Tag: Steve Sullivan

Weber wins 2016 Mark Messier Leadership Award

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Image Source: Google Images

For the third time in the organization’s history, a Nashville Predators player has won an award at the National Hockey League Awards. Now, the organization has had countless nominees, but yes, only three winners in its eighteen years.

Those three guys? Steve Sullivan won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2009, Mike Fisher won the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2012, and now Shea Weber, winning the Mark Messier Leadership Award earlier tonight.

The Mark Messier Leadership Award is presented to the NHL player who exemplifies leadership capabilities both on and off the ice, including charitable contributions in the local community. Along with Pekka Rinne, Shea Weber created the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund, which benefits the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Weber’s commitment to his hometown of Sicamous, British Columbia also helped win him this award.

Though the league and fans have a hand in deciding who will be the chosen few for this award, the winner is ultimately decided by Mark Messier himself. Messier ultimately decided that Shea Weber was more worthy of his aptly-named award than John Tavares of the New York Islanders and Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals.

Biased are we, but this award was much deserved by the Predators captain. Congrats to Shea Weber!

Preds nominate Rinne for 2015 Masterton

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Source: Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images

Source: Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images

The first of what we hope to be many Predators has been nominated for the 2015 NHL Awards! Any surprise that title belongs to Pekka Rinne? Here’s a little excerpt from the official release:

Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne has been named the team’s nominee for the 2015 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA), awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Rinne, who missed 51 games during the 2013-14 season due to hip surgery and a subsequent bacterial infection, has returned to the ice this season to post his second career, 40-win campaign to help guide the Predators to their first postseason berth since the 2011-12 season.

If he takes the cake, Pekka Rinne will join former Nashville Predator, Steve Sullivan, who won the award back in 2009. The 2015 NHL Awards are being held in Las Vegas on June 24th.

Number Changes for 2013-14

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Eric Nystrom will carry No. 24 from the Stars.

 

Whoa! Rip van Winkle here, right? This off-season has been relatively quiet compared to years past, but we are okay with that (still eying you, Toots & Suter).

But we figured we’d wake the 20-year sleep for an update on number changes for the 2013-14 season. Because, we all want to scream out the correct name-to-player, right? It is a tad embarrassing when you yell the wrong name and you can only blame blurry contacts so many times.

So here’s the changes:

  • Eric Nystrom will continue wearing No. 24, a sure sign Matt Halischuk is officially gone.
  • Taylor Beck will no longer rep the No. 56, but now drop to No. 41.
  • Patrick Cehlin tends to favor No. 29, but donned No. 10 with the Admirals. He will carry that number over to the Predators, replacing the iconic Martin Erat.
  • Kevin Henderson will ditch No. 46 for Brandon Yip’s former No. 18.
  • Matt Cullen preferred No. 7 while with the Wild, so it’s only natural he’d take former Pred (now Minnesota Wild) Jonathon Blum’s number.
  • Viktor Stalberg, fresh off his Stanley Cup win, will continue his streak with the No. 25 for the Preds, taking Jerred Smithson’s old number.
  • Matt Hendricks rolled with No. 26 while with the Capitals, so he picks up where he left off with Nashville. To us, it will always be Steve Sullivan’s number.

Not too many changes, but hopefully this will prepare you for preseason in case you question why Martin Erat was back on the ice.What do you think about the number changes and additions?

Radulov saves Preds from Shutout; Penguins Win 5-1 over Predators

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Alexander Radulov wastes no time getting back into a Preds sweater.

After a rough and embarrassing loss against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, the Predators took to the road once again, seeking a win in Pittsburgh against the newly-returned Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. Since Crosby’s return last Thursday, the Penguins have left a wake of destruction behind them, burying the Rangers, the Devils, and the Jets. The only team to escape unscathed was the Flyers, and even then it was an OT loss 3-2. Just looking at Pittsburgh’s past schedule (their last loss since Sunday was against Buffalo on February 19th), it is clear the Predators weren’t just going to walk in here and walk out with a win. Even with the return of Alexander Radulov, the Predators were going to have to make little to no mistakes against this Eastern Conference powerhouse in order to steal their ranking back from the Red Wings.
Here are the highlights from tonight’s game:

KEY POINTS:

  • Pittsburgh wasted no time letting their fans sing, as Evgeni Malkin sent a speeding slap shot passed Pekka Rinne to seal his 44th goal of the season at 1:23. Malkin is currently 2nd in goals in the league, sitting just a few goals behind Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
  • Pascal Dupuis sealed his 22nd goal of the season at 4:06, putting the Penguins up over the Predators early in the 1st 2-0.
  • Pittsburgh would continue to dominate the Predators into the 2nd, with Matt Cooke sending a wrist shot passed Pekka to land his 17th goal of the season at 1:58.
  • Putting the Penguins up 4-0, Chris Kunitz would hit a wrist shot of his own passed Nashville’s goalie to collect his 22nd goal of the season at 7:35.
  • Nashville would finally sink a goal passed Marc-Andre Fleury at 12:01 from Alexander Radulov. Good start since leaving the Predators and NHL four years ago, it was clear that Pittsburgh fans did not approve of Radulov’s return. Hall Gill (11th assist) and Patric Hornqvist (14th assist) picked up the assists on the newly-returned Russian’s goal.
  • Evgeni Malkin would remind Pittsburgh fans who the better of the two Russians were with his second goal of the night at 19:04, sending the Penguins up 5-1. Although his 45th goal of the season, Malkin still falls behind Stamkos in the standings. However, he did surpass Steven Stamkos in points. Many believe Malkin will be top contender for the Hart Memorial Trophy this year.
  • The Predators took plenty of shots on goal tonight, but their accuracy lacked the intensity that the Penguins were able to bestow upon Nashville defense and net. Nashville out-shot Pittsburgh 30 to 23, but again, accuracy was just not in the cards with the Predators tonight. Sergei Kostitsyn, Martin Erat, and Mike Fisher had prime goal chances, but the connection just wasn’t there. Alexander Radulov and Craig Smith also had some close goals, but in the end, it just wasn’t meant to be for the Predators.
  • Although having a rough night, Pekka Rinne was not pulled and replaced with Anders Lindback. As you recall, Pekka was pulled at the beginning of the 2nd Period on Tuesday night against Edmonton due to a chippy performance. Trotz let Peks play the 60 minutes, which may have actually been the best for him. Instead of being frustrated and discouraged from being pulled, a loss at which he had control of may cause him to snap back into his former self. Unfortunately, goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has now surpassed Pekka as leader in wins… just by one point, though. Pekka still has a chance to overthrow the French-Canadian.
  • The Predators only gave the Penguins one penalty throughout the entire game with an interference call on Shea Weber at 19:01 in the 1st Period. The Predators were given two chances, but were unable to perform on either power play.

Most would say, “Oh well, at least the loss was to an Eastern Conference team.” However, with the playoffs inching closer by the minute and with teams like the Red Wings surpassing the Predators and Chicago on their coattails, the Predators have no room to be lazy and sluggish. Keep in mind, though, every team goes through rough patches and, unfortunately, the Predators happen to be bopping through theirs close to the playoffs. It’s easy to get discouraged and flustered about the Predators and their future in the playoffs (again, lackluster plays = couch time), but rough patches will and do happen.

Last but not least, congrats to Alexander Radulov and sealing his first goal of his NHL career since leaving for the KHL four years ago. Not only that, sinking that said goal in his first game back. Similar to Andrei Kostitsyn’s first goal as a Predator during his first game (also on the road), Radulov started off on the right foot tonight.

The Predators are on their way back to Nashville tonight, taking tomorrow off and then taking on another Eastern Conference foe, the Atlanta Thrash- err, Winnipeg Jets. And, just for good measure, the puck will drop at 6PM instead of the usual 7PM start time, easing the folks on EST (what about us with Pacific time?!). Don’t forget, the Predators will be having a public practice tomorrow at 11AM at Centennial Sportsplex.

Until then,
GO PREDS.

(Photo credit: Gregory Shamus/NHLI via Getty Images)