Tag: Roberto Luongo

O Captain, What Captain: Who will be the 7th Nashville Predators Captain?

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ap_shea-weber_ap-photo

While checking out at Publix over the weekend, the kid manning the self-checkout station approached me about my P.K. Subban shirt. Yes, I’ve already purchased a Subban “shirtsey” because I am still giddy about this trade. He asked me about who would replace Shea Weber as captain and I mentioned a few options, but ultimately decided it was worth a post.

While this subject has been up for debate since the millisecond after it was announced Weber was shipping off to Montreal, it has been fun to see all the different speculations as to who might be presented with this significant role and title. But first, let’s talk about the roles of captain and alternate captain. While it is easy to assume that the more veteran players would be on the top of the list, that is not always the case. Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche is a prime example that age and (NHL) experience doesn’t always play a major factor when it comes to becoming the captain. Drafted second overall in the 2011 NHL Draft, Landeskog became the youngest captain in NHL history at the age of 19 in 2012. It should also be noted that – though it’s nothing new to Nashville – being a part of one organization for years doesn’t automatically qualify you for the position (or alternate) either. Sorry Leggy.

Yet another option to consider? How about no captain at all. Yes, believe it or not, there are a few teams that spend their seasons without a designated leader. The Edmonton Oilers did not have a captain last season, just a rotation of four alternate captains. And, in a more wild and unlikely (but possible) scenario, there’s the chance that title could go to Pekka Rinne (who will be featured below). Back in the day (1920s-40s), being a goalie plus the captain wasn’t unheard of. Now? Well, the League hasn’t banned net-minders being the captain altogether, but they will not acknowledge this extended title. The last goaltender to be named captain was actually rather recently in 2008 when the Vancouver Canucks bestowed the title to Roberto Luongo. While the league would not allow him to perform on-ice duties or wear the iconic ‘C’ on his sweater, he did sneak a captain’s ‘C’ onto his mask. Luongo held his captaincy from 2008-2010 before handing the title to Henrik Sedin.

I write this all to say that anything is possible as to who may be the next captain of the Nashville Predators, but I have my beliefs that it will be Roman Josi. However, it’s fun to go through all the possibly candidates because… who knows? Plus, I miss hockey.

Possible Captain Candidates:

Josi

 

  • Why he should be Captain: Uh, because he’s Roman Josi? All kidding aside, Josi has shown an incredible amount of skill and poise both on and off the ice. While we’ve known of his capabilities for years, the rest of the league is finally taking notice. After being selected to the 2016 All-Star festivities this year, Josi was finally getting more attention has a competitive contender instead of just Shea Weber’s linemate. Being an integral part of the Predators organization, this would be the time to give Josi the reins and promote him to captain status.
  • Why he wouldn’t be Captain: While I believe Josi has the greatest chance of becoming the next captain of the Nashville Predators, you cannot overlook Mike Fisher’s leadership and contributions to the team. I believe there is a slim chance they may give it to Fisher for a year and groom Josi into the position once Fisher retires.

 

Fisher

  • Why he should be Captain: Fisher has been an alternate captain since his first full season with the Predators in 2011-12. If you were to go by veteran presence alone, then Mike Fisher’s your guy. He is undoubtedly a leader both on the ice and off, thus transitioning into the captain’s role would make complete sense and would come easy to the center.
  • Why he wouldn’t be Captain: As mentioned, Fisher’s role as captain would make total sense, but there is one thing to consider: his possible retirement. Not every NHL player is a Jaromir Jagr and 36-years-old is getting kind of up there in hockey years. That, and being a new father kind of puts other things into perspective on the family front as well (because we all know Carrie’s not slowing down for a while). If he were to retire after the 2016-17 season, that means the process of choosing another captain would be up for grabs after one year. Not a huge deal, as Kimmo Timonen served as captain for one season (2006-07), but why not go ahead and choose someone that has no plans of retiring any time soon? Now, I have no idea when Fisher plans to hang up his skates, but I believe it will be sooner rather than later (he does only have one season left on his contract).

Neal

 

  • Why he should be Captain: Neal has had a leadership role with the Predators ever since arriving to Nashville in the 2014-15 season and quickly became one of the notable faces of the franchise. Though it doesn’t seem like it, Neal would fall under the veteran status within the organization and this could be his time to step up within the team.
  • Why he wouldn’t be Captain: While I don’t really have a reason as to why he would not do well as the captain, I just believe there are two better candidates on the team at this time. It is also important to note that Neal has a bit of a reputation with the officials and that does throw in a hindrance as well.

Alternate Captain Candidates:

I think it’s obvious that, if Roman Josi is named captain, the two alternate captains would continue to be Mike Fisher and James Neal. However, like last season, Roman Josi and Pekka Rinne were names alternates although they did not wear the ‘A’ on their sweaters (no, goalies cannot wear an ‘A’ either). The players below are who I believe would be good candidates for alternate captain:

 

Rinne

 

  • Why he should be an Alternate: As we are all aware, Pekka is a positive dude and holds himself accountable for situations under his control (and even those not under his control). He keeps his cool and, on the rare occasion he does get upset, you know he’s serious. Goal-tending is an unique position that essentially requires you to have some kind of leadership skills and/or qualities; Pekka Rinne’s got that down pat and it is clear that the rest of team looks to him in times of need.

 

Johansen

  • Why he should be an Alternate: Though he’s facing his first full season with the Nashville Predators, I certainly see him as being a part of the leadership group. Johansen, like Neal, has a bit of an edge to him, but it’s an edge that makes him memorable in a good way. Although he is young, he does have the makings for a great leader and Nashville will be his home to perfect those qualities.

Forsberg

  • Why he should be an Alternate: Before the acquisition of P.K. Subban, there’s no doubting that Filip Forsberg was the most exciting player on the team (and he still could be). He’s young, well-spoken, level headed, and it’s clear that the Predators intend to push him as a franchise player.

Subban

  • Why he should be an Alternate: Not only has he held this role with the Montreal Canadiens, but he is also easily the most recognizable and marketable player on the team (before even laces up with the Predators). Enough said.

Untitled

  • Why he should be an Alternate: With an intensity on the ice, Ekholm has a knack for standing up for his fellow teammates in their time of need. This devotion to his team signifies a quality a leadership that his former captain was well known for.

Ellis.jpg

  • Why he should an Alternate: With the trading of Weber, Ryan Ellis has now found himself in almost a veteran position. As someone who has expressed leadership qualities well before his time with the Predators organization, it would only be natural for the 25-year-old defenseman to move up into a more defined leadership role.

So, to summarize all of this, I believe Roman Josi will be the seventh player to be named captain of the Nashville Predators, with Mike Fisher, James Neal, and Pekka Rinne as the alternate captains. Should I have just said that from the get-go? Probably, but then this post wouldn’t have been so much fun (or taken me nearly as long). Do you have the same predictions or are you thinking something completely different? Well, we will all see soon enough.

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NHL All-Star Game Roster

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Roman Josi, Shea Weber, Pekka Rinne

Source: AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

Shortly after revealing the All-Star Game jerseys, the NHL released the ASG roster. Without further ado, here you go:

Atlantic Division

F Patrice Bergeron (BOS)

 Central Division

F Jamie Benn (DAL)
F Jaromir Jagr (FLA) F Matt Duchene (COL)
F Leo Komarov (TOR) F Patrick Kane (CHI)
F Dylan Larkin (DET) F Tyler Seguin (DAL)
F Ryan O’Reilly (BUF) F Vladimir Tarasenko (STL)
F Steven Stamkos (TBL) F Jonathan Toews (CHI)
D Aaron Ekblad (FLA) D Dustin Byfuglien (WPG)
D Erik Karlsson (OTT) D Roman Josi (NSH)
D P.K. Subban (MTL) D Shea Weber (NSH)
G Ben Bishop (TBL) G Devan Dubnyk (MIN)
G Roberto Luongo (FLA) G Pekka Rinne (NSH)
Metropolitan Division Pacific Division
F Nicklas Backstrom (WSH) F Johnny Gaudreau (CGY)
F Claude Giroux (PHI) F Taylor Hall (EDM)
F Evgeni Malkin (PIT) F Joe Pavelski (SJS)
F Alex Ovechkin (WSH) F Corey Perry (ANA)
F Brandon Saad (CBJ) F John Scott (ARI)
F John Tavares (NYI) F Daniel Sedin (VAN)
D Justin Faulk (CAR) D Brent Burns (SJS)
D Kris Letang (PIT) D Drew Doughty (LAK)
D Ryan McDonagh (NYR) D Mark Giordano (CGY)
G Braden Holtby (WSH) G John Gibson (ANA)
G Cory Schneider (NJD) G Jonathan Quick (LAK)

I’ll be completely honest here (and so will a bunch of other bloggers): I honestly did not believe Nashville would get three players to the roster. Of course, it ended up between the three everyone thought had a chance. Shea Weber had a shoe-in, simply because he’s the captain and they want him in the ‘hardest shot’ contest, but Roman Josi and Pekka Rinne were toss-ups. Though Josi definitely deserves it, Rinne is more well known and money talks.

Over all though, I am definitely happy Shea Weber, Pekka Rinne, and Roman Josi will get to represent Nashville (in Nashville) for the 2016 NHL All-Star Game and weekend.

Here’s what others are saying about the roster choices:

Okay, so I am officially excited; I am not going to lie. Nashville is well represented and that is satisfying enough. Congratulations to Weber, Rinne, and Josi!

Preds plunder Panthers 3-2 in SO

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Source: Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images

Source: Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images

There ain’t no rest for the wicked, as they say and, whether you think the Predators are wicked or not is by personal opinion, Nashville hasn’t had much breathing room. After defeating the New York Rangers 3-2 yesterday afternoon, the Predators were back at it again this afternoon against the Florida Panthers in Sunrise.

SCRATCHES: Colin Wilson

FIRST PERIOD:

  • Very much like yesterday, the first period today was slightly uneventful with no goals for either team. Both teams were given powerplay chances, but neither goaltender was willing to let one by.

SECOND PERIOD:

  • The second period belonged to the Panthers, as both Tomas Fleischmann (6) and rookie Aaron Ekblad (8) would sink goals on Carter Hutton. The period would end in favor of the Panthers 2-0.
  • Mattias Ekholm suffered an upper-body injury late in the second period after slamming into the boards. Though he was able to leave on his own, Ekholm did not return to the game after his injury.

THIRD PERIOD:

  • The Predators finally hit the right notes at 4:44 into the third period with a powerplay slapshot from Seth Jones. Mike Ribeiro (34) setup the assist for Jones’ fifth goal of the season.
  • Filip Forsberg would tie the game at 15:17 on another powerplay opportunity, collecting his 18th goal of the season. No assistance was needed for Forsberg’s snapshot past Roberto Luongo.

OVERTIME:

  • Onward to the shootout!

SHOOTOUT:

  • FLA – Brandon Pirri – MISS
  • NSH – Matt Cullen – GOAL
  • FLA – Brad Boyes – GOAL
  • NSH – Craig Smith – GOAL
  • FLA – Nick Bjugstad – GOAL
  • NSH – Roman Josi – MISS
  • FLA – Dave Bolland – MISS
  • NSH – Filip Forsberg – GOAL

NOTEWORTHY:

  • With his game-tying and game-winning goal, Filip Forsberg is all smiles – as usual. With eighteen goals, Forsberg is tied with Alexander Radulov’s rookie goal record.

    Source: @tomawillis

  • Mike Fisher cup-checked Erik Gudbranson at the end of regulation and got away scot-free. Anyone who knows Fisher knows it was unintentional, but it’s still a wee bit funny:
  • Colin Wilson, who is day-to-day, did not make the trip with the team to Florida – unsurprisingly.
  • Carter Hutton is now 5-4-4 on the season and me thinks may have found his niche.

It is certainly safe to say that Nashville came into Sunrise, Florida and stole two points from the Panthers. With the collection of two points, Nashville is now 35-12-6 and, thanks to the Lightning defeating the Ducks 5-1, the Predators are now back atop the League with 76 points. Kudos to the Blackhawks as well for taking a chunk out of the St. Louis Blues 4-2 (the Blues are down by four at 72 points).

The Predators are back Tuesday night as they welcome the best in the Eastern Conference, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

2015 NHL All-Star Weekend in Review

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Source: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Columbus, Ohio was the place to be this weekend has the city hosted the 2015 NHL All-Star Weekend. As you know, Nashville was chosen as the host city for the 2016 ASG Weekend, which will be an event on its own. But until then, let’s recap the fun that happened this weekend in Columbus… Oh, and for the sake of keeping this post from being ninety pages long, we’ll stick to Nashville’s accomplishments:

Team Foligno:

  • Nick Foligno – Columbus Blue Jackets
  • Brian Elliot – St. Louis Blues
  • Marc-Andre Fleury – Pittsburgh Penguins
  • Carey Price – Montreal Canadiens
  • Drew Doughty – L.A. Kings
  • Duncan Keith – Chicago Blackhawks
  • Kevin Shattenkirk – St. Louis Blues
  • Dustin Byfuglien – Winnipeg Jets
  • Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Arizona Coyotes
  • Brent Burns – San Jose Sharks
  • Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Edmonton Oilers
  • Bobby Ryan – Ottawa Senators
  • Alexander Ovechkin – Washington Capitals
  • Anze Kopitar – L.A. Kings
  • Radim Vrabata – Vancouver Canucks
  • Ryan Johansen – Columbus Blue Jackets
  • Zemgus Girgensons – Buffalo Sabres
  • Claude Giroux – Philadelphia Flyers
  • Phil Kessel – Toronto Maple Leafs
  • Patrick Kane – Chicago Blackhawks
  • Steven Stamkos – Tampa Bay Lightning
  • Coaching Staff: Darryl Sutter – L.A. Kings

Team Toews:

  • Jonathan Toews – Chicago Blackhawks
  • Corey Crawford – Chicago Blackhawks
  • Roberto Luongo – Florida Panthers
  • Jaroslav Halak – New York Islanders
  • Aaron Ekblad – Florida Panthers
  • Mark Giordano – Calgary Flames
  • Shea Weber – Nashville Predators
  • Johnny Gaudreau – Calgary Flames
  • Brent Seabrook – Chicago Blackhawks
  • Ryan Suter – Minnesota Wild
  • Justin Faulk – Carolina Hurricanes
  • Filip Forsberg – Nashville Predators
  • Ryan Getzlaf – Anaheim Ducks
  • Patrik Elias – New Jersey Devils
  • Patrice Bergeron – Boston Bruins
  • Rick Nash – New York Rangers
  • Tyler Seguin – Dallas Stars
  • Vladimir Tarasenko – St. Louis Blues
  • Jakub Vorachek – Philadelphia Flyers
  • John Tavares – New York Islanders
  • Coaching Staff – Peter Laviolette – Nashville Predators

As you recall, Pekka Rinne was not included in the All-Star “draft” due to sustaining a knee sprain. Because Filip Forsberg was chosen last for Team Toews, he was the lucky winner of a brand new Honda Accord. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also won a new Honda, as he was chosen last for Team Foligno.

Source: @NHL

Source: @NHL

Saturday – Skills Competition – Winner: Team Foligno

Despite a good show by Team Toews, it was Team Foligno who reigned in the Skills Competition held on Saturday evening. Both Weber and Forsberg participated in the relay and shootout, but it was Weber who shined – not surprisingly – during the Hardest Shot round.

Shea originally missed his first shot, but more than nailed his second attempt, clocking his shot at 108.5 MPH. Weber certainly won the competition, but missed notching the hardest shot ever recorded, which is held by Zdeno Chara at 108.8 MPH. Forsberg shined in the relay portion, showing off his crazy insane puck-handling skills.

Sunday – All-Star Game – Winner: Team Toews

Though the fell short in the Skills Competition, Team Toews out-powered Team Foligno by a long shot during the actual All-Star Game, winning 17-12. And, believe it or not, though the All-Star Game tends to always have a ton of goals, this was the highest scoring game in its history. Filip Forsberg’s two goals helped get Team Toews to the win, the first goals scored by a Nashville Predator in an All-Star Game. Shea Weber also notched an assist off of Tyler Seguin’s goal.

From the World Wide World of Twitter:

So that’s a wrap on the 2015 NHL All-Star Weekend. Next Stop: Nashville! But before then, the Predators must press forward with the remainder of this season and push into the playoffs. Pekka Rinne should also be re-evaluated soon, along with Ryan Ellis. The Predators return to the regular season this Tuesday as they welcome in the Colorado Avalanche at 7PM.

Trade Deadline: MTL nabs Dubnyk

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Dubbie's off to Montreal

Dubbie’s off to Montreal

So this comes as no surprise that the Predators needed to pass Devan Dubnyk on to greener pastures, but in all honesty, I expected him to fall down to the Admirals. That, my friends, was not the case today. Around noon, TSN confirmed that the Predators had traded Devan Dubnyk to the Montreal Canadiens for “future considerations”. Carey Price has been suffering from an injury, but Montreal refuses to say that is the reason for picking up Dubnyk.

That being said, Dubnyk has had a rough, but interesting, season thus far; Montreal will be his third team and he is yet another backup for an injured goaltender. That doesn’t seem to phase Dubnyk much, though; he still believes he has the ability and talent to be a starting goaltender. It’s good to have ambitions. Unfortunately, we just got word that Dubnyk is, for now, being assigned to the Hamilton Bulldogs, which is Montreal’s farm team.

Dubnyk isn’t the only goalie who has been traded thus far, though; he joins the ranks of six other goalies who are making the move, which consists of Roberto Luongo (VAN-FLA), Ilya Bryzgalov (EDM-MIN), Viktor Fasth (ANA-EDM), Ryan Miller (BUF-STL), Jaroslav Halak (STL-BUF) & Jacob Markstrom (FLA-VAN). It truly is the Goalie’s Deadline this year.

We wish Dubnyk well on his ventures with the Canadiens and we hope than not too many fans ran out and grabbed up a Preds Dubnyk jersey. We must say, though, Dubnyk lit a fire under Carter Hutton’s bottom when it came to who would hang onto that backup position. For that, we thank you.

We’ll keep you updated if Nashville decides to do something productive or absolutely asinine.

https://twitter.com/smashville/status/441269676882919424

Revenge is Sweet: Predators take out Canucks 3-1

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Mike Fisher continues to dominate as the race for the playoffs tightens.

The Vancouver Canucks are always able to draw a crowd in Nashville, only because of a building rivalry between the two Western Conference teams (and the fact Vancouver is mostly despised around these parts). After losing a in the shootout on February 7th against the Canucks, the Predators were itching to seek revenge against the Canucks at home. Here are the highlights from last night’s game:

KEY POINTS:

  • Mike Fisher wasn’t gone for long, quickly fighting off his bout with the flu. Brian McGrattan and Patric Hornqvist aren’t as lucky, still feeling the effects of their upper-body injuries, though Horny was seen on the ice during the morning skate. Jack Hillen and Chris Mueller were the healthy scratches for the night.
  • The first period was a nail-biter, with both teams putting the pressure on Luongo and Rinne in the nets. Neither team was able to produce a goal during the first, but the Canucks took 12 shots to the Predators’ 11 shots on goal.
  • The Predators struck gold first with power play goal from Mike Fisher at 5:42, his 18th goal of the season. He was assisted by Ryan Suter and Martin Erat.
  • Sergei Kostitsyn was awarded a beautiful short-handed goal at 13:16 for his 15th goal of the season. He was assisted by Mike Fisher and newcomer, Hal Gill.
  • The Canucks finally hit the board at 16:52 with a backhanded goal from Dale Weise, his 4th goal of the season. The 2nd period would end with the Predators up 2-1.
  • Similar to the first period, the 3rd period started out as a nail-biter as well. That was, until David Legwand hit a slap shot past Luongo at 17:09 for his 14th goal of the season. Leggy was assisted by Martin Erat and Mike Fisher.
  • Alex Burrows celebrated his 500th game on Tuesday night and got a little cocky somewhat. What do we mean? Well, he tried to take on Shea Weber. Unfortunately, no video could be found, but Burrows did a little pushing and Weber did a little tackling. Congrats on your 500th, Alex!
  • The Canucks ended up out-shooting the Predators 33 to 28, but Pekka Rinne was able to block 32 of those shots. Should we expect anything less? However, expect to see Anders Lindback in goal sometime soon…
  • Did you happen to notice we said Chris Mueller was scratched? Yes, the Predators called Milwaukee Admiral Chris Mueller up for the night, just as precaution. Unfortunately, Mueller got a free flight to Nashville for the night and was back at this airport this morning.
  • The Predators had more penalty kills than the Canucks, but luckily, Nashville was able to capitalize on one of Vancouver’s, and… one of their own? Short-handed goals are a slap in the face to the opposing team, and Sergei slapped the Canucks hard. Here are the three Preds who faced the penalty box:
  1. Colin Wilson – 8:35 2nd Period – Hooking
  2. Francis Bouillon – 12:29 2nd Period – Tripping
  3. Shea Weber – 19:23 2nd Period – Roughing

The Predators got the sweet revenge that they sought after, but the team doesn’t have much time to celebrate. The St. Louis Blues are on their way to Nashville and now they are seeking the revenge, having lost every game this season against the Predators. The puck drops at 7PM and, don’t forget, it’s college night!

Until then,
GO PREDS.

(Photo credit: John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)

Vancouver Scrapes by with Win in Nashville, Preds lose 4-3 in Shoot Out

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Colin Wilson gets the first goal for the Preds, but can't seal the win in the shootout.

The Nashville Predators welcome the always favored Vancouver Canucks to Music City on Tuesday night, hoping to continue their defeat of Western Conference rivals after the All-Star break. The Canucks, however, weren’t going to leave Nashville quietly, and both teams battled through regulation, overtime, and ultimately into a shootout.  Unfortunately for the Predators, it was the Canucks who slipped by with 2-point win, their 33rd win of the season, 4-3 in SO. Here are the highlights from Tuesday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks:

KEY POINTS:

  • The usuals found themselves scratched Tuesday night and that would be Jack Hillen, Gabriel Bourque, and the fighter himself, Brian McGrattan. Personally, we would have liked to see Big Ern take out Dan Hamhuis (boo) or Alex Burrows (oh heck, the whole team).
  • Both teams started out strong, but Vancouver struck first at 11:42 on the power play from Ryan Kesler, his 17th goal of the season. Both Alex Burrows and Dan Hamhuis (boo) assisted on the snap shot passed Pekka Rinne.
  • The Predators didn’t let the Canucks celebrate the 1-0 lead long, when Colin Wilson sent his own snap shot passed Roberto Luongo at 13:47, his 11th goal of the season. David Legwand and Patric Hornqvist picked up the assists.
  • Vancouver would return the pressure at 18:21 with a slap shot from Byron Bitz, his first goal of the season.
  • About 20 seconds later, the Canucks would score once more at 18:44 from Daniel Sedin, his 23rd goal of the season.
  • The Predators wasted no time in the second catching up the Canucks, with a tip-in from Sergei Kostitsyn at 4:14, his 14th goal of the season. Kevin Klein and Martin Erat assisted on the goal.
  • One minute later, at 5:16, Mike Fisher tied the game with a wrist shot passed Luongo, his 16th goal of the season. Captain Shea Weber picked up the only assist.
  • The third period produced no goals, but both teams fought hard for the winning goal. Overtime was basically the same as the third periods, with neither team able to seal the game, thus throwing the game into a shootout situation. Here is how the shootout played out:
  1. VANCOUVER – Mason Raymond – MISS
  2. NASHVILLE – Sergei Kostitsyn – SAVED BY LUONGO
  3. VANCOUVER – Ryan Kesler – SAVED BY RINNE
  4. NASHVILLE – Martin Erat – MISS
  5. VANCOUVER – Alex Burrows – GOAL
  6. NASHVILLE – David Legwand – GOAL
  7. VANCOUVER – Daniel Sedin – MISS
  8. NASHVILLE – Mike Fisher – SAVED BY LUONGO
  9. VANCOUVER – Cody Hodgson – MISS
  10. NASHVILLE – Ryan Ellis – SAVED BY LUONGO
  11. VANCOUVER – Alexander Edler – GOAL
  12. NASHVILLE – Colin Wilson – MISS
  • After twelve rounds, the Canucks were able to knock the Predators off and gain the 2-point win, leaving Nashville a little victorious (Nashville still got one point out of the game).
  • Pekka Rinne was just as strong as ever, stopping 3 of 31 shots. The Predators were able to get 4o shots on goal, with twelve of those shots taken in the second period.
  • The Predators only gave the Canucks one power play chance and, unfortunately, Vancouver was able to capitalize on Brandon Yip’s slashing penalty in the first period. The Canucks gave the Predators four power play chances, but the Predators were unable to use any of them to their advantage.

The Predators definitely felt this comeback loss to the Canucks, but at least scraped by with one point, much better than none at all. The Predators take some time in the Eastern Conference and head to the capital of Canada to face the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night and then over to Bean Town on Saturday to take on the defending Stanley Cup champs, the Boston Bruins at a special 12PM start game.

Until then,
GO PREDS.

(Photo credit: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images North America)