Footsteps… do you hear ‘em? They are getting louder as the St. Louis Blues won their 10th straight game yesterday. As the Nashville Predators continue their cycle of inconsistent play, the St. Louis Blues haven’t lost since before the All Star break. The Blues now trail the Predators by six points in the Central, with three games in hand. While you know that St. Louis simply cannot keep this torrid pace going, you wonder if it will go long enough for them to catch the Preds… which they now have in their control.
Saturday night’s loss at Vegas was a fascinating example of a break going against you and allowing it to impact the entire game. When Colton Sissons’ goal was overturned on challenge, the game flipped from an even, up-and-down affair to complete domination. The defending Western Conference champs simply took it to the Preds… pouring 50 shots on Juuse Saros who could rightfully sue for non-support. He was hung out to dry so often and still managed to keep it close. Vegas managed to avoid being swept by the Predators and did it with speed and aggressive forchecking.
The Predators are in Dallas, they will practice today then take on the Stars tomorrow night. It begins a critical stretch to the season as Nashville will play only Western Conference teams for the next eight games, six of them inside the division including critical matchups against the Stars, Blues and Jets.
Look… I’m am not going to get silly here… some of the folks on social media have just been insane, advising to tear the team down, fire the coaching staff, burn down 501 Broadway and put up a parking lot… I love the ones advising that it’s time to become sellers because, after all, this team won’t
a. Win the Cup
b. Get to the WCF
c. Get out of the first round
I love the weight of expectations, it’s a very good thing for a team and a fanbase. Mediocrity is no longer acceptable. The franchise and the fanbase expect more, it’s the natural evolution of a hockey market and a good sign that there are not “Stepford” fans here.
It is my belief that the 2 spot in the Central is a very good place to be for the Preds. Keeps travel down to a bare minimum in the first round and gets you home ice advantage to boot. That being said, for the first time in a while… the Preds hold on that slot in the division is in a little jeopardy.
The dog days of the season are drawing to a close. It’s time to ramp it up. It’s time for the Predators to play like everyone knows they are capable of.
------------------------------------
The
Where We Stand section
Nashville maintains the second slot in the Central Division, three points behind the Winnipeg Jets, Winnipeg holds two game in hand over Nashville. The Preds lead St. Louis by six points, Dallas by 10 and Minnesota by 13.
Nashville currently holds the 4 seed in the Western Conference playoff race and has a 99.7% chance of making the playoffs according to SportsClubStats.com… the “85% chance” line in the Western Conference is down to 88 points right now.
Impact Games Tonight – None.
-------------------------------------
Random Notes
- Milwaukee Update – The Admirals broke into the win column yesterday, taking down Manitoba 6-5. They play the Moose again today at 2pm in Manitoba
- Must read – Andrew Berkshire’s column on Sportsnet.com is a must read for Pred Nation. He dives deep into the underlying stats and reveals the good, the bad, and the ugly of this team.
- Rumors, rumors, rumors – Lots of chatter about potential acquisition before the trade deadline… one that’s getting a little louder is the potential for adding Mats Zuccarello.
- Others? – The Matt Duchene and Mark Stone rumors will not die… Good adds, but the best part may be keeping them away from Winnipeg.
- Gabby Guarantee? – Bruce Boudreau has guaranteed that the Minnesota Wild will make the playoffs. The Wild have lost two straight since that proclamation.
-----------------------------------
-------------------------------------
SlapShot Radio’s 11th season is on! As the longest running hockey show in the region, SSR feeds hockey fans what they crave… intelligent, fun, entertaining talk about their favorite sport and we do it from the opening of training camp all the way through UFA day. We are on every Wednesday at 7pm. This week we will be talking trade deadline with Eklund and we will go Down on the Farm, sponsored by the Patrick J. Brown Agency and Farmer’s Insurance.
We have been delivering great hockey talk to the most energetic and engaged fans in radio and advertising with us drives awareness and results at a reasonable price. Just ask our sponsors… including day one sponsor
Drs. Jane Bacon and Aileen Kruger at Hermitage Family and Cosmetic Dentistry … make your appointment at (615) 872-7762 and Patrick J. Brown’s Farmer Insurance Agency in Mt. Juliet… I switched to them a few years back and their service has been incredible! Give Pat and his team a call at 615-288-2086.
Advertisers… reach out to me in order to access our activated listener base though great stretch run advertising deals available combining radio with advertising right here on my blog. It is a great, cost-effective, high-visibility way to build awareness of your business. You can send me a message on the SlapShot Radio Facebook page or by messaging me right here on HockeyBuzz.
You can also keep up with all the goings on with SlapShot Radio by following the show on Twitter @SlapShotRadio1 … Also... make sure to "like" SlapShot Radio on Facebook... here's the
link.
If you are outside of the listening area, listen live online at
The Game website or check out the podcast about two hours after the show at
on SoundCloud.
-------------------------------------
KINDLE USERS: Please subscribe to Predators Buzz, a one-stop feed for all things Predators-related on HockeyBuzz. Your subscription includes a free 14-day trial and is just 99 cents per month thereafter. For more information,
click here 
Nashville Predators Blogger •Predators Radio Network • 
Join the Discussion:
»