Tag: AHL

Preds take Lightning 3-2 with OT Winner

Leave a comment
Source: John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images

Source: John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images

Has it decided that the Predators love the game so much they just have to beyond regulation? Or am I – and everyone else – just suffering from a case of déjà vu? Either way you slice it, the Predators are coming out with the two points — whilst doling a point to their given opponent. The Tampa Bay Lightning are just as their name perceives – lightning fast and that trait has helped boost them to the top of the Eastern Conference and fourth in the league (tied at 74 points with the Blues who have one less loss than the Bolts). The Predators have more of a “if I can setup the play, I’ll just dump it” mentality, which has gotten better this season than in the past, but with a in-your-face team like Tampa Bay, the Predators needed to be a little more risqué when it comes to shooting the puck… at the net.

SCRATCHES: Mattias Ekholm, Colin Wilson, Olli Jokinen

FIRST PERIOD:

  • For the third game in a row, neither team was able to get one in the net during the third period. Chalk this one up to both Pekka Rinne and Andrei Vasilevskiy just being on point. Rinne blocked ten shots-on-goal while Vasilevskiy blocked his eight shots. I mean, look what this kid did to rob Mike Ribeiro:

SECOND PERIOD:

  • In only his second NHL Career game, Anthony Bitetto – who was called up to fill in for the injured Mattias Ekholm – dropped the gloves against Brett Connolly. Bitetto did so to defend fellow player Craig Smith, which made a fairly good impression on his teammates – that, and Bitetto clearly won the bout.
  • Seth Jones would finally get the blood flowing at 8:31 with his 6th goal of the season. Viktor Stalberg (4) and Anton Volchenkov (5) nabbed the assists.
  • Just four minutes later, Taylor Beck would put Nashville up 2-0 at 12:47, his fifth goal of the season. Paul Gaustad (9) and Eric Nystrom (5) would tally the assists.
  • Nashville would own the second period, sending 11 shots-on-goal compared to Tampa Bay’s eight.

THIRD PERIOD:

  • Ah, but the Lightning weren’t going down without a fight. At just 1:20 into the third, Brett Connolly made up for losing his bout with Bitetto and sent a wrister whizzing past Rinne, his 10th of the season.
  • And, just seven minutes later, Nikita Kucherov would tie the game at 7:50 with a slapshot, his 21st of the season.
  • The Predators just couldn’t muster up another goal (nor could Tampa Bay) so thus the déjà vu of bonus hockey returns.

OVERTIME:

  • In what everyone deemed was going into a shootout, James Neal had other plans. Breaking the puck away with less than 30 seconds left in overtime, Neal connected on a wrister to win the game, his 18th goal of the season. Roman Josi (28) and Matt Cullen (7) assisted in the winner.

NOTEWORTHY:

  • Viktor Stalberg, who was called up to fill in for the ailing Colin Wilson, saw 11:43 of ice time walked away with one point (assist).
  • With the trade deadline fast approaching (March 2nd), will Nashville make a move? No doubt they will, but in order to get something good, you’ve got to trade something good in return (whether that be a player, draft pick, or a combination of both). With no word on Ryan Ellis’ return (and the fact his jersey has no appeared in the GnashVegas auction), my guess is Ellis will be up for trade bait. Yes, he did just recently sign a five-year, $12.5M contract, but remember, we traded Patric Hornqvist off during his five-year contract extension, too (just one year after he signed it).
  • Colin Wilson may be ready to return within the next game or two, as he was practicing with the team yesterday morning.
  • With just ten more wins, Nashville can secure a playoff spot. That, and they are just two points from being the first team to reach 80 points this season. Me gusta.

If you missed last night’s game, then you surely don’t want to miss tomorrow’s against the Winnipeg Jets, a division rival that’s clawing for a playoff spot. Winnipeg is twelve points behind Nashville, but has won their last two; they’ll be looking to knock of the league leader for sure tomorrow night.

Bitetto & Stalberg Recalled to NSH

Leave a comment

PicMonkey Collage

I’m a little behind on the hockey news today due to teaching some local high school students about Marketing (woop, woop) so hopefully, you are too by reading this. Due to injuries sustained by both Colin Wilson (Saturday night against the Rangers) and Mattias Ekholm (Sunday against the Panthers), both Anthony Bitetto and Viktor Stalberg were recalled from the Milwaukee Admirals to fill their void.

Bitetto, who has already been called up once this season (made his NHL debut back on January 17th against Detroit) and… sorry Stalberg, we’ve lost count. Colin Wilson did join the team for their morning skate, but Head Coach Peter Laviolette did not go into details on whether or not he’ll be back in the lineup tonight or not.

The Predators take on the #3 team in the League, the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight and, since it won’t be broadcasted tonight, you better be jumping on some tickets.

Mazanec Reassigned to Milwaukee

Leave a comment

Frederick Breedon/Getty Images

Yes, Marek Mazanec has been reassigned to the Milwaukee Admirals. Yes, this calls for a premeditated celebration. If you are like me, however (and believe everything you say or do is prone to jinxing), you will wait until it is officially official that Pekka Rinne is returning to the lineup. However, for the sake of celebration, be prepared for the announcement that Rinne will be ready for tomorrow’s game against Anaheim.

Mazanec Recalled; Rinne Skates

Leave a comment

Source: Frederick Breedon/Getty Images

It comes as no surprise that the Predators have recalled goaltender Marek Mazanec now that they All-Star break is over and it’s time to get back to business. However, to go along with said recall is the fact that Pekka Rinne has been cleared to skate and will gearing up to begin practicing with the team once again.

It was pretty clear all along that Rinne wouldn’t spend the entire time frame he was given (3-5 weeks) and Mazanec’s original recall was a good testament to that. However, until he is officially called back into action, do not count your chickens before they hatch. With him skating now, though, I give him a good week before he returns; possibly the away game against the Penguins on February 1st or the home game against Toronto on February 3rd. Don’t quote me on that (unless I am right), but I have a good feeling Rinne will be back sooner rather than later.

Tomorrow, the Predators welcome in Central Division rival, the Colorado Avalanche, then have yet another back-to-back Friday (in St. Louis) and Saturday (in Denver).

NSH Reassigns Mazanec to Milwaukee

Leave a comment

Source: Claus Andersen/Getty Images North America

I’m going to go ahead and say this now: Don’t get too excited. He isn’t returning to the Admirals because Pekka has been miraculously healed and is jumping at the chance to return. First off, there’s the All-Star break and Pekka will not be participating whatsoever in that party. Second, the Admirals have a game tonight and Friday night, so Mazanec is looking at some ice time. There’s a good chance he’ll make his recall to Nashville at the end of the All-Star break.

Don’t get down in the dumps, either. with Rinne, you never know; he just isn’t the type of guy that lingers on an injury.

Also, for future reference, when searching for photos of “Mazanec”, make sure you add Marek to the search because this:
breadFor Mazanec is a sweet bread served at Easter. The more you know.
tumblr_ln0te7pdOc1qitp7go1_250

Hutton Shines but Preds fall 2-1 in OT to Habs

Leave a comment
Source: John Mahoney

Source: John Mahoney

Are you still a little hot under the collar after last night’s game? You should be. Though the Predators came out with one point, they still lost in what could be the worst way possible: terrible calls from the officials. Both goals awarded to Montreal were brought on by fluky penalties called on Craig Smith (first a holding, then a tripping in OT). The Predators also lose their record of no back-to-back losses this season. Very frustrating, indeed.

Things to take away from this game:

  • Taylor Beck was indeed the odd man out for last night’s bout against the Canadiens, meaning Olli Jokinen is safe for another day.
  • Eric Nystrom, as expected, returned to the ice last night after being placed on the IR back on January 8th. Nystrom saw 13:41 minutes of ice time.
  • Mike Ribeiro notched his 10th goal of the season off a tip-in deflection from a Seth Jones shot. Ribeiro was drafted 45th overall by the Canadiens in the 1998 NHL Draft and spent the 1999-00 through 2005-06 seasons (including a few stints with Montreal’s AHL team and a stint in Finland during the 04-05 lockout) with Montreal. Needless to say, last night’s goal for him hit the sweet spot for this native of Montreal.
  • Seth Jones collected his 11th assist of the season on Ribeiro’s goal, along with Filip Forsberg who picked up his 25th assist. Forsberg know has 40 total points this season and continues to lead rookies in all categories.
  • Carter Hutton had his best game this season, hands down. Sure, he hasn’t gotten to see too much ice time, but with Pekka out, he has certainly stepped up when it mattered most. Check out this save below:

  • Though his record states 1-4-3, you cannot argue that this is truly a stat that undermines the true skill behind Carter Hutton. He blocked 25 of 27 shots, most of which were very Pekka-esque. Luck, sadly, just hasn’t been on his side so far.
  • Peter Laviolette had some choice words for the officials last night after that botched tripping call that lead to Montreal’s victory in OT. If you read lips, you know what the head coach is barking about (and he has every reason to do so):
  • Mike Ribeiro also went on record to express his feelings towards the refs:

The Predators are now 30-10-5, which – on the bright side – is a feat to be proud of in its own right. Unfortunately, it stings a little more when you’ve gotten spoiled on multiple victories. A game like Detroit’s on Saturday should’ve hit Nashville right in the gut – now that was a face-plant. Last night’s in Montreal, however, can be dealt to the zebras; the Predators dominated that entire game and did not pull a “Green Bay” and drop the ball in the last few moments of the game.

The Predators get a much needed hiatus due to the All-Star break and will be back here at home on Tuesday, January 27th to welcome in the Colorado Avalanche.

Noteworthy Notes: Montreal Calling

Leave a comment

Source: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America

After a disappointing loss to Detroit 5-2 Saturday, the Predators hit the road to Montreal for one more game before the All-Star break this weekend. Though Nashville handled themselves well last Friday against the Washington Capitals with Carter Hutton in net, bringing him in back-to-back the next night proved fatal; though Detroit was on point that night no matter who was guarding Nashville’s net. So, what’s been going on since the defeat?

  • As fast as he came, Anthony Bitetto was reassigned to the Milwaukee Admirals after his NHL debut and first career call up. Bitetto tallied 11:01 of ice time for his first shot at the big time.
  • Viktor Stalberg might as well live out of a suitcase due to being reassigned to Milwaukee once again.
  • That being said, Eric Nystrom will make his return after a hiatus on the IR tonight in Montreal.
  • But… that leaves Olli Jokinen out. The lines for yesterday’s practice amongst forwards were: Forsberg-Ribeiro-Smith; Wilson-Fisher-Neal; Cullen-Jarnkrok-Bourque; Nystrom-Gaustad-Beck.
  • Ah, but this morning, practice amongst forwards fell as: Forsberg-Ribeiro-Smith; Wilson-Fisher-Neal; Cullen-Jarnkrok-Bourque; Nystrom-Gaustad-Jokinen with Taylor Beck as the odd man out. All the speculations!
  • Fun Fact: The Predators hold a 6-5-(1)-4 all-time record against the Montreal Canadiens.

WORLD WIDE WORLD OF TWITTER:

Predators Recall Anthony Bitetto

Leave a comment
Source: Sarah Fuqua Photography

Source: Sarah Fuqua Photography

Late last night, the Predators slipped in that Anthony Bitetto had been recalled by the organization to join the team on their trip to Detroit. This is young defenseman’s first career NHL call up and is expected to make his NHL debut tonight as well. Here’s an excerpt from the official presser released by the Predators:

Bitetto, 24 (7/15/90), leads Milwaukee defensemen in points (2g-17a-19pts) while appearing in all 38 of the team’s games in 2014-15. During the team’s current six-game winning streak, the Island Park, New York, native has six points (1g-5a), moving him into a tie for eighth among all AHL blueliners in assists, and into the Top 15 League d-men in points. A season ago, his first full campaign at the AHL level, the 6-0, 215-pounder tied for sixth among AHL defensemen in goals (11), and for ninth in power-play goals (6). Nashville’s fourth choice, 168th overall (sixth round), in the 2010 Entry Draft, Bitetto did not miss a game during a two-year collegiate career at Northeastern University (Hockey East) from 2010-12, compiling 35 points (7g-28a) in 72 games, and helped the Indiana Ice win the 2009 Clark Cup as United States Hockey League champions. He is on Twitter @ABitetto7.

Bitetto, a mentioned above, leads the Admirals defencemen in points and has tallied 144 games in a three year span. So, who’s hurt? What was originally called a hand injury sustained by Victor Bartley in last night’s bout with the Capitals, it was deemed at game time to be an injury sustained by Anton Volchenkov. So there you have it.

The Predators hit the ice in Detroit tonight at 6PM, then it’s off to Montreal to take on the Canadiens on Tuesday.

Kevin Fiala assigned to Milwaukee Admirals

Leave a comment
Source: imgkid.com

Source: imgkid.com

In a rather surprising move late this afternoon, the Predators announced that 2014 First Round Draft Pick, Kevin Fiala would be assigned to Nashville’s farm team, the Milwaukee Admirals. This news comes on the heels of Nashville announcing that former 2012 draft pick, Mikko Vainonen had been reassigned to SaiPa of SM-Liiga (of Finland). Vainonen has been spending most of his time on the ECHL level with the Cincinnati Cyclones. Check his story here, provided by Admirals Roundtable. Whether those two moves have anything to do with one another, I am not the judge of that, but it is still very interesting, to say the least. One may throw out the fact that tomorrow is the international transfer deadline; yea, that could very well be it.

Here’s an excerpt from the official press release from the Predators about Mr. Fiala:

Fiala, 18 (7/22/96), posted 14 points (5g-9a) in 20 games for HV-71 this season, tied for the fourth-most goals and assists, and sixth-most points among SHL junior players. The 5-10, 180-pound winger also represented Switzerland at the 2015 World Junior Championship, being named one of the nation’s three best players for the tournament while tying for fifth among all skaters in goals (4g-1a-5pts, 6gp).

In 2013-14, Fiala was a finalist for the 2014 Swedish Hockey League Rookie of the Year Award after tying for the lead in points among all under-18 SHL players with 11 (3g-8a) in 17 games for HV71. The 13th overall selection in the 2014 Draft represented his homeland at the World Junior Championship, Under-18 World Championship and World Championship in 2014, becoming just the third player ever to participate in all three tournaments in the same year (Andrei Kostitsyn and Vadim Karagan, Belarus in 2003).

The young left-winger just about made the team during training camp, so it would not be surprising to see him lace up for the Predators sometime this season.

Marek Mazanec recalled by Preds; Rinne out 3-5 Weeks

Leave a comment
marek_mazanec_nashville_predators_feature_12_13_13

Source: Yahoo! Sports

When did I get the solid clue that Marek Mazanec would be recalled to Nashville to fill in for Pekka Rinne?

…When Admirals Roundtable tweeted that Mazanec did not travel with the team to Hamilton, Ontario to for their bout against the Bulldogs. Oh yea, and when they also announced that the Admirals had called up Rob Madore from the Cincinnati Cyclones.

What was originally announced as possibly three games missed has now turned into 3-5 weeks for Pekka Rinne, who is suffering from a sprain in his knee. Ouchies. However, he will also miss the All-Star Game – while a bummer – is actually a blessing in disguise; that break could be a lifesaver along the way, especially considering after Saturday’s game in Detroit, the Predators have one game within a 9-day span. Pekka will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break to determine if his sprain is more severe, though I am staying on the positive side and saying he’ll be back before four weeks.

Also look at this bright side, my comrades: If you recall, Mazanec received the NHL Rookie of the Month status back in November of 2013, when he covered 25 games for Nashville (due to an ailing Pekka Rinne). Needless to say, Marek Mazanec has his feet wet and, with a record of 11-8-3-1 this season, he’ll be a great replacement part for Rinne while he mends. It must be noted though, that Mazanec will more than likely back up current backup to Rinne, Carter Hutton.