Some say they've never seen Sergei skate so fast...

Never witnessed a Hat Trick before? Well, we hope you didn’t miss this game because Sergei Kostitsyn got his first one of his career in front of a sold out crowd a Bridgestone Arena tonight! Oh yea, and it was also Patric Hornqvist’s 25th birthday, so a win was just in the cards tonight for the Predators as they out score the Calgary Flames 5-3. Here are the highlights from tonight’s win against Calgary:

KEY POINTS:

• Shea Weber was finally placed on the IR yesterday, due to his concussion. He did, however, skate on his own earlier today. By this, we hope that means he’s healing quickly. Concussions are nasty, nasty things…
• Good news for Klein fans, for Kevin was out on the ice tonight and played fairly well for just recovering from the flu. However, Colin Wilson missed yet another night tonight and Jonathon Blum was scratched.
• The Flames scored early in the game at 3:47 from Jarome Iginlas, his 499th goal of his career.
• The Predators didn’t take too long to respond, with Kevin Klein slipping the puck passed Miikka Kiprusoff at 12:39 in the first. He was assisted by both Nick Spaling and Jordin Tootoo.
• The Predators continued the momentum at 15:06 with a goal from Sergei Kostitsyn, with great assistance from Mike Fisher and Patric Hornqvist. Sergei tripped on the goal post and slammed into the boards, but didn’t seem to be affected by it.
• The entire second period belong to the Predators, with a goal at 2:27 from Matt Halischuk, his 9th goal of the season. He was assisted by Jordin Tootoo and Jack Hillen.
• Sergei got his second goal of the night at 5:59 in the 2nd with assistance from Jerred Smithson and Patric Hornqvist once again.
• With Jordin Tootoo’s two assists tonight, he tied his career-high points with 18 (we expect him to surpass that soon).
• The Flames came back in the third, bringing the game from 4-1 to 4-3, but at 19:30, Kevin Klein cleared the puck from the Predators net, sending it flying down the ice towards the Calgary empty net. Sergei Kostitsyn chased the puck down and tapped it in, landing his first career Hat Trick and sealing the game for the Predators, 5-3.
• Pekka had yet another outstanding game tonight, blocking 17 of 20 shots on goal. The Predators also out shot the Flames 27 to 20 and one less penalty than Calgary. Here were the two trouble makers:

1. Nick Spaling – 10:12 1st Period – Tripping
2. Birthday Boy Patric Hornqvist – 5:13 3rd Period – Hi-Sticking

The Predators started off 2012 on the right track tonight with the win over Calgary, Patric Hornqvist’s birthday, and Sergei Kostitsyn’s first career Hat Trick. As sad as we were SK74 did no speak after the game (the first Star of the Game always does), we completely understand why he did not. Patric Hornqvist did the honors, talking about his birthday win and his two assists during the game. We hear fans give Kostitsyn a hard time a lot and, although he does frustrate us on occasions, he is a great player with amazing skills (when he puts them to use). SK74 will find his groove, similar to Colin Wilson, then we won’t hear any more complainers (Oh what am I saying? There will always be pessimistic fans). Before we go off on a rant, the ladies here at Lady Preds want to wish you and yours a great New Year’s! We hope 2012 will bless you with the best things in life!

The Predators are off until Thursday, when they welcome the Dallas Stars into the Bridgestone at 7PM. Welcome, Ha! After losing Weber to them, the fans might not be so welcoming…
GO PREDS!

Gabriel Bourque in his first NHL game against the Minnesota Wild

The Predators have seen their share of shootouts throughout the years, but tackling a shootout two games in a row? With a goalie like Pekka Rinne, a shootout against the Predators will definitely make you sweat a little. The Predators won both their shootout games 2-1 against both the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night and against the St. Louis Blues on Friday night. A win in regulation is always better, but hey, it’s ALWAYS better to win in OT/SO than to lose in regulation. Here are the highlights of both these nail-biting games:

W I L D :

•  Shea Weber, who suffered a concussion during the Dallas Stars game, was still missing from action against the Wild Wednesday night. Gabriel Bourque was called up from Milwaukee to play in his first NHL career game.
• Kevin Klein and Brian McGrattan were both scratched; Klein still suffering from the flu, McGrattan a healthy scratch.
• Neither team scored a goal until the third, with a tip from Jordin Tootoo at 7:00. He was assisted by both Jonathon Blum and Francis Bouillon.
• The Wild returned the play and scored to tie the game at 16:01, eventually sending the game into overtime. When the overtime yielded no goals, the game fell into a shootout.
• The Wild failed on their three shots, but Colin Wilson was able to seal the game for the Predators, slipping it passed Wild goalie, Josh Harding.
• Pekka had an outstanding game, stopping 34 of 35 shots on goal. The Predators only had ten less shots than the Wild at 25.
• This game was the 10th sold out game of the season for the Predators, 5th home game in a row.
• The Wild had more penalties than the Predators, but neither team was able to use them to their advantage. Here were the Predators who sat in timeout:

1.  Jerred Smithson – 6:41 2nd Period – Hooking
2. Jordin Tootoo – 16:30 3rd Period – Unsportsmanlike Conduct

B L U E S :

• Both Weber and Klein were missing from the game in St. Louis.
• Matt Halischuk was quick to put the Predators on the board at 2:16 in the first period. He was assisted by rookie Roman Josi.
• At 13:40 in the first, the Blues tied the game with a goal from T.J. Oshie.
• Before Oshie’s goal, it seemed as if the Predators had put the game up 2-0 with a goal from David Legwand, but his goal was waved off due to a “distinct kicking motion”.
• Although he lost his stick three times throughout the game, Pekka was able to block 35 of 36 shots on goal from the Blues.
• Neither the Blues or the Predators were able to score after the first period, thus throwing the game into overtime. With no goal in overtime by either team, the game was forced into a shootout.
• With unsuccessful goals from Fisher, Smith, Leggy, and Halischuk, it wasn’t until Martin Erat sealed the game for the Predators after five rounds.
• The Predators only had 34 shots on goal compared to the Blues’ 36, and also gave the Blues more penalty chances. Luckily, the Predators were able to keep the Blues from capitalizing on the power plays. Here are the Preds who took some nasty penalties:

1. Brian McGrattan – 14:28 1st Period – Boarding
2. Roman Josi – 12:17 2nd Period – Hi-Sticking
3. Roman Josi – 16:02 2nd Period – Boarding
4. Jonathon Blum – 12:47 3rd Period – Hooking

Although it took five rounds for the Predators to finally seal the game in their name against the Blues, the Predators have recently faired well with their shootouts. Again, with Pekka being on his game and being the reason the Preds signed him for the next seven years, it’s easy to see why the Predators would be awesome at shootouts (as long as those shooting can hit the net).

GO PREDS.

Ryan Ellis fairs well on the NHL level... thank goodness...

Okay, so Christmas threw us off BIG TIME! So, instead of doing a write-up for the Dallas and Detroit games (both were losses anyway), we are going to do a super fast recap of some of the highlights from both games… RIGHT NOW! We’ll write a normal one for both the Minnesota Wild game from last night and the upcoming game against the ever-so-exciting Blues game tomorrow.

D A L L A S:

• Due to Weber’s concussion, Ryan Ellis was called up from Milwaukee for his first NHL game (of the actual season, not including preseason). He did not arrive to the Bridgestone until 6PM, one hour before the game started.
• This was the first meeting between both the Predators and the Dallas Stars this season.
• Predators first goal was at 8:56 in the second by Matt Halischuk with the assistance of Blake Geoffrion and Jerred Smithson.
• Martin Erat put the Predators up 2 – 3 at 11:45 on the power play with help from Ryan Suter and Shea Weber.
• The Stars scored quickly against Erat’s goal, but David Legwand kept the game close with a goal at 4:38 on the power play with help from Colin Wilson and Craig Smith.
• Dallas would retaliate and win the game with two goals in the third. Dallas won 6 – 3.
• Pekka was pulled during the first after allowing three goals within a span of about four minutes. The Predators out-shot the Stars 37 to 29, but it was clear the Stars were more accurate with their shots.
• Predators who saw penalty time were:

1. Jordin Tootoo – 3:47 2nd Period – Tripping
2. Jerred Smithson – 19:03 2nd Period – Hooking
3. Blake Geoffrion – 14:28 3rd Period – Boarding

• Although this was not mentioned until the day before the Detroit game, Shea Weber took a painful, excruciating hit at the end of the Stars game by Mark Fistric. You can watch the video here: Can you believe Fistric will NOT be penalized for this hit? Yet Tootoo accidently runs into a goalie who just returned from a concussion. Yea, we’re aware you’re always going to make someone mad, but come on, NHL!! Clearly, this was a time to penalize. However, we are going to go into that… Trying to stay positive.
  
• Weber suffered a concussion from this hit and missed both the Detroit and Minnesota games. He will also miss the Blues game this Friday. His return is uncertain.
• Also, Kevin Klein is still sick from flu-like symptoms and has been placed on IR.

Francis Bouillon & Roman Josi celebrating Josi's goal.

The Predators are known for their comebacks and seemingly impossible plays, but Thursday’s game at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets was one for the history books. Heck, even the NHL acknowledged the Predators and their tenacity after this game! And, of course, this game was not shown on TV, so for some of us, the lag of the radio was all we had! Only a team like the Predators could come back to win 6-5 in regulation after being down 4-1. Let’s look at the highlights from Thursday’s game:

KEY POINTS:

• Kevin Klein was missing from action again, still battling the flu-like symptoms. Klein is expected to be out until Monday’s game against the Red Wings.
• Mike Fisher struck first, scoring off a rebound shot from Sergei Kostitsyn at 12:29 in the first on a PP. The Predators are currently number two in the league for scoring on the power play. Fisher was assisted by both SK74 and Ryan Suter.
• The excitement was short lived as Jeff Carter tied the game 27 seconds after Fisher’s goal. This was Carter’s third goal this season against the Predators.
• After Carter’s goal, Brian McGrattan laid Jared Boll out, who had quite a difficult time getting back up. Boll was lead back to the locker room and McGrattan was given a five minute interference penalty and a game misconduct. This a was a lousy call if we’ve ever seen one, but hey, when has the NHL not given a hoot about the Predators?
• The Blue Jackets used McGrattan’s penalty to their advantage, scoring three consecutive power play goals, sending them up 4-1. Jeff Carter scored two of the three goals, giving him a Hat Trick (though most of us didn’t even notice).
• The Predators revved up during the second period, with Patric Hornqvist scoring from the crease at 5:28. He was assisted by both David Legwand and Shea Weber.
• Ryan Johansen was quick to respond, but the Predators were faster as Nick Spaling scored at 8:53 with help from Colin Wilson and Jordin Tootoo.
• Roman Josi helped the Predators to 4-5 at 13:41 in the 2nd, assisted by Francis Bouillon and Martin Erat.
• The Predators pulled their typical comeback in the third period, with a late score at 16:14 by David Legwand on the power play. Colin Wilson and Shea Weber picked up the assists on Leggy’s goal.
• Martin Erat sealed the game and even gained the attention of the NHL with his sneaky goal with only 8.4 seconds in the game. Erat was assisted by both Ryan Suter and Shea Weber.
• The Predators out-shot the Blue Jackets only 38 to 31 and only caught five penalties to their four. The Predators were out-shot in the first period, but clearly took more shots during the second and third periods than the Jackets. Here are the boys who spent some time in the box:

1. Brian McGrattan – 14:26 1st Period – Interference
2. Brian McGrattan – 14:26 1st Period – Game Misconduct
3. David Legwand – 7:15 2nd Period – Tripping
4. Sergei Kostitsyn – 17:42 2nd Period – Roughing
5. Patric Hornqvist – 1:19 3rd Period – Hi-Sticking

It’s plain and clear that the Predators can come back and steal the game, which is what makes hockey has exciting as it is. No matter what, the Predators are never “technically” out of the game and can put up a fight, whether it be in the first or third period. All we have to say is that, they sure like to give their fans heart attacks. Prepare yourself if you have high blood pressure.

...We are also glad Martin Erat doesn't have high blood pressure, either.

GO PREDS.

Smithson does some damage to David Wideman, but was it enough?

Alright, so Christmas has not only snuck up on us, it has also put is way behind on getting our post game write-ups done! Don’t worry though, we promised to get this game covered, even if it is a few days behind!Can you blame us for putting this one off until today? It wasn’t exactly the most exciting game the Predators have ever played, but it still needs to be covered.

The Predators came into Washington Tuesday, still flying on their five-game streak. However, Ovechkin and Backstrom weren’t in the giving mood to help continue that winning streak. The Predators only managed to squeeze in one goal against the Capitals, but it wasn’t enough against their four. Here are some of the highlights of Tuesday’s Father’s Game in Washington.

KEY POINTS:

• Kevin Klein did not make the trip to Washington due to the flu, thus putting Jonathon Blum on the lineup. Although he was called up last Saturday, this was Blum’s first return to the Predators lineup.
• Pekka Rinne was rested for the night and Anders Lindback was given the chance to take the spotlight Tuesday night.
• Like stated before, Washington was in no way feeling generous to help the Predators continue their winning streak, coming out strong in the first and dominating the Predators both defensively and offensively. Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom sent the Capitals up 2-0 in the first and continued that hold up into the third period.
• Sergei Kostitsyn scored the only goal for the Predators at 4:40 into the third, firing a high wrist shot passed goalie Michal Neuvirth. He was assisted only by Shea Weber.
• Although Sergei’s goal gave the Preds some relief, the momentum did not have enough time to catch on, as the Capitals scored two more goals to seal the game in their favor, 4-1.
• The Capitals only out-shot the Predators 23 to 21, and had three more penalties than the Predators. However, the Predator weren’t able to produce a goal on any of the PP, but the Capitals “capitalized” on one. Here are your two offenders of the box:
  1. Blake Geoffrion – 9:12 1st Period – Roughing
  2. Craig Smith – 13:19 3rd Period – Holding

The Predators probably took the loss a little harder than normal Tuesday night, possibly because all of their dads were there to critique them afterward. However, since this was written after their Columbus game, we all know that the loss to the Capitals didn’t hurt too bad…

GO PREDS.

Well, aren't these three just the cutest things! Fisher, Hornqvist, and Legwand celebrating.

Yes, yes, we are only two days late on this post, but hey, it’s almost Christmas and we are running on little sleep and rushing to find last minute Christmas presents. We deserve a little slack! Any who, besides our excuses, the Predators almost had to come up with some excuses for themselves Saturday night. Although they got away with the two points, it was clear (even though this makes me cringe to the BONE to admit) that the St. Louis Blues came out the stronger team Saturday night. Lucky for the Predators, Pekka Rinne came out to play and blocked 39 of 40 shots taken at him. In the first period alone, the Blues out shot the Predators 14 to 2. Okay honestly, what Predators fan was surprised by this? As of late, the Predators had been upping their shots on goal, but Saturday was reminiscent of old times. However, any way you look at it, the Predators got away with the win, ugly or not. Here are the highlights from Saturday night’s shutout win for the Predators:

KEY POINTS:

• This in no way pertains to Saturday, but both Jonathon Blum and Blake Geoffrion have returned to Nashville from a very, very short stint in Milwaukee. Blum scored a pair of goals while in Milwaukee and Geoffrion made an assist in three games. Looks like Geoffrion has mended well.
• No injuries or scratches for the Predators Saturday night, but former Predators player and captain Jason Arnott sat out his first game of the season for being “under the weather”. As Pete Weber mentioned on 102.5 The Game’s 1st Quarter this morning, Arnott may have came down with the “Nashville flu” Saturday night.
•  Let’s discuss the first most obvious incident of the night: the six PP given to the Blues. Yes, six. And what’s worse, the Predators didn’t have a single power play opportunity. Okay, they had one at 5:00 in OT, but it wasn’t any use. If you think the “Fang Fingers” are bad, hopefully you were not there to witness the St. Louis “Power Play Dance”, which appears to be the signal refs in football use to symbolize a touchdown. The Predators tend to take silly penalties, but the refs missed a few for the Blues as well. We’ll get to who saw the box in a few.
• Although the Blues pounded the puck at Peks throughout the game, both teams were scoreless until 12:32 of the third when Martin Erat put the first number on the board. Shea Weber and Mike Fisher helped Erat with the assists.
• St. Louis was able to tie the game at one their fifth PP of the night, sending the game into overtime.
• With neither team able to score during OT, David Legwand made up for his slashing penalty by slipping the puck passed Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak, sealing the shootout win for the Predators.
• The Predators only had 20 shots the entire game, with St. Louis having 40. Again, Pekka was a master of his game Saturday night, possibly saving the Predators from seeing their first loss in this recent home stretch. And, as stated before, the Predators gave the Blues six power plays, luckily with the Blues only gaining a goal from one. Granted, the Sergei Kostitsyn penalty was a fluke, when he bounced off Chris Stewart while returning to the bench. Sergei didn’t see him, for his head was turned, but he did knock the kid over in the process. Oops? Here’s who all got to visit the nasty, spit-filled penalty box:

1. Jack Hillen – 8:23 1st Period – Tripping
2. Jordin Tootoo – 15:45 1st Period – Roughing
3. Ryan Suter – 8:35 2nd Period – Slashing
4. Sergei Kostitsyn – 10:27 3rd Period – Interference
5. Entire Team – 15:26 3rd Period – Too many Men on Ice – Colin Wilson to the box (T.J. Oshie scores)
6. David Legwand – 18:31 3rd Period – Slashing

Again, sort of a slow, ugly penalty-taking game for the Predators at first, but what matters is the big W belonged to the home team. Like the Detroit game Thursday night, Saturday’s game against the Blues was played before a sold out crowd. That’s always music to Nashville’s ears, even if most of the tickets went to Blues fans.

The Predators are off to Washington D.C. to visit Tomas Vokoun and Joel Ward (oh, and that Ovechkin guy) tomorrow night at 6PM. The Predators will be back home Thursday night to welcome back Columbus. GO PREDS.

Oh, and just for a little laugh, here is a 2012 Predators calendar we came across on Amazon.com today:

If only they accidently put Shane O'Brien in there...

As stated above, this is a 2012 Player Calendar. On the bottom, you can see Kevin Klein and Colin Wilson, who are still on the team. However, above are J.P. Dumont and Cody Franson… both not on the team. Franson was traded to Toronto with Matthew Lombardi and Dumont now plays for S.C. Bern. We have to give the calendar maker some slack, since they probably made this available by midsummer, but still – Major boo-boo here. These two weren’t gone this summer, before the 2011-2012 team was finally together (even then, it’s ever changing). We don’t dislike Franson or Dumont in any way, just pointing out an obvious fail on the calendar-maker’s part. It’s on sale for $12.47 on Amazon.

Shea Weber showed he was worth that Norris Trophy this year he didn't win...

If you missed tonight’s game, you missed another great Predators comeback, striping Detroit of what they thought was their win. Oh no, the Predators, no matter how far behind they are, can never be counted as out. The Red Wings clearly learned that tonight, as the Predators were down 3-1 with 5 minutes left in the game. But again, for the Predators, as long as the clock is still running, there is always still time to win. Although Detroit was offensive dominate in this game – the Predators didn’t actually look too hot the entire game until the 3rd – the Predators sealed the game overall and hey, isn’t that what matters? Now, Detroit can whine about how they have more Stanley Cup Championships than the Predators do; they are 72 years OLDER than the Predators so that is a given. Tonight was a night that was reminiscent of this year’s playoffs, with the entire sold out crowd cheering on the Predators. Nothing is better than a loud, fired-up Nashville fan base. Here’s the highlights from tonight’s game:

KEY POINTS

• Brian McGrattan was tonight’s healthy scratch, although we thought he’d fair well against this Red Wings team. However, the Predators seemed to do well tonight without him and his tough demeanor, so we thank him for resting tonight.
• Detroit took an early lead at 5:15 on a PP from Ryan Suter, when Tomas Holmstrom was able to rebound it passed Pekka.
• The Predators did not allow the Red Wings to hold onto the lead for long and at 10:09, David Legwand slipped the puck passed Jimmy Howard with assistance from Craig Smith and Martin Erat.
• The 2nd Period seemed to belong to Detroit, with the Red Wings scoring twice within a minute of both goals, putting Detroit up 3-1. Jordin Tootoo answered the call for the Predators almost six minutes after Detroit’s two goals (17:22) with the help from Kevin Klein (yes, Klein) and Nick Spaling.
• The third period was clearly the most intense, both between the players and the fans. As stated before, the sound resonating from the Bridgestone Arena hasn’t been heard since the Spring during the playoffs (what a beautiful thing it is to not be able to hear yourself even think). Did the fans help focus the worn out home team? We’d like to think so. Captain Shea Weber scored the first goal to tie the game at 15:36 on the PP, with help from Ryan Suter and Martin Erat. THEN, at 18:24, Weber shot the game-winning goal to give the Predators their fourth consecutive win. Jordin Tootoo was given the assist on his goal.
• The Predators have significantly improved their power play skills, with Shea Weber’s first goal being the 7th power play goal the Predators have had in consecutive games. Something’s going right with that, now if only we can work on the accurate passing… huh?
• Detroit’s PP was also on top tonight, as well. They were only given two chances and they used them well, scoring on both of them. Nashville only had one PP chance, and they used it properly as well. Here are they two Preds who hung out in the box:

1. Ryan Suter – 3:27 1st Period – Hooking (Tomas Holmstrom scored)
2. Jerred Smithson – 9:11 2nd Period – Hooking (Henrik Zetterberg scored)

This win should propel the Predators to another win on Saturday night against the St. Louis Blues, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet.

The Blues have also won four straight games, so the Predators need to be level-headed and focused going into Saturday night. The puck drops at 7PM. GO PREDS.

Colin Wilson has definitely improved as a dominate player compared to last season.

The Predators welcomed the Calgary Flames back to Nashville last night, hoping to clinch another home game for the fans. Thankfully, the Predators came out swinging against the Flames, sending them with their tails tucked back to Canada, 2-1. If you know anything about Calgary, you’d know last night’s game was not going to result in a high scoring game; both Pekka Rinne and Miikka Kiprusoff are outstanding goal-tenders, two of the best in their profession. And what do you know? Both hail from Finland. However, 2-1, 1-0, whatever, with this win, the Predators are now 15-11-4 on the season, helping them gain points within the Western Conference. Here are the highlights of last night’s game:

KEY POINTS:

• We mentioned this Monday, but we’ll reiterate it in case you missed it: Jonathon Blum (7) was assigned to Milwaukee after finding himself set on the bench as a healthy scratch for a few games. It’s clear his buddy, Roman Josi, took his roster spot due to the fact he has found his groove in the NHL, whereas Blum has been so-so. Blum will more than likely be back up soon, but it’s clear Josi has had no trouble adjusting to life in the NHL.
• Also sent to the Admirals was Brentwood native, Blake Geoffrion. Now, don’t panic; unlike Blum, Geoffrion’s a pretty popular player, so fans were a bit confused as to why Blake would be sent down to the minor league team. With his injury taking longer to heal than once thought, he was more than likely sent down to recuperate on the minor league level and opened his active roster spot for someone healthy. Blake will be back in Nashville when he returns to 100%.
• Unlike in the past few games, the Predators took the lead first with a backhand goal from Matt Halischuk at 11:43 in the first period. Both Brian McGrattan and Roman Josi assisted on the goal.
• Although the Predators played what could be considered their best period so far this season (out shooting the Flames 18-6 in the first), the Flames weren’t going to go home quietly and returned the fire during the second period. After continuously pressuring the goal, Calgary’s Curtis Glencross was able to finally wear Peks down and give the Flames there only goal for the night.
• The game would continued to be tied 1-1 until 3:31 in the third when Colin Wilson scored on a rebound from rookie Craig Smith. It is clear Colin Wilson has become a leader in the Predators organization compared to his attitude during last season, when he hardly saw any ice time (there are many different reasons as to why, so we won’t delve into those). Colin’s maturity on the ice has bumped him up on ice time and he continues to prove his worth on the team every game. We like this new Colin, definitely.
• Colin’s game-winning goal was scored on the power play, Nashville’s six game in a row where they’ve scored on the PP. It is clear the PP has improved for Nashville, which used to be a torn in Nashville’s side. Colin was assisted by Craig Smith and David Legwand.
• The Predators played one heck of a game, out scoring the Flames 45 to 36 overall. As stated before, that’s a ton of shots on goal, but due to Pekka and Miikka’s outstanding goalie performances, only three of eighty-one shots between both teams made it passed the goalie; that’s insanely good (for both goalies). There were only three power plays during the game also, with the Predators only getting one penalty, whereas the Flames faced three. Here’s the only Predator who visited the box last night:

1. Roman Josi – 19:03 2nd Period – Holding

With the Predators improving on both their power plays and avoiding taking penalties, the team is starting to look like a whole new set of guys (let’s not jinx things, though). Also, with the leadership of players like Roman Josi, Craig Smith, and even Colin Wilson, the Predators might just fly right out of their rut and into the playoffs this post season. Let’s pray for that one.

The Predators take on the always popular Detroit Red Wings this Thursday at 7PM at home. You might see a catfish or a squid hit the ice, so you don’t want to miss this game!

GO PREDS.

Jordin Tootoo Radio Show on 11/26/2011: Special Guest Craig Smith!

So we’ve been getting a ton of questions about the Jordin Tootoo Radio Show and other events happening with the Predators. Welp, we don’t have the direct schedule for all of the Tootoo shows (there is probably a set one on one of the many other Preds blogs), but we’ll be sure to let you know via a post or Twitter when those dates are.

• The latest one is tomorrow night, Wednesday, December 14th, from 7 to 8PM at Blackstone Restaurant and Brewery on West End. Be sure to get there at least 30 minutes early to find a good seat and don’t forget to bring your camera and things to get autographed! Tootoo’s special guest will be the one and only Brian McGrattan! You definitely don’t want to miss your chance to meet Big Ern! Also, although we don’t know when the next Tootoo Radio Show is, we are almost certain this will be the last one of the year so check it out!
• Also going on around the Predators world is a meet and greet at Dollar General in Nashville (2403 Lebanon Pike Road) tomorrow between 4:30 and 5:30PM! Your two Predators for the night are Nick Spaling and Sergei Kostitsyn! Same with the Tootoo Show, don’t forget your cameras and items to be signed!

So there you go, folks! Two ways to meet four of your favorite Predators tomorrow! And for those wondering about the ‘Tootoo on 2’ segment, you can catch that every Sunday night at 10:30PM on News Channel 2 WKRN. If you miss it, you can also check the WKRN website for the video!

Predators salute fans after their win against Anaheim on Saturday night.

The Predators finally broke the home losing streak Saturday night as the home team welcomed the ever-so-lovely Anaheim Ducks Saturday night to the Bridgestone Arena. After losing the last four home games, the Predators, still high from their win in Columbus two nights before, knew losing to (of all teams) the Ducks at home was not going to happen.

As we all know, the Ducks aren’t exactly Nashville’s favorite team and sadly, this is there last trip to our great city for the rest of the regular season. In fact, we won’t be seeing our good friends from Disneyland until March 18th. So for the Predators to seal their third win of the season against the Ducks has hopefully left the team on a good note to face the Flames, who venture here from Canada tomorrow.

KEY POINTS:

• Jonathon Blum was the healthy scratch for the night, with Blake Geoffrion still hanging out with an injury.
• Jordin Tootoo made his debut against the Ducks after his controversial 2-Game suspension after colliding with Buffalo’s goalie, Ryan Miller a week before. It was clear he and the fans were ready for his return, for they gave him a standing ovation on the announcement of his name.
• The Predators maintained control of the game throughout the first period, blocking the Ducks from getting but one shot on the goal for the first fifteen minutes. That’s the team we like to see!
• Brian McGrattan and George Parros continued their dislike for one another, putting up the dukes at 2:36 into the 1st Period. Both men got some good swings in, but eventually, the refs pulled the two apart and the two skated off to the penalty box. Here’s the video:
  
• Colin Wilson looked to score the first goal of the night for the Predators, but was deemed by Toronto that Wilson made a “distinct kicking motion” with his foot, thus no goal (You cannot kick a puck in the goal – not soccer here). Of course, watching the review video, it’s clear he did not kick it, but it did deflect off his foot, which was at an angle, therefore officials claim he kicked it. The Ducks would then strike first with 38 seconds left in the first to take the lead.
• Mike Fisher shot the puck passed Dan Ellis to score the first goal for the Predators, but alas, like Colin’s, Mike’s was waved off due to the ref supposedly blowing the whistle before the puck hit the back of the net.
• Also during the first, Francis Bouillon gets tripped by Andrew Gordon, which sends Frankie slamming into the boards. Gordon was sent to the box for tripping and Bouillon teetered back to the bench, but did not go to the locker room.
• Predators favorite Duck Dan Ellis was starting goalie for the night, spiking those on Twitter to post nice, charming tweets with the hashtag #DanEllisProblems. If you are unaware of the Predators issue with Mr. Ellis, well it’s a long story, but to put it short, he used to be our goalie (starter over Peks) but he just wasn’t happy with his paycheck. Preds said adios, made Peks the starter, and Ellis whined and complained about how bad Nashville was. Don’t pull a Dan Hamhuis, Mr. Dan Ellis; Nashville doesn’t play nice for nasty former players. Needless to say, Ellis had to put up a hard fight against the Predators, and surprisingly, he did make some pretty key saves. Not nearly enough, though… sorry. #DanEllisProblems
• Nick Spaling tied the Predators with the Ducks at one at 12:03 in the 2nd, with a nice pass from Colin Wilson. Jordin Tootoo also assisted in that goal.
• The second period saw no goals, but Roman Josi would send the Predators up by one when he got his first NHL career goal at 2:33 on the Nashville PP with assistance from Captain Shea Weber and Martin Erat.
• Mike Fisher did something extra rare Saturday night as he and Bobby Ryan dropped gloves and started throwing punches. Fisher isn’t a player with a hot temper, so for him to drop the gloves is pretty rare. In fact, the most fights Fisher has ever had in a regular season is four, which was back in the 2002-2003 season. Otherwise, Fisher faced between one and two fights since the 2003-2004 season. Okay, so we exaggerate when we say he and Ryan threw punches because, if you watch the video, Bobby Ryan hits the ice before Fisher can really do anything. Carrie seemed to enjoy it, though!
  
• Jordin Tootoo revived himself from his 2-Game suspension and scored the game winning goal for the Predators at 5:25 in the 3rd, with assistance from (of all the players) Kevin Klein and Jerred Smithson. Yes, you read that correctly and we here at Lady Preds do not hate either one of those guys, but other fans sure have a vendetta against them so it was good to see Klein and Smithson contribute in a positive way!
• Anaheim would score at 13:24, but the Predators held them off for the remaining minutes and sealed their first home win since November 17th against the Maple Leafs.
• The Predators well in both shots and lack of penalties Saturday night, out shooting the Ducks 28 to 17 and only finding themselves in the box four times compared to the Ducks who went six times. Here are the Predators who sat out in the box:

1.  Brian McGrattan – 2:36 1st Period – Fighting (major)
2. Shea Weber – 16:26 1st Period – Interference
3. Mike Fisher – 2:44 3rd Period – Fighting (major)
4. Shea Weber – 6:28 3rd Period – Hooking

Jordin Tootoo definitely made his presence known Saturday, not only assisting the first goal, but scoring the game-winning goal. We are glad that his suspension is over and that it was only two games (one of which the Preds lost). With this game, the Predators are now on a home stretch, welcoming the Calgary Flames to Nashville tomorrow. We leave you with a photo of a very happy Jordin Tootoo, celebrating with the fans after Nashville’s awesome win against the Ducks.

What a happy Jordin Tootoo!

GO PREDS.

BREAKING: As of today (Monday, December 12th), Jonathon Blum, who was a healthy scratch for Saturday’s game, has now been sent down to Milwaukee. It is due to the fact Roman Josi has seemed to have found his groove in the NHL so Blum will be replaced (for the time being) with Roman Josi.