Predators News

Big hits leave big holes on NHL rosters
Comment
November 7
Tennessean
 
"No one has to tell the Predators about the significance of injuries in the NHL these days. Nashville enters today's game here against the Kings without at least three regulars (Shea Weber, J.P. Dumont and Colin Wilson), with another (Martin Erat) questionable and having only recently welcomed back Jason Arnott and Jordin Tootoo from lengthy injury layoffs. But the Predators might at least take solace in the knowledge that injuries seem to be carving big chunks out of many rosters these days. Washington's Alex Ovechkin, Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, Chicago's Jonathan Toews and Detroit's Johan Franzen are just a few of the high-profile players currently sidelined. USA Today reported this week ..."
Anaheim Ducks cruise past Nashville Predators
Comment
November 6
Tennessean
 
"Shea Weber plays a key role in so many facets of the Predators' game that it's hard to figure where the team most will miss the injured defenseman. In Thursday's 4-0 loss to Anaheim, however, his absence on the power play looked particularly significant. The Predators had just started clicking with the man advantage over the past five games, posting five power-play goals, after a horrific start to the season. But with Weber - who leads the Predators in power-play ice time and power-play goals (three) - sidelined because of a foot injury, Nashville looked impotent with the man advantage against the Ducks. The Predators failed five times, and all five opportunities came with Nashville either ..."
Predators' Jordin Tootoo returns to ice
Comment
November 6
Tennessean
 
"Predators forward Jordin Tootoo made his season debut during Thursday's 4-0 loss to Anaheim. He looked as energetic and as irritating as usual, hammering Anaheim's Ryan Carter with a good open-ice hit in the first period and drawing a Ducks' retaliation penalty afterward. But Tootoo also took a penalty that led to Anaheim's first goal. He was called for slashing goalie Jonas Hiller's pads after Hiller made a save on one of Tootoo's four shots. The Predators killed off Tootoo's penalty but were still down a man four seconds later when the Ducks scored the game's first goal. Tootoo hadn't quite been able to make it back into the play when the goal was scored. "I felt pretty good,'' said ..."
Predators, without top two scorers, held scoreless at Anaheim
Comment
November 6
Nashville City Paper
 
"The Nashville Predators allowed two four-on-four goals 1:46 apart in the third period and lost 4-0 to the Ducks in Anaheim on Thursday. The defeat came in the first of a four-game road trip and snapped the Predators' three-game win streak. It was the fourth time in 14 games Nashville (6-7-1) has been held without a goal. The Predators played without their top two scorers, forward J.P. Dumont and defenseman Shea Weber, both of whom were injured. They did, however, have Jason Arnott and Jordin Tootoo, who had missed seven and 13 games, respectively, with injuries. Anaheim's Teemu Selanne scored his second goal of the night at 8:05 of the third period, 13 seconds after Nashville's Joel Ward ..."
Ducks prey on Predators
Comment
November 6
L.A. Daily News
 
"Against an offensively toothless Nashville Predators squad, a 4-0 victory Thursday was the reasonable, expected result for the Ducks. Not to mention a welcome result. "I'm going to savor a win here," head coach Randy Carlyle said, "because it's been kind of tough." The Ducks (5-7-2) had lost six of their previous seven before Thursday, when Teemu Selanne scored twice, Todd Marchant and Bobby Ryan tacked on two more, and Jonas Hiller logged his fifth career shutout before 14,298 at Honda Center. The 40-save effort was Hiller's first shutout of the season - but the fourth time Nashville has been blanked in 14 games. "I gave up a couple of rebounds, but our defensemen were doing a great job ..."
Hiller shuts out Predators
Comment
November 6
Los Angeles Times
 
"Jonas Hiller has taken some shots this season behind a revamped Ducks defense that has given up more than its share. But Hiller stopped everything he faced Thursday, making 40 saves in a 4-0 victory over Nashville at the Honda Center for his first shutout of the season and fifth of his career. Teemu Selanne scored two goals -- both assisted by Saku Koivu -- and Todd Marchant and Bobby Ryan added the others. It looked like a laugher in the end, but the Ducks were clinging to a 1-0 lead much of the game before they broke through for three goals in the third."
Predators pile up the points early
Comment
November 5
Tennessean
 
"Jason Arnott was glancing at the NHL standings a few days ago. He couldn't believe what he saw. "I thought we were at the bottom," the Predators' captain said. "Then I was like, 'Man, we're only two or three points out of the playoff spot.' The rest of the guys kind of perked up. We're all kind of realizing we're in it." The Predators have found their footing after a sluggish start to the season. Heading into Wednesday night, the Predators (6-6-1) were only two points back of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference."
Predators' Colin Wilson to stay at home with injury
Comment
November 4
Tennessean
 
"When Predators rookie Colin Wilson underwent a non-surgical procedure last month to ease a groin injury, Coach Barry Trotz sounded optimistic. "He should have no problem for the next 20 years," Trotz said at the time. Actually, it lasted about a month. Wilson re-aggravated his groin Monday, missed practice Tuesday, and will not fly with the team this morning as the Predators gear up for a West Coast swing beginning Thursday in Anaheim."
Injury forces Predators' rookie to miss team's departure for road trip
Comment
November 3
Nashville City Paper
 
"The Nashville Predators will depart for a stretch of four straight road games without rookie center Colin Wilson. The 2008 first-round draft pick missed Tuesday morning's workout and was scheduled to meet with team doctors. The initial belief was that he reaggravated a groin injury, which caused him to miss much of training camp and the first three games of the regular season. The Predators will depart Wednesday morning for a game at Anaheim on Thursday. From there they will go to Los Angeles (Saturday), San Jose (Nov. 10) and St. Louis (Nov. 12). "We're just being real cautious with it," coach Barry Trotz said. "At this point, he will not (travel). He might join us, (but) he's going to ..."
Another injury strikes Predators
Comment
November 3
Tennessean
 
"Just when the Predators appeared to be healthy, the injury bug flashed its fangs again Monday. On the same day the team learned captain Jason Arnott and forward Jordin Tootoo would be returning to game action this week, it also took a hit with news that defenseman Shea Weber would miss one to two weeks with a foot injury. "It's really weird," Arnott said about the timing. "Hopefully we can get some more guys into the lineup, get healthy, and get our full strength back." Weber leads Nashville with five goals. His nine points are second only to forward J.P. Dumont (11 points). "Obviously it's not something that makes us happy," Weber said, "but we have to deal with it." Weber injured his ..."
Injuries force new line shifts
Comment
November 3
Tennessean
 
"The loss of defenseman Shea Weber for one to two weeks has forced Coach Barry Trotz to make some big decisions. He's just glad there's a little time to work with. Trotz began tinkering with defensive pairings on Monday, when it was learned Weber would be sidelined after suffering a foot injury against Dallas on Saturday. Ryan Suter, who is typically paired with Weber, was working with Dan Hamhuis. Other pairings included Francis Bouillon and Kevin Klein, and Cody Franson and Alexander Sulzer. Trotz said he would continue studying different pairings leading up to Thursday's game at Anaheim. He went to Jerred: Multiple Predators have attempted to step up for their injured teammates this ..."
Predators' goalie named one of NHL's top performers for the week
Comment
November 2
Nashville City Paper
 
"Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne was named the National Hockey League's Second Star of the Week, the league office announced on Monday. Rinne started two games and earned a victory off the bench in another last week as the Predators won three in a row for the first time this season. He posted his first shutout of the season (the eighth of his career) in a 2-0 victory Thursday over Chicago. He made 22 saves in that game and followed with 27 stops in a 4-2 victory Saturday against Dallas."
Predators rookie finds NHL life tough
Comment
November 2
Tennessean
 
"Just like any rookie, Predators center Colin Wilson is likely to go through ups and downs during his adjustment process to the NHL. He's seen his ice time dip in each of the past three games and was on the ice for a season-low 9:45 in Saturday's 4-2 win over Dallas. Through 10 games, Wilson has two points (one goal, one assist) and a minus-one rating. Wilson's strength is just that - his strength. He uses his big frame to keep puck possession in the offensive zone and has a good eye for setting up teammates. But the all-round game is always hardest for young players to learn. "When he has the puck, he's a really solid pro,'' Predators Coach Barry Trotz said. "He manages the puck pretty ..."
Sullivan, Hornqvist end goal slump
Comment
November 1
Tennessean
 
"The Predators welcomed a couple of players back into the goal-scoring column in Saturday's 4-2 win over Dallas. Forward Steve Sullivan scored just his second goal of the season, and his first since the Predators beat the Stars 3-2 on opening night. "I thought the last four or five games have been better,'' Sullivan said. "There was a stretch there where things weren't going good at all. But my job is to help make a contribution offensively. So whenever I can do so, I need to.'' Patric Hornqvist's game-winning goal was his first score since the second game of the season, when Hornqvist netted two goals against Colorado in the home opener. "It's the first time in about 10 games the puck ..."
Predators rally to beat Stars
Comment
November 1
Tennessean
 
"The Predators hadn't won a game all season when trailing after two periods, but a sense of calm prevailed in the team's locker room after 40 minutes Saturday. Yes, the Predators were a goal behind Dallas. But they sensed that the Stars, who'd played a home game the previous night, were tiring, and they suspected if they kept pressuring the Dallas net, good things would happen. Sure enough, the Predators poured 13 shots on Stars goalie Alex Auld over the final period, clogged the Dallas crease with traffic and engineered a three-goal rally that produced a 4-2 victory. A Sommet Center crowd of 12,520 fans saw the Predators put together their first three-game winning streak of the season and ..."
Two third period goals lift Predators past Stars
Comment
November 1
Nashville City Paper
 
"After 40 minutes of back and forth hockey, the Nashville Predators used the final 20 minutes of Saturday night's game against the Dallas Stars to pull away from the visitors from and win the game 4-2. Thanks to third period goals from Steve Sullivan, Patric Hornqvist, and Kevin Klein, Nashville won its third straight, a season-high. The win was the Predators' first when trailing after two periods this season. Sullivan and Hornqvist snapped goalless streaks of 11 and 10 games respectively, and Klein's goal was his first of the season. "The last four or five games have been better," Sullivan said. "There was a little bit of a stretch there where things weren't going good at all." Hornqvist ..."
Predators vs. Stars: Go inside tonight's matchup between Nashville and Dallas.
Comment
October 31
Tennessean
 
"• Season series. Tied 1-1. • Stars player to watch. Heading into Friday's game against Florida, center Brad Richards had collected six points (two goals, four assists) in his past three games. • Stars player to dread. Left wing James Neal has five points (two goals, three assists) in two games against the Predators this season. • Stars injuries. RW Jere Lehtinen (intercostal muscle), G Marty Turco (flu-like symptoms) and C Mike Modano (ribs) are questionable. • Predators injuries. RW Martin Erat (lower body) is doubtful; C Jason Arnott (arm) and RW Jordin Tootoo (quadriceps) are out."
Predators' small guy can deliver big hits
Comment
October 31
Tennessean
 
"Francis Bouillon is the first to admit he's never going to be mistaken for Chris Pronger, the Philadelphia Flyers' 6-foot-6 star defenseman.

Bouillon stands just 5-foot-8 and weighs 198 pounds, a smallish frame that almost always raises the eyebrows of those who see the Predators defenseman for the first time. His initial impression in Nashville was no exception. "I probably surprised everybody,'' Bouillon said. "I remember my first day here, everybody was looking at me and probably thinking, 'This is the defenseman who they (got from) Montreal and he's been in the league nine years?' "It seems like everybody was not very sure. But after a few games, they all ..."

Predators could promote a wing
Comment
October 31
Tennessean
 
"The Predators reassigned center Cal O'Reilly to Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on Friday. Nashville plans to recall a wing from the Admirals for tonight's game against Dallas. The likely candidates are Ryan Jones, Peter Olvecky, Triston Grant and Andreas Thuresson. Jones has a one-way contract and is currently making $975,000 on the AHL level. But the Predators sent him down earlier this week to get more ice time and confidence, so he may stay there for the time being. Olvecky is off to a good start for the Admirals with seven points in eight games, and he's also got 31 games of NHL experience. Whichever player is recalled will take the place of O'Reilly, who ..."
Predators reassign center, wait for help at wing
Comment
October 30
Nashville City Paper
 
"The Nashville Predators have reassigned center Cal O'Reilly to Milwaukee and planned to recall another forward Saturday in time for that night's game against Dallas (7 p.m., Sommet Center). O'Reilly played in six games but had no points since being recalled on Oct. 15. In recent games he played on a wing, and he was scratched Wednesday at Minnesota. "It's not the right spot for him, he's much better at center ice," coach Barry Trotz said. "I need a winger." Trotz said team officials would choose between two forwards following Milwaukee's game Friday against Rockford. He declined to say which two players are under consideration. Triston Grant opened the season on the NHL roster but was sent ..."
One goal against stingy Chicago defense is enough for Predators
Comment
October 30
Nashville City Paper
 
"It seemed as if the Nashville Predators had no shot to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday as long as the sides played at even strength. That's because they got so few shots when the teams had five skaters each. Good thing some penalties were called. Joel Ward scored his first goal of the season when he redirected a pass from Francis Bouillon 1:13 into a second-period power play. That led Nashville (5-6-1) to its second victory in as many nights, this one a 2-0 triumph over the defensive-minded Blackhawks before 13,585 at Sommet Center. "Every time we had a chance to create some offense, to jump in the play and do something we tried to do it," Bouillon said. "That made a difference ..."
Hawks get blanked
Comment
October 30
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"The Blackhawks had beaten the offensively challenged Nashville Predators twice already, and Cristobal Huet gave them another great game in goal Thursday night. This time, though, the Hawks just didn't have it. Joel Ward's power-play goal in the second period was all it took to beat them, even though Jerred Smithson added an empty-netter in the final seconds in the 2-0 loss. And there were other considerations that make this defeat more puzzling. The Predators were without two of their best players and had played on the road the night before. Go figure. Nashville's Sommet Center may have been the quietest building the Hawks have played in this season, but they have a history of struggling ..."
Nashville Predators beat Chicago Blackhawks 2-0
Comment
October 30
Chicago Tribune
 
"A large banner is affixed to the outside of the Sommet Center that reads "Welcome to Smashville." The Blackhawks had hoped to take the greeting as an invitation Thursday night to bust up the Predators for the third time this season. But to smash them, the Hawks needed to crash the net and their inability to do so resulted in 2-0 defeat before a crowd of 13,585. The loss also snapped the two-game winning streaks of the Hawks and goaltender Cristobal Huet. Pekka Rinne made 22 saves for his first shutout of the season and eighth in his career. Joel Ward and Jerred Smithson provided the offense as the Predators avenged two losses to the Hawks this month. The Hawks' failure to provide traffic ..."
Predators get a needed road win
Comment
October 29
Tennessean
 
"Maybe the Predators have just been looking to the wrong players in their search for offensive punch. Who needs the big names to produce when you have grinders like Jerred Smithson, who scored what just might have been the prettiest Predators goal of the season Wednesday? His short-handed goal midway through the third period just happened to be the game-winning goal, giving the Predators a 4-3 roller-coaster of a win over the Minnesota Wild. The Wild looked as if it might be prepared to snap a 3-3 tie when they went on the power play with under 10 minutes left in the game. But that's when Smithson worked his magic, stealing the puck from former Predator Marek Zidlicky at the Nashville ..."
Preds shift lines, want more goals
Comment
October 28
Tennessean
 
"It's no secret the Predators have some serious scoring woes, but Coach Barry Trotz isn't feeling sorry for his players. "A lot of players will say, 'I don't have my confidence,' " Trotz said. "Well, you know what? Confidence is earned. If you play hard you will have confidence. If you say, 'I don't have confidence', it's a cop-out and someone looking for a handout." Trotz wasn't calling out any player specifically, but it was clear during Tuesday's practice that the lack of offensive production has taken its toll on the organization. Entering Tuesday night's games, Nashville was dead last in the NHL in goals per game with 1.70. Trotz said he is trying to find "a little lightning in a ..."
Predators miss Greg Zanon's zeal for shot-blocking
Comment
October 28
Tennessean
 
"There were times last season when defenseman Greg Zanon resembled a human bruise, times when he would walk through the Nashville locker room after games with three or four ice bags wrapped around injured limbs. It was the price he paid for stepping in the way of speeding pucks, something Zanon did 237 times last season, the third-highest blocked shots figure in the NHL. His willingness to absorb frozen rubber was one of the reasons the Predators finished 10th in the league in the penalty kill (82.5 percent) last season and 13th in goals against average (2.78). Is the absence of Zanon, whom the Predators will face tonight in Minnesota, one of the reasons Nashville is in the bottom third of ..."
Preds work to fix power play outage
Comment
October 28
Nashville City Paper
 
"The Nashville Predators have worked hard to simplify their power play. It has not been as easy as it sounds. "We've tried to simplify," left wing Steve Sullivan said. "… I think it's just a matter of tight sticks, a matter of forcing the issue a little bit and trying to press so hard to get something done. Right now we're feeling the pressure. "It's just a matter of going out and making the right reads, the right plays and hopefully the pucks will start going in." For the last couple weeks, power play work has been a part of virtually every practice session. All of that effort, though, has not produced the desired results. Through Monday night the Predators were last in the league for ..."
Predators' Dave Scatchard ends 'retirement'
Comment
October 27
Tennessean
 
"He never actually retired from the game, but Predators forward Dave Scatchard was doing a pretty fair imitation of life after hockey for the past couple of years. Spending quality time with the family, playing plenty of golf, and, maybe most importantly, allowing his body time to heal. It was great fun for a few months, but like many players, especially those who leave the athletic world at a relatively early age, Scatchard soon began to feel the itch to return. The challenge at that point was convincing his body to go along with his mind. "It was great and it was relaxing for a few months, but then it started eating away at me that I couldn't compete anymore,'' said Scatchard, 33, a ..."
Predators' Dan Hamhuis may play again soon
Comment
October 27
Tennessean
 
"Monday was Hammer's time. Predators defenseman Dan "Hammer" Hamhuis, skated with the team for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury on Oct. 15 against Chicago. Hamhuis said he expects to play Wednesday at Minnesota. "I felt really good today and actually have felt good the last few days," Hamhuis said. "When I was skating by myself, I was getting better and better. Today was the real test, skating with the guys, and I think I passed the test." The Predators have not officially revealed the nature of his injury, but Hamhuis appeared to sustain a head injury. Hamhuis said he is not viewing Wednesday's game as a trial run and is preparing to remain in the lineup, including when ..."
Predators bring back one forward, send down another
Comment
October 26
Nashville City Paper
 
"The Nashville Predators recalled forward Mike Santorelli and reassigned forward Ryan Jones to Milwaukee on Monday. Santorelli opened the season with the Predators but was held without a point in the first five contests. Most of his playing time in those games was as a wing on a line with David Legwand and Martin Erat. He was reassigned to Milwaukee and had eight points (four goals, four assists) in four games, including five points (one goal, four assist) in his first AHL appearance of the season. Jones played in eight of this season's 10 games and did not have a point."
Preds' recent offense is coming from the defense
Comment
October 26
Nashville City Paper
 
"The Nashville Predators got their long-awaited offensive breakthrough last week, and it came from the defense. A 6-5 overtime victory at Ottawa last Thursday accounted for exactly one-third of the team's goals through the first 10 games. Five of the goals in that contest, including the game-winner by Shea Weber were scored by defensemen. Weber also scored in the third period, Ryan Suter had a pair of goals and the recently recalled Cody Franson got the first of his career. In the eight games that preceded that one, Nashville's blue liners scored just once. "We need our defense to help out and we need our forwards to help out - all three lines or all four lines," coach Barry Trotz said. ..."
Predators concerned by early results
Comment
October 26
Tennessean
 
"If the Predators were a patient getting a 10-game check-up, the results would likely have doctors scrambling in alarm. Heading into Sunday's games, the Predators (3-6-1) were: 14th out of 15 teams in the Western Conference with seven points; last in the league in goals per game (1.70); last in the league in power play success rate (8.3 percent); 27th out of 30 teams in penalty-killing success rate (74.3 percent) and 20th in goals against per game (3.20). The Preds have already been shut out three times. Predators Coach Barry Trotz was asked following Saturday's 2-0 loss to Chicago if his players were "squeezing the stick" - putting too much pressure on themselves to score because of all ..."
Predators held scoreless for the third time this season
Comment
October 25
Nashville City Paper
 
"The Nashville Predators were shut out for the third time this season and fell 2-0 to the Blackhawks at Chicago on Saturday. Goalie Dan Ellis made 32 saves but allowed the two goals 56 seconds apart in the second period. Dustin Byfuglin scored the first at 7:20. It was his second in as many games against Nashville this season. Andrew Ladd added an insurance goal at 8:16. Nashville got a team-high six shots from Patric Hornqvist but was outshot 34-27 for the contest. Christobal Huet recorded the shutout for the Blackhawks."
Shout-out for shutout
Comment
October 25
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Center Jonathan Toews and defenseman Brent Seabrook played in all 82 regular-season games last season and were big reasons the Hawks amassed 104 points and advanced to the Western Conference finals. Things didn't look promising with both players sitting out Saturday with concussion-like symptoms, but the Hawks did just fine without them. Cristobal Huet stopped all 27 shots he faced in posting his first shutout of the season, a 2-0 victory against the Nashville Predators before another sellout crowd at the United Center. The result enabled the Hawks to end a two-game home skid, but it was an even bigger victory for Huet because it silenced the boo-birds who were getting louder and louder ..."
Chicago Blackhawk Brent Seabrook's ironman streak ends at 223
Comment
October 25
Chicago Tribune
 
"The Blackhawks' defensive unit was without the services of one of its steadiest players for the first time in nearly three years Saturday night. Brent Seabrook had his streak of 223 consecutive regular-season games snapped when he didn't suit up against the Predators at the United Center. Seabrook was injured during the third period of the Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Canucks. Along with captain Jonathan Toews, Seabrook left in the third period of that game with what are believed to be concussions. Both are questionable for Monday night's game against the Wild. Seabrook hadn't missed a game since Dec. 17, 2006, against the Avalanche due to back spasms. He had held the longest streak by any ..."
Chicago Blackhawks blank Nashville Predators 2-0
Comment
October 25
Chicago Tribune
 
"Noted team jokester Patrick Sharp feigned ignorance when asked about the absences of Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook from the Blackhawks' lineup Saturday night. "Who're you talking about?" Sharp deadpanned. Gone, but not quite as forgotten as Sharp would have you believe, Toews and Seabrook missed the game with injuries but the Hawks didn't miss an opportunity to pick up two points with a 2-0 win over the Predators before a crowd of 20,272 at the United Center. The victory snapped the Hawks' two-game skid. Goaltender Cristobal Huet, who has struggled and sat out the Hawks' previous game, rebounded in a big way with a strong 27-save effort to earn his first shutout of the season. He got ..."
Predators find offense in victory
Comment
October 24
Tennessean
 
"One Predator collected his career high in points, another posted his first point in two years and yet another notched the first NHL point of his career. Those were but a few of the encouraging moments for the Predators on Thursday, when they edged Ottawa 6-5 in overtime. The team's hope is that the offensive momentum will carry over to tonight, when the Predators take on Chicago in the second of three meetings between the teams this month. The Blackhawks beat Nashville 3-1 on Oct. 15, and the teams will face one another again at Sommet Center on Oct. 29. "When you're pressing and you don't have a belief in anything … it's hard to make things happen," Predators Coach Barry Trotz said. "But ..."
If Toews can't go, Ebbett in line to take his spot
Comment
October 24
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"The Blackhawks acquired Andrew Ebbett at just the right time. He'd be an able fill-in for Jonathan Toews if the team captain can't play tonight against the Nashville Predators at the United Center. Toews and Brent Seabrook missed practice again Friday, but coach Joel Quenneville wouldn't rule either out for the game. Both are nursing concussion-like symptoms suffered in the 3-2 loss Wednesday to the Vancouver Canucks. Though neither player was seen by the media, Quenneville said both ''presented themselves well'' again and said their absence from the lineup ''is definitely looking very short term'' based on the progress they made in the last two days. That still leaves the Hawks in limbo ..."
Predators maul Senators in wild 6-5 contest
Comment
October 23
Ottawa Citizen
 
"Respect the opponent. Ignore the statistics. Don't make mistakes and give life to a down-and-out team. The messages may have been sent often before last night's game against the Nashville Predators, but the Ottawa Senators obviously didn't hear them. In one of the wildest and craziest games in Senators history, the Predators claimed a 6-5 victory when Shea Weber scored his second goal of the game, on the power play, at the 2:11 mark of overtime. Fittingly, in a game rife with mistakes, Weber's game winner came after Matt Carkner took an interference penalty early in the overtime session. It was one of many moments for Carkner to forget, but more on that later. The Senators can count ..."
'Just a weird, weird game'
Comment
October 23
Ottawa Sun
 
"So, just where does crazy stop and weird take over? "Just a weird, weird game," said Senators centre Jason Spezza. "A weird night." The Senators lost in overtime to the Predators on one of those "that didn't just happen, did it?" kind of nights. Take Spezza, for instance. He's supposed to be doubtful for the game with some kind of injury. All he does is go out and have a dominating performance with three assists, including an end-to-end rush to set up defenceman Anton Volchenkov for his first goal in almost a year, which tied the game 4-4 with less than five minutes left in the third period. Who knew there would still be another three goals after that? One of them was by Ottawa's Chris ..."
Sens comeback falls short
Comment
October 23
Ottawa Sun
 
"It was wild. It was wacky. And it was about as entertaining as it gets. Chris Phillips' game-tying goal with less than two seconds left in regulation time sent the crowd of 18,970 through the roof. It was an improbable comeback as the Senators had erased a three-goal deficit against the Nashville Predators. But the ecstasy turned to agony as the Senators lost when Shea Weber's second goal of the game at 2:11 of overtime ended Nashville's six-game winless skid — a 6-5 win for Nashville. "You certainly didn't want to leave the rink early, that's for sure," said Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson. Milan Michalek, Nick Foligno, Anton Volchenkov and Chris Campoli also scored for Ottawa — all in ..."
Predators halt skid with overtime win
Comment
October 23
Tennessean
 
"The Ottawa Senators did everything they could to give the Predators a victory in the first period on Thursday. The Predators did all they could to return the favor in the third. In the end, Nashville's Shea Weber finally took matters into his own hands. The Preds' big blueliner posted his second goal of the contest 2:11 into overtime, leading Nashville to a wild 6-5 victory over the Senators on a night the Preds blew a three-goal lead. The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Predators (3-5-1), who were within one loss of tying the franchise record for consecutive defeats. "It feels like it was a pretty big rut," Weber said. "We couldn't find a way to win, no matter what. Today, we ..."
Predators blueliners heat up the offense
Comment
October 23
Tennessean
 
"Predators forwards have struggled to produce points all season long. So Thursday, Nashville turned to its defensemen. The Preds' blueliners scored five times in Nashville's 6-5 overtime win over Ottawa, setting a franchise record. Cody Franson scored his first NHL goal, Ryan Suter scored two goals and Shea Weber added a pair, including the game-winner. The Predators had been averaging just 1.4 goals per game. "Last night before we went to bed we said we were all going to dream about scoring goals,'' Suter said. "Maybe that helped out a little.'' Helping hand: The Predators also got some help from Ottawa defensemen Alexandre Picard, who had a rough first period. Nashville's first goal ..."
Frantic finish ends Predators' losing streak
Comment
October 23
Nashville City Paper
 
"The Nashville Predators tied their season-high for goals when Ryan Suter, Cody Franson and J.P. Dumont scored in a span of 5:49 of the first period but ultimately needed twice that number to defeat the Ottawa Senators 6-5 in overtime on Thursday. Shea Weber's power play goal with 2:49 to play ended both the contest and the Predators' six-game losing streak. It was their second power play goal of the night and just their third of the season. Ottawa scored five goals in the third period, the last with 1.6 seconds remaining, and tied the score three different times, at 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5. Suter scored on the power play with one minute to play in regulation and gave the Predators their third ..."
Predators can't avoid refs, another loss
Comment
October 22
Tennessean
 
"When teams talk about officials playing a role in the outcome of games, they're usually referring to controversial calls. But there was a twist to the usual plot in the Predators' 3-2 loss to Boston. It was the positioning of the officials that actually made a difference Wednesday, as Nashville lost for the sixth consecutive time, in front of 16,715 at TD Banknorth Garden. With the scored tied 2-2 just before the midway point of the third period, Predators defenseman Shea Weber was competing for a puck in his own end when he found himself face-to-face with referee Dennis LaRue. Weber bowled over LaRue, but never could get to the puck, which wound up behind the Nashville net. Boston's ..."
Predators rookie nets goal in homecoming
Comment
October 22
Tennessean
 
"Colin Wilson would have preferred to get a win along with his first NHL goal. But as far as sites go, Wilson couldn't have picked a better place than TD Banknorth Garden to score for the first time, which he did during the Predators' 3-2 loss to Boston on Wednesday. Wilson was crashing the net when he knocked in the rebound of Patric Hornqvist's shot with 13:43 remaining in the second period. The Predators' top selection in the 2008 draft, Wilson starred two seasons at Boston University before turning pro last spring. A number of his former Terrier teammates were at the arena, where Wilson had played about eight times in college. "It was definitely a nice place for my first goal,'' Wilson ..."
First goal for Preds' prized prospect isn't enough
Comment
October 22
Nashville City Paper
 
"Patric Hornqvist gets checked hard into the boards by Bruins' Dennis Wideman. Colin Wilson scored his first goal as a professional in the same city where he was a college star, but the Nashville Predators' losing streak reached six games (0-5-1) with a 3-2 loss at Boston on Wednesday. Wilson gave the Predators (2-5-1) a 2-1 lead when he scored at 6:17 of the second period. Patric Hornqvist had the lone assist, his team-leading fifth of the season. Nashville's top draft pick in 2008 spent the previous two seasons at Boston University, which he helped win the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Last season he was second in the nation with 55 points and was named a Hobey Baker Award finalist. He missed the ..."
Predators Shea Weber, Ryan Suter log lots of minutes
Comment
October 21
Tennessean
 
"Shea Weber and Ryan Suter said they didn't feel it until after the game. Nashville's top two defensemen knew they had played a bunch of minutes on Saturday at Washington. But it wasn't until they got onto the team bus that their bodies told them just how many. "I was like, 'Wow, that was a long one,' " Suter recalled. Added Weber: "Just drained." Suter played a career high 32:14 while Weber played 29:14. Not that the two were complaining. In fact, they said they wouldn't mind playing a ton of minutes each game. Coach Barry Trotz doesn't see it becoming a trend, however, and said the Capitals dictated the situation because they feature two of the best goal scorers in the NHL, Alex Ovechkin ..."
Predators make flurry of roster moves
Comment
October 21
Tennessean
 
"The Predators have recalled veteran forward Dave Scatchard and prospect defenseman Alexander Sulzer in preparation for Wednesday's game in Boston. Nashville has also reassigned defenseman Teemu Laakso to Milwaukee of the American Hockey League. Sulzer was considered an odds-on favorite to make the NHL roster out of training camp, in part because of his play last season and in part because he has a one-way contract. He didn't have a good showing in camp and was reassigned to Milwaukee. But he's started quickly with the Admirals, collecting six points (one goal, five assists) in the team's first six games."
Predators' Colin Wilson wants happy return
Comment
October 21
Tennessean
 
"Colin Wilson turned 20 on Tuesday. Today, there will be a celebration of another sort. Call it Homecoming Day for the Predators rookie when Nashville plays at Boston. Wilson excelled at Boston University, emerging as an amateur sensation and one of America's top pro prospects. Nashville certainly thought so and drafted him in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2008 NHL entry draft. "As soon as the schedule came out, I looked for Boston," said Wilson, the 2008-09 USA Hockey College Player of the Year. "Sure enough it was pretty early on and the day after my birthday. It's going to be exciting for me." On Tuesday, Wilson planned to watch Notre Dame face Boston U., which Wilson helped ..."
Predators Forum Top 5
  1. Predators vs. Flyers
    Last post:crzyhawk