By Jeff Quirin
NHL Hot Stove Associate Editor

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The hockey blogging community is the strongest its ever been and grows daily. From aspiring journalists to devoted fans who all want to share their unique perspectives on their favorite teams and push their material out across the net. Yet, they remain the greatest asset to the NHL with the weakest capitalization. So when opportunity presents itself to engage some of the best around and maybe add one more drop in the “acceptance of bloggers” bucket, I jump on it.

More often than not this will take the form of a Q&A. It’s concise and simple. As Associate Editor I hope to bring more of this style of content throughout the season to expose the readers of NHL Hot Stove to a wide array ideas and hockey points of view they may not have otherwise.

In this season’s first such venture five bloggers covering the five Central Division clubs have answered ten questions relating to the near future of the division.

Bringing the cannon to the party, is Columbus Blue Jackets fan and blogger Martin Poston of the Martini Hockey blog. You can follow him on Twitter: @MartiniHockey.

One of Smashville’s finest scribes, Mark Willoughby of Hockey Independent and The View From 111, has the Nashville Predators covered. You can follow him on Twitter: @TheViewfrom111.

Two of NHL Hot Stove’s own cover the top dogs in the Central. Ryan Hackett with the Chicago Blackhawks and Christina Roberts with the Detroit Red Wings. You can follow Ryan on Twitter: @Hawknut and Christina on Twitter: @Franzenmuth.

Normally I would dish out the thoughts from a St. Louis Blues pov, but for this post Brian Heanchen of Hank’s Sports Blog will take over. You can follow him on Twitter: @Brian_Haenchen

To the questions.

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Question 1. Who is the front runner to win the Central Division? The Detroit Red Wings or Chicago Blackhawks?

Martin Poston:Red Wings, easily. I’m not among those ready to anoint Chicago as a threat to the throne just yet. Corey Crawford had a breakout season for sure. Whether or not he can continue that success will determine whether the Blackhawks even make the Playoffs this year. And that’s not a given by any means.

Mark Willoughby: The front runner to win the Central is the Detroit Red Wings. The team still has the components to win the division: a solid netminder; sound defense; and forwards that know how to score. That being said, the Wings are going to net their backup goalie to give them some quality starts to spell Jimmy Howard. And as with every team in the division, they will have to stay healthy. A critical injury is all that separates any of the teams from contending and being an also-ran.

Christina Roberts: I’ve got to put in a little bias and say the Red Wings. While we may have lost some key players like Brian Rafalski, Kris Draper, and Chris Osgood, we picked up some pretty good guys like Ian White, Mike Commodore, and Ty Conklin (who was good before when he was on our team). We haven’t lost our core players, and Nick Lidstrom is still playing as good as ever. Chicago was a little shaky last year, especially with Toews having a rough first half, and losing so many guys in the off-season hurt them a lot. I definitely wouldn’t count Chicago out of it, though.

Ryan Hackett: Way to make me sound biased right off the bat here, Jeff. I say it has to be the Blackhawks. They’re as deep as ever, and they added some much-needed toughness. The goaltending situation is solid with Crawford getting a nice extension, and they’ve had a nice long offseason to get healthy and hungry.

Brian Haenchen: Detroit Red Wings. Personally, I’m not sold on the Blackhawks. Corey Crawford showed a lot of potential in his rookie season and I expect him to continue performing at a high level this season. However, the pieces around him are not going to be enough for the Hawks to dethrone the Red Wings.

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Question 2. Between Nashville, St. Louis and Columbus, who has the best chance at unseating the top two and why?

MP: If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to never count out Nashville. True, they lost some quality guys (and withstood an arbitration nightmare with Shea Weber) and didn’t add much in Free Agency in terms of marquee talent. However, Barry Trotz has proven to be a coach who can do a lot with less. They might even threaten Detroit in April.

MW: Nashville has the best chance of unseating the Wings as the top team in the Division. The Predators have the best goalie in the Division and one of the best in the NHL. The defense will be replacing a few components on the third and fourth pairing, but although young, these players will be immensely talented. The big question for the Predators is the forward group- more specifically, can they score goals? I think they will be able to do so, at least enough to win. Last season, the Predators went 4-2 against the Wings and were 3-3 against the Blackhawks.

CR: Nashville has always scared me. While St. Louis and Columbus have added components to their rosters, they both still have problems with injuries and until they overcome that, they won’t be scaring the Red Wings anytime soon (minus those handful of games us Wings fans like to block out that were, what, 8-0 and 10-3? Something ridiculous like that). Regardless, I think Nashville is still a force to be reckoned with. And Shea Weber scares me.

RH: Definitely Nashville. Their style of play really gums up the works of the fast, high-scoring offenses of Detroit and Chicago and their first playoff series win has to have them thirsty to get back there.

BH: The Saint Louis Blues have the best chance of those teams to finish among the top 2 in the Central…as long as they can stay healthy. Player to watch: Patrik Berglund. Berglund bounced back from a disappointing sophomore season, scoring a career high in goals. Do not forget about Jaroslav Halak, who will benefit from having that one full season as starting net minder under his belt.

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Question 3. Who made the best and worst off season moves?

MP: Columbus’ top-to-bottom audit of the organization led to a lot of offseason changes, and GM Scott Howson pounced in June with an unprecedented boldness, acquiring Jeff Carter and James Wisniewski via trade, then making the sale with Wiz in the final hours before free agency. It’s hard to call anyone’s offseason the “worst,” but Nashville’s offseason was rough, that was for sure. The team has tended to be frugal in the past, and going to arbitration with Weber burned them badly. However, accepting the huge arbitration award and keeping Shea Weber was about the best move they could make under the circumstances. Chicago didn’t add much more to help themselves, other than an aging forward in Andrew Brunette and a reason for opponents to watch their back when Dan Carcillo is on the ice. Some call it grit. I call it a suspension waiting to happen.

MW: The team that made the best off-season moves in the Division would have to be Columbus Blue Jackets. The addition of Jeff Carter up front and James Wisniewski on the blue line will certainly bolster their roster. Carter will add scoring punch to go along with Rick Nash, which has been desperately needed by the Jackets. The measure of this acquisition will be Carter’s mental approach to playing in Columbus and his presence in the locker room. If both are good, then this move by Scott Howson will be remembered as a turning point for the franchise. If Carter turns out to be a negative in both areas, the trade will also be remembered as a turning point, but not in a good way.

CR: I would have to say Columbus made the best moves. They jumped on opportunities to sign two awesome players: James Wisniewski and Jeff Carter. The worst moves…honestly, you could say the Red Wings. They didn’t make any super spectacular moves like everyone thought they would, what with Rafalski’s salary opening up. That’s not to say their moves were bad, just not as good as everyone else’s.

RH: The best: Columbus. Adding James Wisniewski at the blue line was a bit risky, especially at that salary, but could potentially pay big dividends, but the acquisition of Jeff Carter could finally relieve some of the pressure on Rick Nash. Worst: Nashville. The moves in the Central were altogether good, I just thought the Preds did the least amount of good, and possibly fractured their long-term relationship with defenseman Shea Weber.

BH: By adding Jeff Carter, a player not known for his play-making abilities, and sticking him on a line with Rick Nash, a prolific forward who can do it all, Columbus turned themselves into a serious playoff contender.

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Question 4. By season’s end, which potential one-two punch stands to push Pavel Datsyuk/Henrik Zetterberg for the best in the division: Jeff Carter/Rick Nash, David Backes/Chris Stewart, Patric Hornqvist/Martin Erat or Jonathan Toews/Patrick Kane?

MP: Ah, the “one-two punch.” So invaluable to a team. Tough choice here. It’s hard not to go with Toews and Kane. However, Nash and Carter are going to turn some heads this year as the forward lines mesh in Columbus.

MW: Until someone in the division can step up and surpass their production, the best one-two punch in the Division is Toews and Kane. I think they will be again this season.

CR: Toews/Kane is always a good one-two punch that has the potential to give the Euro Twins a run for their money, assuming they both stay healthy. I can see Carter/Nash being absolutely insane, though. Nash is dangerous and giving him someone on his line that will easily complement him.

RH: Again, I’m going to sound like an absolute homer here, but I say it’s Toews & Kane. They have the championship experience and the depth behind them to have career years once again, and barring injury, could be the top duo in not just the division, but the entire NHL.

BH: As much as it pains me to say it, Toews and Kane will push Datsyuk and Zetterberg for the best one-two punch in the division. Those two players are something special.

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Question 5. By season’s end the top starting netminder in the Central will be: Jimmy Howard, Pekka Rinne, Jaroslav Halak, Corey Crawford or Steve Mason?

MP: Howard.

MW: The top starting netminder at the end of the season will once again be Pekka Rinne.

CR: I’d have to go with either Jimmy Howard or Pekka Rinne. Rinne always tends to annoy me when the Wings play against him because he seems to stand on his head and make phenomenal saves. He’s had a few solid years, too, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he were top. But don’t forget that Howard was up for the Calder two years ago with fairly solid numbers. His stats may have taken a slight beating last year in comparison, but he still wound up with the same amount of wins. It’ll be a tough battle for both goaltenders.

RH: I think it’s a two-horse race here between Pekka Rinne and Corey Crawford, with my early vote going to Rinne. If he even approaches the season he had last year, he’s going to take the Predators far.

BH: Jaroslav Halak. That full season as a starting goalie will do wonders for his confidence.

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Question 6. If any of the five head coaches are fired, who will be first and why?

MP: I’m not sure anyone is really on the hot-seat during the season, unless someone has an absolutely  disastrous October/November. If Chicago winds up the odd team out in the Central (which I think will put four teams in this year), then maybe Quenneville.

MW: No Central Division coach will be fired this season.

CR: Either Columbus’s head coach or St. Louis’s. Mike Babcock, Joel Quenneville, and Barry Trotz’s jobs are all pretty much safe. Neither coach has been around for a super long time, and both are vying for playoff spots. If either team falters too much, I can see a head coach cut from the roster…

RH: Well we can throw out Mike Babcock and Joel Quenneville right away, as they’ve cemented their jobs for a few years. No one does more with less than Barry Trotz, so I doubt he’s on the hot seat. That leaves Davis Payne in St. Louis and Scott Arniel in Columbus, and Arniel has only had the job a year, so he’s got a little bit longer of a leash.

BH: I do not think any of the five coaches will be fired.

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Question 7. The Predators will make the playoffs again, if…

MP: …they get off to a hot start at the beginning of the season. After that, they have to keep playing their brand of hockey. Consistency will be the key, especially playing in the Central.

MW: The Predators will make the playoffs if A) they stay healthy and B) their young forwards step up and produce scoring. I’m looking at you, Colin Wilson, Blake Geoffrion, and Nick Spalding.

CR: The Predators will make the playoffs again if they stay healthy and focused.

RH: If Hornqvist can stay healthy and have near a career year and Rinne is a Vezina contender once again. Not necessarily a finalist, but at least in the conversation.

BH: The Predators will make the playoffs again, if Pekka Rinne can match his performance from last season (33 wins in 64 starts, 2.12 GAA).

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Question 8. The Blues will make the playoffs, if…

MP: …Halak gets better in net and steals more games. Also, if aging veterans Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner make the most of their one-year deals and provide leadership and scoring on the ice.

MW: The Blues make the playoffs if they can keep from going into some kind of mental funk that has seemed to plague them over the past few seasons. What’s up with not being able to win in your own barn?

CR: The Blues will make the playoffs if their roster stays healthy. Last year, I had them pegged as sixth in the conference come playoff time. But look at how many of their players went down with injuries and how well they fared once everyone came back.

RH: They either improve their penalty kill or stay out of the box and T.J. Oshie stops acting like Randy Moss and plays up to his enormous potential.

BH: The Blues will make the playoffs again, if they can stay healthy.

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Question 9. The Blue Jackets will make the playoffs, if…

MP: …Steve Mason rediscovers his rookie form, and if Jeff Carter and James Wisniewski deliver in the roles for which the Blue Jackets are paying them so handsomely. The Jackets have the personnel to roll out two threatening scoring lines, and possibly a third.

MW: The Blue Jackets will make the playoffs if Steve Mason returns to form from 2 years ago and if these guys get selective amnesia and forget their rather forgettable history up to this point.

CR: The Blue Jackets will make the playoffs if their expensive purchases over this past off-season pay off. And if Steve Mason has a season similar to his Calder-winning season.

RH: Nash and Carter can both eclipse the 60 -point mark and Mason returns to solid form.

BH: The Blue Jackets will make the playoffs, if the tandem of Jeff Carter and Rick Nash can live up to their lofty expectations.

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Question 10. What will be the final standings in the division?

MP: I’m not kidding, it’s a tough call on this. The Central will put four teams in the Playoffs (all five, if one of the Cali teams in the Pacific falters). The Central Division will reside in the top nine, and if it comes to this, the Blues edge out Chicago: 1. Detroit, 2. Nashville, 3. Columbus, 4. St. Louis, 5. Chicago.

MW: 1. Detroit, 2. Nashville, 3. Chicago, 4. St. Louis, 5. Columbus.

CR: Final standings in the division (this is tough): 1) Red Wings 2) Blackhawks 3) Columbus 4) Nashville 5) St. Louis. I think this will be one of the closest races in recent years.

RH: Chicago, Nashville, Detroit, Columbus, St. Louis (Sorry Jeff…)

BH: 1. Detroit, 2. Nashville, 3. Saint Louis, 4. Columbus, 5. Chicago. I think Detroit will run away with it, but Nashville, Saint Louis, Columbus, and Chicago will all finish within 10-15 points of one another.

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Much has been said. Conclusions to draw?

- The Red Wings and Blackhawks are still the king of the mountain.

- Predators are a scrappy bunch who cannot be left for dead and will push on the top two. Maintaining what they have is the key, besides more goals.

- Won’t believe the Blues can do it till they actually do it.

- Kane and Toews are the top duo not named Datsyuk/Zetterberg.

- Doesn’t seem likely that a coach is fired.

- Goaltending is a significant concern for all five teams.

- Much love for the Carter trade and for Pekka Rinne.

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Not sure when the next Q&A will be, but some ideas are in the works. Have a topic you’d like to see discussed? Contact me via Twitter, @JTQ_1.

Thanks for reading.

By Danny Di Nicolantonio

You want to play fantasy hockey, and think you have what it takes to win?  Well, you’ll be one step closer to winning your league after this week’s fantasy hockey preview series.  There is no better place to start than the guys between the pipes:  Goaltenders.

During most drafts you will be required to have two starting goaltender roster spots, then one or two backup slots on the bench.  Even though forwards are the first to be drafted in the beginning, there are statistics out there that indicate goaltenders are going toward the backend of that first round.

Depending on the size of the league you are in, the average being 8-12 teams per league, and where you are positioned to pick, this will help you develop a strategy for the draft.  Logically the reason why we see goaltenders picked toward the end of the first round is because, the draft is about to head back in the other direction giving this team two picks fairly close together, if not back to back.  As a result, it gives a team the opportunity to select a forward and a goaltender right off the bat.  There are players in the league that I refer to as “trend setters”, and these are the teams that may not have had an opportunity to select a star player at the beginning of the draft and may nab two goaltenders with their first two picks that create a wave of three or four goaltenders being selected.

There are many factors that go into ranking and drafting a goaltender that include, risk, reward, age, prone to injury.

Ranked Goaltenders 2011-2012 Fantasy Hockey:

Player Team GP SA GA GAA W L OT SV SV% Shutouts
Tim Thomas BOS 57 1811 112 2.00 35 11 9 1699 0.938 9
Roberto Luongo VAN 60 1753 126 2.11 38 15 7 1627 0.928 4
Pekka Rinne NSH 64 1905 134 2.12 33 22 9 1771 0.930 6
Tomas Vokoun WSH 57 1753 137 2.55 22 28 5 1616 0.922 6
Jonathan Quick LAK 61 1631 134 2.24 35 22 3 1497 0.918 6
Henrik Lundqvist NYR 68 1965 152 2.28 36 27 5 1813 0.923 11
Ryan Miller BUF 66 1964 165 2.59 34 22 8 1799 0.916 5
Corey Crawford CHI 57 1545 128 2.30 33 18 6 1417 0.917 4
Jimmy Howard DET 63 1830 168 2.79 37 17 5 1662 0.908 2
Marc-Andre Fleury PIT 65 1742 143 2.32 36 20 5 1599 0.918 3
Carey Price MTL 72 2147 165 2.35 38 28 6 1982 0.923 8
Ilya Bryzgalov PHI 68 2125 168 2.48 36 20 10 1957 0.921 7
Antti Niemi SJS 60 1741 140 2.38 35 18 6 1601 0.920 6
Miikka Kiprusoff CGY 71 1935 182 2.63 37 24 6 1753 0.906 6
Dwayne Roloson TBL 54 1596 138 2.59 24 25 5 1458 0.914 4
Cam Ward CAR 74 2375 184 2.56 37 26 10 2191 0.923 4
Steve Mason CBJ 54 1541 153 3.03 24 21 7 1388 0.901 3
Martin Brodeur NJD 56 1313 127 2.45 23 26 3 1186 0.903 6
Kari Lehtonen DAL 69 2043 175 2.55 34 24 11 1868 0.914 3
Jonas Hiller ANA 49 1493 114 2.56 26 16 3 1379 0.924 5
James Reimer TOR 37 1134 90 2.60 20 10 5 1044 0.921 3
Mike Smith PHX 22 576 58 2.90 13 6 1 518 0.899 1
Ondrej Pavelec WPG 58 1558 147 2.73 21 23 9 1558 0.914 4
Niklas Backstrom MIN 51 1566 132 2.66 22 23 5 1434 0.916 3
Jaroslav Halak STL 57 1518 136 2.48 27 21 7 1382 0.910 7
Craig Anderson OTT 51 1546 135 2.66 24 20 4 1411 0.918 2
Nikolai Khabibulin EDM 47 1389 153 3.40 10 32 4 1236 0.890 2

We’ll take an in-depth look at defensemen tomorrow, left and right wingers on Thursday, and centers on Friday.

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

As each of the 24 scheduled NHL salary arbitration hearings slowly fell off the docket with settlements prior to any gruelling proceedings, one big date loomed large in how another star’s contract negoatiations will likely play out.

That day was today, August 2nd.

Photo Credit: Sarah Fuqua

The Nashville Predators and restricted free agent defenseman Shea Weber – along with his agent from Titan Sports Management, Inc., Jarrett Bousquet - somehow could not reach an agreement, and instead ended up going through the process of a hearing this morning in Toronto.

There is no doubt that it would have been in the Preds’ best interest to have settled this matter prior to the hearing – the first arbitration to actually go through the hearing stage – as they had no leverage with the independent arbitrator.

Weber earned $4.5 million in each of the last three seasons and is about to turn 26 years of age (August 14th).  He’s an excellent skater with a booming shot who can hit and will even fight, whatever it takes to win.

He is the Predators captain.  He is their best and most-recognizable player, possibly in Nashville’s NHL existence.  He is the very face of their franchise.

During the 2010-11 campaign Weber scored 16 goals for a second-consecutive season, while recording a career-high 32 assists.  He was a first-time Norris Trophy finalist, appeared in every regular season game, and played the third-most minutes in the entire league.

In his first season as team captain, the Predators won their first playoff series since their inception in 1998.

Nashville currently has the league’s lowest payroll at just over $41.2 million, which leaves them with more than $23 million in cap space.  But GM David Poile also faces the prospect of having to re-sign two key pieces to the success of his squad moving forward.  Both goaltender Pekka Rinne and defenseman Ryan Suter are set to become unrestricted free agents following the upcoming season.

Prior to the hearing today – in which both sides were able to present their respective cases for 90 minutes each - Weber was to opt for either a one or two year deal.

The arbitrator has up to 48 hours in which to render their decision, one in which the Predators will have to accept.  They relinquished their “walk-away” rights because they were the ones that opted for arbitration.  By doing so, they kept other clubs at bay from being able to submit any offer sheets to Weber.

There is little doubt that Weber will end up with a contract in the $7.5-$8 million range when the award is announced.

While Nashville and the Weber camp can still attempt to hammer out a long-term pact after the award, the arbitration process is a bitter one that often leads to the demise in the player-team relationship.

Dirk Hoag of On the Forecheck posted the following this morning:

“Teams and players that go through this process tend not to stick together long-term. In Preds history, Denny Lambert was traded just days after his hearing, and Ville Koistinen was gone a year after his. Daniel Winnik was traded by Phoenix within a year of his award in 2009, as was Milan Jurcina in Washington and Blake Wheeler (2010) in Boston. By my count, 11 players have gone through arbitration in 2008, 2009, and 2010, and 10 of those players had moved to a new team within a year.

The uncomfortable, but natural question coming out of all this is whether the Shea Weber era in Nashville might end before it even got rolling.

Given the point that’s been reached, is this the guy the Preds really want wearing the “C”? Does he even want it? And what does this mean for the prospect of locking up Ryan Suter and Pekka Rinne as well?”

I’m not trying to be alarmist, but arbitration most often signals the beginning of the end of a player-team relationship, and it’s stunning to see the Predators and their captain get to this point.

Those are some very real concerns, as it could not have been a good situation for Weber to hear Nashville’s representatives go on for an hour and a half as to why their captain isn’t worth the money he is requesting.

As this scene plays out, it’s obvious that there are some very curious parties on the West coast that are keeping close tabs on the eventual outcome.

While the Weber award won’t be the ultimate comparator in Doughty’s negotiations – this will be Weber’s third deal as compared to Doughty’s second – you can bet that those looking out for the London, Ontario-native will use it as some sort of measuring stick.

Photo Credit: Christian Petersen / Getty Images

The contract negotiations between the Los Angeles Kings and another RFA star defenseman, Drew Doughty, has languished for some time.  Many believe Doughty’s camp is awaiting the Weber – Predators standoff to reach its finality to see where their demands can be taken.

Doughty’s agents from Newport Sports Management Inc., Don Meehan and Mark Guy, are looking for a huge upgrade on their client’s recently completed $3.475 million entry-level deal.

According to Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times in a story on July 12th, GM Dean Lombardi and the Kings reportedly offered Doughty a 9-year deal worth in excess of $6.5 million per season.

At just 21 years old, Doughty has shown the potential to be a franchise defenseman.  After his rookie season of 2008-09, the young rear guard broke out in his sophomore year with a 16-goal, 59-point campaign in 2009-10.

Doughty also helped lead Team Canada to a Gold Medal victory in the Olympic Games in Vancouver in February of 2010 (a squad that just so happened to also boast the talents of Weber on the blue line).  Just when it looked as though he was on his way to becoming a superstar, Doughty experienced a bit of a hiccup early on last year.

He showed up to training camp out of shape, reportedly finishing last overall in conditioning scores for all Kings players.  After an understandable slow start, he came on as the year progressed to end the season with 11 goals and 40 points.

There is no reason to doubt that Doughty will return to top form come October when the regular season commences.  The smooth-skating, hard-shooting right hander is still the NHL’s top young defenseman.  The sky is the limit, and Meehan and Guy want to make sure that he’s not under-compensated as he progresses.

One of the sticking points in negotiations may very well be when Doughty is able to become an UFA.  He is eligible in four years, so that may be more the length of a deal that his representation is willing to explore.

According to CapGeek.com, the top 25 highest salaried defensemen (led by Christian Ehrhoff’s $10 million, and soon to be joined by Weber’s award) will each make $5 million heading into the 2011-12 season, so their concerns are within reason.

But from Lombardi’s point of view, the youngest among the top 25 is Mike Green of the Washington Capitals.  Green turns 26 in October and has been in the league since the latter part of the 2005-06 campaign.  Los Angeles may want Doughty to either lock into the long-term deal reportedly offered last month, or take a lesser amount annually if he insists on signing a shorter-term pact.

At the epicenter of the moment right now – seemingly holding up both player’s contracts – is Weber’s arbitration decision.

The very fate of both defensemen – as well as their respective clubs – could very well hinge on the arbitrator’s upcoming award.  It stands to reason that once Weber’s award is announced, the talks between Doughty and the Kings will begin again in earnest.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

Monday night, Vancouver Canucks’ goaltender Roberto Luongo gave up eight goals in a single NHL game for just the third time in his career.  With no doubt about the outcome of the contest for much of the third period, it was curious that Luongo was still in the Canucks’ crease instead of backup Cory Schneider.

“I thought at 4‑0, going at the beginning of the third with a power‑play, we might be able to do something,” Vancouver head coach Alain Vigneault explained after the 8-1 pounding by the Boston Bruins in Game 3.  “That’s why I kept him in.  At 5‑1, I asked him what he wanted to do.  He said, ‘Don’t even think about taking me out’, so that’s what I did.”

Jim Rogash / Getty Images

Luongo confirmed as much.

“Alain asked me when there was about eight minutes left,” he said.  ”I said I wanted to stay in.  If I would have known they would have scored three more times, I might have thought about it (laughs).  Even though we were losing 5-1, it was a pretty intense game and I still wanted to be in there.”

The Bruins would go on to score three more goals in a span of just 1:50 late in the game, with the final tally coming with only 31 seconds remaining.

“They kept putting the pressure on,” Luongo said yesterday in an off-day interview.  “The game was pretty much out of reach for us.  I don’t know, I mean, they obviously were not satisfied with 5-1 and kept pressing.  We started maybe taking our attention away from our game plan, started worrying about physical aspects of the game, which we shouldn’t be doing at this point.”

the Game 3 loss was the first bit of adversity that the Canucks have had to face in these Finals.  Will the fact that those three late goals came on Boston’s final three shots of the game - further bludgeoning a Vancouver squad who had done pretty much everything right in the first two contests of the series – have a carry-over affect into tonight’s Game 4?

The former-team captain doesn’t seem to think so.  He believes both he and the Canucks will be just fine, as long as they just get back to basics.

“The score doesn’t really matter,” the 32-year-old goaltender said yesterday of the loss.  ”We’re in the playoffs.  It’s all about winning a game, right?  As a team, we got to look at it we lost a game.  We just got to get back to doing the things we do.  No matter what the score of the game is, we have to keep playing our game, not deviate from our game plan.”

Winger Daniel Sedin said the blowout loss wasn’t all Luongo’s fault, and he has every confidence that his netminder will be ready for Game 4 tonight.

“That’s not a problem (Luongo’s ability to bounce back),” Daniel said.  ”Can’t really say it was his fault.  As a team, we didn’t help him out.”

Prior to Monday’s rout, Luongo had yielded just six goals in his previous four games.  Over the course of those four contests, Luongo stopped 151 of 157 shots – a staggering .962 save percentage.

Included in this postseason have been two clutch, classic overtime wins in series-clinching games.

After jumping out to a 3-0 games lead in the first round against the Chicago Blackhawks, Luongo was pulled in both Games 4 and 5, and began Game 6 on the bench.  He not only started Game 7, but turned in a 31-save gem in a 2-1 overtime triumph to help Vancouver take the series.

The triumph exorcised the demons associated with the past playoff horrors experienced by the Canucks at the hands of the Blackhawks.

In the Western Conference Final clinching 3-2 victory in Game 5 over the San Jose Sharks, Luongo turned in a spectacular double-OT, 54-save gem.

He has outdueled three excellent netminders thus far.  He has outplayed rookie Corey Crawford, last year’s Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Antti Niemi, and Pekka Rinne.

Now he must do the same with slinky-for-a-spine, acrobatic Bruins’ goalie Tim Thomas.

Even Luongo’s harshest critics have to acknowledge that he has proven himself, and he has quieted their sometimes misguided disparaging remarks.  He has shown himself capable of playing at the highest-possible level, and may just add a Stanley Cup victory to the Gold Medal he captured for Team Canada at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

A huge determining factor to that end will be how well he and his teammates play tonight in Game 4.  A win will allow his club to take a stranglehold 3-1 lead heading back to Vancouver.  A loss will put the Bruins back on even footing, and the murmurs of the Canucks allowing the series to slip away will begin to get louder.

Luongo isn’t about to sit back and feel sorry for himself after the Game 3 beat down.  He seems well-focused on the situation at hand.

“I waited my whole life to be here (Stanley Cup Finals),” Luongo said.  ”I’m not going to put my head down.  It’s time to get back to work.
Obviously last night (Monday) was disappointing for all of us.  We have a great opportunity.  We’re in the Cup final.  Even though there are going to be some tough times, you have to be in the moment and focus.”

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove NHL / Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent

After a poor showing by the Philadelphia Flyers’ goaltenders in the post-season, it was anticipated that there would be several moves this summer.

Amid swirling rumors of interest in certain big-name free agent goalies to take the starting position for the 2011-12 season, the first move came today.

Photo used with permission from Timo Savela / eliteprospects.com

In an attempt to give the organization increased depth in net, GM Paul Holmgren announced the signing of 23-year-old, six-foot, seven-inch, 200-pound Finnish netminder Niko Hovinen to an entry-level contract.

As you can see, Hovinen’s size is very much like that of Swedish back stop Anders Lindback (six-foot, six-inch, 198 pounds), who just completed his rookie season with the Nashville Predators as back up to Pekka Rinne.

Philadelphia has youngsters Joacim Eriksson, Jakub Kovar, Nic Riopel, Brian Stewart, and Adam Morrison in the system.  All are in the early stages of development in their respective careers, and none possess great size - at six-foot, four-inches, and 195 pounds, Stewart is the biggest.  At 26 years old, he is also the eldest.

Hovinen comes to the Flyers much the same way as Sergei Bobrovsky, who was signed as a free agent last May and is considered the goaltender of the future for the franchise.  The 22-year-old Russian had a very good rookie year, but stuggled with inconsistencies down the stretch of the regular season and playoffs.

Another aspect that is similar to the Bobrovsky signing is that Hovinen played for the Pelicans, which was the worst club in the Finnish Elite League.  Bobrovsky played for Novokuznetsk Mettalurg, the poorest team in the KHL, and both netminder’s numbers were not the greatest as a result.

Here is the Flyers’ official press release sent out for the Hovinen signing:

The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that they have signed 6’ 7”, 200-pound goaltender Niko Hovinen to an entry-level contract, according to general manager Paul Holmgren.

Hovinen, 23 (3/16/88), played for Lahti of the Finnish Elite League during the 2010-11 season.  He posted a record of 17-25-5 in 49 appearances, along with a 2.59 goals-against average, a .921 save percentage and three shutouts.

A native of Helskini, Hoivinen was a member of Finland’s IIHF World Championship team that defeated Sweden 6-1 in the final on May 15.  He was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the fifth round (132nd overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, but never signed with the club.

This is Hovinen’s analysis at HockeysFuture.com (which was last updated in late-June of 2010):

Talent Analysis

Standing at over 6’7, Hovinen is a towering presence even in butterfly stance. He is the biggest Finnish goalie of his generation but still its typical member as far as movement goes. Despite his immature but big body he has what it takes to dominate shooters with a butterfly style. He is calm but timid in his style of play: He doesn’t lunge toward the puck forcefully enough and surprisingly gets pushed around. His ability to read the game is still undeveloped, which also hinders his puckhandling. Hovinen has fantastic game-breaking ability and possesses tools for development with few boundaries for his potential.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

After clinching a playoff spot with a win against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Nashville Predators had to wait until the final day of the NHL season to discover their opponent in the first round.  AFter a loss from the Chicago Blackhawks Sunday afternoon, it was determined – the Nashville Predators will face off against the Anaheim Ducks starting on Wednesday night in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

Nashville won the season series against Anaheim 3-1, while outscoring them 17-11 during those 4 games.

Why Nashville can win: Nashville’s top defensive pairing of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter finished the season at a combined +27. Pekka Rinne finished the season with a 3-0 record against the Ducks, as well as second in the NHL in Save Percentage at .930% and third in Goals Against Average at 2.12. For Anaheim, it looks like former Predator Dan Ellis will get the start in net due to Jonas Hiller still recovering from vertigo, and Ray Emery suffering from a lower body injury and is listed as questionable.

Why Nashville can lose: Anaheim enters the playoffs with a power play that ended the season third in the NHL at 23.5%, while Nashville enters the playoffs with a penalty kill that ended the season fifth in the NHL at 84.9%. It’s going to be a battle to see which team’s special team can conquer the others. The top defensive pairing for the Preds will have their hands full against a line that boasts the winner of the Rocket Richard trophy in Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan. The top line in the NHL combined for a total of 103 goals.

Why Anaheim can win: It’s no question that the Anaheim Ducks boast the best line in hockey with Perry, Ryan and Getzlaf. They bring every aspect to the table that you look for in a line, power, speed and the ability to score the big goal. Not a lot of teams can match the tempo that these guys bring, which makes them tough to play against. Then they send out a line featuring two of the better veterans in the NHL in Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu. Selanne had another great year and will have to continue his success to help out the top line.

Why Anaheim can lose: With a young defensive core, led by Cam Fowler and Lubomir Visnovsky, who put up 50 assists for 68 points very quietly this year, the Ducks will have to play strong defence in front of their revolving door of net minders. Nashville is set in goal with Rinne and the Ducks will have Ellis starting the series. Ellis is not exactly someone that exudes confidence in the team in front of him, so if Ellis fails, it’s likely the Ducks will fail with him. The Ducks chances would be a lot better to move on if they had the likes of Hiller or Emery in net.

Tyler Davis
NHLHS Nashville Predators Correspondent
Email: davis.tylerb@gmail.com
Twitter: @Trebek14

Brandon Macdonald
NHLHS Editor-in-chief
bmacdonald@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter @bMacdonald8

Only one week left in the season but still plenty of story lines surrounding the League. As of this writing, and mostly thanks to the Dallas Stars, only three teams in the Western Conference — Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks — have clinched.  However, not everything in the Western Conference is focused on winning and losing as we do see five teams already well out of contention, focusing their attention on try-out and to a lesser extent scouting.

RED WINGS CLINCH PLAYOFFS, THEN DIVISION

With a victory over arch-rival Pekka Rinne and the Nashville Predators on Saturday, the Detroit Red Wings clinched a playoff spot.

Instead of resting on their laurels, they sent newly-healthy Jimmy Howard back out to the wolves against the Minnesota Wild the next day and earned the Central Division. In addition, the team even sent Pavel Datsyuk back into the lineup, having him center a line with Henrik Zetterberg once again, a sign that the two may combine for one of the more powerful lines to enter the playoffs.

After an embarrassing 10-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues earlier in the week, the Red Wings want to enter the playoffs on a strong note.

Defeating the Predators and “lighting” Rinne up for four goals might have given this sleeping monster all the fuel they needed. In fact, the entire team may have awoken, starting with Todd Bertuzzi — who fought Shane O’Brien not once, but twice. The Red Wings rarely find the need to carry an enforcer or a planned fighter but perhaps Bertuzzi would be more than happy to take on that role. Adding a bit of extra snarl certainly never hurts in the postseason, although history may indicate that Bertuzzi lets his emotions get the best of him, so the team could be dealing with a double-edge sword, or blade in this instance…

For the Red Wings to play well, they need an even effort from all involved, from Zetterberg and Datsyuk to Justin Abdelkader and Bertuzzi, as cited by Mike Babcock via Mlive:

“I thought Bertuzzi was great today. He was physical, he was standing up for his teammates a lot. Abdelkader played real well. Howie made some big saves down the stretch, the guys stuck with it and we were able to win.”

It seems like they are doing just that with Darren Helm even drawing comparison in terms of leadership to Kris Draper.

This older Red Wings team has the ability to strike fear into their opponents with their plethora of offensive talent. Now, playing with an edge, and a budding superstar in Howard between the pipes, they could very well get back into the Stanley Cup Finals for the third time in four years.

STARS MAKE THINGS A BIT MORE INTERESTING

The Dallas Stars have been incredibly fun to follow this season for a variety of reasons.

First, they were never expected to make the playoffs and by all means still may not. Second, their ownership situation has been questionable at best with the controversy surrounding Tom Hicks and the team’s inability to re-sign Brad Richards. Third, their coverage is just incredibly good thanks to Mark Stepneski, who ran the independent news source Andrew’s Stars Page, which eventually was bought out and now featured by ESPN Dallas.

Stepneski posted this excellently worded tidbit prior to last night’s regulation win over the Ducks. Let me paraphrase.

If the Stars win in regulation (which they did) they essentially make things a little more interesting. Exactly 15.5 percent more interesting as they not only climbed their way back into the race with a 24.6 percent chance of making it, but they also prevented all three of their Pacific Division rivals — Phoenix Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks — from clinching!

All the Ducks needed to do was win in regulation and they would have made the big show. So would the Coyotes and the Kings, making the Stars just that much more compelling as a team.

However, before we move forward, let’s take a small step back.

The Stars play in one of the most challenging divisions, especially this season where all five teams likely would qualify if they played in the Eastern Conference. In addition, this team withstood lengthy injuries from Loui Eriksson, Richards, Jamie Benn and Adam Burish up front and Karlis Skrastins, Nicklas Grossman and Mark Fistric on the back end. Last night they had journeymen Brad Lukowich and Jason Williams dressed.

Resiliency seems like a very nice word to use here.

Furthermore, the team got a full season out of Kari Lehtonen and got him for a player who was since traded from the Atlanta Thrashers and has yet to make an impact on the NHL level, or the AHL level for that matter. They made a shrewd move re-acquiring Jamie Langenbrunner from the New Jersey Devils and managed to look great in acquiring Alex Goligoski — who may be their best puck-moving defenseman since Sergei Zubov.

For what it is worth, the Stars made 2010-2011 very interesting and Joe Nieuwendyk and company deserve a good deal of respect because of it, regardless if they make the playoffs this season.

COREY CRAWFORD FOR CALDER?

Most of the Calder Trophy discussion has been limited to Logan Couture and Jeff Skinner (especially after Skinner lightning up Carey Price and the Habs) but Corey Crawford gets my (non PHWA) vote.

The man breaks into the NHL after five years in the AHL and takes the defending Stanley Cup Champions back into the playoffs after they stumbled out of the gate. More importantly, Crawford has 31 wins and is in the top 10 in terms of GAA while Couture and Skinner play less important roles as secondary scorers on the second or third line. While one could certainly make the argument for Skinner — who plays mostly with Finnish forwards Jussi Jokinen and Tuomo Ruutu — Couture definitely has more comfortable surroundings than his likely competitors come awards time.

Yes, Crawford is arguably on the top team in the League, or the team expected to be that, but the Blackhawks have really struggled this season.

They have played without Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp for lengthy amounts of time while dealing with uneven seasons for guys like Duncan Keith, Brian Campbell and to a lesser degree Niklas Hjalmarsson. Notice how I fail to mention losing Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd and others to the offseason.

One of the biggest knock on the Blackhawks have been their defense, or lack of this season which has been sheltered by their above-average offensive — nine different players have 12 goals or more; six top 17 tallies. Life in Chicago has been no picnic, opposed to last season when the Blackhawks clearly coddled their netminders.

Both Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi last season saw their save percentage plummet simply due to boredom as they got less work and therefore stayed less sharp throughout the game. Niemi’s “exposure” during the Finals is evidence to this catching up to them at the wrong time with the offense bailing them out.

This year has been a completely different story with Crawford facing close to 27 shots per game. The 26-year-old has stood on his head for lengthy periods of time, showing signs of perfection (four shutouts). The addition of Crawford has legitimately made the Blackhawks a better team which is more than you can say for Couture, and to a lesser degree even Skinner.

SITTING OUT WHEN IT DOESN’T COUNT

Yes, we have five teams officially eliminated for the playoffs. Should those teams let their superstars, or better players rather sit out their remaining games?

The Edmonton Oilers probably take the least amount of blame in this situation since they have been blistered by foot injuries. Their reckless (in a good way) play led to an exorbitant amount of blocked shots and injuries, from captain Shawn Horcoff to Calder nominee Taylor Hall. Due to a slew of injuries, the team has been forced to field a team with Chris Vande Velde and Teemu Hartikainen on the top line. At this point, head coach Tom Renney is hoping he can get through the rest of the week without re-calling anyone from Oklahoma City.

But honestly, the gripe should not be with the Oilers. Especially when the most important players on the Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche and (arguably) the Minnesota Wild sit out.

St. Louis Blues forward TJ Oshie was berated by team brass for missing a team practice, forcing him to miss two games, however Rick Nash will not be forced into any games because the Blue Jackets would prefer him healed up for next pre-season. Makes sense, right? The scarce populace inhabiting Nationwide Arena would prefer seeing Derek MacKenzie center Kristian Huselius, who returned last night after a lengthy absence, but Nash’s season is lost because if there is nothing worth playing for then their star needs to be held out.

Likewise, the Wild may be jeopardizing their AHL affiliate Houston Aeros by taking all of their NHL-ready talent. Not only have they already lost Marco Scandella for the year but they risk hurting Maxim Noreau, Justin Falk, Colton Gillies and Carson McMillan because Marek Zidlicky, Nick Schultz, John Madden and Martin Havlat could not bear to play with only three games left in the year. No use putting these kids into a position where they can succeed, just throw them on a sinking team.

Don’t even get me started on the Avalanche, where John Michael Liles and Paul Stastny are done for the year as is their offensive chemistry. Can’t seem to recall a team that shot up so fast before crashing so hard. Remind me to never trade for Erik Johnson…

_____________________________________________

Thanks for reading. If for some reason you made it through my rant, please stick around for several other new articles from today as the entire staff does excellent, hard work here. You can contact me at amonaghan@nhlhotstove.com.

The Canucks 3-1 comeback win over the Nashville Predators was not only the teams’ 9^th straight road win, but it also guaranteed them home ice advantage throughout the Western Conference play-offs as the #1 seed.

Vancouver completed its 2^nd straight perfect road trip in a row by beating the Predators with 3 goals in the 3^rd period. While secondary scoring has been key to the success of the current road trip, on this night it would be the big line. Alexandre Burrows tied the game 1:17 into the 3^rd after some nifty passing by Henrik and Daniel Sedin. 17 minutes later the trio was at it again as the Sedins sprung Burrows for a breakaway and what would prove to be the winning goal. Aaron Rome finished the scoring with an empty net goal, his first as Canuck. It had been 109 games since Rome last scored.

Both Pekka Rinne and Roberto Luongo were extremely stingy on the night as they put on a goaltending clinic. The game was scoreless until Mike Fischer made the most of an opportune bounce to put the Predators up 1-0 at 14:01 of the 2^nd period. The way the night was going, many thought that might be the only goal. The Canucks had other ideas and as they have so many times this season they remained composed and waited for their opportunity to get back into the game. The Predators deserve a lot of credit for playing their brand of hockey, boring as it is, and could have very well come away with the win. As it was the Canucks would not be denied.

This is the first time in Canucks team history they have finished atop the Western Conference. They are to be congratulated as they reach another milestone in a season that has seen many team and individual records broken. But it’s only one step on a very long journey, one that ends with the Stanley Cup.

I-5 Canucks – Will & Valerie Wittstruck
NHLHS Vancouver Canucks Correspondents
I-5Canucks@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @Hipcheck44 and @WCE71944

The latest installment in a weekly series from NHL Hot Stove correspondent Jeff Quirin that examines teams, players, and issues from around the Western Conference.  In this issue:  Who or what tamed the Wild? Themselves; Wings limping into playoffs; Best Line in NHL?; Life without Anze; Give Pekka his props.

By Jeff Quirin
NHL Hot Stove St. Louis Blues Correspondent

Who or What Tamed the Wild? Themselves.

A few weeks ago the Minnesota Wild were in the middle of the Western Conference’s battle royale for the post season. With an experienced lineup and a solid goaltender on their side, they should be able to hang in the race till the bitter end. Right?

Apparently not as the Wild have dropped 8 straight and are 1-7-2 in their last 10 games. What gives?

No one knows
and the team doesn’t seem to be up for addressing the issue, but it looks like as a team they just gave up on their season at the wrong time. Making one wonder, how much does “veteran leadership” really matter? Matt Cullen and John Madden are as grizzled a veteran of many spring wars as any of their peers. But the two off season additions, plus the longterm core, weren’t able to keep the ship upright as the waves crashed down.

The ship sunk on somewhere between Nashville, Dallas, Vancouver and San Jose. A week long road trip where the old timers secure the rigging and weather the storm. Instead they just left the mast rip in the wind.

Wings Limping in to Playoffs

After last season’s “disappointment”, the Detroit Red Wings have come back strong in their ripe old age. Topping the Central Division once again and about to post yet another 100 point campaign. However, their usually high playoff expectations in 2011 are in danger of going the way of the 2010 version.

Thanks to the San Jose Sharks 6-1-3 and the Wings 5-3-2 run over their last 10 games respectively, the two clubs are tied for 2nd in the West at 97 points. A position Detroit held with much more security a week or so ago. Injuries have been to blame for the sputtering in the Motor City.

Key players not being available has been an issue all season, but without Pavel Datayuk and leading goalscorer Johan Franzen, since March 17th the Wings have dropped three straight before defeating Toronto over the weekend. Will the aggregate effects of the latest injures carry over in to the playoffs? Both over the age of 30 (and over 1,000 games between them), they’re used to the abuse, but their bodies don’t recover the same anymore. Add in a shoulder injury to netminder Jimmy Howard and the concerns grow in legitimacy for a repeat of 2010.

Best Line in the NHL?

Is there a better line in the NHL right now than the Anaheim Ducks’ top trio of Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry? No, there isn’t.

By the numbers: 94 goals, 218 points, in 210 games. All three over 20:00 ATOI.

While Perry is making his best case for the Hart Trophy, his two line mates are far from slouches. Ryan is as dynamic a goal scoring forward as the come and Getzlaf is the best all around centerman not named Sidney Crosby. All three are built like bulldogs and attack the net with their strength and size advantage (average 6’3, 210 lbs). Mix in their uncanny chemistry to know where each other is at any given time and defensemen can only hope to limit the offensive production because they can’t stop it.

Life Without Anze

How do the Los Angeles Kings move on without Anze Kopitar?

With the Kings offensive leader and top centerman out for at least the first round and likely more, the burden now falls to a select few to pick up the slack.

Let’s just say there isn’t much confidence in either Jarret Stoll or Michal Handzus to replace Anze’s 25 goals and 73 points in 75 games down the middle. At most they can be asked to battle, win face-offs and play a defensively sound game. Ryan Smyth is a known commodity, but isn’t a peripheral producer at this stage of his career.

Not many options from the veteran core of the club. For that reason, the long touted youth must deliver.

For the likes of Dustin Brown, Jack Johnson, Drew Doughty and Wayne Simmonds the time is now to show they can fulfill their potential to become elite difference makers. They’ve all shown flashes, but have also faltered and struggled to find consistency. In the “do or die” situation the Kings are in now, not only to make the playoffs, but once they get in, is a perfect opportunity to prove they can simplify and provide a consistent level of play. If they can, their skill sets and physical attributes can take over from there.

Give Pekka His Props

The Nashville Predators played host to the top team in the NHL Vancouver Canucks (37-13-9) last night and treated them to a 3-1 loss.  In what has become playoff style hockey in the Western Conference where every game counts, last nights win for Nashville was definitely important.  With the win, Nashville stays in fourth place, but are tied in points with fifth place San Jose (32-21-6).  However, the Predators are only two points ahead of the traffic jam of six-ninth place (Anaheim, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Calgary), all of which have 68 points.

Both teams came out fast and physical to start the game, with both teams fighting for pride.  Goaltenders Pekka Rinne and Roberto Luongo were called on to make big saves early on to keep the game scoreless for the first period.  The second period was just as fast and physical.  The Predators notched the first goal of the night at the 14:13 mark when Martin Erat shoveled a rebound past Luongo to tally his 10th of the season.  Vancouver would answer with a power play goal by Daniel Sedin at the 18:15 mark and start to swing momentum their way.

After a media timeout standing ovation that has become a tradition special to Nashville, the Predators took their cue from the fans and grabbed momentum back by tallying a goal from Nick Spaling only 7 seconds later to take the lead 2-1.  The goal was Spaling’s fifth on the season.  The Predators continued to capitalize on their momentum when new Predator Mike Fisher notched his first goal as a Predator and fifteenth of the season at 19:11 to give Nashville a 3-1 lead.

The Predators were able to hold off Vancouver for the win, but it was not without cost. Fisher left during the first period after taking a puck to the face.  He did however, return in the second period after receiving stitches.  Also lost last night to injury was center Marcel b, who was playing in only his second game back from another injury.  He left the game after sliding awkwardly into the boards and was later seen in the locker room after the game in a sling.  Forward Steve Sullivan was taken to nearby Vanderbilt Hospital for tests after taking a puck to the face off of a deflected pass in the second period.  Per Predators coach Barry Trotz, Goc has been ruled out for Saturday’s game against Phoenix, and Sullivan has been listed as probable.

Last night’s game saw Predators goaltenderRinne’s numbers increase, and move dangerously close to Tim Thomas of the Bruins.  Rinne now has a Save % of .931 as compared to Thomas’ .938, and a Goals Against Average of 2.07 as compared to Thomas’ 2.02.  Rinne has thrived down the stretch, and has a good possibility of catching Thomas and is making a very strong case for being named a finalist for the Vezina award.

The Predators will host the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday in what will be another important game in the points race in the Western Conference.

Tyler Davis

NHLHS Nashville Predators Correspondent

Twitter: @Trebek14

Email: davis.tylerb@gmail.com