After four straight losses, Pekka redeems himself with a shutout against Calgary Saturday afternoon.

The Predators’ last stop in Canada ended on a high note Saturday, with the Preds extinguishing the Calgary Flames 2-0. This win officially ends the losing streak plaguing the Preds for the last four games, relieving most of the tension hanging over the players.

It was rumored that Anders Lindback, who replaced Pekka during the second and third periods of last Thursdays devastating loss against the Canucks, would be the starting goalie against the Flames, allowing Pekka to rest and take a breather for a game. However, in true Peks fashion, he did not let the bad vibe of four straight losses affect his train of thought, blocking all 33 shots the Flames chucked at the Finnish goalie. Also a plus for Pekka, this shutout was his 21st shutout, thus tying him with Tomas Vokoun for most in franchise history.

Both the Predators and the Flames were relatively quiet during the first period, but the Predators took the reigns in the second, with Niclas Bergfors striking the first blow against the Flames; this was also his first goal as a Nashville Predator. Taking responsibility for the second goal (during the 3rd period) was Sergei Kostitsyn, his second goal of the season.

Although the Predators were out in full force Saturday and were clearly ready to play, they still ran into hurdles with very little shots to the goal (14 to Calgary’s 33) and unnecessary time in the penalty box. However, after the truly embarrassing game against Vancouver, we here at Lady Preds believe the players may have caught on to their mistakes; hopefully.

Also on a Predators note, Captain Shea Weber has been fined $2,500 for boarding Jannik Hansen during the Vancouver game last Thursday night. Weber spent 5 minutes in the box during the third period after receiving boarding and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

Now that the losing streak has been nipped in the bud in Calgary, are the Predators ready to face the San Jose Sharks at home? If so, this will be the first win at home for the Preds, which would be so very nice for the fans (and give the team some hope, too). The puck drops at 7PM and, if you can’t make it to the game, you can watch it on Fox Sports South (check your local listings). We here at Lady Preds are finally happy to write an upbeat post and we hope to continue with more!

GO PREDS.

Daniel Sedin strikes first against the Predators and Peks looks physically & emotionally drained.

Here’s the fourth depressing blog post in a row for the Predators fans. After the embarrassing game from Saturday, the Predators were expected to make a roaring comeback against the slacking Vancouver Canucks tonight when the puck dropped at 9PM. However, it seems the guys are still up to no good and penalties plagued the Preds once again. Matt Halischuk scored the Preds only goal in the game during the first period, and Pekka Rinne, after having four goals scored on him during the first period alone, was pulled and replaced with Anders Lindback during the second and third periods.

Don’t Blame the Goalie for Terrible Defense:
Despite being pulled during the first, blame cannot be placed atop Pekka’s head. “Fans” on the Predators Facebook accused the Predators leading goalie of being “too big headed” and “overrated”, but again, we call these people “fans” with quotation marks for a reason. When you are under as much pressure as Pekka Rinne is, there is going to come a time when his body becomes both emotionally and physically exhausted from having to cover the rest of his team’s mistakes (hence why Peks is called “The Eraser”). When a team’s defense is terrible and players are constantly in and out of the penalty box, the goalie has to work extra hard to prevent the opposing team from scoring, wether they hit the goalie with 50 shots or 12, eventually a few will slip by. It was evident from tonight (and even Saturday’s game) that Peks is getting worn out due to his team’s performance. It has nothing to do with his “big headed-ness” or being “overrated”. If you have actually ever met the man, you would know he doesn’t have a single selfish bone in his body and is actually shy when it comes to fame. There is no PRIDE in this WHATSOEVER.
Pardon my soapbox moment, but sometimes the obvious has to be stated.

Speaking of goalies, Anders Lindback play exceptionally well after replacing Pekka during the second period, allowing only one puck while in goal. Pretty good for his first appearance this season, right? We think so and we are glad to see Lindback is following in Pekka’s footsteps.

Now on to the depression stats: As usual, the Predators lost in the shooting round, being out shot by the Canucks 40 to 26. This number rose, however, from the Edmonton game, in which the Preds only shot 12 times. Also plaguing the Predators, as stated above in the first paragraph, were unnecessary penalties; 30 minutes worth, in fact. This also including both Shea Weber and Ryan Suter being sent to the box at the same time with Weber facing unsportsmanlike conduct, a double minor of 5 minutes.

On a lighter note, Colin Wilson went after Dan Hamhuis and clocked him a few times, making this his third NHL fight. Sadly, Hamhuis won the fight, but barely. Colin also spent some time in the penalty box tonight. A fight and a trip to the penalty box; Good birthday presents, right? Also putting up the dukes was good ole Jordin Tootoo, who completely wrecked Aaron Volpatti, a Canuck left wing from Brown University.

Freak Out Time:
So after four straight losses, is it time for fans to start jumping ship and running? Well, first off, if you are loyal to your Preds, that thought wouldn’t cross your mind. Furthermore, the season is only six games in and the Predators have won two. Okay, so we are hitting a sour note right now and yes, it really, really sucks, but to give up is not an option. We shall make lemonade with lemons and let Barry Trotz scare the living H-E-Double Hockey Sticks out of us and try again Saturday against the Calgary Flames. However, the Predators seriously need to get their defense in order and focus on discipline and stop finding themselves on the other end of a penalty kill. The lack of defense is having a huge effect on Pekka Rinne and it’s finally beginning to show.

The Predators finish up their Canadian run on Saturday in Calgary as they take on the Flames at 3PM.

David Legwand and Ryan Kesler face off during the playoffs. Will Leggy wipe this ice with Kelser's face tonight? Let's hope so.

Welp, it’s finally Game Day in Vancouver and tonight (9PM CT) our Nashville Predators will face the team that ended last season’s playoff run; the Vancouver Canucks. Although the Predators have struggled during the last three games, a fear of being ripped apart by the Canucks is not a factor for this game, for the Canucks, too have struggled early in this season.

Like the Predators, the Canucks have suffered from a ‘lack of shooting’ problem and it has affected their season early as well. However, the Predators cannot pray for the Canucks to make mistakes and must play what they call ‘Predator Hockey’.

After Monday’s “embarrassing” game against Edmonton, will the Predators be ready to take charge and play like the team they know they can be? Only when the puck drops tonight will we know if what happened Saturday truly instilled in the players’ minds. Luckily, we do know that Barry Trotz has been switching up lines and trying out new combinations amongst the players.

The keys to this game for the Predators are to shoot, be aware of their surroundings, and stay out of the penalty box (sounds like any given hockey game, right?). Sergei Kostitsyn scored the only goal for the Predators against Edmonton on Monday, and do you know how he did it? He shot instead of passing, which was a surprise to many fans (but boy were we happy). The Predators enjoy sharing scores with teammates, but sometimes you have to be selfish and shoot, shoot, shoot. As we know, waiting for the perfect shot is almost impossible if you want to actually win a game and it takes more than just a great goalie.

We here at Lady Preds believe that the Predators will fair well tonight, due to the team’s awareness of Monday’s game. As any Preds fan should know, seeing the Sedin twins and Ryan Kesler fail tonight would be revenge from the playoffs, and it would be a very nice way to restart the winning streak. Also, it is Colin Wilson’s birthday today, so they should definitely win for his sake. Happy birthday!

Sergei Kostitsyn gets the only goal of the game, his first one of the season.

Yet another tough night to be a Nashville Predator player or fan. The Predators faced their first loss of the season on the road with a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. This is the third game in a row that the Predators have lost, but what does this mean? What should the coaches now do differently that they should have covered after Thursday and Saturday’s games? This will be answered (hopefully) after tonight’s rough and disheartening loss.

There was a nice reoccuring word that resounded amongst the players after the game. Can you guess what it is?
“We weren’t playing Predators hockey tonight,” spoke a down and out Kevin Klein to Preds announcers, Pete Weber and Terry Crisp. “It was embarrassing out there tonight.”
“This is embarrassing how we played tonight,” stated goalie Pekka Rinne.
“Just embarrassing,” remarked Jerred Smithson about tonight’s game in Edmonton.
As you can see from these three statements, embarrassment was apparent to these players, so do not think they aren’t aware. So why don’t they fight harder against said embarrassments? Sadly, it is not as simple as it sounds.

The Oilers not only out-scored the Predators, they also out-shot (mind-blowing, right?) them 25-12, almost setting a new record with the franchise (lowest amount of shots on the goal. That record is currently 9 shots). Strangely though, the Edmonton Oilers are actually very similar to the Preds: they are young, super faced, a very talented; the exact ploy the Predators were hoping to have with the onslaught of younger players. However, the Predators have been playing more like a minor league (okay, that’s not even a good comparison because the Admirals are doing great) lately than a national league club.

However, Sergei Kostitsyn took charge early in the game and, from an assist from Pekka Rinne (later revoked and given to Kevin Klein), lead the game 1-0 until the 3rd Period. However, this is the 2nd game the Predators have blown a 3rd Period lead.

The Predators also faced many penalties, and were lucky Edmonton wasn’t able to use any of them, up until the 3rd when Ryan Suter was spending two minutes for holding. Believe it or not, the Predators did not use any of their Power Play opportunities.

As fans, we are probably wishing we could be a fly on the wall of the locker room right about now. Would we be glad to see Trotz rip the team apart or would nothing happen at all? After these last three games, fans have began to wonder why Trotzie hasn’t attempted to strike the fear of God into them. Who knows, maybe he has. We aren’t there to see or hear.

What we do know, however, is something must be done about our struggling team, wether that means line changes or kids getting sent to Milwaukee. The how “young blood” team sounded like a great and wonderful idea at first (and looked great in the preseason), but this regular season is hitting the new kids hard. However, all blame cannot be placed on the heads of the young guys.

The Predators continue their Western Canada trek against Vancouver on Thursday. The puck drops at 9PM CT.
Will the Predators be ready to face their playoff nemesis and knock them out for a win? Let’s hope so. We don’t enjoy moping around in Smashville…

This was an entry from last year. Can you make something this awesome?

Smashville!! Halloween is right around the corner! Do you have your pumpkins decked out in Preds pride? The 2011-12 season is in full swing so it’s only natural you’ll want to show all the trick-or-treaters who you’re representing! Last year, the Predators posted some nifty carving templates and asked fans to submit photos of their finished products. Although we haven’t seen the link this year, we have come across last year’s templates! You can find the stencils here! There, of course, is the Preds cat head (as seen above), the “NP” logo, a “SMASHVILLE” logo, and a Stanley Cup stencil.

Now that you have your stencils, go out and carve some pumpkins for SMASHVILLE!!

Also, if you really love Nashville, there are also some Nashville Sounds stencils available! They are always worth supporting, too! Nashville Sounds pumpkin stencils.

Let's hope Brian McGrattan metaphorically beats the living h-e-double hockey sticks out of the Oilers tonight.

Well fans, the Predators hit the ice once again tonight, hopefully putting behind them the last two games. Although the season is still bitterly young, the Preds are doing much better during away games than at home (if you didn’t have the slightest clue). With two painful losses behind them, the team hopes to continue their winning streak on the road by squashing the Edmonton Oilers up there in Good Ole Canada.

By having the youngest team in the league (meaning, we have the most rookies and newbies), the Predators have basically a double edged sword on their hands. Although the fresh talent brings youth and vitality to the team, it also brings uncertainty and inexperience, with leads to losses (in most cases).

However, the team seems to do well on the road, and the Oilers are only 1-1-1 in this early season. If the Predators continue to play smart (and Peks is on his game) and do not pull unnecessary penalties, the Predators could easily sweep the Oilers, no doubt. “We’re going to go out there and be even more motivated,” Nashville center Colin Wilson told a Yahoo! Sports writer. “We’re going to be playing another young team here on Monday so I think it’ll be a good battle.”

Injuries also continue to plague the Predators, with Mike Fisher not making the trip to Canada, meaning he will not be playing tonight, nor against Vancouver or Calgary. Francis Bouillon is beginning to gain strength during practice, but his official return is still uncertain. He did make the trip to Canada with the team, however. As we reported last Thursday, Patric Hornqvist has been bothered by a lower-body injury, but hit the ice on Saturday night. However, he wasn’t quite himself and, although he is more than likely going to play tonight, we hope his body has had time to readjust. Martin Erat, of course, has been placed on the Injured Reserve, meaning his return is very much uncertain. All of these guys (including Bouillon) are key veteran players to the Preds and leave even more room for rookies and inexperienced players on the ice.

In a nutshell, the Predators could easily overtake the Oilers tonight in Edmonton. Of course, the same could have been said about the Coyotes and the Devils, which is very much true. However, everyone suffers from terrible games and upsets; uncertainty is a basic part of sports. However, it can be prevented by playing smart and level-headed. The puck drops at 8:30 CT. LET’S GO PREDS.

Shea Weber does not like devils, no matter the kind, especially when they mess with his buddies.

Chalk it up for another loss for the Predators, but this one was extra tough, considering the Preds were up 2-0 until the 3rd Period and were looking really good the entire game. Alas, that did not prevent the Devils from scoring on Pekka Rinne during the shootout, sealing the game 3-2 favoring the Devils.

Colin Wilson started the night off with the first Preds goal on a Power Play, with assists from Sergei Kostitsyn and David Legwand. Also in the first, Jerred Smithson sealed the final goal from the Preds with assists from Kevin Klein and Jordin Tootoo. However, the Preds found themselves in the penalty box several times during this game, including six in the first period.

1st Period Penalties for Preds:
Smithson – Hooking – 2 Minutes
Weber – Roughing – 2 Minutes
Kostitsyn – Hooking and Slashing – 4 Minutes (two separate accounts)
Brian McGrattan – Fighting – 5 Minutes
Jordin Tootoo – Unsportsmanlike Conduct – 2 Minutes

2nd Period Penalties for Preds:
Geoffrion – Roughing – 2 Minutes
Patric Hornqvist – Hi-Sticking – 2 Minutes
Shea Weber – Cross Checking – 2 Minutes

Somehow, with all of those Power Play opportunities for the Devils (9 in all), they didn’t score once during them, just during the third, which had no penalties for either team.

Tonight was definitely not a “where the heck was the team” kind of night, for the Preds played exceptionally well. However, it’s anyone’s game when it comes down to a shootout, and unfortunately, the Preds lucked out tonight. Trotz was quoted tonight as saying, “I’ll take this game over last game”, which we completely agree with, but a loss is tough… especially at home. Kostitsyn lead the team in shots, and he and Colin Wilson worked extremely well together. Klein also played well tonight, where he has seemed to struggle the last few games. And our new guy, Brian McGrattan, completely destroyed Cam Janssen in a fight during the 1st period (we brought him up for his aggression, I hear).

So to be completely honest, this was merely just a seriously tough loss, unlike the game on Thursday, which simply made the team look über bad. Now, the guys could have pulled the defense together a little during the third to keep the Devils from scoring, but as all Preds fans know, our defense can kind of… well, anyway.

The Preds hit the road to meet up with the Oilers in Edmonton on Monday, the 17th at 8:30PM. Let’s hope we continue the winning streak on the road (it will make up for these last two games).

"There's still thirty seconds left, we can win." - Pekka "Yea, I think you're right!" - Suter "WTF" - Weber

There’s an old saying about if you’re on top, when you fall, you fall hard and the Preds definitely fell hard back to Earth last night during their home opener against the Phoenix Coyotes, 5-2.

The Predators were almost a shoe-in for a win last night, due to the fact they wiped the Blues and the Blue Jackets in both their home openers in the first two games of the season. The Coyotes, on the other hand, hadn’t won a game during the new season, losing one game and tying the other. Of course, as anyone knows, shoe-ins for a win usually go in with a big head and end up losing.

The Coyotes came out scoring first, getting four goals on Pekka Rinne before the Preds could even score one on their goalie, Jason Labarbera. Finally, Ryan Suter was able to slip one passed and the Predators were finally on the board. The final goal was by Colin Wilson in the third, giving the Preds fans some hope for the remaining of the game. Unfortunately, after pulling Pekka during the last few minutes of the game, the Coyotes slid it right down the ice into the empty goal, sealing the final score 5-2.

Pekka Rinne definitely had a game he’d like to forget, but the blame cannot all be placed on his head. In fact, the team sort of looked like a minor league hockey team. The Preds were definitely off their game last night and it showed…bad. It also goes back to our last post about the injuries facing last night’s game. Patric Hornqvist was enviably scratched from the game last night, along with the usual suspects Martin Erat, Mike Fisher and Francis Bouillon. The mysterious happenings of Kevin Klein were put to rest last night as he took the ice. However, he looked (like most of the team) completely out of body and clueless.

However, there are a few players that are standing out this season for the best. David Legwand, the first Predator drafted, has already started the season out with a bang and is currently the leading scorer in the league. As we all know from the first two games, rookie Craig Smith is making a name for himself in the NHL, although he was relatively quite during last night’s game. Colin Wilson is another player showing his skills this season, whereas last season, he barely had any ice time.

Although they looked unnaturally rough last night, the team is quite aware of how they appeared and are planning to make a comeback against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night here in Nashville. We all have bad days and last night was one of them and (sadly you cannot control when they happen) it just so happened to be the home opener.

Saturday is a new day so let’s cheer our Nashville Predators back into a winning streak! The puck drops at 7pm!

Bothered by an upper body injury, Martin Erat is out for Thursday's home opening game.

Who isn’t excited for tomorrow’s season home opener? Well, if you are a fan of Martin Erat, you may have to suck it up for tomorrow’s game because you won’t be seeing him on the ice. Erat is out for tomorrow’s game, and possibly Saturday’s, with an upper body injury. Head Coach Barry Trotz claims that it has nothing to do with Erat’s back, which kept him out of 18 games last season.

Also on the hot seat is Patric Hornqvist, who is suffering from a lower-body injury. He, unlike Erat, is questionable as to wether he will play tomorrow. Trotz says wether Hornqvist will play will be decided before game-time.

And yet another player down for the count is Mike Fisher, who had shoulder surgery during the summer. He and Francis Bouillon have been practicing lately, but Fisher is playing the safe card and bowing out of tomorrow and Saturday’s games. As you know, Bouillon is still hurt due to a concussion suffered back in January against the Blackhawks. He, of course, will not be playing tomorrow and more than likely not Saturday, either.

And (how many ands can I have?), last but not least, there is the uncertainty of Kevin Klein. He did not practice with the team yesterday (neither did Erat) and neither player attended the “Meet the Team” event at the Bridgestone Arena yesterday. Rumors have circulated that Klein was feeling under the weather and we hope that’s all it is. However, Pekka Rinne caught the flu a few days ago and still put on his sweater and played (maybe Peks is just more devoted).

These injuries, however, do not have many fans worried and they shouldn’t be. With Leggy on his game and the new kid, Craig Smith showing up the veterans, the Predators might be okay without Erat, Fisher, Bouillon, and possibly Hornqvist and Kevin Klein. Someone knock on wood.

Rookie Craig Smith continues to wow the Nashville Predators and its fans.

Though the entire game did not fall directly on the rookie’s shoulders, Craig Smith was definitely the talk of the game tonight as he scored his second NHL career goal, setting a Nashville Predators record. Smith has already gained a following with Preds fans, as he is not afraid to pressure the opposing team and enjoys shooting, rather than simply passing until the perfect shot opens up.

Although it was a good night for Craig Smith, the Predators were a little shaky with their moves and play tonight. Unnecessary and careless penalties caused problems during the game, leading the Blues to score and keep a close foot on the Predators. Luckily, with saves from Peks, a goal from Kevin Klein, and two from Leggy, the Preds managed to slip passed the Blues in their home arena and win 4 – 2. “We played a little rope-a-dope. We got great goaltending and won the game on special teams,” Coach Barry Trotz was quoted as saying about the game tonight.

Also, on another note, David Legwand carried the Alternate duties tonight due to Martin Erat being out for an upper body injury. He is scheduled to play by next Thursday.

With this win, the Nashville Predators are undefeated 2-0 for the season. The next game is this Thursday, October 13th in Nashville against the Coyotes. This is the Predators season home opener and is expected to sellout… as it should.