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May 2010 bring you everything you need, and a few things that you want. Thanks for supporting this blog, the radio show, the hockeybuzzradio.com website.
From the entire HockeyBuzz Radio family… Happy New Year!
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You just knew it.
Going into the third period of last night’s Predators/Blue Jackets game, you could feel that the Predators were close to tying up the game and would find another way to rip the heart out of a Columbus team just looking for the roof to collapse on them… again. As the third progressed, the pressure built, until, finally, Joel Ward, gets the puck to rookie Andreas Thuresson who buries it to tie the game with 7:21 remaining.
Chances are exchanged, great saves made by both goaltenders, posts were hit, overtime was inevitable. First shift out, the Preds are buzzing and Joel Ward is doing more great work behind the net, battling with the Jacket’s Matheiu Roy, staying hard on the puck, drawing Jan Hejda’s attention and opening up David Legwand. Ward gets it to Legwand… Game over. The Predators win their fifth consecutive game over the Blue Jackets.
The frustration on the bench and in the arena was palpable, sticks were cracked over the crossbar and fans let their displeasure be known as the Blue Jackets finished the month of December with a 2-9-4 record, falling from playoff contender to pretender in four and a half weeks and wasting the best start in their franchise history.
You have to think that changes are coming to one or both of the Predator’s last two opponents. St. Louis’ Andy Murray and Columbus’ Ken Hitchcock are two coaches on the hot seat. Both teams with solid looks in the playoffs last year, both teams not living up to their pre-season expectations, both teams mired on the outside looking in at the playoff seeds in the Western Conference.
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I kept flipping between the Preds game and the WJC game between Team USA and Team Canada. I was grateful for the staggered start times :-) Congrats to Team Canada on their come from behind, shootout win 5-4. Team USA cannot be pleased with blowing a 4-2 lead.
The quarter-finals are Saturday and the US will be playing the powerful Finns, Russia is taking on Switzerland with the winners taking on Sweden and Canada respectively. Team USA will have to win through to the Finals to get another shot at Canada. I hope that happens as the rematch would be a classic.
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Friday Notes
- The Predators are at their halfway point in the season. After 41 games their record stands at 24-14-3 for 51 points. Good for a tie with Calgary for fifth in the conference. This with a team struggling on special teams and not getting the kind of consistent goaltending they were looking for. Not bad at all…
- The Predators have opened up a five point lead over Detroit in the Central, 11 points over St. Louis and 12 points over last place Columbus.
- Really looking forward to sitting down at Noon to watch the Winter Classic today… the weather forecast has held up, it looks to be in the mid-30’s for the game with just a slight chance of drizzle.
Wed. 1/6 - HockeyBuzz Radio hits the road as Pete Weber and I go live to Dave and Buster’s in Opry Mills to be part of WNSR’s Hockey Block. HBR will go on the air at 6pm… then at 7pm, it’s the season premier of the WNSR Predator’s Player Show, the show is hosted by Greg Pogue and is scheduled to have Dan Hamhuis and Jerred Smithson as guest for the first show. Join us at Dave and Buster’s in Opry Mills for a great night of hockey talk!
You are invited to follow me on Twitter. Search for PredPAPaul… Not only will I be updating when I get news or updates… I’ll also be updating during Pred home games in season with information and explanations from the PA box.
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