Wow, look at us coming out and playing 60 minutes of hockey.
Observations:
Though things were shaky for him on his first outing, Pekka Rinne put up a spectacular performance last night. Edmonton crashed the net hard in the opening minutes of play and I think Pekka’s ability to stop those shots made him more confident in his ability to play the full 60 minutes.
I was jotting down notes last night during the game and I saw this morning that I had said, “Shea’s shot could be lethal.” When I perused the Predators website this morning to read their game recap, I had to laugh at what Trotz said about the very same subject, "First off, when he shoots, it’s going 100 miles per hour. Second, the puck is going on net. He’s not trying to pick a corner; he’s just shooting it on net.”
David Legwand registered an assist last night on Erat’s third period goal. Despite that, he continues to be a huge disappointment for me.
On a whole, we played a much more even keel game. I did not find myself overly frustrated with the way we played and I wasn’t ever mad at any one player in particular. With the exception of our power play, we were pretty solid. I think I might just have to resign myself to the fact that our PP will never be good...EVER.
It’s a clash of the big cats as we take on Tomas Vokoun and the Florida Panthers tomorrow night at the Sommet. Since this will be our last home game before the two week road trip, we’ve got to get two points. If we come out and play like we did last night, we should be able to pull out a win. And as much as I love me some Tomas Vokoun, I hope we find plenty of ways to put the puck past him. As always, the puck drops at 7:00pm CST.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
10/28/08 - Nashville at Washington: L 3-4 Final SO
First of all, let's talk about how ridiculously hard it is to recap a game that's only on radio broadcast. In my last post, I blamed FS Tennessee for the lack of televised hockey in Nashville tonight but the NHL is actually to blame. They held the exclusive rights to televise this game on Versus and chose to go with the Flyers vs. Thrashers game instead. Now, I had that game on whilst listening to our game on the radio (yeah, I'm a master multi-tasker) and Philadelphia absolutely spanked Atlanta. I'm not saying that it wasn't an enjoyable game to watch (for Philly fans anyway) but Nashville gets the shaft every year when it comes to national coverage. We've got ONE game on Versus this season (November 25th at home against St. Louis) and only the possibility of an NBC Game of the Week with an away game at Dallas in February. How is that at all fair?! Seriously.
Okay, I'm done ranting. On to tonight's observations or mental notes, since you can't really have observation without visuals.
Observations (for the sake of consistency):
Dan Ellis seemed to be having a spectacular night of saves and near misses. I wish I could have seen them.
Joel Ward was one name I kept hearing over and over again. The line of he, Radek Bonk and Jerred Smithson seem to be gelling well together.
Rich Peverley and Vernon Fiddler were both healthy scratches again. Seeing as how it is the coach's choice, I have to wonder what they're doing (or not doing) that is keeping them from logging ice time.
Patric Hornqvist was on a line with Jordin Tootoo and Scott Nichol. I guess Trotz isn't convinced that the Swede is the right fit for the top line yet.
The defensive scratch of the night had Kevin Klein relegated to the locker room, which meant Ville Koistinen got some ice time. He responded to the call with a power play goal (his first of the season) in the first to tie the game at 1-1. Both of these guys have the potential to be great players but Coach Trotz is going to have to make a decision for one or the other eventually. It's obvious he still doesn't know.
I was glad that we held on in this game, instead of leading early and then dropping back like we have in the previous two. We got a point and I think it was definitely deserved.
Shootouts are less nerve-wracking if you're only listening to the play-by-play..and that would be the one tiny little positive of a radio-only broadcast.
The Predators are back at home for two final homes games before a grueling two-week Canadian/West Coast road trip. They'll face off Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers and Saturday against former Predators goalie Tomas Vokoun and the Florida Panthers. Puck drops at 7:00pm CST both nights.
Okay, I'm done ranting. On to tonight's observations or mental notes, since you can't really have observation without visuals.
Observations (for the sake of consistency):
Dan Ellis seemed to be having a spectacular night of saves and near misses. I wish I could have seen them.
Joel Ward was one name I kept hearing over and over again. The line of he, Radek Bonk and Jerred Smithson seem to be gelling well together.
Rich Peverley and Vernon Fiddler were both healthy scratches again. Seeing as how it is the coach's choice, I have to wonder what they're doing (or not doing) that is keeping them from logging ice time.
Patric Hornqvist was on a line with Jordin Tootoo and Scott Nichol. I guess Trotz isn't convinced that the Swede is the right fit for the top line yet.
The defensive scratch of the night had Kevin Klein relegated to the locker room, which meant Ville Koistinen got some ice time. He responded to the call with a power play goal (his first of the season) in the first to tie the game at 1-1. Both of these guys have the potential to be great players but Coach Trotz is going to have to make a decision for one or the other eventually. It's obvious he still doesn't know.
I was glad that we held on in this game, instead of leading early and then dropping back like we have in the previous two. We got a point and I think it was definitely deserved.
Shootouts are less nerve-wracking if you're only listening to the play-by-play..and that would be the one tiny little positive of a radio-only broadcast.
The Predators are back at home for two final homes games before a grueling two-week Canadian/West Coast road trip. They'll face off Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers and Saturday against former Predators goalie Tomas Vokoun and the Florida Panthers. Puck drops at 7:00pm CST both nights.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
10/25/08 - Los Angeles at Nashville: W 4-5 Final
Observations:
While we pulled out a win and came up with two points, we still played like crap as a team. I want to know what is happening to us after the first period every night.
David Legwand continued his almost scoring streak last night, missing a wide open shot in the first. He also made one of the most ridiculously obvious high stick penalties I have ever seen. Needless to say, I am not at all happy with his performance thus far.
Jerred Smithson looks better offsensively so far this season than he has in any season past. He is also solid on the PK when paired with Joel Ward; or any other person for that matter.
Patric Hornqvist definitely finds his identity playing on the Family Line. He registered his first two NHL career assists last night, after having been a healthy scratch for Tuesday's game versus Calgary. Keep it up, Baby.
Ryan Jones is finally starting to impress me. He isn't afraid to get in and score the "dirty" goals and get to the spots that so many of the other players never seem to want to go.
Jordin Tootoo as a goal scorer is way better than Jordin Tootoo as a fighter. Scoring goals boosts his confidence and you can see that in his on-ice performance.
Next up, the Predators travel to DC to face off against Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. The game will not be televised locally (boo to that, FS Tennessee) but you should be able to catch it on the Predators flagship radio station, 104.5 The Zone. The puck drops at 6:00pm CST.
While we pulled out a win and came up with two points, we still played like crap as a team. I want to know what is happening to us after the first period every night.
David Legwand continued his almost scoring streak last night, missing a wide open shot in the first. He also made one of the most ridiculously obvious high stick penalties I have ever seen. Needless to say, I am not at all happy with his performance thus far.
Jerred Smithson looks better offsensively so far this season than he has in any season past. He is also solid on the PK when paired with Joel Ward; or any other person for that matter.
Patric Hornqvist definitely finds his identity playing on the Family Line. He registered his first two NHL career assists last night, after having been a healthy scratch for Tuesday's game versus Calgary. Keep it up, Baby.
Ryan Jones is finally starting to impress me. He isn't afraid to get in and score the "dirty" goals and get to the spots that so many of the other players never seem to want to go.
Jordin Tootoo as a goal scorer is way better than Jordin Tootoo as a fighter. Scoring goals boosts his confidence and you can see that in his on-ice performance.
Next up, the Predators travel to DC to face off against Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. The game will not be televised locally (boo to that, FS Tennessee) but you should be able to catch it on the Predators flagship radio station, 104.5 The Zone. The puck drops at 6:00pm CST.
Friday, October 24, 2008
10/23/08 - Calgary at Nashville: L 5-3 Final
Observations:
Dan Ellis said it best when he stated, “It was like we were just waiting for the win as opposed to fighting for it.” Yes, Elly; that’s exactly what we did and we deserve to lose if we continue to play like that.
Captain Jason Arnott was back in the lineup last night and Coach Barry Trotz decided to make rookie Patric Hornqvist a healthy scratch; mixing up the starting line by inserting training camp superstar, Joel Ward. Arnott was obviously able to play through the pain (as I’d been calling for) and managed our lone PP goal and an assist.
Shea Weber was having a weird night. Something was definitely off with his game. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it but I know if I’m saying “Come ON, Shea!” a lot, he’s doing something wrong.
Ryan Suter is on my list...again. That boy might have singlehandedly screwed up that extended 5 on 3 power play in the 1st. Unbelievable.
Speaking of that extended power play in the 1st...where were we?! I blame Suter.
David Legwand’s two almost goals from the first period were frustrating and exciting all at the same time. If the team gave out awards for the Best All-Around Almost Goal Scorer, Leggy would have that category sewed up.
That killer glove save by Dan Ellis in the 1st was my highlight of the game. The way he snatched that puck up and then tossed it aside reminded me of Vokoun (single tear).
The Los Angeles Kings are in town tomorrow night to take on the Predators in their first meet up of the season. Puck drops at 7:00pm CST at the Sommet Center.
Let’s Go, Preds! Seriously…get it together and LET’S. GO.
Dan Ellis said it best when he stated, “It was like we were just waiting for the win as opposed to fighting for it.” Yes, Elly; that’s exactly what we did and we deserve to lose if we continue to play like that.
Captain Jason Arnott was back in the lineup last night and Coach Barry Trotz decided to make rookie Patric Hornqvist a healthy scratch; mixing up the starting line by inserting training camp superstar, Joel Ward. Arnott was obviously able to play through the pain (as I’d been calling for) and managed our lone PP goal and an assist.
Shea Weber was having a weird night. Something was definitely off with his game. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it but I know if I’m saying “Come ON, Shea!” a lot, he’s doing something wrong.
Ryan Suter is on my list...again. That boy might have singlehandedly screwed up that extended 5 on 3 power play in the 1st. Unbelievable.
Speaking of that extended power play in the 1st...where were we?! I blame Suter.
David Legwand’s two almost goals from the first period were frustrating and exciting all at the same time. If the team gave out awards for the Best All-Around Almost Goal Scorer, Leggy would have that category sewed up.
That killer glove save by Dan Ellis in the 1st was my highlight of the game. The way he snatched that puck up and then tossed it aside reminded me of Vokoun (single tear).
The Los Angeles Kings are in town tomorrow night to take on the Predators in their first meet up of the season. Puck drops at 7:00pm CST at the Sommet Center.
Let’s Go, Preds! Seriously…get it together and LET’S. GO.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
10/18/08 - Columbus at Nashville: W 3-6 Final
Now that's what I'm talking about.
Observations:
Shea Weber is having a fantastic year so far. Like I mentioned previously, he really is going to give our offense a run for their money.
Martin Erat is finally stepping up to the plate; taking shots and scoring goals. He was on his game tonight and reminded me of why I like him so much in the first place.
Jordin Tootoo is maturing into a well-rounded player and I'm still trying to come to terms with it. I'm not sure he's really worthy of a spot on the second line but if it's working, who am I to argue?
David Legwand managed his first goal of the season tonight and it could not have come at a better time. We payed way too much for him to not produce.
Joel Ward continues to impress. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought he looked good during training camp.
As a team, we played a lot better tonight than what I saw last night. However, we're a bit inconsistent and that's not going to cut it later on in the season. I sure hope we get it together and keep to our solid defensive play I saw during last week's home opener against Dallas and Monday's game versus Chicago.
We've got the next few days off (please use this time to heal that pinkie, Jason Arnott!) and will face the Calgary Flames on Thursday night at the Sommet Center. We tend to be real physical with Calgary and I expect things could get heated, seeing as how the Flames haven't gotten off to the best start so far.
Unless something newsworthy happens between now and Thursday, I'm likely not to post anything until after the Calgary game. So as Paul McCann would say, 'good night, and good hockey'.
Observations:
Shea Weber is having a fantastic year so far. Like I mentioned previously, he really is going to give our offense a run for their money.
Martin Erat is finally stepping up to the plate; taking shots and scoring goals. He was on his game tonight and reminded me of why I like him so much in the first place.
Jordin Tootoo is maturing into a well-rounded player and I'm still trying to come to terms with it. I'm not sure he's really worthy of a spot on the second line but if it's working, who am I to argue?
David Legwand managed his first goal of the season tonight and it could not have come at a better time. We payed way too much for him to not produce.
Joel Ward continues to impress. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought he looked good during training camp.
As a team, we played a lot better tonight than what I saw last night. However, we're a bit inconsistent and that's not going to cut it later on in the season. I sure hope we get it together and keep to our solid defensive play I saw during last week's home opener against Dallas and Monday's game versus Chicago.
We've got the next few days off (please use this time to heal that pinkie, Jason Arnott!) and will face the Calgary Flames on Thursday night at the Sommet Center. We tend to be real physical with Calgary and I expect things could get heated, seeing as how the Flames haven't gotten off to the best start so far.
Unless something newsworthy happens between now and Thursday, I'm likely not to post anything until after the Calgary game. So as Paul McCann would say, 'good night, and good hockey'.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Ummm...
10/17/08 - Nashville at Columbus: L 3-5 Final
It was bound to happen one day. I just don't know if I was really ready to experience it last night.
On a more positive note, this was the first game of our home-and-home against Columbus. The Sommet should be rocking tonight in hopes that the Predators will come roaring back and squash the Bluejackets, as per usual.
Just one observation:
Jason Arnott needs to suck it up and learn how to play with his fractured pinkie. If Scott Nichol can play through the pain a day after hand surgery, he can too.
It was bound to happen one day. I just don't know if I was really ready to experience it last night.
On a more positive note, this was the first game of our home-and-home against Columbus. The Sommet should be rocking tonight in hopes that the Predators will come roaring back and squash the Bluejackets, as per usual.
Just one observation:
Jason Arnott needs to suck it up and learn how to play with his fractured pinkie. If Scott Nichol can play through the pain a day after hand surgery, he can too.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
10/15/08 – Nashville at Dallas: L 4-6 Final
Observations:
If the game had continued on in the same style of first period play, I would have been asleep by the second intermission.
Our PP still needs work. There are times when we can keep it in our zone and stay with the puck and be patient (i.e. Radek Bonk’s PP goal...although I scratch my head and think ‘BONK? On the PP?!’). Yet there are other times, specifically that PP midway through the 2nd and about a third of the way through the third, that make me want to jump through the TV and hit somebody.
Despite the high scoring game, we played like absolute crap. And you know it’s true when the coaches say the same thing (well, in so many words) during intermission interviews.
For a team who is relying heavily on their defense this year, you wouldn’t know it from last night. Almost every goal Dallas scored was a result from a play that happened behind the defense. We have got to be more aware.
Congratulations to rookies Patric Hornqvist and Ryan Jones on their first career NHL goals. I hope this is just the tip of the iceberg for them.
Dallas rookie Fabian Brunnstrom became just the third player in NHL history to record a hat trick in his first NHL game. That kid was on fire last night.
I strongly dislike (only because hate is such a harsh word) Sean Avery. No further explanation needed.
If the game had continued on in the same style of first period play, I would have been asleep by the second intermission.
Our PP still needs work. There are times when we can keep it in our zone and stay with the puck and be patient (i.e. Radek Bonk’s PP goal...although I scratch my head and think ‘BONK? On the PP?!’). Yet there are other times, specifically that PP midway through the 2nd and about a third of the way through the third, that make me want to jump through the TV and hit somebody.
Despite the high scoring game, we played like absolute crap. And you know it’s true when the coaches say the same thing (well, in so many words) during intermission interviews.
For a team who is relying heavily on their defense this year, you wouldn’t know it from last night. Almost every goal Dallas scored was a result from a play that happened behind the defense. We have got to be more aware.
Congratulations to rookies Patric Hornqvist and Ryan Jones on their first career NHL goals. I hope this is just the tip of the iceberg for them.
Dallas rookie Fabian Brunnstrom became just the third player in NHL history to record a hat trick in his first NHL game. That kid was on fire last night.
I strongly dislike (only because hate is such a harsh word) Sean Avery. No further explanation needed.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
10/13/08 – Nashville at Chicago: W 3-2 Final SO
Observations:
If our defense continues to score goals like they did last night, our forwards will have some heavy competition for leading goal scorers this season. [Read: Shea Weber]
Jason Arnott’s injury has the potential to make things interesting offensively and I don’t think we can afford that at this crucial “team building” stage of the season. He’s only listed as day-to-day with a jammed hand so his downtime should be minimal, I hope.
Despite struggling against Chicago last season, we seemed to be more evenly matched this time around. This was especially evident during the third period, as both teams were successful in neutralizing play. I think this speaks volumes in looking at what kind of team the Predators will be this year.
Dan Ellis is getting much better at reading players and anticipating their shots.
I will never enjoy shootouts, even if they work out in our favor. They’re just too nerve-wracking and ulcer-inducing for my taste.
The United Center seems like a great arena to play hockey in again. Props to the Blackhawks organization for working hard this summer to revive the sport in a town that’s dominated by baseball and basketball.
If our defense continues to score goals like they did last night, our forwards will have some heavy competition for leading goal scorers this season. [Read: Shea Weber]
Jason Arnott’s injury has the potential to make things interesting offensively and I don’t think we can afford that at this crucial “team building” stage of the season. He’s only listed as day-to-day with a jammed hand so his downtime should be minimal, I hope.
Despite struggling against Chicago last season, we seemed to be more evenly matched this time around. This was especially evident during the third period, as both teams were successful in neutralizing play. I think this speaks volumes in looking at what kind of team the Predators will be this year.
Dan Ellis is getting much better at reading players and anticipating their shots.
I will never enjoy shootouts, even if they work out in our favor. They’re just too nerve-wracking and ulcer-inducing for my taste.
The United Center seems like a great arena to play hockey in again. Props to the Blackhawks organization for working hard this summer to revive the sport in a town that’s dominated by baseball and basketball.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Weekend Wrap Up
The Predators opened their regular season with back to back games on Friday and Saturday. I predicted that we would go 1-1 in our first two games, which we did. However, we lost to the team I expected us to easily defeat and beat the team I expected us to struggle against.
Quite frankly, I saw two entirely different teams on the ice from one night to the next. Friday's game versus the St. Louis Blues presented a team that did not look at all ready to play a regular season game. We looked sluggish on the ice and unprepared to work hard. While we managed to score the first goal of the game, the fact that St. Louis scored two goals mere seconds apart from one another did little to help our confidence. This is something we struggled with throughout the season last year. I would have expected us to learn from that and be better equipped to handle similar situations this time around. Obviously, we still have things to work on.
Dan Ellis looked a bit rusty even though he seemed up to form during pre-season. Coming into this season with the notion that he is our number one might have had something to do with it; that and opening night nerves and jitters, I'm sure. The Preds were dropped by the Blues 2-5 and the most positive thing I can say about Friday night was that I was happy for the St. Louis fans who got to experience a season opener win at home. Every fan should be so lucky.
Coming in to last night's game against the Dallas Stars, my hopes were high as I too, wanted to experience a win for our regular season home opener. We struggled a bit with Dallas last season, so I wasn't too sure what to expect; especially after the previous night's poor performance. However, my boys did not disappoint and last night's game had it all, including three fights and two game misconducts. Sorry, Hammer and serves you right, Avery. Captain and birthday boy Jason Arnott (the "dad" of my Family Line) had a fantastic night with two goals and one assist, definitely showing he can still bring it in the goal-scoring department. His great performance last night even earned him the second spot in NHL.com's Stars of the Day.
Last night's team was definitely not the same team I saw in St. Louis the night before. Our defense was where they needed to be and even Greg Zanon looked like he might have recaptured his rookie year spirit. While there were defintely things we can take away from last night and work on, I was pleased with our on-ice product and look forward to seeing what we do from here on out.
We're on the road in Chicago tomorrow night; headed to Dallas for a re-match on Wednesday and then face Columbus in home-and-home games Friday and Saturday. With a schedule full of road games over the next two months, I'm curious to see how this year's team fares away from home. For some teams, road games are quite the struggle and others, not so much. I hope the Predators will use the next couple of months to bond as a team on and off the ice and really establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with during the games that really count.
Last night's game brought back to mind all the things I love about this sport and more specifically, the Predators. I know it's only been two games, but I can't wait to see where we're headed this season.
Quite frankly, I saw two entirely different teams on the ice from one night to the next. Friday's game versus the St. Louis Blues presented a team that did not look at all ready to play a regular season game. We looked sluggish on the ice and unprepared to work hard. While we managed to score the first goal of the game, the fact that St. Louis scored two goals mere seconds apart from one another did little to help our confidence. This is something we struggled with throughout the season last year. I would have expected us to learn from that and be better equipped to handle similar situations this time around. Obviously, we still have things to work on.
Dan Ellis looked a bit rusty even though he seemed up to form during pre-season. Coming into this season with the notion that he is our number one might have had something to do with it; that and opening night nerves and jitters, I'm sure. The Preds were dropped by the Blues 2-5 and the most positive thing I can say about Friday night was that I was happy for the St. Louis fans who got to experience a season opener win at home. Every fan should be so lucky.
Coming in to last night's game against the Dallas Stars, my hopes were high as I too, wanted to experience a win for our regular season home opener. We struggled a bit with Dallas last season, so I wasn't too sure what to expect; especially after the previous night's poor performance. However, my boys did not disappoint and last night's game had it all, including three fights and two game misconducts. Sorry, Hammer and serves you right, Avery. Captain and birthday boy Jason Arnott (the "dad" of my Family Line) had a fantastic night with two goals and one assist, definitely showing he can still bring it in the goal-scoring department. His great performance last night even earned him the second spot in NHL.com's Stars of the Day.
Last night's team was definitely not the same team I saw in St. Louis the night before. Our defense was where they needed to be and even Greg Zanon looked like he might have recaptured his rookie year spirit. While there were defintely things we can take away from last night and work on, I was pleased with our on-ice product and look forward to seeing what we do from here on out.
We're on the road in Chicago tomorrow night; headed to Dallas for a re-match on Wednesday and then face Columbus in home-and-home games Friday and Saturday. With a schedule full of road games over the next two months, I'm curious to see how this year's team fares away from home. For some teams, road games are quite the struggle and others, not so much. I hope the Predators will use the next couple of months to bond as a team on and off the ice and really establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with during the games that really count.
Last night's game brought back to mind all the things I love about this sport and more specifically, the Predators. I know it's only been two games, but I can't wait to see where we're headed this season.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Like a kid on Christmas Eve
For me, the hockey season officially starts tomorrow night at 7:30pm CST when the puck drops in St. Louis with the Predators taking on former teammates Paul Kariya and Chris Mason of the Blues. I do have to liken my excitement to that of the anticipation of Christmas morning, because, well, I've waited ALL SUMMER LONG for this day. My giddiness kicks it into overdrive as the Predators Home Opener against the Dallas Stars Saturday night at 7:00pm CST will officially signal the start of Hockey Nights in Nashville.
While I do realize that I never got around to breaking down the forwards and the goalies, I also forgot how much work it truly is to go through EVERY FREAKING PLAYER on the roster. I'll try to be better at keeping my word from now on.
To sum things up somewhat quickly, we added rookies Patric Hornqvist, Ryan Jones and Joel Ward to the active roster. Richie Rich Peverley gets his first full season in the NHL and we picked up tough guy Nick Tarnasky from Tampa Bay to "protect Tootoo" as stated by Coach Barry Trotz. The rest of the offensive lineup remained the same. The biggest question is how the lines will fall into place and I have a feeling it might take a while to find that perfect chemistry. I am looking forward to the "Family Line" of Dumont-Arnott-Hornqvist with Suter-Weber on defense. This was my favorite line from the pre-season. I hope that Mom (Dumont), Dad (Arnott), Baby (Hornqvist) and the twins (Suter and Weber) can continue their chemistry throughout the regular season.
In goal, we put our faith in last season's top-ranked NHL goalie in save percentage, Dan Ellis , as our new number one. Backup netminder Pekka Rinne gets his first real crack at play in the NHL and has some giant expectations on his 6' 5" tall shoulders. From what I saw during training camp and the pre-season games, our goaltending looks quite solid, even though we might have the most inexperienced netminders in the NHL this season.
Wow, I'm so ready to get this season started...let's DROP THE PUCK ALREADY!
While I do realize that I never got around to breaking down the forwards and the goalies, I also forgot how much work it truly is to go through EVERY FREAKING PLAYER on the roster. I'll try to be better at keeping my word from now on.
To sum things up somewhat quickly, we added rookies Patric Hornqvist, Ryan Jones and Joel Ward to the active roster. Richie Rich Peverley gets his first full season in the NHL and we picked up tough guy Nick Tarnasky from Tampa Bay to "protect Tootoo" as stated by Coach Barry Trotz. The rest of the offensive lineup remained the same. The biggest question is how the lines will fall into place and I have a feeling it might take a while to find that perfect chemistry. I am looking forward to the "Family Line" of Dumont-Arnott-Hornqvist with Suter-Weber on defense. This was my favorite line from the pre-season. I hope that Mom (Dumont), Dad (Arnott), Baby (Hornqvist) and the twins (Suter and Weber) can continue their chemistry throughout the regular season.
In goal, we put our faith in last season's top-ranked NHL goalie in save percentage, Dan Ellis , as our new number one. Backup netminder Pekka Rinne gets his first real crack at play in the NHL and has some giant expectations on his 6' 5" tall shoulders. From what I saw during training camp and the pre-season games, our goaltending looks quite solid, even though we might have the most inexperienced netminders in the NHL this season.
Wow, I'm so ready to get this season started...let's DROP THE PUCK ALREADY!
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