Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

Comment

November 20

New York Post

"After coming within one game of setting an NHL record for road wins to start the season, the Devils have dropped two consecutive games away from Newark. Mike Santorelli and Martin Erat scored shootout goals, and Jason Arnott had two goals in regulation in the Predators' 3-2 shootout victory over the Devils last night. The loss came on the heels of New Jersey's first road defeat Monday night at the hands of the Flyers. The Devils came within one win of tying Buffalo's NHL record of 10 straight road wins to start a season. Pekka Rinne stopped two of the Devils' three shooters in the tiebreaker for his fourth consecutive victory and eighth in nine decisions. Devils goalie Martin Brodeur took ..."

Devils talk starts with goalie

Comment

November 19

Tennessean

"Ask Joel Ward what sticks out about the New Jersey Devils, and the Nashville forward is quick with a response. "Their goalie, for starters, is a Hall of Famer," Ward said. The Predators will have their hands full tonight against Martin Brodeur, one of the league's more feared netminders since arriving in the league in 1991. Brodeur could make history against the Predators. He has 102 shutouts in his career, one shy of tying the NHL record set by Terry Sawchuk, who played for five teams from 1949-70. The Predators have been shut out a league-high four times this season, although it hasn't happened in their last five games. Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne, who said he grew up idolizing ..."

Predators relish chance to play statement games

Comment

November 19

Tennessean

"Jordin Tootoo summed it up best: "Every guy in this locker room is up for the challenge." The bruising forward was referring to the Predators' demanding workweek, which continues tonight when Nashville faces New Jersey in Sommet Center at 7 p.m. The meeting with one of the Eastern Conference's best teams comes just two days after the Predators captured a stirring 4-3 victory against Western Conference leader San Jose. "These are good benchmark games for your team," Coach Barry Trotz said. "The Beast of the East is coming in here. They are confidence-boosting games where you find out what the best has to offer. If you have success against those teams, it does breed success in your hockey ..."

Devils will test Preds' upgraded power play prowess

Comment

November 19

Nashville City Paper

"Potent? No, but it's getting better. Important? Absolutely. That about sums it up for the Nashville Predators' power play nearly one-quarter of the way into this season. Just check the record. Nashville is 10-8-1 overall following Tuesday's 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks, but 8-0-0 when it has scored at least once on the power play and 2-8-1 when it has failed to do so. "Even though our power play is still probably 30th in the league, we know how important it is for our team because usually it results in a win," Steve Sullivan said. Actually, the Predators' power play improved two spots to 28th in the league after it converted twice in four attempts against the Sharks. Its success ..."

Predators come to life on power play

Comment

November 18

Nashville City Paper

"David Legwand celebrates his goal in the Preds' 4-3 win over San Jose Tuesday. / Mike Strasinger for The City Paper Two goals, in any form, doesn't sound like too much to ask. For the Nashville Predators, though, that was a tall order - until Tuesday. The Predators scored twice in each of the first two periods, and two of those goals came on the power play. Those relatively rare occurrences - for Nashville, at least - added up to a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks before 13,324 at Sommet Center. "We got a lot of quality chances," coach Barry Trotz said. "… Obviously we converted on a few of them. The power play gave us two goals, and that was real big for us." The last time Nashville ..."

Predators defeat Sharks

Comment

November 18

Tennessean

"The last time Nashville and San Jose played, the Predators believed they should have won. This time, San Jose couldn't believe what it was seeing. The Predators defeated the Western Conference-leading Sharks with a rousing 4-3 victory in front of 13,324 at Sommet Center, just one week after losing a heartbreaker at San Jose on a last-minute goal in regulation. Nashville (10-8-1) extended its win streak to three games while San Jose (14-5-4) has dropped two in a row. Clinging to a one-goal lead, the Predators went up 3-1 on a power play with 11:44 remaining in the second when Joel Ward redirected a shot by defenseman Ryan Suter into the net. Moments later, Nashville center David Legwand ..."

San Jose Sharks fall 4-3 to Nashville Predators

Comment

November 18

San Jose Mercury News

"This time the hole was too deep. Just as they did a week ago to earn a victory over the same Nashville Predators, the Sharks scored in the final minute Tuesday night. Only this time it merely narrowed the losing margin to 4-3 as San Jose's 12-game streak without a regulation loss came to an end. "Too little, too late," Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle said. "In this stretch we've gotten away with some periods that maybe we shouldn't have, and tonight we didn't." His coach had a similar view of the end of the streak that pushed hs team to the top of the NHL. "It caught up to us a little bit," Todd McLellan said before recounting some troubling moments in recent games. "We gave up the two-goal ..."

Predators' schedule hits tough stretch

Comment

November 17

Tennessean

"The Predators are overflowing with confidence. They are playing some of their best hockey of the season and have won six of their past eight games, including their past two. So as luck would have it, they will face the NHL's top two teams in the next three days. The Predators (9-8-1) will play Western Conference leader San Jose (14-4-4) tonight at Sommet Center, and Eastern Conference leader New Jersey (14-4-0) on Thursday at Sommet. "We know how important these games are to us," Predators forward Steve Sullivan said. "We feel good about our game right now, but we know we're still not out of the woods. We're just trying to creep back into a playoff race and make sure we're ready to go here ..."

Predators' top line gets a boost

Comment

November 16

Tennessean

"There's just something about the chemistry of Steve Sullivan, Jason Arnott and J.P. Dumont that seems to work. That's no knock on Patric Hornqvist, who has subbed for the injured Dumont several times this season on the top line and has five goals, the most of any Nashville forward. But Dumont's return from a back strain two games ago reunited three veterans that clearly enjoy playing together. It was Dumont who helped Sullivan snap a four-game point drought on Saturday, sending Sullivan down the slot with a short pass that led to the first of two Sullivan goals against the Canadiens. "I really feel comfortable playing with J.P.,'' Sullivan said. "He really settles the play down for us in ..."

Price a one-man show in 2-0 loss

Comment

November 15

Montreal Gazette

"Carey Price did everything he could to keep the puck out of the Montreal net. His teammates didn't do nearly enough to put the puck in the Nashville net. The result was a 2-0 win for the Predators, who fired 55 shots at the beleaguered Price. Price kept the Canadiens in the game until Steve Sullivan scored his second goal of the night at 12:59 of the third period while the Predators were enjoying a two-man advantage. Jason Arnott won the faceoff in the Habs' zone and Sullivan scored on a rebound after Price made a save on Shea Weber. The Predators came into the game with worst power-play record in the league, but they were presented with the two-man edge when Ryan White was sent off for ..."

Shoot ... and shoot ... and shoot ... and score

Comment

November 15

Tennessean

"If accumulated shots equaled goals, the Predators would have salted away Saturday's game against Montreal in the early going. The Predators set a franchise record for shots on goal in a period in the opening 20 minutes, and by the time the second period was over, they'd already set their season high for shots on goal. The only problem? Nashville was still clinging to a one-goal lead in the game's final minutes. That's why you could almost hear the sigh of relief from the announced crowd of 15,604 at Sommet Center when Steve Sullivan scored his second goal of the game with 7:04 remaining. It gave the Predators a 2-0 lead in a game that was far more one-sided than the final outcome. ..."

Shots come from nearly every Pred

Comment

November 15

Tennessean

"Almost all of the Predators had a hand in breaking the franchise's shots-on-goal record during Saturday's 2-0 win over Montreal. Every skater except defenseman Ryan Suter had a shot on goal, as the Preds snapped their previous record of 52 shots on goal, which was set on Oct. 14, 1999, in a 5-1 loss to San Jose. Predators Coach Barry Trotz had tinkered with his lines for the game, moving Patric Hornqvist alongside Martin Erat and Mike Santorelli, and moving Jerred Smithson to a line with David Legwand and Joel Ward. The result was impressive chemistry throughout the lineup. "I was impressed with the balance straight through our lineup,'' Trotz said. "We got through the second period and ..."

Predators pile up shots, score just enough in return home

Comment

November 15

Nashville City Paper

"Playing at home for the first time in two weeks, the Nashville Predators quickly settled in to the offensive end Saturday. And there they stayed. Nashville set franchise records for shots in a period, shots in a game and largest shot advantage in a game, and even an offensive-minded player such as Steve Sullivan registered more shots in a single contest than at any other time in his career. While all but one of the Predators' 18 skaters eventually got at least one puck on net, Sullivan was the only one who actually got a puck in the net – and he did so twice. The result was a 2-0 Nashville victory before 15,604 at Sommet Center despite a 55-20 edge in shots. "I think it's been building for ..."

Predators hope health, homestand provide lift

Comment

November 14

Tennessean

"After struggling to a 3-6-1 start and getting shut out three times in the first 10 games, the Predators have rebounded with a 5-2 record over their past seven contests. They hope to continue to move in the right direction starting tonight, when they play host to Montreal and begin a season-long five-game homestand. Here's a look at what's better in the Predators' world of late and what's still not so good:

Pluses

Health. It's no coincidence the Predators are playing their best hockey now that the roster is starting to look like it was supposed to at the start of the season. Jason Arnott and Jordin Tootoo returned for the four-game road trip. Shea Weber came back two ..."

J.P. Dumont survives hit from behind

Comment

November 13

Tennessean

"J.P. Dumont's return from injury was almost a short-lived one. The Predators' veteran right wing was back in the lineup Thursday against St. Louis after missing three games with an upper-body injury. But he had to leave the game late in the second period after taking a shot from behind from Blues right wing David Backes. Dumont sailed into the sideboards and remained on the ice for a couple of minutes before he went to the Nashville locker room. Backes was slapped with a five-minute boarding major and a game misconduct for the hit. "That's what we're trying to take out (of the game) is people getting blindsided and (hit) unaware,'' Predators Coach Barry Trotz said. "I think (Backes) does ..."

Predators salvage road split

Comment

November 13

Tennessean

"The more the clock ticked down in the third period Thursday, the more the Predators had to be feeling a sense of déjà vu. For a second straight game, they'd outplayed an opponent for the majority of the contest. For a second straight game, they were tied and deserved at least a point. But instead of suffering a last-minute loss, as the Predators did Tuesday in San Jose, they won 3-1 over St. Louis to complete a four-game road trip. Jordin Tootoo scored the game-winner, throwing a puck at net from the sideboards that slid past the far side of Chris Mason with 3:43 remaining. David Legwand's empty-net goal secured a split of the four-game road trip for the Predators in front of an announced ..."

Preds starting to find their groove

Comment

November 13

Tennessean

"I got the sense follo"

J.P. Dumont to rejoin Predators tonight

Comment

November 13

Tennessean

"Right wing J.P. Dumont practiced with the Predators on Wednesday and is expected back in the lineup tonight when Nashville faces the St. Louis Blues. Dumont, who leads the Predators with 11 points in nine games, has missed the first three games of this four-game road trip with an upper-body injury. Coach Barry Trotz said Dumont should return to the top line with Jason Arnott and Steve Sullivan. Because of injuries to Dumont and Arnott, the three have played in parts of only three games at the same time this season. "We'll hopefully get them hot and get them going," Trotz said. "We need to win a couple of games here.""

J.P. Dumont to rejoin Predators tonight

Comment

November 12

Tennessean

"Right wing J.P. Dumont practiced with the Predators on Wednesday and is expected back in the lineup tonight when Nashville faces the St. Louis Blues. Dumont, who leads the Predators with 11 points in nine games, has missed the first three games of this four-game road trip with an upper-body injury. Coach Barry Trotz said Dumont should return to the top line with Jason Arnott and Steve Sullivan. Because of injuries to Dumont and Arnott, the three have played in parts of only three games at the same time this season. "We'll hopefully get them hot and get them going," Trotz said. "We need to win a couple of games here.""

San Jose Sharks rally to beat Nashville Predators

Comment

November 11

San Jose Mercury News

"The rust had been gathering on Devin Setoguchi since he was sidelined by a leg injury 18 days earlier. It had been collecting on goalie Thomas Greiss almost as long, as the red-hot play of starter Evgeni Nabokov had kept the backup on the bench just one fewer day. But both players shook off that rust Tuesday night — Setoguchi with a key third-period goal, Greiss with 23 saves — as the Sharks staged a late rally for a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Nashville Predators at HP Pavilion. "It's tough to come back and hop into things," Setoguchi said. "I didn't have the usual step that I wanted, but I tried to stay with it, battle through it, and you do the best you can. I got away with a ..."

Former Predators thrive elsewhere

Comment

November 10

Tennessean

"What one organization deems as the end of the line for a player is another organization's chance to grant a fresh start. The Predators have seen that scenario play out for better and for worse a handful of times over the past couple of seasons. They've witnessed players who struggled to produce offensively in Nashville - such as one of tonight's opponents, Jed Ortmeyer - go on to ring up more points at a better pace in other NHL cities this season. But they've also found themselves thankful that opposing organizations gave up on players like forward Joel Ward and goalie Dan Ellis, both of whom have become integral Predators. "Sometimes it's a simple system change that helps players, but ..."

Sharks' Jed Ortmeyer battles blood-clotting disorder

Comment

November 10

San Jose Mercury News

"Hockey players establish daily routines, but Jed Ortmeyer's is significantly different from anyone else's in the Sharks' locker room. Because at some point each day, Ortmeyer must use a needle to inject a blood thinner directly into his stomach to combat a hereditary blood-clotting disorder that has threatened not only his hockey career but also his life. The process is tricky and the timing must be precise. The blood thinner, Lovenox, needs to be in his system during the down time when he's not on the ice. And it needs to be out of his system when he plays or practices so that a hard check or a high stick does not cause fatal bleeding. "It's been a long battle," said Ortmeyer, who nearly ..."

Smithson plots career path with longevity and attitude

Comment

November 9

Nashville City Paper

"The extra six pounds Jerred Smithson carries around these days are directly related to age. It's not that he is getting a little soft around the middle. In fact, it's the exact opposite. "With the young guys coming up and me getting older, you have to work that much harder during the summer," he said. "I put the work in this summer, and I feel really good." Having turned 30 back in February, the Nashville Predators' forward decided during the offseason that it was necessary to make changes to prolong his playing career, which is now in its seventh NHL season. He altered his attitude and his efforts in the weight room. He made dietary concessions in the name of healthier eating. The ..."

Erat returns, leads Predators to victory over Kings

Comment

November 8

Nashville City Paper

"Martin Erat returned from an ankle injury and had two assists as the Nashville Predators defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 on Saturday. They were the first two assists of the season for Erat, who had one goal in 11 games before being injured. His last appearance was Oct. 28 at Minnesota. Erat had the primary assist on the game's first goal, scored by defenseman Francis Bouillon on a second-period power play. He then had the primary assist when defenseman Cody Franson made it 2-0 at 4:52 of the third period. Franson also had an assist on Bouillon's goal for the second two-point game of his career. The victory was Nashville's fourth straight at Los Angeles and fifth straight overall against ..."

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 ..."

Predators News