louis Blues....
I kid, I kid...
It'll be Detroit hands down. It amazed methat they were able to re-sign Valteri Filppula to a 5 year deal that pays him only $3 million a season on average. On the free market, a guy like him would've yielded maybe double that or more. Thei...
Nashville Predators Shea Weber canceled his interview with NHL.com's "NHL Live" for the second time at the last minute today. It was apparent as the show went on that co host Don La Greca was quite miffed at Weber for leading the show into believing he was going to be a call-in guest. Then after they promoted his spot for 2/3 of the show he canceled for the second time.
...
Its starting to get pretty clear that Shea Weber is really living up to the hype that has surrounded him for the last few years.
One memorable moment of mine was in the 2006 playoffs against San Jose when Shea absolutely laid out Milan Michalak. Shea went flying into his own bench and Michalak appeared to be shaken up.
Then in the 2007 playoffs, head coach Barry Tr...
Captain Matt Fillier's Hat-trick leads the way
Montreal. Sunday, October 26, 2008. The Montreal Juniors entered this afternoon’s game versus the Victoriaville Tigres in search of their second straight home victory of the weekend and a chance to regain 1st place in the Telus Western Division. In their only prior match versus the Tigres, Montreal enjoyed their best of...
The Capitals are finally back home after a three game road trip out west. The Caps went one and three on their road trip to Calgary, Phoenix, and Dallas. They picked up two points on the trip, while they would have liked at least three points, they remain tied for first in the Southeast with Carolina. The Caps play the Nashville Predators Tuesday night at 7pm, however, the...
From: http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators battled back and forth like prize heavy-weight fighters in DC on Tuesday night, trading goals on three different occasions. It was Michael Nylander who delivered the knockout blow for the Capitals in the fourth round of a shootout. The Caps never trailed and head to Buffalo with a big two...
So Bill Daly was on TSN's Off the Record the other day and the main topic of discussion was, not surprisingly, the sustainability of a 2nd NHL team in Toronto.
Being a western Canadian myself, I really could care less about the Leafs or mainstream Canadian media's love affair with the city of Toronto. Onto the issue itself, there's no doubt that Toronto could hold anoth...
No, this isn't a PSA for the American Red Cross; it's a statement of fact for a hockey team. The Nashville Predators need a transfusion -- fast.
As well as Barry Trotz' crew has played at times this season, there seems to be a fragility to this edition of Nashville's team that must be addressed soon, or there may not BE a team in Nashville in the not-too-distant future....
They've paid all the bills, and they've given some key personnel hefty raises, but at the one-quarter mark of 2008-2009, it's not paying dividends for the Buffalo Sabres.
It has to be highly disconcerting for Tom Golisano, Darcy Regier, and Co. to witness this promising young core underperform. They have to be scratching their heads, and as the Sabres' losing streak ha...
Streaks are a funny thing, and no matter how your team is playing you can find a stat or a trend to either make you feel better or worse about them. The Canucks? Let's have a look:
The preview for Tuesday night's game in Nashville (a 3-1 victory for the Whale) stated that we were a slumping squad mired in a 1-3-1 funk on our current 7-game road trip. Combined with th...
This coming June is going to go a long way in telling us true Leaf fans what we are going to get under this new regime. The way that the Leafs are playing they have no shot at first or second in the June draft. Keep in mind that these scenarios take place if the standings were the same today as they would be at the end of the season. Also let me say that in no way do I ...
[b]Montreal Rebounds 4-1 over Tigres[/b]
[b]Montreal. Sunday, December 28, 2008.[/b] The Montreal Juniors rebounded from a 5-1 loss to the Shawinigan Cataractes Saturday, beating the Victoriaville Tigres 4-1 on Sunday afternoon.
Barely 24 hours after suffering defeat to Shawinigan, the Juniors got back into the win column thanks to a breakout performan...
[b]Voltigeurs Score 5 in Third to Down Juniors[/b]
[b]Montreal. Tuesday, December 30, 2008. [/b]The Juniors let victory slip away Tuesday evening in Drummondville as the Voltigeurs scored 5 goals in the 3rd period to earn a 5-4 win over Montreal.
The Juniors opened the scoring in the 2nd period on Nick Layton's 16th goal of the year, but fell behind early in ...
1. How much money does the Freeman Group really have for the Preds?
2. After 11 years have the Preds fan base shown any significant growth?
3. Do the Preds have the talent in the system to get past the 1st round of the playoffs
in the next 3 years (this year included)?
4. If no was your answer to question 3 do you think the Preds will still be here after
3 years...
[b]Jake Allen's 38 Saves Lead Montreal to Victory[/b]
[b]
Montreal. Friday, January 2, 2009.[/b] The Montreal Juniors opened 2009 with a 4-0 shutout victory over the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Friday night. Having closed out 2008 with a loss on the road to the Voltigeurs, Montreal enjoyed some sweet revenge in front of their home fans and Jake Allen registered his...
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:wAngNR2wPZwBEM:http://images.teamsugar[/img]
In a season where everyone either predicted or was warned the Leafs would place bottom 5 in the East, I'm a little surprised the team was booed by the club's faithful fans in a tilt with the Nashville Predators.
As of today, right now, this very second… (this second too) the Leafs...
First of all let me introduce myself. My name is Jason and I have been a Predators season ticket holder for 10 years. I'm 33 years old and grew up watching hockey in Nashville, TN. That's right, you read correctly, grew up watching hockey; not only on TV but also in person. I use to go to the old Nashville Knights ECHL games and fell in love with hockey at an early age. My...
So we are into the nailbiting time of the season. Every game matters. Can we do it? Use this link to follow the preds chances.
http://www.sportsclubstats.com/NHL/Western/Central/Predators.html
The one thing I do believe, is that regardless of whether we can make the playoffs, we are not a playoff hockey team. If we make it it, it will be more b/c of what others ...
Its safe to say that the Nashville Predators will once again be scrounging for goals, this for the 2nd straight season.
While the obvious next move for GM David Poile would obviously be a top 6 forward, its very clear that a move like such will not happen in the next few months. See, there I could have easily said that last sentence without "in the next few months". Mor...
Alright guys, bear with me here, this is my first time blogging so I may make some mistakes here and there, but I figured, hey, why not start out with a topic that I love? That topic being the Nashville Predators.
Now, moving on to the specific topic itself:
In my honest opinion, I believe the Predators have positioned themselves quite well so far this offseason. ...
With the coming and passing of the prospect development camp, Pred Nation has buzzed and talked highly of the caliber of the prospects present this summer. This prospect class has been deemed as a group full of talent and potential and seemed to impress everyone from the coaches to the fans. Through the work of Paul and Brandon, even those who were not able to make an ap...
10th in the West.
Is this what you expected? Better than you expected? or worse?
For me, its what I expected. This team has a solid first line, a strong 1st d-man pairing and good goalie, who will try to erase the Predator curse of goaltenders in their 1st season of full time duty acting as sitting ducks on ice. This team has depth on defense in terms of players who ...
Good game from Nashville. Preds come back from a 2 goal deficit and score the final 3. Sullivan left the game in the 1st. Later it was released it was a groin injury and was held out as a precaution. Just yesterday Sully mentioned "his groin" on his twitter account:
"ice bags all day today on the groins".
Enough of the groin talk lets get to the game.
[b]Over...
Reading the Tennessean, John Glennon reported Poile made an equal offer but they couldn't match what Toronto was willing to pay Kessel. If they made the trade then they would have been in the same situation as Boston and wouldn't have been able to sign Kessel.
Poile still says he is looking to add someone if the right person becomes available.
Dumont gets the goal and everybody gets ready to start singing "I like it", then huh. What is that? A new goal song in Nashville. From the few folks around me they didn't seem to like the change. Tradition is tough to alter. We will see if this follows through to the regular season.
After the Canes win here are my thoughts on a couple players.
JP Dumont - Good g...
The Predators did something they don't do very often. Beat the Dallas Stars in Dallas. Two very important points for the Predators. This win though came at a price. The Preds lost JP Dumont to an injury in the second period when he was hit hard into the boards on a 2 on 1. It looked like a concussion, but no official word yet from the Predators. The Preds can't affor...
With the Predators 3 to 2 win, they now have won their first two games of the season. The top line of Arnott/Sullivan/Hornqvist at times dominated the play. Hornqvist digging the puck out of the corners and getting in front of the net, Sully's vision and passing, Arnott with the bomb. Tremendous play by that line.
Notables from the game:
Hornqvist (A-) - Really ...
The Sabres behind Ryan Miller's 25 saves shutdown the Preds 1 to 0. Rinne on the other end made 41 out of 42 saves, but gave up his only goal with a little over 3 minutes remaining in the 3rd on a rebound goal by Grier.
Notabales from the game:
No Offense (D) - Every line really didn't produce many scoring chances. Just overall a bad night offensively. Erat with ...
The Preds decided not to show up and the Oilers took it to them scoring 6 goals, en route to a 6 to 1 win. This game spoiled Colin Wilson's debut for the Preds, who finished with a minus 1 with 1 SOG. Again, we still haven't seen a goal scored in regulation/OT from any other line than the top line.
Notables:
Klein/Hammer (F) - This pair has struggled. They where...
Deja Vu for the Preds. This is the second straight game giving up 6 goals. They have now been outscored 13 to 1 in the last 3 games. So far this season only the top line has a point. The Preds have now given up 8 goals in the last two first periods.
Game Notables:
Predators Team / Coaching Staff (F) - No longer can I single any player or coach out. This whole ...
I'll try my best not to hype up tonight's game between the Preds and Hawks.
However, it does hold rather large importance for the Preds. Its their first game against a divisional opponent in the increasingly competitive Central Division. The team is also coming off two straight shellackings at the hands of the Oilers and Stars, respectively, while having lost 3 straig...
The Preds continue to struggle scoring losing 3 to 1 in Nashville to the Blackhawks. The Preds only could muster 2 shots in the third period and a total of 13 for the game. On the other side they gave up 30 shots. This team is just simply struggling and going down fast. I kept on hearing this team is getting scoring chances, they are, but the problem is this team doesn...
The Preds finally scored 2 goals again, but it wasn't enough as Ovechkin had two goals, including the shootout winner.
Compared to previous games, this was a much better effort against a great team. In the first period, the Preds missed two breakways by Ward and Weber on the PK. They got good scoring chances and did a good job of only allowing 2 goals to this offensiv...
Good road game by the Predators. Got timely scoring and good goal tending (except for that 2 minute blip in the 2nd period). Heck the Preds even got another powerplay goal and a shorty. The Preds finished this 5 game road trip with a 2-2-1 record.
Game Notables:
Smithson (A+) - When your fourth line grinder gets the game winning, short handed goal you deserve an ...
The Predators had a really good team game with Erat (scratched) and Arnott (injured) not playing. Solid goaltending by Rinne stopping all 22 shots he faced. He virtually gave zero rebounds. He was a human vacuum. The Preds defensively were very sound. Good job of back checking by the forwards and good job by the dman to shut down Kane. Especially Weber who laid the...
The Predators played another really good defensive game. They blocked many of the Stars shots and out shot the Stars 33 to 29. The forwards did a good job of back checking to limit second chances by the Stars. On offense the Preds finally got another goal from Steve Sullivan and P. Hornqvist. The Preds offense had many chances and easily could have had 1 or 2 more goa...
Welcome back everyone!! Another beautiful night here in Ottawa!
The Habs are coming off a big win over Phoenix on Thursday and will face the Preds who have been on the rise of late. This should prove to be a good game!
Game Notes:
Game Time: 8:00 (Est)
National TV: RDS (French)
Price will make the start for the Habs. Spacek will be a game time decision after s...
The Preds played another solid game against the Sharks and this time they were rewarded with two points.
The first period for the Preds had 14 shots, by 14 different players. A very odd stat. Really good game by the top line and Leggy's line.
The Preds were 2 for 4 on the powerplay. Without the PP scoring I have a feeling this would have gone to the Sharks.
O...
The Nashville Predators continue to play their best hockey of the season as they beat the New Jersey Devils 3 to 2 in a shootout.
Santorelli and Erat scored in the shootout to lift the Predators to victory.
The Preds 2 goals in regulation came from Jason Arnott. Including 1 on the powerplay. The Preds finished the night 1 for 2 on the PP. While the PK stopped both...
The Preds are playing good hockey and not even some bad breaks could knock this team off of its winning ways. The Preds topped the Blue Jackets 4 to 3 in a SO.
The first goal by the Blue Jackets was initially ruled no goal by the on ice official. After review the reversed the call. I have no clue how Toronto could have overturned the call. There is supposed to be ...
Here are Predator players who are in the top 50 in the league for a specific category. Weber leads the way. This is through Nov 22.
J. Smithson Tied 1st - 2 SH Goals
P. Hornqvist Tied 14th - 73 SOG
R. Suter Tied 18th - 24:20 TOI/G
S. Weber Tied 28th - 23:46 TOI/G
S. Weber Tied 5th - 5 Goals by Defenseman
S. Weber 23rd - 12 Points by Defenseman
S. W...
We are seeing a tremendous year of hockey. Tight standings, fun play and a division/conference that is up for grabs. Currently we have three teams that are in a fight for the western conference lead with 47 points apiece, L.A., Chicago, and San Jose. However, Chicago has earned those 47 in just 33 games. Nashville stands alone at 45 points, but stands to move up if they...
I had the opportunity to be at the Garage for last night's game and while I enjoyed what went on in the stands, I did not enjoy what I saw on the ice.
I wouldn't say that the Canucks dominated but they were persistent. They did everything the Preds should have done. They got traffic in front of Dan Ellis, they put shots on net whenever they could and they took pucks har...
At 28-16-3, the Nashville Predators have held in the playoff hunt much longer than a lot of analysts or "analysts" predicted at the start of the season. There were even some who predicted the Preds to finish as low as 14th in the Western Conference. I predicted the team to finish 10th. My reasoning was that other teams made additions and got better while the Preds sat back...
Sabres Take First Place In Eastern Conference
Buffalo (29-11-6) at Phoenix (28-16-5)
With the New Jersey Devils loss, Buffalo had a chance to take over first place in the Eastern Conference. Phoenix and Buffalo met once earlier this season back in the beginning of the season, with the Sabres winning 2-1. The Sabres come in with 7-0-1 record against the Western Confe...
yesterday in practice marian gaborik was cut on the leg by the skate of henrik lundqvist and recieved several stitches.tonight at msg the broadway blueshirts will face the nashville predators. the rangers are again stuggling in the offense and without gaborik[six goals in his last five games] will be struggling even more. gaborik is questionable but might not play and miss...
First blog in a long while. Lets get to it.
Well the trade deadline has come and gone and its time to look back at what changed with the Preds roster.
[b]EDM trades:
D Denis Grebeshkov
NSH trades:
2010 2nd round pick
Thoughts: [/b]I had a mixed reaction. When I got a text from a colleague and friend from a news source informing of this trade, I said to myself ...
On Tuesday, June 29th, 2010 the Habs traded disgruntled forward Sergei Kostitsyn and "future considerations" to the Nashville Predators for forward Dustin Boyd, Goaltender Dan Ellis and "future considerations".
What an awesome trade folks! Gauthier and the Habs brass impress me yet again this off-season.
Dustin Boyd:
If he decides to sign, Boyd will be a great 3rd...
First, my apologies to David Poile and all of those in Predland that were offended by my last entry/rant. Now that my blood pressure has returned to acceptable levels and my wife and I are speaking to each other again, let us get back to the point at hand. I give David Poile an "A" for the Matthew Lombardi signing, 10.5 over 3 years, not bad for this caliber of player. ...
The Sabres have not fared well against the Stars over the past decade or so, and it began to show during a game in Dallas a couple of seasons ago. Buffalo made a trip to Dallas to take on the Stars in mid January and started off with some struggles.
Buffalo’s problems began when Drew Stafford took two straight penalties, both of which resulted in a goal for the Stars....
February 13th, 2009 was a lot more than just a game between the Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks. A plane crash in Clarence Center left the entire city of Buffalo devastated. The National Hockey League questioned whether or not the game should be played.
A few of the Sabres had family and friends that lived in the area, and many people knew some of the victims that di...
We are nearing the end of training camp, which means the season is right around the corner. Here are my impressions on some of the youngsters and newbies at camp.
Taylor Beck: Good skater, but looked really nervous. On the power play he really didn't seem to know where to go. He sort of floated around. He also couldn't get shots off fast enough. Not ready for the ...
Last night I got to watch my first hockey game on TV for this season. I was excited.
I watched Sabres vs Sens @ the Hockeyville, in Dundas, Ontario. The Sabres came on strong. Even when on the PK. The newly signed grey beard Rob Niedermayer scored about halfway throught the first, while on the penalty kill. Nieds put on great offensive pressure, and ended up stripping ...
The 2009-2010 season wasn't a very good year for rookies. No star breakouts.
Being a Buffalo fan, I love Tyler Myers. And I believe he did deserve to be the rookie of the year. However, I think that someone that could really have given him a run for his money is (*Cough* Tyler Ennis *Cough*) the NY Islanders' own John Tavares.
Let me break this down into why he's an...
It’s not very often that a building containing 18,000 people will almost go silent for a few minutes, but the injury to Jason Pominville made that happen at HSBC Arena on Monday.
Thankfully, Pominville is in much better condition than what many expected after watching him lay in a crumpled heap on the ice after Nicklas Hjalmarsson’s hit from behind. Pominville was a...
As President Obama was finishing up adressing the nation, the Buffalo Sabres were putting the finishing touches on the Ottawa Senators. the 3-2 win in Kanata Tuesday night put the Sabres at 51 points, 4 behind eighth place Atlanta. We have reached the All-Star break, which marks the half way point of the season for most of us. Buffalo can easily catch Atlanta, who has p...
It’s Game Day folks! In Wednesdays game, the 67′s won the first half of this home-and-home by a score of 5 – 3. After going down 3 – 0, ours boys exploded for 5 unanswered goals in the third. The offense was led by the Sean Monahan (2G,1A) and Cody Ceci (2A).
On to today …. A win tonight will help the 67′s get 2 points closer to winning the East Division. Th...
Most have lauded the Sabres organization over the past few days for recognizing they weren't going to land Brad Richards and immediately snatching the next best playmaker on the open market in Ville Leino. In terms of ability the Sabres are upgrading their forward corps by adding a solid two way player with soft hands, great vision, and proven playoff performance. Howeve...
Wherever and however you are reading this today, thank you for making the Gray Area part of your day. This is the first ever blog written on the Hockey Buzz website. My goal is to reach more hockey fans around the world through this site. I think you will find I write very upfront about what I think about the teams around the league and grade my favorites the harshest of ...
Calgary and Buffalo, Buffalo and Calgary just another match made in heaven. Whether trading for Drury or just recently trading for Regher these two teams have come to accommodate each either. Whether it is a mutual hatred for Edmonton or long lost sister cities they getter done. Now it is rumored that they are not finished. What could they be up too?
Everyone in Buff...
So Lindy has pulled the proverbial wool over our eyes and gave the C to Jason Pomminville. While most of us expected Thomas Vanek to assume the role, I am shocked to see the reaction to this appointment. I have heard several people have a jumping-off-the-bridge mentality saying that, "Once again, the Sabres dropped the ball." I couldn't have felt any more opposite. But bef...
To make the playoffs, someone has to score goals for the Predators. Kyle Turris should be that man. Find out why.
http://www.centericereport.com/news_article/show/109976?referrer_id=352791
Last night in Pegulaville City Hall the FN Center the night started with an emotional induction of Dale Hawerchuk and RJ into the Sabres Hall of Fame. The Sabres however didn't come out motivated and resulted in the worst possible start for Miller with a qucik 2-0 Jets lead. I give Lindy credit for sticking with Ryan and not oulling out the quick hook. Buffalo pulled ou...
Daniil Zharkov, 17 year old Left Winger of the Ontario Hockey Leagues Belleville Bulls is beginning to turn heads with his recent play. Zharkov has 5 goals and 1 assist on the season. Not impressed?, What if I told you his season only began five games ago?. That is right, Zharkov has been sidelined since the preseason with a broken left clavicle.
Zharkov was Belleville...
As I write this article, I’m still debating what will happen due to the hit from Jordin Tootoo on, that’s right, Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller... Tough to say what will happen.
For those who missed it, Tootoo went into the Buffalo end, followed closely by Christian Ehrhoff. Ehrhoff poked the puck from Tootoo and had his hand on Tootoo’s back. Ehrhoff followed the pu...
[img]http://www.welive2ski.com/20080415_4318-.jpg[/img]
Disappointment!
Well here we are again folks, falling again to a very beatable opponent!
When looking back, the flames gave an alright effort but nothing more then that. When Playing against a team like Nashville with its shut down back end we need to be in the offensive zone most of the time.
Like I sa...
As everyone knows by now, Buffalo finally won a game on the road on Tuesday, squeaking out of New Jersey with a 2-1 shoot out victory.
This game may have just cost Buffalo getting back into the playoff race this season.
This win, as nice as it was to see Buffalo have more points than their opponent when it’s all said and done, gave management the excuse not to do ...
The Nashville Predators are coming up on an incredibly important crossroads in their franchises history, one that could make or break the fans trust in the team, and thus their rooting interests.
The Predators are fortunate to currently possess two of the top defensemen in the league in Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. They are also fortunate to have a top end goaltender in ...
In my lifetime I've seen the St. Louis Blues play hundreds of games. I've seen them at the Checkerdome/Arena/Greatest Place Of All Time. I've seen them at the Kiel Center/Savvis Center/Scottrade Center. I saw them play last season in Buffalo at the HSBC Arena. Nothing compared to what I saw at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Predator fans are definitely one-of-a-k...
The Sabres put together a little hot streak after the All-Star break. However, the past 2 games, they have gone right back to where they were before.
Can Buffalo make the playoffs? Yes. Is it a long shot? It doesn’t have to be, but the way Buffalo is playing, [b]yes[/b].
Which now begs the question, what should Buffalo do over the next two weeks with the trade de...
This game can be summed up as a game that Buffalo should have won. Don’t look at the stats, don’t look at the standings... Buffalo should have won this game. Montreal is struggling this season, and is right next to Buffalo (well they were) at the bottom of the East.
Again, I don’t care about whether Myers played in his 200th game, and got his 100th point with a g...
After I wrote my blog this morning, I realized that I had just scrapped the surface as to what is bugging Buffalo fans. So, let’s talk about this realistically.
I think everyone knows that Buffalo can make the playoffs. However, will this team go anywhere? Sure, Buffalo has beaten the Bruins and Penguins pretty badly recently. But in a best of 7 series? I don’t thi...
Its been awhile for me writing a blog. Period. My last blog was March 5, 2010. My blog before that? January 15, 2010. Since I last blogged, we've seen 2 Stanley Cup winners hoist the Cup, Team Canada win gold at the Olympics, a riot in Vancouver, the passing of popular enforcers, the passing of an entire hockey team, hundreds of trades and signings, 2 Winter Classics, and ...
I think that the most entertaining part of tonight’s game against the Bruins, was watching Boston miss the empty net a few times in the past 2 minutes. Poor play and questionable decisions, and Buffalo has now dropped 2 of their last 3.
Buffalo made the mistake of playing the wrong goalies, in the wrong games. Carolina is the game that Enroth should have started in....
[img]http://bluelinestation.com/files/2012/01/5194542.jpg[/img]
Nashville Predators GM David Poile is sending the message loud and clear to pending free agents Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. He is serious about winning a Cup and his moves in the last month are proving just that.
David Poile is probably in the toughest position of any GM in the league right now. He is d...
Last night was the most significant win in the young history of the Nashville Predators.
It was not the best game the Predators ever played. It was not an upset or a comeback for the ages. It was not a dominant performance. It didn't include the greatest goals, saves, or hits in Predator history. It wasn't a game that will go down in the NHL history books for anyt...
As I write this, Ryan Suter has yet to make an announcement as to where he'll play next season. But earlier tonight, Josh Yohe, Pens beat writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweeted:
"I can confirm that the Penguins and Ryan Suter's agent, Neil Sheehy, had a conversation today. So far, apparently no offer was made."
This is disturbing to me. How in th...
I’ve been thinking about this past season for the Sabres. Namely how and why things went wrong (if someone says injuries, I’m going to scream). I do really like the new players that Buffalo has brought in, and I’m anxious as to what will happen next. But my question is, will it matter?
I like the additions so far, and I get the feeling that there’s more in the w...
By the title I know most Sabres fans will think I'm crazy but let's look at Leino for a second. I'll admit when I heard that Buffalo had signed him I was excited and thinking he might do good in Buffalo, then I heard the price. A 6-year deal for $27,000,000 with 4.5M cap hit. That's the definition of overpaid, he had one good season putting up 19G 34A 54 PTS +14 but to me ...
I finally found out that the Sabres minipacks were going on sale right before my wedding. Just one more thing to stress about the week I lose my freedom (kidding!!!).
Traditionally, My fiancé (soon to be wife) and I go in on a minipack with my parents. While we would like to get season tickets, it’s tough not living in Buffalo. However, we’re always watching the ga...
I normally write a lot more. I just have been having a real difficult time coming up with topics right now due to there not being NHL games. A lot of the topics that I’m ready to dive into, I’d rather write about during the season. Plus, there’s real examples there to use, instead of just going back to the past.
It’s tough to write when there’s a lockout goin...
Well, I’ve waited until the day before the season starts. I’ve thought about this a lot this week, and I’m sure my wife is tired of listening to me, but alas, the time is here. Sabres season preview time for 2013.
I’ve got one thought before I look at this season, that needs to be highlighted before I get started. Everyone already knows it, but still;
This s...
I started my day off in Rochester at Blue Cross Arena to take in a Martin Luther King day matinee. The Amerks took on the Hamilton Bulldogs and while it wasn’t perfect, they walked away with a 6-3 win.
While the game was entertaining, most of the highlights were in the first period. On the first shot of the game by Kevin Sundher, the Amerks had a 1-0 lead only 13 sec...
As I was driving home from work tonight, getting into the mood for Sabres hockey, Enemies by Shinedown came on the radio. As I’m singing along in the car, I come across the lyric “You’re taking all that you please, you want more, but you’ll get nothing from me.” As much as I’d love for this to be the song the Sabres come out of the locker room to, there’s one...
I was amazed at Buffalo’s win on Thursday night against the Bruins. I would have written sooner, but I was about ready to fall asleep after I watched it, so I went to sleep. I won’t focus on that game, lets just leave it at that Buffalo beat the Bruins, and picked up 2 much needed points.
What I’d rather do is take a look at the use of Grigorenko and Brennan in B...
Yesterday’s game... Wow, what can I say about that game in Montreal for the Sabres?
Nothing good. It was an abomination, and too be completely honest, this was a long time coming. How can I say this? Easily.
I’ve been watching the Sabres play this lazy style of defense for a long time. When Galchenyuk waltzed between all 5 Sabres on the ice, slid a pass to Eller...
I’m seeing the debate rage on amongst Buffalonians as to what the problem seems to be with the Sabres. Currently, they’re in the bottom 5 of the entire NHL, and 14th place in the Eastern Conference. However, most people are mystified as to what the problem is. The number 1 question;
[b]Is this on the players or the coaches?[/b]
I’ll admit, and I’m sure if you...
The Coyotes were defeated today by the Nashville Predators 3-0.
It was the kind of game through the first 2 periods that both teams would be comfortable playing any day. It was very defensive with almost no real big threats on goal. There really is not much to say about those first two periods because neither team really grabbed the momentum and a lot of back and forth...
I’ve been asked a lot what moves I would make if I were GM for the Sabres. So, I’m finally putting this blog together after much thought. I’m basing my philosophy on one of my favorite movies, [i]Miracle[/i]. For those of you who haven’t seen it, it’s the Hollywood version of the 1980 Miracle On Ice.
About 10 minutes into the film, you see tryouts for the 198...
First, my disclaimer, I have been a Sabres fan since as long as I can remember. My first phrase as a child, as far as I've been told, was "I wanna watch hockeysabres" Yes as one word. I do live in Maryland now as I had to sadly move from Buffalo to pursue my career.
The Sabres efforts have been lackadaisical as of late. Everyone from as high up as Pomminville all the w...
I realize this may sound a little bit like andydrmm's recent blog which I had not read until I wrote this:
The Trade Deadline approaches!
[img]http://www.nickmendola.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Darcy_Regier_325x183.jpg[/img]
Let's look at this glass half full. The young kids, or "585 line", are tearing it up. Brian Flynn has 3 points in just 3 games! Foligno has f...
Now that I have your attention... It’s only in my dreams that this were real headline. Several moves were made today by the Buffalo Sabres, and it’s just simply mind numbing the way that these things went down. I would have written this sooner, but I decided that I needed to watch a good hockey game tonight. So my wife and I went to the Rochester Amerks game.
Discla...
The Plight of this team
This season has been nothing but horribly sad for us fans in "Hockey Heaven". Last night as I sat screaming in the Verizon Center next to fellow Sabres fans in the D.C. area...it hit me. This team is horrible. From top to bottom. Watching a team that was behind us in the standings, who also played the day before, dance around us in our own zon...
Not looking for an answer here. So don’t try to give me one (“Too late”, says my wife as I proof read it to her. She answered “no” for those of you who were curious.). I’ll admit that it’s very tempting to get caught up in the rush of the past 2 Sabres games. Winning in Montreal and then beating Toronto in what may have been the best game Buffalo’s played t...
Last night, my wife and I were out to dinner after a day of errands, and we began discussing the Buffalo Sabres and the trade deadline. Over dinner, I laid out a revamp for the Buffalo Sabres. Long story short, Buffalo has a terrific opportunity in front of them right now.
And Darcy Regier at the helm to get it… [b]Yeah right[/b], won’t happen.
Regier is the indi...
I’m currently sitting at my desk in my office, thinking over the Buffalo Sabres trade deadline moves this year (will fine tune this once I get home, it’s a work in progress). At the end of the day, Jason Pominville is headed to Minnesota. Buffalo receives 2 young prospects as well as Minnesota’s first round draft pick in 2013 and their second round pick in 2014.
...
Alright so definitely an interesting trade deadline day in Buffalo.
Moving Pomminville, Regher, and Leopold was a great idea without a doubt. Am I completely happy with the return on those players? Not yet. I know that getting two prospects and a first rounder and a second rounder for Pomminville seems great. The problem is do we trust Darcy and this administration ...
When I first saw this on the blocks I thought to my self "no way that was a good deal for the caps"!
I saw some people posting their arguments. They said that Forsberg, still only 18 only plays in the second league of Sweden and also that since he is so young there is still many years left before we know his NHL caliber
My comeback would be:
[b]Yes [/b]- still young...
Those of you who have read my blogs for quite sometime know that I’m not a fan of Darcy Regier, and I haven’t been for quite some time. There’s a lot of talk about his future in Buffalo, especially as the Sabres will once again miss out on the playoffs. 2013 has seen Lindy Ruff leave the Buffalo Sabres organization, and it’s time for Darcy to leave too.
Let’s...
We are just a few weeks away from my favorite time during the year. NHL draft baby. As a kid I would always purchase my hockey news draft preview magazine and sit through the hours and hours of waiting and analysis from the boys at TSN. This year should be no different. Usually I prepare my own mock draft around this time and this year I wanted to share my thoughts with ...
We are just a few weeks away from my favorite time during the year. NHL draft baby. As a kid I would always purchase my hockey news draft preview magazine and sit through the hours and hours of waiting and analysis from the boys at TSN. This year should be no different. Usually I prepare my own mock draft around this time and this year I wanted to share my thoughts with ...
We are just a few weeks away from my favorite time during the year. NHL draft baby. As a kid I would always purchase my hockey news draft preview magazine and sit through the hours and hours of waiting and analysis from the boys at TSN. This year should be no different. Usually I prepare my own mock draft around this time and this year I wanted to share my thoughts with ...
It’s tough being a Sabres fan these days. There’s not a lot of hope or optimism surrounding the team. The Sabres website did a great job the other day playing up the NHL.com article on Rick Jeanneret’s infamous “May Day” call. I started thinking about some of my favorite memories watching the Buffalo Sabres.
Now I have to emphasize this, these are 2 of my fav...
So with the upcoming NHL trade deadline looming, there are a number of teams with holes to fill and questions to answer. This is by no means a professional hockey writer talking, just some of my personal view and opinions based on the rumors that I have seen.
-Winnipeg:
The Jets have some really good young talent on their team. Their main concerns are goal-t...
It was not long ago the Nashville Predators were drafting #4 overall and again #11 overall. Things seemed to be on the down side in Tennessee, especially after watching their top two defenseman headed out. Ryan Suter signed a multi-year multi-million dollar contract with now division rival Minnesota Wild. Shae Weber signed a 14 year offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers...
In the recent past I’ve been spouting the need for the NHL to revise the point system to reflect a more accurate landscape when it come to teams who win in regulation. My idea for a point system would be 3 for a win, 2 for an O.T. win, 1 for a shoot out win, and zero for losers. I did my research on this prior to last night’s games so they’re already outdated but I w...
The Nashville Predators are hands down the NHL’s best team this season. Expecting to make a deep playoff run, the Predators decided to be buyers on the trade market. The Predators acquired two of their former draftees from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli. Franson was selected in the 3rd round by Nashville in 2005 and Santorelli in the 6th round ...
The first Western Conference series will be between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators. The Predators will have home ice in the series but looked shaky towards the end of the season. The Blackhawks will get a boost to their ever strong offense with Patrick Kane (64P, 61GP) back from injury. Both teams ended the season with only four wins in their last ten g...
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The Jackets are finishing another back-to-back series at home tonight against the Nashville Predators. The Predators are a very offensive team with the coaching system they have in place, and as a result are one of the best teams in the division. As for the Jackets, they are still rebounding from a poor start and are getting better under John Tortorella.
This is t...
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The Jackets are finishing another back-to-back series at home tonight against the Nashville Predators. The Predators are a very offensive team with the coaching system they have in place, and as a result are one of the best teams in the division. As for the Jackets, they are still rebounding from a poor start and are getting better under John Tortorella.
This is t...
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The Jackets are finishing another back-to-back series at home tonight against the Nashville Predators. The Predators are a very offensive team with the coaching system they have in place, and as a result are one of the best teams in the division. As for the Jackets, they are still rebounding from a poor start and are getting better under John Tortorella.
This is t...
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The Jackets are finishing another back-to-back series at home tonight against the Nashville Predators. The Predators are a very offensive team with the coaching system they have in place, and as a result are one of the best teams in the division. As for the Jackets, they are still rebounding from a poor start and are getting better under John Tortorella.
This is t...
In Kanata, Ontario, Canada, the Columbus Blue Jackets' winning streak ended as a result of a shutout by the Ottawa Senators, blanking the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 3-0. In Thursday's game,Craig Anderson stopped 25 shots, and earned a .100 save percentage (100%). They got goals from Erik Karlsson (2G, 1A), and Kyle Turris (1G, 1A). They also got points fro...
Boom! Boom! Boom! Was yesterday the trade deadline with all the transactions occurring? The Jackets finally made the trade they were looking for, in a gutsy one for one trade with a talented Western Conference squad in Tennessee.
To Nashville: C Ryan Johansen
Ryan Johansen is an extremely talented number one center on any team in the NHL; however, he has not had...
What an awesome trade this is for both teams. Scott Hartnell scored his 100th point as a Blue Jackets prior to his departure, and he reunites alongside Ryan Johansen. Kevin Fiala is Nashville's top prospect, and replaces Marko Dano on Columbus' depth pool. Fiala has had a tough top satisfying GM David Poile, and can now do what he pleases in Columbus. Fiala and Hartnell we...
Columbus travels to Nashville where Seth Jones is back to play the team that drafted him. The Jackets are looking to get back on track against a playoff team that will most likely play the winner of the Pacific Division.
Columbus and Nashville last played each other on November 20, 2015, at Nationwide Arena. The final score of the game was 4-0. Columbus got goals from ...
The Nashville Predators and their elite defensive group dominated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 5-1.
The Predators scored early and often, scoring twice in the first two frames and once in the final one. James Neal netted his 30th of the season 3 minutes in; Ryan Johansen (player to watch) and Roman Josi had the assists. At 17:33, Mattias Ekholm scored ...
Tonight, the Blue Jackets welcome the Nashville Predators in a highly anticipated game for the Jackets. Tonight is the preseason debut for Zach Werenski; Jack Johnson; and Brandon Dubinsky.
The Jackets are 1-2-0, only beating the Bruins, and losing to the Blues twice, so they are looking to get back to 0.500 hockey.
The Predators have changed their bottom six to pr...
Tonight, the Blue Jackets welcome the Nashville Predators in a highly anticipated game for the Jackets. Tonight is the preseason debut for Zach Werenski; Jack Johnson; and Brandon Dubinsky.
The Jackets are 1-2-0, only beating the Bruins, and losing to the Blues twice, so they are looking to get back to 0.500 hockey.
The Predators have changed their bottom six to pr...
Tonight, the Blue Jackets welcome the Nashville Predators in a highly anticipated game for the Jackets. Tonight is the preseason debut for Zach Werenski; Jack Johnson; and Brandon Dubinsky.
The Jackets are 1-2-0, only beating the Bruins, and losing to the Blues twice, so they are looking to get back to 0.500 hockey.
The Predators have changed their bottom six to pr...
The Columbus Blue Jackets have come back to defeat the Nashville Predators by a final score of 3-2 in overtime.
The Predators got both their goals last night from defensemen, continuing to prove that's their strongest suit. In the midst of the second period, defenseman Anthony Bitetto got a power play marker with assist from Matt Carle and Pontus Aberg. In the early s...
The Columbus Blue Jackets have come back to defeat the Nashville Predators by a final score of 3-2 in overtime.
The Predators got both their goals last night from defensemen, continuing to prove that's their strongest suit. In the midst of the second period, defenseman Anthony Bitetto got a power play marker with assist from Matt Carle and Pontus Aberg. In the early s...
The Jackets travel south to Tennessee to take on the Predators in the Bridgestone Arena.
Here are the projected rosters:
Nashville Predators
Colton Sissons
Mike Fisher
Craig Smith
James Neal
Calle Jarnkrok
Mikka Salomaki
Fredrick Gaudreau
Viktor Arvidsson
Vlaidslav Kamenev
Austin Watson
Kevin Fiala
Ryan Johansen
Anthony Bitetto
Yannick Weber...
The Jackets travel south to Tennessee to take on the Predators in the Bridgestone Arena.
Here are the projected rosters:
Nashville Predators
Colton Sissons
Mike Fisher
Craig Smith
James Neal
Calle Jarnkrok
Mikka Salomaki
Fredrick Gaudreau
Viktor Arvidsson
Vlaidslav Kamenev
Austin Watson
Kevin Fiala
Ryan Johansen
Anthony Bitetto
Yannick Weber...
The Jackets travel south to Tennessee to take on the Predators in the Bridgestone Arena.
Here are the projected rosters:
Nashville Predators
Colton Sissons
Mike Fisher
Craig Smith
James Neal
Calle Jarnkrok
Mikka Salomaki
Fredrick Gaudreau
Viktor Arvidsson
Vlaidslav Kamenev
Austin Watson
Kevin Fiala
Ryan Johansen
Anthony Bitetto
Yannick Weber...
Last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Nashville Predators by a final score of 3-2 in overtime.
The Predators had goals both goals in the second half of the game. Their first goal came from newcomer P.K. Subban; the shorthanded tally was assisted by winger Kevin Fiala. The third period goal came from winger Victor Arvidsson; this goal was assisted by defens...
Last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Nashville Predators by a final score of 3-2 in overtime.
The Predators had goals both goals in the second half of the game. Their first goal came from newcomer P.K. Subban; the shorthanded tally was assisted by winger Kevin Fiala. The third period goal came from winger Victor Arvidsson; this goal was assisted by defens...
The Calgary Flames dropped there third straight decision Thursday night, in a disappointing loss to the Nashville Predators. A Nashville Team that came into the game three points back of the quickly falling Flames, is now a single point back of them with two games in advantage to boot. Calgary is quickly falling behind, and unless they start playing with some urgency and h...
Once again, the Flames find themselves unable to string together some wins, and once again they lose to a team they NEED to beat. A team that is right behind them in the standings. Once again, the Flames are unable to ring in some consistency and it’s cost them another game yet again. It’s all too predictable at this point with the Flames. They win one or two row and t...