Game night in Detroit as the Predators try to get rid of the bitter taste in their mouths after Monday’s Atlanta collapse. By all accounts, there was a very unhappy locker room after the game and the team emerged determined to make Monday a one and done phenomenon. Nashville is playing their 16th roadie of the season, the most in the Western Conference. After tonight’s game the Preds play five of their next seven at home.

The Red Wings are in the accustomed position at the top of the division and the conference, supplementing their core talent with smartly developed draftees and selected free agents. The formula has been working for 15 years, no reason to change it now. Detroit is looking to avoid a three game losing streak and to improve on their stellar 10-2-2 home record.

The Western Conference is incredibly tight… want proof? Vancouver is third in the conference at 31 points, Phoenix is 4th with 32, Colorado is 12th with 30… two points separating 3rd from 12th. It doesn’t get any tighter than that.

The injury report may be improving for the Predators as David Legwand is listed as probable for tonight’s tilt. Matthew Lombardi and Pekka Rinne remain listed as out. The Red Wings only list Mike Modano as out.

Puck drop is at 6:30pm CST, coverage on 102.9 the Buzz and FS Tennessee.

----------------------------------------

Some call February 3, 1959 the day the music died... for me, it was December 8, 1980.

December 8th was always a day I had fondly remembered. As a child going to Catholic school, that day was always a holiday, and on that day, my mom and I would always go to Mass then go to downtown Philly to shop, have lunch, check out the Wanamaker's Christmas show and of course, go see Santa.

Thirty years ago, December 8th changed for me, that night has been seared into my memory...

I was a sophomore at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. On this day, I was pulling my normal 7 - midnight shift on the campus radio station, I had the television on, watching Monday Night Football with the sound down and enjoying the music I was playing. College radio was fun, it’s one of the only radio mediums where the DJ controls the content… not some bunch of suits being influenced by overpaid corporate consultants. But I digress...

I was playing Bruce Springsteen’s Rosalita, a campus favorite, and had just cued up “Watching the Wheels” from John Lennon’s new album. “Double Fantasy” was a bolt out of the blue as Lennon had been out of the public eye for quite a few years, his last album of original music coming in 1974 with “Walls and Bridges.” The new album featured accessible pop with the hit “(Just Like) Starting Over,” a little Lennon rock and roll with “Cleanup Time” and some surprising ballads in “Beautiful Boy” and “Woman.” As a huge fan of the Beatles, this album was manna from heaven, Lennon delivering his normal balance to McCartney’s sometimes too sugary pop.

At that point, the Associated Press rip and read machine went off, a bell ringing inside the machine indicating that some big news was coming across the wire. I turned up the volume on the TV and went to see what was going on. As I was ripping the copy off the machine, I heard Howard Cosell deliver the news that was written on the copy I had just retrieved, words forever burned into my mind, "One of the great figures of the entire world, one of the great artists, was shot to death horribly at the Dakota Apartments, 72nd Street and Central Park West in New York City. John Lennon is dead.”

The news hit me like a hammer. I still don’t know how I managed to return to my chair at the board and get the next song going. There may have been a period of dead air, I still don’t know to this day. The phones at the radio station lit up almost immediately, after a few minutes I was able to bring myself to answer them. My fellow students wanting to talk about John and what his music meant to them. A candlelight vigil began outside the station in the common area in front of McMahon Hall. I began playing Lennon music exclusively, both Beatles and solo, interspersing the music with calls from students that just wanted to reminisce and share their feelings. The station was scheduled to go off-air at midnight but we stayed on much later into that sad night, until the calls and our tears dried up.

The murder of John Lennon had a profound effect on me. As I look back over thirty years I realize it was my first glimpse of my own mortality, my first idea that the world may not be a safe as the cocoon I was happily raised in. I always wanted to be the rebel that John was and I fear I have fallen woefully short of that goal. That’s not a bad thing, as I age I realize that there are many things that may be considered "smaller" but are much more important, family, friends and simply being there.

Thirty years on and I still imagine what his contribution would’ve been to music and to the world at large. Would things be different? I would hope so…

We miss you Johnny…

----------------------------------------

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!

--------------------------------------

COMING UP ON THE NEXT SLAPSHOT RADIO…

Last nigh's SlapShot Radio podcast is posted, we spoke to eklund and NYI radio voice Chris King along with a Behind the Bench segment with Predator's head coach Barry Trotz.

We're on the road next week as the WNSR Hockey Block returns live from the Flying Saucer downtown. SlapShot Radio at 6pm, then the Player Show at 7pm. That's coming Tuesday 12/14 live from the Flying Saucer.

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

Join the Discussion: » Comments » Post New Comment

» The time has come

» Whining through Game 3

» Playoff Picks

» Waiting for he playoffs

» A special night in Smashville