Contribution through lineup key to Predators recent success

The Nashville Predators put their six-game winning streak on the line tonight when they host Vancouver at Bridgestone Arena. Nashville’s recent success seems to fall on the number three, three goals for the Predators. Nashville’s 4-2 win against Dallas on Saturday was the 17th consecutive time Nashville won when scoring three or more goals. The Predator’s season record for scoring three or more goals in a game is 38-4-1.

While the numbers are pretty clear, Predators Head Coach Barry Trotz says contributions from all four lines have been key. “I give a lot of credit right through out lineup,” Trotz said, adding “Go back through the six games — every line has contributed over this stretch.”

Forward Jordin Tootoo agrees, “We got dynamic players in this dressing room that can  change the pace of the game and can change things around. We count on each other to get the job done, night in and night out.”

Hart consideration for Predators Rinne? Some teammates think so.

When the Nashville Predators visited San Jose on March 8th, Sharks Head Coach Todd McLellan said “I hear there is consideration of Rinne for the Hart. I wouldn’t argue that.”

The Hart Trophy is awarded to the player who is considered to be the most valuable to his team.

In the New York Times“Morning Skate” on March 21, Christopher Botta wrote “Pekka Rinne deserves consideration to be the third man when the finalists are announced. The Nashville goaltender is as valuable to the Predators as any player — forward, defenseman or goalie — is to his team.” Steven Stamkos and Daniel Sedin are considered the favorites.

Bruins power forward recalls time in Junior with Predators defensemen

The Boston Bruins are the only team in the NHL that the Nashville Predators have never completed a transaction with since the Expansion Draft in 1998. But that doesn’t mean the teams don’t have any connections.

Take for example Milan Lucic, the Bruins leading goal scorer. The Vancouver native’s 53 points going into Saturday night’s tilt against Toronto is a season career-high. Lucic played junior hockey with Cody Franson and Jon Blum for the Vancouver Giants, winning a Memorial Cup together in 2007.

Lucic says he has a lot of good memories and good times shared with Franson and Blum, which makes playing against them at the NHL level “pretty cool.”

Weber takes franchise record with OT winner against Bruins

Shea Weber’s overtime goal lifted the Nashville Predators over the Boston Bruins by a 4-3 score on Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena. The goal, Weber’s 16th of the season, also lifted Nashville’s Captain to 80 career goals, the franchise record for goals by a defenseman. Kimmo Timonen, now a member of the Philadelphia Flyers, previously held the record with 79 goals.

Weber celebrates after scoring in overtime (AP)

“I didn’t even know that,” Weber said when he was asked about the record, “It’s pretty neat. It’s obviously a huge honor, there have been so many good defensemen on this team. Hopefully, I can keep it going.”

The game was a see-saw battle between two gritty teams. Boston opened the scoring at just 1:50 into the first period when Tyler Seguin notched his 11th goal of the season. Former Predator Rich Peverley and Tomas Kaberle picked up the assists.

Predators veteran forwards silence critics with solid play

As the Nashville Predators enter tonight’s contest against the Los Angeles Kings, two veteran are leading the way offensively for the club. In fact, no other Nashville forwards have been more productive since the middle of January than David Legwand and Martin Erat.

David Legwand (Getty Images)

The offense provided by Legwand and Erat has been fairly consistent over the past month and a half and has been a big help for Predators goaltender, Pekka Rinne. Nashville is nearly unbeatable when they post three or more goals in a game, with a 33-4-1 record. “That’s great,” Rinne said of the recent play of Erat and Legwand, ”Obviously, this time of year it is so important so it is great to see those couple of big guys playing so well. We need that at the moment. Hopefully they can keep it going.”

Legwand, was the first ever draft pick of the Nashville Predators, chosen second overall in 1998. Erat was the 191^st pick of the Predators in the 1999 Entry Draft. The two forwards are the longest tenured members of Predators and are tops in nearly every offensive statistical category for the Predators. Legwand, for instance, holds the record for most points, goals, assists, games played, game-winning-goals, overtime points, multi-point games and multi-goal games.

For Predators rookies, their futures are now

 

Two weeks before the trade deadline, the Nashville Predators acquired Mike Fisher from the Ottawa Senators for their 2011 first round draft pick as well as a conditional pick in 2012. Nashville then traded defenseman Alexander Sulzer to Florida for a conditional draft pick, leaving the Predators down to five healthy defensemen with Francis Bouillon out with a concussion.

In the meantime, it was announced that Marcel Goc was out for the season with his shoulder injury and Marek Svatos was waived and picked up by Ottawa.  Just a day after losing Svatos, however, Steve Sullivan was put on injured reserve.  These roster transactions left the Predators shy a healthy defensemen and a forward to complete their roster.

Jonathon Blum

The trade deadline came and went with the Predators standing pat. On February 22, four games before the trade deadline, Jonathon Blum got called up from Milwaukee. Two games later, and still two to go before the deadline, Blake Geoffrion joined Blum in Nashville.

The two highly touted Predators prospects are considered to be key parts of the organization’s future, but are now a part of its present, both playing in the NHL for the first time.

Can ship on shoulder help spark Preds to victory against Canucks?

This season, the Nashville Predators have played the Vancouver Canucks twice. The first game was right before the All-Star Weekend. The teams went into the third period with no score. Nashville took an early lead in the final frame only to lose it by the end of regulation 2-1.

Shane O’Brien talks about playing the Canucks and getting points down the stretch

On February 17th, the Canucks made their first visit to Music City. Despite being called for five minor penalties, in comparison to Vancouver’s two, Nashville came out on top 3-1.