Posts Tagged ‘calgary flames’
Preds wise to leave Jokinen, Gratton for other teams to claim
Sometimes it’s a good thing when a rumored trade doesn’t go down. If you’re disappointed that Phil Kessel wound up in Toronto instead of Nashville, be glad that Olli Jokinen wound up in a Flames jersey rather than a Preds sweater.
Jokinen, who was rumored to be headed to Nashville a few times as the trade deadline loomed in past seasons, was traded yesterday to the New York Rangers. Nothing about Jokinen’s time in Alberta makes me think the Preds missed out when he didn’t end up on their roster. The same can be said for longtime rumor-mill suspect Chris Gratton.
Tags: calgary flames, chris gratton, florida panthers, hockey, nashville, nashville predators, new york rangers, nhl, olli jokinen
Put Flames on Preds’ “do not play” list
If there’s one team that the Preds don’t want to face in the playoffs this season, it’s San Jose. If there’s a second team to avoid, it may be Calgary. Prior to defeating the Flames on the road last month, Nashville had lost five straight games to Calgary, including a 5-0 whitewashing on home ice in November and another 4-0 drubbing last spring. As evidenced again last night, Kiprusoff and company do a very good job shutting the Preds attack down.
Tags: calgary flames, hockey, mikka kiprusoff, nashville, nashville predators, nhl, san jose sharks
Time for Preds to get defensive
There will be plenty of defensive talent on display tonight at the Sommet Center. The Preds’ success against Calgary this evening–and for the entire season–will depend in large part on how Nashville’s defensemen perform.
The 2003 NHL Entry Draft held in Nashville offered a bumper crop of quality defensemen. Nashville’s Ryan Suter, the seventh player overall taken in the first round, Calgary’s Dion Phaneuf, the ninth player selected in the first round; Nashville’s Shea Weber, the 47th player overall taken in the second round and Kevin Klein, the third player picked by Nashville in the second round and the 37th overall, should all be on display tonight at 7 when the Flames and Predators meet at the Sommet Center.
Although offense has rarely been a source of strength for the Preds, Nashville’s shown early on this season that it can score goals when it needs them. It hasn’t shown that it can stop opponents from doing the same on a consistent basis, as high-score setbacks against St. Louis, Dallas and Columbus attest. The Preds have long been lauded for their depth at the defenseman position, and that’s true even though the team selected Ryan Suter over Dion Phaneuf in the 2003 draft. If Nashville is going to qualify for its fifth consecutive postseason this coming spring, that depth had better translate into strong defense soon.
Tags: calgary flames, dion phaneuf, hockey, kevin klein, nashville, nashville predators, nhl, ryan suter, shea weber
