As the last two weeks of the regular season begins, the Predators are in Columbus for the latest of big games on this improbable run for the post-season. The team comes into tonight’s game with the knowledge that David Legwand and Martin Erat are gone for the regular season. They play tonight without their captain Jason Arnott, enforcer Wade Belak and rookie Ryan Jones. They play with recent callups Cal O’Reilly and Mike Santorelli with a combined total of 11 games of NHL experience.

With every injury, every roadblock, every setback… Pred Nation thinks “Oh well… that’s it…” and the team just keeps on rolling. Gaining steam with each passing game and confounding the traditional hockey media by being there… again! Building the hopes of Pred fans that there may be more hockey to this season.

I’m reminded of the great American humorist Mark Twain and his famous quote of “the report of my death was an exaggeration.”

Every time fate tries to bury this team it bounces back. Every time the media tries to bury this franchise, the fans refuse to allow it, baffling the so-called experts by increasing paid attendance year over year in one of the worst economies in recent history.

Nashville is falling in love with the Preds all over again… how can you not? The buzz on the streets is palpable; people are talking about this team. Not focusing on attendance, or being sold, or being moved… They are talking about this team's performance on the ice, marveling at the way it handles adversity, astonished at how resiliant this group of players is and completely loving the run this team is on.

When all is said and done, this team may not make the playoffs… if they do, they may go one and done for the fifth straight year… All that being possible, there still is one helluva story being written in Nashville.

Game time is 6pm with coverage on 104.5 the Zone and FS Tennessee.

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The Predators won’t get a heck of a lot of sympathy from Columbus, they have their own injury issues as well. Brandon and I had a great conversation with Eric Smith last night on HBR. His take on the situation in Columbus was very interesting. Check it out on the podcast of HBR… click on the podcast link on HockeyBuzz Radio.com.

Eklund is in Columbus for tonight’s game… Julie Robenhymer is joining him, I look forward to his take on the atmosphere in the home of the OSU Buckeyes…

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I get press releases from the Predators regarding call-ups and changes… standard fare… however, I got a joke one yesterday that rang very true considering the rash of injuries this team has gone through.

The joke press release I got yesterday outlines the callup of Milwaukee Admirals mascot Roscoe to replace Preds mascot Gnash who sustained an unfortunate drum injury… the release is very funny stuff… There’s an old saying that states that most humor is based in truth. Sure is true in this case…

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The “Where We Stand” Update

The Predators stand 7th in the Western Conference at 84 points. They are one point ahead of St. Louis, two points ahead of Anaheim, three points ahead of Edmonton and four ahead of Minnesota.

The Predators are…

- Two points behind 6th place Columbus, the Preds have two remaining games against the Jackets, tonight @ Nationwide Arena and Saturday at Sommet Center.


Tonight’s Impact Games

- Anaheim @ Edmonton - Another Ducks/Oil game… the Ducks should be up for this one after dropping one at home to Edmonton last week. A Ducks win tonight in regulation puts a serious dent in the Oil’s playoff hopes.

- Vancouver @ Minnesota - A Minnesota loss tonight may kill the Wild’s playoff hopes. According to SportsClubStats.com, if the Wild lose, they drop to a less than 10% chance of making the playoffs.

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Join Brandon Felder and me for the fastest hour in radio… HockeyBuzz Radio, every Monday night. Monday’s show begins an hour later at 7pm on SportsRadio 560 WNSR, you can listen online at www.wnsr.com or you can download the podcast of the show at www.hockeybuzzradio.com

On Monday's HBR, we’ll talk to our good friend Al Cimaglia to preview the next night’s Preds/Blackhawks game. We’ll do our review/preview of the week in Predator hockey and we’ll take your calls at 844-5600. That’s all on Monday's HockeyBuzz Radio… at a special start time of 7pm.

Also... don't forget to check out www.hockeybuzzradio.com for updates, links to more hockey and Predators information.

We also have a section called "Our House" chock full of pictures from recent games... some on the ice, but mostly of the fans... Be on the lookout for the HBR photographer and webmaster Denise McCann at Predator home games… Smile pretty or do something crazy! And you too could be on hockeybuzzradio.com.

The “Our House” section will be updated today with pictures from last night’s Shark game.

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