A poor showing in Motown and a day to think about it as the Predators get back on the ice today and Tuesday for practice. They they head out to the West Coast for visits to Phoenix, Los Angeles and Anaheim. This early season road trip is always a good one for team building, and after a couple of challenging losses, appears to be right what the doctor ordered for the Predators.

Injuries are finally catching up with this team, as the Preds continue to miss Ryan Suter, Marcel Goc and Matthew Lombardi… adding Francis Bouillon and Jordin Tootoo to the list as both were scratched Saturday night with the ever-popular “upper body injury” made things even worse. A couple of days off certainly will help in getting this team healthy and the schedule is favorable for healing, at least for the next two weeks. After that, it’s eight games in 14 days which will be a big factor in where this team ends up in April.

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The Tennessean needs to figure it out… the problem isn’t with the writers. It’s with the lazy or non-existent editing. The latest in a long history of hockey gaffes happened in the Sunday edition of the Tennessean as they headlined an AP story on the Preds/Wings game…

“Detroit defenseman overwhelms Preds”

The defenseman the Tennessean was referring to? Pavel Datsyuk. Helloooo??? Is there an editor in the house? A fact-checker? Anyone? Bueller??

The thing that the traditional media (especially newspapers) has always dogged bloggers about is their playing fast and loose with facts and the errors in their work. The criticism is fair. I'm the first to admit, I ain’t perfect. I screw up and you guys let me know it, then I correct and apologize and move on. But there is a key difference... as a blogger, I don’t have an editor, I don’t have a fact-checker, it’s coming from me, working without a net, and sometimes we don't do the proper due dilligence.

Newspapers have those safety nets… and for the second time in a little over two weeks, they failed the hockey writers at the Tennessean... badly.

This is not a Josh Cooper or Bryan McMullen issue, these beat writers do a very good job… this is a systemic issue inside of the paper, and it calls into question everything that gets printed in it.

Let's face it... if you can’t get a simple thing like Pavel Datsyuk being a forward right… how can I trust that you get complicated things like economics or geopolitics correct?

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Hockey fans held hostage and released!

The siege is over and the blackouts are done… conveniently, right around the time early bird pricing expired for Center Ice.

Glad that’s done…

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Sending along best wishes, thoughts and prayers to Preds assistant coach Peter Horachek after his surgery. Get well soon!

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You are invited to follow me on Twitter. Search for PredPAPaul… Not only will I be updating when I get news or updates, but we are having a bit of fun by getting your input on Gnash introductions, weigh in on Twitter and who knows, we may use your introduction for the best mascot in the NHL at the next Preds game!

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COMING UP ON THE NEXT SLAPSHOT RADIO…

SlapShot Radio’s is back and better than ever. This week, we will preview the Preds West Coast roadie and take a look around the league. SlapShot Radio, SportsRadio 560 WNSR, every Wednesday at 6pm… listen online or on podcast at www.slapshotradio.com... Join us tonight!

For the most updated guest information go to the SlapShot Radio website.

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