As Seth Lake very astutely pointed out via Twitter, this is what the Preds would have done with Colin Wilson last season when they just, frankly, ran out of warm bodies to put on the ice.

The Rancho Santa Margarita, California native was a healthy scratch in back-to-back games this past week. Before Thursday night’s contest in Columbus, he had never been scratched in his brief NHL career.

The coaching staff must see more in rookie Roman Josi than they do in Blum right now.

The official press release is below.

***

NASHVILLE PREDATORS ASSIGN DEFENSEMAN JONATHON BLUM TO MILWAUKEE

Nashville, Tenn. (December 12, 2011) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has assigned defenseman Jonathon Blum to Milwaukee (AHL).

Blum, 22 (1/30/89), has five points (2g-3a) in 27 games for the Predators in 2011-12.

The Predators take on the Calgary Flames tomorrow night (7 p.m., FSTN, 102.5 The Game,  Daily’s Super Tuesday) for game two of a four game home stand, with the Detroit Red Wings visiting Smashville on Thursday (7 p.m., FSTN, 102.5 The Game) and the St. Louis Blues making a stop in Music City on Saturday (7 p.m., FSTN, 102.5 The Game,  McDonald’s Family 4 Pack Night). To purchase tickets, visit nashvillepredators.com, ticketmaster.com or call 615-770-PUCK (7825).

This month, after a decade and a half of events, Nashville’s own Bridgestone Arena celebrates its 15th anniversary. Visit nashvillepredators.com/15thanniversary for a special “15 Years of Bridgestone Arena in 15 Days” daily feature that takes a year-by-year look back at the signature stories and events that defined Bridgestone Arena and impacted the Nashville community.

In front of a reported 13,852 at Nationwide Arena, the Nashville Predators played miserable hockey but somehow managed to find their game in the final 4:00 of action to pull out a miracle victory.

Rinne made 21 saves for his 11th win of the year but, really, Nashville did their best work when he was out of the net.

In short, the Predators scored two goals with their net empty and then used overtime to win the game.

“Obviously we didn’t win any draws at our end of the rink,” Columbus Head Coach Scott Arniel said. “Once they tied it up, we were pretty rattled after that.”

Columbus got things started toward the end of an otherwise uneventful first period. After a lengthy delay, Jeff Carter was finally given credit for a goal he’d scored several minutes earlier. The shot was called “no goal” on the ice because, it was thought, the puck deflected off of Ryan Suter and out. In reality, the shot hit the rear padded crossbar flush and sprung out. Play continued and, once there was a whistle, the officials got a chance to look at it. The end result was the correct call: a goal and 1-0 Columbus lead.

“I didn’t see it go in but Vinny (Prospal) was right in front of me,” Carter said. “We both came back (to the bench) and said we heard it hit a bar.”

Antoine Vermette made it 2-0 in the middle frame after Jack Hillen left him alone in the slot. Vermette rolled off the Preds defenseman toward the net and banged home the rebound for the score.

Moments later, however, the Preds answered. Sergei Kostitsyn corralled a Hillen rebound and nudged it over to Mike Fisher at the side of the net. Fisher made no mistake and pulled the Preds within one.

In the opening minutes of the third stanza, Derek Dorsett burst through the middle of the ice (and through Kevin Klein and Francis Bouillon) to break in on Rinne. His goal gave the home team a 3-1 edge and what seemed like a choke-hold on the contest.

Nashville had only three shots on goal in the final period until they made things interesting with a Patric Hornqvist tally. With less than 2:00 remaining, Rinne left the net giving his team an extra attacker. Hornqvist got several attempts at a rebound and finally put one past Curtis Sanford. After the play, the Stockholm, Sweden native got blasted from behind by Nikita Nikitin and went head first into the boards. No penalty was called.

Moments later, Sami Pahlsson got whistled for cross-checking and, therefore, gave the Predators a power play with one last chance to pull off a miracle. Arniel was not happy about the penalty.

“It was a pretty (expletive) make-up call by the referee,” Arniel said. “That was horrendous.”

Carter was a lot more professional than his coach.

“We consider it a questionable call at the end there,” Carter said. “But the ref’s don’t lose you the game. Good teams go out and kill those off and finish off the game.”

Regardless of the infraction’s validity, on the ensuing man advantage, Kostitsyn tipped an Erat shot from the point and, with only 13 ticks on the clock, tied the game.

In overtime, the Preds rode their surprising momentum to a surprising victory. Erat led a 2-on-1 rush with Colin Wilson, who one-timed it past Sanford for the winner.

The victory ties Nashville with the Los Angeles Kings for eighth in the Western Conference (30 points). It also puts them just five points behind Detroit for second place in the Central Division.

The Preds play their newest (and arguably most hated) rival the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena. Puck drops at 7:00pm Central.

LEFTOVER THOUGHTS:
* Bouillon dropped the gloves with Dorsett in the first period. Bouillon missed the final three months of last season and then the first month of this season with a concussion. You have to wonder if engaging in extra-circulars is smart.
* Nashville tough guy Brian McGrattan played in his 200th NHL game tonight.
* This was Predators forward Kyle Wilson‘s first game in Columbus since January 14, 2011. His Blue Jackets beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 that night.
* He hasn’t scored a goal since March 20 but the Predators obviously miss Blake Geoffrion. They are 2-6-1 without him.
* With Geoffrion in the lineup? 11-5-3.
* Kostitsyn, Nashville’s leading goal scorer last season, has been just shy of awful recently so it was good to see him contribute tonight. In the month of October, he looked like he had picked up where he left off last year, compiling eight points in nine games. Since then, however, he’s scored just five (13 games).
* With his two helpers tonight, Ryan Suter has 17 points in his last 19 games. Shea Weber also got an assist, giving him 17 in that same span.
* Fisher dominated in the face-off  dot, going an incredible 16-3.
* How Hornqvist was not voted a star in this game is beyond me. He was on the ice for all three Nashville regulation goals, scored the goal that gave them life and then created the screen that allowed the trying goal. He was everywhere tonight and should’ve been given the appropriate accolades.

THE THREE STARS OF THE GAME:
1) Colin Wilson (NSH)
2) Antoine Vermette (CMB)
3) Sergei Kostitysn (NSH)

—

SPECIAL THANKS to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the post-game comments.

—

PHOTO CREDIT: @HollyBerry2134 // Twitter (permission pending)

Then, tonight, when Rogers Sportsnet’s Darren Millard tweeted that it was, in fact, Ryan who was being shopped, it started to put that friendly banter into perspective.

Along with Preds bloggers James Nelson of Preds Odd Man Rush, Ryan Porth of Smashville 24/7 and Seth Lake, a moderator at HF Boards and a contributor to On the Forecheck, some pretty interesting trade scenarios came up.

Their ideas and scenarios are linked at the bottom so, before you get to those, here was my proposal: Ryan Ellis, Colin Wilson, Teemu Laakso and a first round pick for Ryan. Let me explain why I think it’s realistic and what each team would get out of the deal.

COLIN WILSON
WHY THE PREDS WOULD DO IT
Wilson has really turned it around. Long gone seem to be the days of Head Coach Barry Trotz’s dog house and the continuous frustration that was readily apparent on both sides. His new found work ethic and determination really ups his value and, considering we’re just months (not years) removed from his issues, General Manager David Poile may want to strike while the iron’s hot. It won’t be easy seeing a player with Wilson’s potential go the other way but, when you look at what they’re getting back, it becomes a little easier.
WHY THE DUCKS WOULD WANT HIM
The Ducks aren’t in a full rebuild mode but they have to do something. Ryan is a tremendous bargaining chip that will command a hefty return. But losing Ryan takes goals out of the lineup. Enter Colin Wilson. Nashville’s first round pick in 2008 could “replace” Ryan’s offensive potential in Southern California. Is Wilson a 70-point guy? Probably not. But he could approach 60 while skating with talented, offensive-minded linemates. And, quite frankly, Anaheim has a lot of those.

RYAN ELLIS
WHY THE PREDS WOULD DO IT
Ellis has the makings of the next great two-way defenseman. He’s the most decorated blueliner in Canadian Major Junior history and, in any other organization, he’s probably in the NHL lineup right now. The Predators, however, have too much youth on the roster and are more in need of a veteran presence to bolster the blueline than they are another young, talented rearguard who can create chances with the best of them. Now, obviously, that’s only this season. If Jack Hillen and Francis Bouillon depart come summer time, all of a sudden Ellis finds himself quarterbacking the second power play unit alongside veterans Jon Blum and (hopefully) Shea Weber and Ryan Suter.
WHY THE DUCKS WOULD WANT HIM
Anaheim needs help on defense right now. Ellis could provide that. Also, Ellis’ defense partner in junior was Ducks sophomore blueliner Cam Fowler. They won back-to-back Memorial Cups together. Think of the chemistry they could recreate at the NHL level. It should have Ducks GM Bob Murray salivating. Could they be the next Weber-Suter?

TEEMU LAAKSO
WHY THE PREDS WOULD DO IT
Why wouldn’t they? Nashville is deep in blueline talent. Laakso made the team out of camp but quickly proved he wasn’t ready when it came to a full-time NHL roster spot. He found himself as a frequent healthy scratch and is now sitting out due to injury. Plain and simple, with the talent coming up through the system (yes, even without Ellis), Laakso is expendable.
WHY THE DUCKS WOULD WANT HIM
Ellis could play for Anaheim now but the “throw-in” of Laakso would give the Ducks some additional insurance in case the NHL learning curve is a little too tough for the former Windsor Spitfire captain. Laakso has played in a handful of NHL games already and he could be a bottom pairing guy in Anaheim, easily. Again, the Ducks would want him in the deal to act as more of an insurance policy.

1st ROUND PICK
WHY THE PREDS WOULD DO IT
Quite frankly? To sweeten the pot. Poile does not like to give up draft picks, plain and simple. Just ask him how painful it was to sit there this past June and watch the entire first round go by. But to get something you got to give up something. Bobby Ryan is a proven 30-goal scorer and has even eclipsed the 70-point plateau. A draft pick, no matter how high, is a risk until he proves otherwise. For every first round home run there’s a first round bust (see: Martin Havlat vs. Brian Finley in 1999, for example). As a general manager, you always deal a “potential” for a “proven.” This would be the perfect time to illustrate that.
WHY THE DUCKS WOULD WANT IT
Who doesn’t want an extra first round pick? Okay, seriously, they would want a first rounder in the deal (or a second rounder, at worst) in order to further ensure fairness. Taking all the emotion out of it and, on paper, they’d be trading away a highly-gifted offensive player (Ryan) for a couple prospects (Ellis, Laakso) and a project (Wilson). The first round pick (mid-to-late choice) would give them an added bonus.

And now for what the Ducks would be giving up:

BOBBY RYAN
WHY THE PREDS WOULD WANT HIM
What is the one thing this team has needed since the beginning? A proven goal scorer. They had one in development until Alexander Radulov defected to his native Russia in 2008. That derailed the long term plans of the organization and they’ve been left searching ever since. It appeared as if that problem had been solved when they were one of the final two teams in the Phil Kessel sweepstakes in the summer of 2009 but eventually lost out to the Toronto Maple Leafs. All Kessel has done since leaving Boston is score 30 goals each year and is already halfway there this season (after only 24 games). What would the Predators be like with a goal scorer like that in their lineup? Ryan would give them the chance to find out. In his three full NHL seasons, he’s scored 31, 35 and 34 goals, respectively. He’s only 24 so he’d be part of the Preds core going forward (the “Big Four?”) and he hasn’t even entered his prime yet. Furthermore, he wouldn’t be a rental player. According to capgeek.com, Ryan is locked up through 2015 at just $5.1 million a year. That’s completely affordable for what he would bring to the table. Plus, wouldn’t bringing in an offensive talent like Ryan motivate Weber and Suter to want to re-sign in Music City? There are some who believe that’s the reason they haven’t signed on long term just yet: the absence of a goal scorer.
WHY THE DUCKS WOULD DO IT
They need to move somebody. Trading Ryan would warrant a huge return. A return so large that Anaheim could address several needs. And, probably the best part for them, they can address those needs and still keep 2010-11 Rocket Richard and Hart Memorial Trophy winner Corey Perry and proven 80-point scorer Ryan Getzlaf in the fold. How many teams can say that? While they don’t want to trade Ryan, he gives them a happy medium: a large return while keeping the nucleus in tact.

* To read Seth’s trade scenario over at On the Forecheck, CLICK HERE.

* To read James’ trade scenario over at Preds Odd Man Rush, CLICK HERE.

* To read Ryan’s trade scenario over at Smashville 24/7, CLICK HERE.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Jeremy K. Gover // section303.com

Today is the day that a handful of guys find out if they’ve done well enough to start with the Nashville Predators or if they still need to fine tune their skills with the Milwaukee Admirals.

27 players remain on Nashville’s roster and Head Coach Barry Trotz said that the guys heading to Milwaukee will be told their fate later today.

“We’re going to assign some guys tonight,” Trotz said after the game on Saturday. “Then we’re going to do something on Monday. Monday will probably give you a good indication of where we’re going to start.”

Center Chris Mueller, winger Gabriel Bourque and veteran defenseman Tyler Sloan were all assigned to the Admirals on Saturday night. Injured blueliner Roman Josi was also placed on injured reserve and will start in Milwaukee when healthy.

So who stays in Music City? Here are the remaining players that were considered to be “on the bubble” coming into training camp.

—FORWARDS—

BLAKE GEOFFRION
The Brentwood, Tennessee native had quite an impressive NHL debut. In his first 11 games he collected six goals and an assist, including an incredible hat trick on March 20, 2011 that propelled the Predators to victory in a game they had no business being in. He was considered “on the bubble” coming into camp because of one reason and one reason only: he’s AHL-eligible. Because he can be sent down to Milwaukee without being exposed to waivers, he is subject to becoming the victim of a numbers game. If Nashville had gone out and acquired a veteran forward (via trade or free agency) Geoffrion could be sent down without risk. Fortunately for Geoffrion, it doesn’t appear General Manager David Poile went out and got said forward. Also fortunately for Geoffrion, Trotz raved about him recently, saying “One of the things we lack, when Hornqvist isn’t on the ice, is that net presence on the power play. Boomer can provide that. He also gives us a left-handed draw.” An injury early in training camp, however, changed things for the 23-year old winger. He only got to see ice time in three pre-season games and, despite scoring three points in those games, he looked out of place at times. He may need to get back to full speed with top minutes in Milwaukee before returning to Nashville. It won’t be a popular PR move but it may be best for his production and confidence. OPENING NIGHT PROJECTION: Milwaukee

—

ZACK STORTINI
Stortini was signed as a free agent this summer in hopes of providing some grit and muscle to the lineup. With Shane O’Brien gone, Francis Bouillon a question mark and the late Wade Belak having left us too soon, the Predators have a need for a physical presence. Averaging 143 penalty minutes per season in his NHL career, the former Edmonton Oiler certainly provides that. But, with the talent at the forward position (that seems weird to say, eh?) is there room for Stortini? Some would argue that there isn’t. The Predators finally have the ability to roll three lines who can score and a fourth line who can chip in with timely goals as well. The 26-year old Elliot Lake, Ontario native doesn’t exactly have a scoring touch and would be used almost exclusively to toughen up the lineup. Furthermore, they can’t send him to Milwaukee without exposing him to waivers. If they feel like he’d be claimed by another team, they may hold onto him just so they don’t lose him for nothing. All of that begs the question: do the Preds really want to use a valuable roster spot on a guy who will only play four or five games a month? You need toughness in the lineup, that goes without question, but at what cost? Do the Preds send a fourth liner with some decent offensive upside down to the AHL simply to keep Stortini in the fold? That’s the question they’ll have to answer. OPENING NIGHT PROJECTION: Nashville (as the 13th forward)

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KYLE WILSON
I’ll be very honest. I have no idea what Kyle Wilson is still doing in Nashville. Don’t get me wrong, he hasn’t been terrible. He hasn’t been great either. Matter of fact, he’s just been… unnoticeable. In four pre-season games, he scored two points. While stats aren’t everything, that’s not much of a case to keep him in Music City. The organization really seems to like him though. Not only is that evident by the fact that he’s still with the big club but also because Trotz has said so. The former Colgate University teammate of ex-Predator Mark Dekanich, Wilson has proven himself at the AHL level. While with the Hershey Bears from 2007 to 2010, the pivot was nearly a point-per-game producer and never tallied less than 53 points in any one season. Even with the Springfield Falcons last year he scored 24 points in 23 games. But can that offensive flair translate to the NHL? Only time will tell and the Predators scouts believed in his ability enough to convince General Manager David Poile to sign him to a two-year contract this past July. The key to the deal is that this season is a two-way agreement while the 2012-13 campaign is one-way. This suggests the coaching staff may think he fits with their plans next year. OPENING NIGHT PROJECTION: Milwaukee

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COLIN WILSON
Colin Wilson. A kid with all the talent in the world but with the wrong attitude. Well, at least that was the case last season. He seems to have gotten the message and has been working his tail off in camp. It’s proven on almost every stride that he’s embracing a new mentality of hard work and, quite frankly, it shows in his pre-season statistics. The former Boston University Terrier led the Predators in scoring with seven points in six games. Plus, evidence shows that the coaches wanted to give Wilson every chance to prove his head’s on straight. The only players to see time in six pre-season games were Teemu Laakso, Craig Smith and Mattias Ekholm, all three of which were fighting for a roster spot. The good news is that the 21-year old forward excelled when put in that situation. The situation of playing games that don’t mean anything. So that’s a very good sign for Wilson, his development, and the potential of the Nashville Predators. Coming into training camp there were thoughts that he’d be traded. After this stellar pre-season showing, however, it’s more likely that he goes onto become Nashville’s top scorer than getting a one-way ticket out of town. And good for him. Anybody who goes through some tough times and finally “gets it” deserves good things to happen. OPENING NIGHT PROJECTION: Nashville

—

— DEFENSEMEN —

TEEMU LAAKSO
He’s paid his dues in the system and, frankly, it’s time to see him in Nashville. He exploded offensively in Milwaukee last year with a very uncharacteristic 30 point season. His previous career high, at any level, was 13. The spike in his production came as a result of Jon Blum being called up to the big club. “I got lots of points on the power play. (And) I just felt a lot more confident and I was trying to play some offense as well,” Laakso explained. Whatever the reason, it just bolsters his resume as a guy who can play a two-way game, not just a stay-at-home style. He’s been called into service for the Preds before and that only helps his cause. The three fellow prospects he’s competing with haven’t played a single minute of NHL hockey while the Tuusula, Finland native has played in eight games. Beyond that though, he looked the most comfortable out of the prospects in the pre-season. His passes were with conviction. His skating was with purpose. His positioning was text book. Laakso was considered a front runner by Poile this summer and he’s proven why. Plus, let’s face it, this is an organization who prides itself on promoting from within. If you pay your dues, and do what’s asked of you, you’ll get a shot to play. Laakso has done that. OPENING NIGHT PROJECTION: Nashville

—

JACK HILLEN
In July, Poile said that the bottom pairing in Music City was going to be “all new kids. New to the NHL.” Shortly thereafter, just as a fail-safe, Poile went out and signed free agent blueliners Tyler Sloan of the Washington Capitals and Jack Hillen of the New York Islanders. Both were signed to one-year, two-way deals which gives Nashville some financial flexibility if they don’t crack the NHL lineup. While Sloan has cleared waivers and been assigned to Milwaukee, Hillen has impressed. Sure he only scored one goal in his five pre-season games but, like Laakso, he’s looked completely comfortable out on the ice with his new team. Obviously the 175 games of NHL experience would have something to do with that but his steady presence can’t be denied. He’s proven he can pitch in 20 points a season at the NHL level and, for the bottom pairing, that would be very welcome. Also, the 25-year old Minnetonka, Minnesota native could easily step up and take the place of an injured Preds defenseman if necessary. While the younger guys, who have never played a single second in the best league in the world, might be able to step up, there will be doubt in their ability to. And, if you’re the coaching staff, why voluntarily walk into that scenario when you’ve got a steady defenseman like Hillen at your disposal? FUN FACT: When Hillen starts on opening night, he’ll be the only Nashville rearguard not  to have been drafted by the Predators. OPENING NIGHT PROJECTION: Nashville

—

MATTIAS EKHOLM
Where to start with Ekholm? He’s played in the world’s second best league (the Swedish Elite League) and posted such incredible numbers (33 points in 55 games) as a rookie that he was named Elitserien Rookie of the Year. The 21-year old Borlänge, Sweden native came into camp considered closer to “NHL ready” status than both Ryan Ellis and Roman Josi. He was one of the three “men among boys” at this summer’s Rookie Development Camp and, as with Ellis, he can provide the Predators with some much needed offense. During the pre-season, he only managed a single point (an assist) but looked consistently solid. Having never played hockey on this side of the pond before, Ekholm may require several weeks playing on the smaller ice surface before realizing his full potential. But there’s a problem with that. He has a clause in his contract that says he can return to Sweden if he doesn’t make the big club. So the Predators have a major decision to make. Do they put Ekholm in Milwaukee to learn the North American game? And, if so, does he even accept his demotion or does he choose to return to his Brynas HC club? Or, knowing his “out,” do they keep him in Nashville and bring him along slowly? But, if they do that, is he really maximizing his development by sitting out every other game and seeing limited ice time? Of all the decisions the Predators brass have to make today, Ekholm’s situation is by far the toughest. OPENING NIGHT PROJECTION: Sweden (hopefully we’re wrong)

—

RYAN ELLIS
It’s been said time and time again: Ryan Ellis is an emerging national treasure. The most decorated defenseman in Canadian Major Junior history, Ellis has racked up so many awards and accolades that, when he buys his first home, he’ll need a separate bedroom to store them all. In the pre-season he looked a little lost at times but that’s to be expected seeing as how this was his first full NHL pre-season action. He managed only one point (an assist) but he was a plus-3 and played solid power play minutes. He may have forced his name back into the opening night roster conversation, however, with his performance in the final pre-season contest. Before the game, Trotz said “There are some guys that will play tonight where it’s their last kick at the can.” Then, after Ellis’s impressive performance, Trotz used his post-game press conference to utter the words “We’ve had a change of plans on a couple guys.” A few minutes later he said “That was (Ellis’) best game by a country mile.” Did the Freelton, Ontario native play himself back into the opening night roster discussion? Whether he did or not, it’s probably best for the former Windsor Spitfire to season himself with the Admirals of the AHL. That way, not only can he find the confidence he needs to succeed but he can prove that his 5’10″, 185 pound frame can withstand the bigger, tougher, faster professional forwards. OPENING NIGHT PROJECTION: Milwaukee

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HEADLINE PHOTO CREDIT: Jeremy K. Gover // section303.com

JERSEY GRAPHIC: courtesy of shop.nhl.com

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If you missed yesterday’s post featuring Martin Erat, David Legwand and Blake Geoffrion, CLICK HERE.

—

PROJECTED LINE #3 || Niclas Bergfors – Cal O’Reilly – Colin Wilson
Niclas Bergfors has the opportunity to really shine. The problem is, he also has the opportunity to fall flat on his face. The 24 year old Sodertalje, Sweden native may end up on a line with fellow Swede Hornqvist at times this upcoming season. But to have them starting the season together would not only give Bergfors way too much credit but it would also negate all the chemistry that Hornqvist, Fisher and Kostitsyn created at the end of last season. So, for now, we’re saying Bergfors earns his stripes on the third line. The former first round pick of the New Jersey Devils has a lot of potential. In his rookie year (2009-10), he proved he can score goals in this league, collecting 21 of them en route to All-Rookie Team honors. He’s not known as a hard worker though. Matter of fact, some experts would use the word “soft.” That won’t fly with the Predators coaching staff and, if he wants to stick around, he’ll have to quiet his critics on a regular basis. If Head Coach Barry Trotz wants to set him up for success, he’ll put his new budget-conscious winger on a line with a playmaking center. That way, Bergfors can use his skill, speed and agility to get open and let the playmaker… well… make plays.
2011-12 PREDICTION: 42 points

Cal O’Reilly fits the bill. He’s a point-per-game talent at the AHL level and was only starting to make an argument for full-time NHL work when he broke his fibula last December. He never returned to game action and will see his first pro hockey match when the pre-season begins next month. Before the injury, however, he was on top of the Nashville scoring list with 18 points. Through December 18, only Steve Sullivan was producing more for the Preds. O’Reilly has always been a playmaker. He loves to make the pretty pass and excels in doing it. For example, when he led the Milwaukee Admirals in scoring in 2007-08, only 16 of his 79 points were goals. Want another example? Fine. After being drafted by Nashville in the fifth round of the 2005 NHL Draft, he went on to lead his Windsor Spitfires team in scoring with an incredible 99 points. 81 of which were assists. The guy could become Adam Oates in a Preds sweater. Well, he could if he had talented linemates, was utilized on the power play more and can stay healthy. With Bergfors skating to his left, look for O’Reilly to have a breakout year.
2011-12 PREDICTION: 53 points (45 assists)

Colin Wilson goes into the season as a real wild card. He’s been in Head Coach Barry Trotz’s dog house for some time and if the former Boston University Terrier can get it right between the ears, the sky’s the limit for him. And, with a full summer off to think about how things have gone down and his future as an NHL power forward, don’t be surprised if Wilson comes into camp ready to blow everyone away. His 34 points was good enough for seventh best on the Predators last season but he managed those numbers in a limited role. Again, due to the attitude issues. Think of what he could do with a full season of top minutes and top determination on every shift. Now think of what he could do with a full season of top minutes and top determination with talented linemates like Bergfors and O’Reilly. Scary, isn’t it? Wilson’s power forward style could really compliment the creative O’Reilly and shifty Bergfors. It’s just too bad that their potential rests on his shoulders.
2011-12 PREDICTION: 40 points (with the right attitude); TRADED (with the wrong attitude)

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PHOTO CREDIT: Gosha Images and Bridget Samuels

Since February 12, the former Boston University star has collected just six points and has had diminished ice time because of it. Matter of fact, he’s played so poorly, Trotz has elected to scratch the offensively talented Wilson in favor of harder working guys like Matt Halischuk and Blake Geoffrion in the playoffs.

Well, tonight that’s about to change.

Due to an injury sustained by Steve Sullivan, Wilson will see his first postseason action of the year in Game 4 tonight. But what will he bring to the table? What should be his realistic expectations? Will he chip in on the scoresheet or will he finally prove that he’s willing to work hard at both ends of the ice?

WEIGH IN WITH YOUR OPINION AND PREDICTIONS BELOW!

Unless, of course, you’re the Nashville Predators who apparently can’t buy a break right now.

The Preds lost their fifth in a row as they fell to the Dallas Stars, 4-2 in front of a sold out crowd at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday night. Colin Wilson had two goals and Patric Hornqvist had 14 shots but that wasn’t enough on this night as the Stars improved to 22-11-4 on the season.

Pekka Rinne was not as sharp as he would’ve liked, stopping 21 Dallas shots but allowing four goals. It was the first time he’s allowed more than three goals in a game since the debacle in Toronto on November 16.

The first period featured everything you’d want in a hockey game. Two fights, solid goaltending on both ends, even a 16-8 shot advantage by the home team, but neither team could penetrate the opposition’s net.

It may have taken over 24 minutes but, when somebody finally broke through, it was Rinne who caved first. After Kevin Klein had a glorious chance turned away by Dallas goalie Andrew Raycroft, the Stars raced back the other way and, with the Preds scrambling, Steve Ott put home a rebound to make it 1-0.

After Ott and Shane O’Brien dropped the gloves, Ott picked up an extra minor for slashing. Wilson made the most of the opportunity, putting a backhander past Raycroft to tie the game with exactly a minute left in the period. It was Nashville’s 33rd shot of the game.

When Wilson came back from the intermission break, it was like he never left the ice. On his first shift of the stanza, Wilson distanced himself from the Stars defense on a breakaway and slid a backhander through Raycroft’s five-hole to give the Preds the 2-1 lead.

The Stars answered right back, however. Less than a minute later, Loui Eriksson tied the game by netting his 16th of the year.

Mark Fistric and Krystofer Barch each tallied unassisted goals to make it 4-2 before it was all said and done.

The Predators may have gotten two goals tonight but their offensive woes continue. They average a mere one goal a game in their last five and haven’t scored more than three goals in a game since December 13 when the lowly New York Islanders were in town.

It’s obvious “the Hockey God’s” are down on the Preds right  now. First there’s the losing streak but now there’s a 46 shot effort that can’t warrant a win. What more do they have to do? You know, other than score? Don’t be surprised if, sometime soon, the goals start coming and, when they do, they come in droves. Nashville has done all they can to try and jump start the offense but it hasn’t happened. So, while you can blame injuries for their lack of production, it just needs to be accepted that, right now, things aren’t going their way. Plain and simple. If they were playing terrible every night (see: late October, early November) there’d be cause for concern. But, during this streak, they’ve played pretty well. Luck just isn’t on their side right now.

The Preds will travel to Minnesota to take on the Wild on Friday night. If you recall, this was the scene of the 5-2, completely uninspired, nobody-seemed-to-care loss in November.

Let’s hope Nashville doesn’t have a case of deja vu.

LEFTOVER THOUGHTS:
* Wade Belak had played in eight games this season without taking a single penalty. On his first shift in this one he grabs a fighting major and an interference minor.
* Patric Hornqvist was credited with six shots on goal in the first period, good for second most in franchise history. He finished with 14, a career high and possible (I’m checking) franchise record.
* This was the first mutli-goal game of Wilson’s career.
* Dallas is now a single win behind Detroit for the Western Conference lead.
* Chris Mueller played in his first career NHL game tonight. The newest Predator finished with just 3:17 of ice time, he was 1-for-2 in the face-off dot and had a minus-1 rating. Still a game he’ll remember the rest of his life.
* Linus Klasen had another solid game. Other than missing his man during a Stars attack in the second period, he looked good out on the ice. Another positive step forward to such a promising career.
* The Music City Bowl participants were in the house tonight. Members of the University of Tennessee and University of North Carolina football teams took on the game from the lower bowl.
* It was the sixth sellout of the year for the Predators, marking the quickest to six sellouts in franchise history.

MY THRE STARS (as voted on with 6:12 left in regulation)
1) Andrew Raycroft (DAL)
2) Colin Wilson (NSH)
3) Loui Eriksson (DAL)

THREE STARS OF THE GAME:
1) Loui Eriksson (DAL)
2) Colin Wilson (NSH)
3) Andrew Raycroft (DAL)

Congrats to Jessica, the winner of the Ryan Ellis-autographed copy of the new book On the Wing: A History of the Windsor Spitfires. If you didn’t win, don’t fret! We still have ONE MORE! We’ll be giving that last one away on next week’s 303:30 podcast! Be sure to subscribe via iTunes so you don’t miss your chance!

But Anders Lindback has done just that.

The rookie netminder stopped 35 Detroit shots (including 27 in the final two periods) to give the Nashville Predators their fourth win in their last five games.

Colin Wilson and Martin Erat scored late in the first and early in the second, respectively, to give the Preds a 2-0 lead. The Red Wings answered with a shorthanded tally midway through the second and it looked like it was going to be Atlanta all over again for Nashville. But then — wait for it — JP Dumont scored late in the third to give the Preds an insurance marker that they would end up needing in order to hold off their arch rivals.

It won’t show up on the scoresheet but just as important as a goal was Nick Spaling‘s play at the end of the game. With the Red Wings controlling the play near the Preds’ blueline, while on his belly (and without a stick) Spaling was able to get his left hand on the puck. He literally tossed the puck down the ice to get the important clear and end the game.

After losing a heartbreaker that they should’ve won in Atlanta on Monday, it was great to pick up the win in Detroit on Wednesday. And in regulation no less. It’s just further proof that everything evens out over the course of the year. Would they have liked to get both points against the Thrashers? Of course. Should they have beaten the Wings? Not necessarily but a 6’6″ Swede made sure they did. But, at the end of the day, if you secure three points on a two game road trip that features an Eastern Conference opponent and the Detroit Red Wings, you’ll take it. You just probably would’ve predicted the results be switched.

Nashville will now turn it’s attention to another Eastern Conference foe, the Florida Panthers. Former Preds Tomas Vokoun, Mike Santorelli and Darcy Hordichuk will be in town. Santorelli, a guy who never really made things happen while in a Preds sweater, is currently tied for sixth on the Panthers in scoring (7 g, 4 a, 11 pts).

See you on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena!

LEFTOVER THOUGHTS:
* Dumont’s goal was his first since the embarrassing 5-4 loss in Toronto.
* Wilson’s goal was his third in the month of December. He now has six on the season.
* Erat, who had only six points in the first two months of the season, now has six in the month of December alone.
* Cal O’Reilly, who assisted on Wilson’s goal, now has a five game scoring streak.
* Shea Weber is finally rescuing his plus/minus from the depths of… well, you know. He was a minus-10 coming into the game but finished with a plus-2 rating.
* Speaking of plus/minus, Marcel Goc now leads the team with a plus-9 rating. And he wears the number nine.
* Cody Franson has a plus-4 rating on the season. He wears the number four. (Sorry. I just found that funny.)
* Goc was originally credited with the second Nashville goal despite it clearing being deflected by Erat. This hilarious tweet was a result of the official scoring change.
* David Legwand returned to the lineup on Wednesday but couldn’t complete the game. He played just nine minutes before re-aggravating the injury.
* While there’s no reason not to give Lindback another start, recent call-up Mark Dekanich may make his NHL debut on Saturday. It’s an Eastern Conference opponent, it’s at home and it’s a struggling club. Plus, it’d be a good warm-up for him before the back-to-backs against New Jersey and Los Angeles next weekend.

The roster was announced today and not only is every 2010 Preds draft pick in attendance, but so is every Nashville first and second round selection since 2006. In addition, two Predators (Colin Wilson and Nick Spaling)and a local Hobey Baker Award winner (Blake Geoffrion) you already know and love are also on the roster. in I couldn’t copy and paste the roster and keep the columns so, for now, the roster is a print screen from the official release. (My apologies for that. I’m working on it.)

NOTE: The official press release from the Predators states “2010 first-rounder Austin Watson and four of the other five prospects selected in last weekend’s draft” will be in attendance. On the roster, we see all six 2010 draft picks so there’s a slight possibility that there’s an error on the roster.

He inked his first pro contract at his alma mater of Granbery Elementary School in Brentwood, becoming the first native-Tennessean to sign an NHL contract.

Geoffrion, Nashville’s second round pick in 2006, played in the National Championship game this past season with the Wisconsin Badgers and even tallied two goals in three playoff games with the Milwaukee Admirals before getting injured.

General Manager David Poile and the Preds were under some pressure to get Geoffrion signed as he was set to become a Restricted Free Agent in a couple months according to the rule that a college player must be signed by the team that drafted him by the August 15 following his senior year.

But, let’s be honest, the pressure was on Nashville more so because of how important he is to the franchise as far as depth is concerned. First of all, he’s a left wing and the Preds don’t have many of those. Secondly, along with Colin Wilson, Zach Budish and hopefully Cal O’Reilly (sorry, I still believe), Geoffrion is very much a part of the offensive future of the franchise. Throw in a couple blue chip prospect defensemen in Jon Blum, Ryan Ellis and Roman Josi and you’re looking at the heart and soul of the 2012-13 Nashville Predators.

You could read more about the signing at the Predators official website.

Tonight, it was The Patric Hornqvist Show.

The most important game of the Predators season has just become the Flames and Avalanche game tomorrow night.

(pick your headline, really.)

Dustin Boyd, Colin Wilson and Steve Sullivan scored as the 15,242 inside Bridgestone Arena were treated to a roller coaster of a game as the Preds beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2.

Hornqvist earned first star honors as he finished the game with the following stat line: three assists, four penalty minutes, a plus-3 rating, a team-leading five shots and three hits. Oh yeah, and he also drew two penalties in the first period alone.

While the story was Hornqvist, Pekka Rinne was at his best tonight, turning aside 31 shots in the victory, including an incredible toe save in the waining moments of the 3rd period to keep the Blues at bay. As has been the norm since the Olympic Break, Rinne was one of Nashville’s best players. The media failed to name him a star of the game, however, which is absolute crock. Without him, the Blues run away with this one early (and late for that matter).

The win is Rinne’s 30th of the season, a new career high.

Blues veteran forward Alex Steen scored his 24th goal of the season with a little help from the officials. While on the power play, Steen backed into Rinne after being bumped by Shea Weber, obviously interfering with the Nashville netminder’s ability to make the save. The officials ruled that Weber bumped Steen into Rinne, resulting in a good goal.

With the win, the Preds magic number becomes 1. Meaning, if the Calgary Flames lose to the Colorado Avalanche Friday night, Nashville officially clinches their first playoff birth since the 2007-08 season. If the Flames manage a victory in Denver, a Predators win or overtime loss against the Red Wings in Detroit on Saturday ends their current one-year post season hiatus.

The Nashville Predators just became Avalanche fans.

For 24 hours anyway.

GAME NOTES:
* Jordin Tootoo, who had just a shade over 5:00 of ice time on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings, was a healthy scratch.
* Along with his 8th goal of the season, Wilson also tallied his first career NHL penalty against the Blues. It was a fighting major. He was also selected as the second star. Again, absolutely robbing Rinne of the deserved honor.
* With the second of his three assists, Hornqvist became the Predators’ first player to eclipse the 50-point plateau this season. Nashville has never made the post season without a 50-point scorer on their roster.
* Nashville registered eight PP shots on goal in the first period alone. We can’t recall (off-hand) when the last time they had eight PP shots on goal in an entire game.
* Before Boyd scored, the Predators were scoreless at home in their last 191:44.
* Shea Weber was credited with five blocked shots.
* Veteran forwards Martin Erat and David Legwand were the only players in a Nashville sweater with a minus-rating (each finished with a minus-1).

I’ll take “Unlikely Hometowns of College Hockey Phenoms” for $1000, Alex.

Blake Geoffrion, Nashville Predators 2nd round pick in the 2006 draft, has been named a finalist for the 2010 Hobey Baker Award as collegiate hockey’s best player.

And yes, he’s from that hockey hotbed of Brentwood, Tennessee.

Geoffrion and his fellow finalists, Bobby Butler of the University of New Hampshire (undrafted; signed by the Ottawa Senators on March 29, 2010) and Gustav Nyquist of the University of Maine (4th round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2008) are the last men standing from a field of 10 after today’s announcement of the “Hobey Hat Trick.”

Both Butler and Geoffrion are seniors while Nyquist is a sophomore.

Today’s announcement marks the second consecutive year the Preds can brag that a draft pick of theirs has been nominated for the Heisman Trophy of college hockey. Last season, 2008 1st round pick Colin Wilson was named a finalist, only to lose to his Boston University teammate Matt Gilroy.

Of the three finalists, only Geoffrion is still playing as both the Wildcats of New Hampshire and the Black Bears of Maine failed to make the NCAA tournament. Geoffrion, the team captain of the Wisconsin Badgers, leads his team into battle against RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) on April 8. Puck drops at 4pm Central. Both semifinal games will be shown on ESPN2.

While bloodlines don’t usually mean a whole lot, Blake certainly has them. He is the son of Dan Geoffrion, who played three seasons of pro hockey (1 in the WHA and 2 in the NHL). He’s also the grandson of the legendary Bernie Geoffrion. ”Boom-Boom” was enshrined into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972 and was named the 42nd Greatest Hockey Player of All-Time by The Hockey News back in1998. He also happens to be the great-grandson of the “first superstar of the NHL” Howie Morenz.

Both Morenz and Bernie Geoffrion’s numbers (7 and 5, respectively) hang in the rafters of the Bell Centre in Montreal.

(Basically what we’re saying here is he’s no Brett Lindros or Brent Gretzky.)

In the award’s 29 year history, the Hobey Baker winner has never worn a University of Wisconsin sweater.

The award will be announced live on ESPNU on April 9 at 6pm Central.

To read all about the three finalists, click here.

They’re then joined by Milwaukee Admirals center Nick Spaling to talk about his success at the NHL level despite frequenting the score sheet, what it was like to play in that first NHL game and his attitude once being sent back down to the Ads.

Jeremy, Codey and Brandon also chat with beat writer Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch as they break down tonight’s game against the struggling Blue Jackets and talk about why Columbus, as a franchise, took a step back this season.

As always, the podcast is available via iTunes for subscription. We would appreciate it if you would subscribe, rate and review.

CREDITS:
Music: Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes), Salute Your Solution (The Raconteurs), Knowledge is King (Kool Moe Dee), Come With Me (Puff Daddy), Hoo Bangin’ (The Westside Connection), Did You Get My Message? (Jason Mraz), Run This Town (Jay-Z)

Staff: Kent Harris (voice over)

Well, if games were only 40 minutes long.

The San Jose Sharks beat the visiting Nashville Predators 8-5 in a wild one that saw convincing leads by both clubs, 13 goals and 80 shots on goal.

Patric Hornqvist and JP Dumont each scored twice but the Preds couldn’t stop the onslaught once the third period started. Nashville outshot the Sharks 34-11 and led by a score of 4-2 going into the second intermission. But then it became the Joe Pavelski show.

Of the six – count ‘em SIX – San Jose goals in the third period, Pavelski had a hand in four of them, finishing the game with two goals and two assists.

The Preds didn’t exactly dominate the opening two periods but they did excel in all facets of the game. They applied constant pressure on the power play, they were throwing pucks at the net and they even got consistent traffic in front of Evgeni Nabokov, all of which directly led to their 4-2 lead going into the third.

The loss reminded many Preds fans of the game this past Sunday afternoon when the Preds squandered a 2-1 lead in the third period to the Vancouver Canucks. In a game they had no business winning, Nashville let them climb back in it and get some timely goal scoring for the victory.

Thursday night’s game out in Northern California had the same feel. A very confident Preds team doing everything right through the opening 40 minutes and then a total train derailment in the final 20.

Barry Trotz’s club, fortunately, won’t get much time to dwell on how this got away from them as they play the Anaheim Ducks Friday night at the Honda Center.

GAME NOTES:
* With the goal and assist, rookie Colin Wilson bagged his first multi-point game in the NHL. He also has a two-game goal scoring streak and a three-game point streak.
* When Hornqvist scored in the first period, it was his first goal since February 4 against Colorado.
* David Legwand – one of the team’s highest paid players – still hasn’t scored a goal since January 2.
* Defenseman Shea Weber returned to the lineup tonight, only to find an unflattering minus-5 rating waiting for him.
* Ryan Suter, Weber’s defensive partner, didn’t fare any better. He posted a minus-6.
* The back-up for the evening, Pekka Rinne, got some action toward the end of the game. Dan Ellis surrendered a soft goal just after the Preds tied it up in the third period, prompting Trotz to call on Rinne.
* With his second goal of the night, Dumont tallied his 500th NHL point.

Translation: Rookie center Colin Wilson and AHL veteran defenseman Nolan Yonkman have been recalled from the Predators minor league affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.

Wilson makes sense. Marcel Goc is out and Wilson can fill the void there. Not to mention he’s been a tear lately at the AHL level, prompting Preds fans to ask for his recall by the gross. Yonkman, however, is a completely different story and one that should raise some questions. Namely about Predators defenseman Dan Hamhuis.

The Predators official statement says that defenseman Cody Franson has been put on injured reserve but they’re already functioning with six blueliners in Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, Hamhuis, Kevin Klein, Francis Bouillon and Alexander Sulzer. Yonkman makes seven healthy defensemen on the NHL roster around a time where trades need to be made before the final playoff push.

The future of the Nashville blueline rests on the shoulders of Jonathon Blum, Teemu Laakso and Ryan Ellis, so one would natually assume that one of those three would be recalled. Blum may have 25 points for the Admirals so far this season but he still needs to get bigger and faster. Laakso, who actually spent seven games with the Preds last season, has only played in 18 games this year for Milwaukee and is nowhere close to ready for prime time NHL minutes. Ellis is still with his junior team, the Windsor Spitfires, and isn’t available for call-up until their season is over.

Milwaukee Admirals captain Nolan Yonkman while playing for the Washington Capitals back in 2006.

Enter Yonkman.

He has three NHL seasons under his belt—- let me rephrase: he has 50 NHL games under his belt. He’s played most of his professional career at the AHL level where he’s logged 384 games, including being the Admirals team captain. If this was a band-aid move, the Preds would be more likely to call up a guy like Blum or even Robert Dietrich, both of whom have a more offensive upside than Yonkman. But that’s not the case. Nashville is going for experience with this transaction, which leads to the only logical conclusion: a trade has been made or is really close.

Enter Hamhuis.

The 27-year old defensemen already has 458 NHL games on his resume and is considered to be a top 2 blueliner on most teams around the league. Of course, he’s also about to become a UFA on July 1 and, therefore, has become the focus of trade gossip over the past few weeks. When at his best, Hamhuis provides a stable, veteran, physical presence in his own end. Yonkman is the best defenseman in the Nashville system that fits that mold.

A mold Nashville would only need to fill were Hamhuis to be out of their lineup for any reason.

The official Nashville Predators twitter account mentioned that Hamhuis’ wife is about to deliver a child and, because the team is on the road during questionable weather conditions, Yonkman has been called up as a precaution. While that’s a logical scenario, one would still wonder why Blum or Dietrich wasn’t recalled instead. Especially if it’s “just a precaution” and they don’t expect to the recalled defenseman to actually play.

The trade deadline of March 3 is fast approaching but, as we’ve seen over the past two weeks, teams are motivated to get deals done before the Olympic Roster Freeze takes effect on February 12. General Manager David Poile knows that the Preds need scoring. He also knows Hamhuis won’t be back next season and thus is forced to deal him in order to get something in return.

If and when Yonkman plays in a game, it will be the first time he’s worn a Predators sweater in an NHL game.

Of course, he also has a two-game point scoring streak on the line as well. (He had three assists in his last two NHL games that took place back in April of 2006).

In front of his friends and family in his hometown, the Nashville Predators rookie slammed the puck over the goal line for his first ever tally as a professional. It was the go-ahead goal at the time but, unfortunately, it didnt hold up as the Predators lost their sixth game of the season (and sixth in a row) by the score of 3-2 to the Boston Bruins.

Since Saturday, the Predators have looked like a completely different team than they did in the three games before. And not just because of the close final scores either. Sure both games finished with the final score of 3-2 in favor of their opponents, but the overall intensity and resiliency has been present, unlike the previous three contests.

And they haven’t been without some adversity too. Not only did they have to regain confidence after being blasted 6-1, 6-0 and 3-1 in consecutive games, but Barry Trotzs club found themselves without some key players since the road trip began. Defenseman Dan Hamhuis has been out since Saturday with a concussion and, on Wednesday night, they skated without captain Jason Arnott who’s dealing with an upper-body injury.

Arnott is slated to be out for at least the entire road trip.

But the young guys picked up the slack. Patric Hornqvist extended his team lead in points (7) by registering an assist, rookie Wilson scored his first goal, recent call-up Cody Franson earned his first NHL point and Cal OReilly created some good chances while skating on the top line with veterans Steve Sullivan and JP Dumont.

Wilson’s goal wasn’t the only first for the Preds as Jerred Smithson became the first forward not playing on the top line (sans Martin Erat’s own goal against Chicago of course) to score for Nashville. Recent free agent signee Dave Scatchard, who hasn’t played in an NHL game since January 27, 2007, donned a Predators sweater for the first time on Wednesday. And, in a personal triumph, defenseman Kevin Klein was not on the ice for a goal against his team for the first time since last Wednesday.

The Predators wont get a day off between games as they’ll skate against the Senators in Ottawa tomorrow night.

Puck drops at 6:30pm Central. The game will be seen on FSN-TN.

GAME NOTES:
* Tough guy Wade Belak got less than 2:00 of ice time in what was his 500th career NHL game.
* David Legwand played his best game of the young season so far. He was all over the ice, earned an assist on the first Preds goal and even dove in front of a Zdeno Chara slapper to register a blocked shot. The only area he seemed to struggle in was the face-off dot, clicking at only 33%.
* Nashville was able to avoid the penalty box for the first 42 minutes of action, but then took two infractions back-to-back. Boston, however, couldn’t convert on the power play either time.
* Sullivan finished the game with a minus-2 rating despite showing good chemistry with his line mates and leading his team in shots (4).
* Dan Ellis, in probably his most average outing of the season, allowed three goals on 27 shots.

After a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Edmonton, followed by a 6-0 embarrassment in Dallas and then a 13-shot performance against Chicago this past Thursday, the struggling Predators go into the home of, arguably, the most talented team in the NHL. They’ll not only try to win, but a lot of fans would accept a loss given the game was competitive.

At this point, fans just need to see something worth rallying around. And a solid performance against a good team like Washington might be all it takes to regain the confidence.

As always, the podcast is available via iTunes for subscription. We would appreciate it if you would subscribe via iTunes and please feel free to rate and review while there.

The next 303:30 will be next week, Saturday, October 24, 2009 and our very special guest will be John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting. You don’t want to miss it.

CREDITS:
Music: Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes), Salute Your Solution (The Raconteurs), Player’s Holiday (T.W.D.Y.), Shake Me Like a Monkey (Dave Matthews Band), Back to the Hotel (N2Deep), What’s the Difference? (Dr. Dre), Bang Bang (Dr. Dre)

Staff: Kent Harris (voice over)

The Nashville Predators laid an egg against the visiting Edmonton Oilers on Monday night. The final score? 6-1. For those that remember that absolute debacle that was the Thrashers game last season where the Preds lost 7-2, this game was right up there with that one. The only thing that made this game slightly better was that the Atlanta game was a sold out house – on a Saturday night, no less - and the college football season had just ended. Sports fans were looking for a place to invest their “fandom.” And the Predators turned them away so they could find a high school volleyball game instead.

But I digress…

Only a never-say-die attitude by Marcel Goc, an “I’m gonna bust my tail even with 40 seconds left” work ethic by

Fans came out in droves to see Colin Wilson's during the pre-game skate.

Wilson and one meaningless goal by captain Jason Arnott was to show for what otherwise was a wretched game by the home team.

Sure the Preds were credited with 41 shots on goal. Sure goaltenders Pekka Rinne and Dan Ellis were probably to blame for only two of the goals. And sure the Preds put more pucks on net during their seven power plays than they usually do in most games as a whole (17), but to play that bad defensively, and make that many mental errors, and to get zero offensive support from a 1/4th of the payroll (*cough* *cough* *Leggy & Erat* *cough*), and to leave the goaltenders out to dry, and to…

You get the idea.

One fan even said “I hope they get sick tonight thinking about how they ruined Colin Wilson’s first NHL game. He only gets one and they ruined it!”

For someone who only looks at the box score and tries to draw an opinion from that alone, there might not be a goaltending controversy anymore. But, for those who witnessed the game in-person, it was obvious that only one goal could be blamed on Rinne and then, in mop-up duty, only one goal could be blamed on Ellis. Thus, there is still very much a goaltending controversy in Nashville.

Unfortunately another controversy is what to do with the last original Predator David Legwand and the $4.5 million man Martin Erat. The two have basically been married since Paul Kariya was here but Head Coach Barry Trotz, in his post-game press conference, said that he had “nothing to lose” by splitting them up considering he’s not getting anything from them together.

So what’s to be done of Leggy and Erat? An argument could be made that Legwand has played better than Erat has, especially considering he’s a more defensive-minded player and backchecks well. Legwand also finished with a team-high 86% success rate in the face-off dot on Monday. He’s even among the top 15 in face-off leaders league wide. Erat, on the other hand, has shown next to nothing in his four games so far.

One suggestion had Erat playing on the fourth line. Another suggestion had making Erat a healthy scratch. While some would say that forcing an athlete to not play is the bigger punishment, let’s think about it for a second. Take Erat’s potential skill level and banish him to a line with guys like Ben Guite, Triston Grant or Jordin Tootoo. Then the coaches tell him you have to earn your way back up to one of the top two lines. Not only should he be motivated to get his game back, he should at least be motivated to get off a line that limits him offensively.

Scratching him, on the other hand, just allows him to sit up in the press box and think about how poorly he’s played. Which, believe me, is fine once in a while, but sticking him guys who are less-offensively gifted and forcing him to fight to get back to the promised land just seems like a more unorthodox way to go.

And, when you’ve heard the same voice your entire career, an unorthodox approach might just be all you need.

So, things to take away from Monday night’s game: Erat needs to start earning his $4.5 million salary cap hit (especially while JP Dumont is out), Wilson showed a lot of good things out there (too bad he didn’t have any support), Goc continues to be Nashville’s best player without a point and the Preds are 0-1 this season when “O Canada” is sung at the Sommet Center.

Make of that what you will. The standings say it makes us 2-2-0.

GAME NOTES:
* The top line of Steve Sullivan, Arnott, Dumont and Patric Hornqvist are the only Predators forwards with points so far this season. Matter of fact, until Dan Hamhuis registered an assist on the Arnott goal Monday night, only the top line and defensive pairing (Shea Weber and Ryan Suter) had points.
* Hamhuis, who had an atrocious game, finished with a minus-3 while his partner Kevin Klein finished with an unflattering minus-4. At least one of them was on the ice for every even strength Edmonton goal.
* Edmonton goalie Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers made 40 saves but don’t get carried away with his performance. Other than a handful of opportunities, most of his saves were of the routine variety.
* After only allowing one goal on 41 Buffalo Sabres’ shots on Saturday, Rinne allowed four on just nine shots Monday. He finished out the first period and then was pulled in favor of Ellis.
* Nashville’s next game is on Wednesday on the road against the Dallas Stars.

The former Hobey Baker Award finalist for college hockey’s best player skated out for the pre-game skate amidst a throng of fans and a roar of cheers.

Not since Peter Forbserg was brought in at the trade deadline back in 2006 has one player generated so much

Rookie Colin Wilson was seen smiling from ear to ear during the pre-game skate.

“promise.” Since being drafted seventh overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Wilson has been the face of the future for the Nashville Predators. Then, if it were even possible, that excitement only grew when – in one of the greatest finishes you’ll ever see – Wilson and his teammates at BU won the NCAA National Championship last April.

Well, this isn’t Boston anymore. It’s Nashville. And it’s the big leagues. And Wilson’s present and playing tonight.

And he couldn’t be happier.

Wilson was seen by all fans in attendance for the pre-game skate grining ear to ear. Even while passing and shooting. He truly is enjoying this moment.

Hopefully he can be a reason for the Pred fans to enjoy his moment as well.

He’ll start the game on a line with Ryan Jones and Joel Ward.

With the subtraction of role playing forwards like Vern Fiddler (Phoenix), Radek Bonk (KHL, but has since been released), Scott Nichol (San Jose) and Antti Philstrom (Sweden), Nashville was looking for some of the younger guys to step up and take their shot at an NHL roster spot. Veteran NHLers like Marcel Goc (San Jose), Ben Guite (Colorado), Peter Olvecky (Minnesota) and Ben Eaves (Finland) were all signed to two-way contracts but were meant to boost competition in training camp. Creative rookie center Cal O’Reilly had signed a two-way deal as well but was considered the lead candidate for the third line center position. And we haven’t even mentioned rookies Colin Wilson, Nick Spaling and Mike Santorelli yet.

There. We just did.

All of these players were fighting for roughly five open roster spots on head coach Barry Trotz’s club. Well today, we found out just who made the cut.

O’Reilly had a rough start and never really showed much until the final week of camp, which was too little too late. He cleared waivers and was sent down to Milwaukee. Trotz has said that he will have another chance to earn a call-up though. Frankly, if he can find his game again, he’s too valuable of a player to spend the entire year in the AHL.

As for Santorelli, he didn’t disapoint after being approached with the idea of moving to wing alongside David Legwand and Martin Erat. He ended up scoring five points in five games during the pre-season and made the coaching staff look like genius’s with their impromptu request.

Last years bust became this years homerun when Patric Hornqvist ended up leading the Preds in pre-season scoring. The much-maligned Swede who hadn’t scored a goal on NHL ice since last October netted two in the regular season tune-up sessions, both against as close to NHL rosters as possible: vs. Carolina on September 26 and at Columbus a day later. While he was basically handed the first line wing position last season, he outright earned his spot this year.

Of the veteran centers that had a realistic opportunity to start the 09-10 season in Nashville, only Goc and Guite stuck. Goc had an overly impressive camp and showed that he has plenty of offensive upside for a guy who will man the bottom of the roster throughout the season. Guite, a true role player in every sense of the word, earned a spot with his second NHL team thanks to his determination and work ethic. If anyone’s hard work could be coined “the Predator way,” Guite is that guy.

The defense had quite a battle of their own coming into camp after watching Greg Zanon and Ville Koistinen sign elsewhere. Former third round pick Cody Franson didn’t make the cut despite leading all Milwaukee blueliners in scoring last year. He was the odds-on favorite for one of the two open spots but a nose injury ate into his ice time with the team and, ultimately, the inactivity gave him a one-way ticket back to the Preds’ AHL affiliate.

Predators fans might remember Alexander Sulzer from last year. Unless, of course, they blinked. The 6’1″ German only saw three and a half periods worth of NHL action last year due to a shoulder injury. He may have been signed to a one-way deal over the summer but he never really stood out in training camp and finished with an even rating despite starting the pre-season a plus-4 in the first two games.

Teemu Laakso, considered by most to be third in the three-horse race for one of the two open spots, ended up being the lead horse. Laakso will most likely be paired with free agent signee, Francis Bouillon.

“The Cube,” as he’s affectionately known, missed the last half of the season last year due to an abdominal injury. He did manage to play one game for Montreal in the playoffs last year but, for all intents and purposes, he’s been out since February. He certainly came back with a bang though. Not known as a goal scorer, Bouillon netted the game-winner against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the final pre-season game of 2009. He also finished that game with a plus-2 rating. Not bad for missing most of training camp, eh?

Veterans Jason Arnott, JP Dumont, Steve Sullivan, Legwand and Erat will be counted on to lead the way up front, with guys like Goc, Santorelli, Hornqvist and Ryan Jones chipping in. Future Preds Wilson and O’Reilly will get their chance at the NHL level as well, it just might take them a little longer than most thought.

The blueline is anchored by Norris Trophy candidate Shea Weber along with Ryan Suter, Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Klein. Bouillon and Laakso will most likely fill out the bottom defensive pairing, despite the coaching staff on record saying Bouillon and Klein will rotate as the fourth defenseman as needed.

So, in summary: Today, officially, O’Reilly cleared waivers, Franson was sent down and Joel Ward and Wilson were both placed on injured reserve, putting the Nashville Predators roster at 21 as follows (in alphabetical order):

FORWARDS: Arnott, Wade Belak, Dumont, Erat, Goc, Guite, Hornqvist, Jones, Legwand, Santorelli, Jerred Smithson, Sullivan and Jordin Tootoo.

DEFENSEMEN: Bouillon, Hamhuis, Klein, Laakso, Suter and Weber.

GOALTENDERS: Dan Ellis and Pekka Rinne.

By the way, it’s anyone’s guess what forward lines three and four will look like. Just sayin’.