10/30/09 - Chicago at Nashville: W 0-2

I had every intention of taking my usual notes during the game last night so I would have a game recap but life had something different planned. I watched the game with a couple of great girls last night and instead of being so involved in making sure I was getting the best observations out of the night, I let go and found myself enjoying the game without an agenda. It was actually a refreshing experience to just watch the game and enjoy it for what it was, without casting a critical eye on what was happening in front of me. I took in the game from more of a fan’s perspective than a blogger’s perspective...and I loved every last minute of it. With all that said however, here's one observation: two short handed goals in as many nights?! I hope with all that I am that this is not a fluke. Keep up with all that goodness, Smithers.

Moving on...did someone say “ROAD TRIP!”? Well, I did. That’s right; What The Puck is hitting the road (er...sky?) and will be coming to you live from the Anaheim and Los Angeles games next week. Last time I visited the lovely Honda Center, things didn’t go so well for us. Maybe the outcome will be more to my liking next Thursday. Next Saturday’s game at Los Angeles will mark the first time I’ve ever taken in a game at the Staples Center. With the hot streak the Kings have been on, I’m left to wonder how we’ll fare against them in their own building. Fortunately, all these curiosities (and more!) will be satisfied next week.

Due to my very own West Coast swing, there will be no game recap on Saturday. I’ll be counting on twitter to keep me updated on the game that night. I better not miss anything spectacular.

10/28/09 - Nashville at Minnesota: W 4-3

I really, really needed to see this game with my own eyes.

Lines were all over the place. Mike Santorelli got his first NHL career goal. Shea Weber and JP Dumont seemed to play solid games. Jerred Smithson scored a short-handed goal on a breakaway, which ended up being the game winner.

Smooth moves, Jerred. Smooooooth.

Who's been saying you have the ability to score goals like that? Oh yeah, this girl.

Could it be that we see some more of this tomorrow night? I NEED to see this again tomorrow night...help me out here, boys.

10/24/09 - Nashville at Chicago: L 0-2

Ugh, not this again...

THE GOOD:

Martin Erat is taking shots and not hesitating, travelling (yes, I know that's more of a basketball term) or passing. That is the Martin Erat I've been waiting to see.

Don't shoot me but I actually really enjoyed the WGN commercials featuring Blackhawk players.

I also enjoyed hearing Shea Weber and "world class defensemen" mentioned in the same sentence...from the home team guys no less.

The fourth line of Goc-Smithson-Jones excites me. Every time they hit the ice, they are generating good energy AND offense.

Colin Wilson and Cal O'Reilly look goal hungry and don't mind going to and staying at the net.

THE BAD:

We need to be more aggressive and physical with other teams. Chicago came out to play and we were letting them walk all over us.

Excuse me, Chicago announcers but why on earth does it matter or bear repeating over and over again that Dan Ellis is not as big as Pekka Rinne? We got it the first time. You only need to say it once.

While we're at it, just because there is a player on the team wearing the number 38 does not mean it is Vernon Fiddler! It shouldn't take you two periods to clue in.

I absolutely hate that I can almost always sense when the other team is about to score a goal. Also, I am so not a Dustin Byfuglien fan.

Dan Ellis is giving up rebounds again. Not good.

This is probably what should be stressed above all else: there needs to be more of a sense of urgency throughout the entire game and not just in the last four minutes or so.

THE UGLY:

What is UP with all the freaking whistling in the arenas this year? I CAN NOT take it every game. It's so annoying.

Cody Franson's unfortunate stick break right at the end of the power play in the second. Thankfully Ellis was able to stop John Madden's breakaway attempt but what a sad thing to see for the guy positioned at the point.


I didn't have many positives to glean from this game after the first period. The second period was defintely a Nashville Predators second period. And I'm still waiting for that "rise like a phoenix from the ashes" style third period that I got used to seeing over the last couple of seasons. So, where is it already? I don't like to continuously be frustrated night after night after night after...well, you get the picture.

10/22/09 - Nashville at Ottawa: W 6-5 OT

I was only able to catch the third period of last night’s game and wow. Talk about a 20 minute roller coaster ride. Not having a full 60 minutes to really critique the boys' performance leaves me lacking in the game recap-ness of it all but I can comment on a few things I did notice from that period and yes, even some of the highlights.

I think Joel Ward is finally hitting his stride. He is an aggressive skater and much faster than people might notice at first. I was impressed with his ability to maneuver around opposing players and keep his eye on the puck as he broke into the Ottawa zone. Based on what I saw last night, Ward could be in for a fantastic season if he keeps this up.

Pekka still has some weaknesses to tweak. The Michalek goal that went in up and over his shoulder is nothing new. He had similar problems with that particular move last season. And his decision to leave the net instead of letting our defense pick up the puck from behind the crease in those final crucial seconds in the third was painful to watch. But the saying goes “you live and learn” so I’m sure he won’t be so quick to do that again.

Surprisingly (to me, anyway), the Dumont-O’Reilly-Ward line seemed to be firing on all cylinders. The passes they were pulling off were almost unbelievable and left me wondering if I was watching the right game. Should Trotz keep to some of the same line combinations that played last night, I am expecting to see some good things from this line in the future.

I don’t like that the boys gave up a 3-0 lead so easily. It’s almost as if they played two periods and went into the locker room at the second intermission thinking they had it in the bag. Instead of playing to keep the lead and win the game, they played sloppy, overconfident hockey and Ottawa capitalized on that to the tune of FIVE FREAKING GOALS in one period. This is not a trend I wish to see continue.

Yes, we won finally won another game but man, oh man did we take the long way around to get it.

Up Close and Personal: An Evening in Pictures

Has anyone else noticed the new and improved pictures we've been seeing so far this season, courtesy of the Predators post-game photo galleries? I, for one, am glad to see some more diverse aspects of the game, apart from the usual action shot.

But (or should that be butt?), this picture is out of control:
And then there is this:

How sad does Colin look right there? I just want to reach through my computer screen and give him a hug.

Don't be sad, little rookie. We're bound to win one eventually.


Both images by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images

10/21/09 - Nashville at Boston: L 2-3

First of all, I have to get this off my chest. I MISSED JERRED SMITHSON'S FIRST GOAL OF THE SEASON AND THEN COLIN WILSON'S FIRST CAREER NHL GOAL ALL IN ONE GAME. SERIOUSLY?! Seriously. I should have bet money that one or both of those things would happen tonight simply because I was unable to watch or listen to the game myself. I MISSED MY SURROGATE SON'S FIRST NHL GOAL EVER. No matter what anyone says, it is never the same catching it on a highlight reel. As is my luck, tomorrow will somehow end up being a repeat of tonight because I AGAIN won't be able to watch much of it live.

But I digress...

Tonight's game recap features a What The Puck first: a mystery guest blogger! Since I couldn't watch it myself, I relied on the kindness of someone who shares my love of hockey. It certainly doesn't hurt that we pretty much always share the same opinions about the team as well.

So without further ado, tonight's game recap, guest blogger-style:

I liked the lineup changes. The only line I didn't like was Dumont, Sully and O'Reilly. I can't believe I just said that; but they were too quiet. Not enough action by them. Sully worked the hardest, but Dumont was unnoticeable. O'Reilly made a few tries; one resulting in an off the post shot. That's all I remember for him, and I don't like that.

David Legwand made a niiiiice effort this evening! He really looked like he was trying to earn that contract. Martin Erat showed up a for a bit too. Both put forth strong efforts and I liked it! I also heard some words I thought I'd never hear tonight--"And Erat grabs the puck away from Chara!!" [What The Puck note: There's the puck hog I know and love!]

Cody Franson needs some NHL speed. He has the right idea, but he moves too slow. Pick it up, man! And might I add, stop it with the penalties. We have a hard enough time full strength, let's not ruin it with a penalty.

We looked good on the PK tonight, minus the 3rd penalty. That one was baaaaad. On another one, we had 2 shots on goal and the Bruins had zero...on their own PP! That's what I'm talking about!

Oh Jerred Smithson, you did a good job tonight. A goal AND some smooth moves!! You also had a few clears and helped us keep it together in the neutral zone. Your efforts did not go unnoticed, sir. Thank you :) [What The Puck note: No, THANK YOU for noticing too.]

Shea Weber and Ryan Suter: sometimes I love you, sometimes I hate you. The biggest mistakes for you two were actually caused by the refs getting in your way, so you can be forgiven. I did notice that Weber drops down on his right knee pretty soon after he blows his D spot (har har). When Pete said "And Weber and Suter have been reunited for this shift"--Boston took a shot on net. ALL I'm sayin'...

Ellis, I'm not too sure how you were feeling tonight. You seemed unconfident. You made some good saves; and I loved the glove save where you snatched it out of the air. [What The Puck note: I LOVE that save too! It's an Ellis classic.] And lucky for you, you block Weber's shots in practice, so what's another 2 miles an hour on a puck coming at you from Chara?

Joel Ward started out looking reserved. Joely, I love ya, but you have to take initiative the whole game, not just after the first period. You seem worried about your injury. Then around the 2nd, you seemed to realize you were fine and put forth that effort we love so much. Thank you :)

Francis Bouillion seems unhappy as a Predator. I'm not sure if it's just his demeanor, or if he really doesn't like it here. Gimme a smile, Dinty! [What The Puck note: Dinty is our nickname for him.]

Colin Wilson and Patric Hornqvist: you guys stole the show in my eyes. Constant hard work payed off. YAY for your first goal Colin, and the day after your 20th birthday! Good job picking up on Weber's boo-boo and getting that puck away too. Seriously, these two were great together, and I can't wait to see what's in store. New twins for sure.

All in all, we looked good. I kept thinking "There's my team. They showed up. Welcome to your season boys." We may have lost, but it wasn't for lack of effort. They played tonight. They held down the neutral zone, the D looked pretty good, great traffic in front of the net, and our passing looked fluid, despite not being all there yet. Our offense was making some plays, and they did a good job. I hold hope that our season will get better. We really should have gotten a goal in that last ditch effort...thanks a lot Tim Thomas.


A very special thanks to my guest blogger for helping out in a pinch tonight. I might have to dub you my very own Jason Arnott for coming through in the clutch. More than anything, I would love, love, LOVE to see a win tomorrow night. And by win, I mean one for the Predators.

10/18/09 - Nashville at Washington: OTL 2-3

Since this game was not televised on FS TN and my free Center Ice preview was hell bent on not working Saturday night, I could only listen along with Pete and Terry. I always have issues listening to a game and not being able to see with my own eyes because it really hinders my ability to truly recap a game. So, as I'm sure you noticed, I didn't.

The other select radio-only games this season will be treated the same because I refuse to put pure speculation out into the blogosphere based solely on what I heard. Sports fans must have really had some vibrant imaginations back in the day...

With all that said, it certainly sounded like the guys played better Saturday. If nothing else, it was good to get a point out of the Capitals considering their offensive prowess is leaps and bounds over ours.

I look forward to using both my auditory and visual senses on Wednesday as we take on the Boston Bruins on the road.

Well, it could have been worse

I left the game last night feeling better about the team though I still hate rationalizing a game lost just so I don't feel as horrible about our chances. They didn't look as bad as they have in the past two games but they weren't amazing either. In his post-game interview, Coach Trotz said that he thought the team played a little too guarded, like they were afraid to make mistakes. After hearing him say that, I realized that's exactly how I thought they had played though at the time I was watching it unfold in front of me, I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

So they go from horrible, amateur style hockey in the last two outings and then switch to very tightly wound, safe hockey last night. Obviously, the balance will be to find the in between, which is normally the Predators style of hockey that we all know and love.

Every line out there last night had the ability to score. For once, we even have a fourth line that could be more than the usual shut down line that Coach Trotz has been so fond of in seasons past. However, the question remains: how long will it take us to figure out how to connect on the ice and start playing good hockey? For everyone's sake, it better not be too much longer.

This team, as with most others, always goes through a rough patch during each season, sliding down a slippery slope, wondering when someone will throw down a rope so they can grab on and pull themselves out. I think that portion of the Predators season just came a little early this year. I see the light at the end of the tunnel and for my sanity, I really hope the team sees it too.

Where is the Love: Here We Go Again

Some of you may remember a post very similar to the one you're about to read that I posted right before the All Star break last season. After two extremely disappointing and embarrassing losses (and wins we've barely escaped with), it bears repeating.

Unfortunately.

So far this season, I have yet to see the Predators team I know and love show up on the ice. The team I know would bring it to the ice every night. The team I know would fight through adversity (all while being multiple goals in the hole) and grind it out. The team I know would gladly stick up for their teammates when the cards were down. The team I know would sometimes play with more heart than skill, yet I would love them anyway. The team I know would play like a team and it would show. This is not that team.

What should they do about this, you ask? My solution: The Predators need to evoke the spirit and playing style of Jed Ortmeyer and newcomer Colin Wilson. Before you LOL and WTF all over that last sentence, hear me out.

Jed Ortmeyer, when healthy (and maybe even when he's not healthy), plays every shift on the ice with 150% behind it. He plays with his heart first, head second. He plays like he means it, like hockey is what he's destined for, as if there is no other in job in the world that would better suit him. Now Jed is nowhere near the best player in the league. But it doesn't matter. He puts it all out there and fans rally around him because of the energy he brings to the game. The San Jose Sharks are lucky to have him on their roster this season.

If you take a look at Colin Wilson, you'll find an eager 19 year old ready to tackle the hockey world and show people exactly what he's capable of. The kid has only played two NHL career games, both of them being the embarrassments of Monday night against Edmonton and last night against Dallas. For someone with just those two games under his belt, you would never know it from the Cheshire grin plastered on his face every time he hits the ice. The moment he has waited for (probably his whole life) is finally coming to fruition. Colin has played every shift like it could be his last, whether anyone else on the ice helps him out or not.

With the whole of the league seemingly against us two seasons ago, we proved most everyone wrong by taking a "fire sale" roster and persevering through a few rough patches to come out on the winning side of the season. As a team, we didn't seem to care that we squeaked into the playoffs, seeded number 8. It didn't matter because we rallied together to overcome the odds stacked against us. We fought hard. We were resilient. We were defiant. We even managed to give the Red Wings a run for their money. In essence, we became a team of Jed Ortmeyers.

Right now, I find myself at a loss for words over our performance. See last night's game recap as a prime example. I can't put together a string of feel good sentences to form a mushy paragraph about my love for this team...mostly because the love's not there. Something is amiss so far this season. The drive, passion and love for the game, the Jed Ortmeyer/Colin Wilson-ness (if you will) just doesn't seem to flicker in our player's eyes. Oh sure, there are traces of individual exuberance; just not enough to light a fire that will ignite an entire team.

So boys, here's the deal. Find your passion for the game again. Take a step back in time and remember what it was like playing hockey as a child. Remember why you started playing hockey in the first place. Find the spark that began your journey and brought you to where you are now. And after you've done all these things, bring that passion, that love of the game, with you to the rink every day. Play more like the Tin Man and less like the Scarecrow.

When you play like you mean it, it shows.

10/14/09 - Nashville at Dallas: L 0-6

.........................ummmmmmmm..........................

10/12/09 - Edmonton at Nashville: L 6-1

THE GOOD:

Colin Wilson's first NHL game. Even though the overall game sucked, at least I get say that I was there to witness it firsthand. I'm not going to lie, I got a little misty eyed when Colin hit the ice for his first shift. TOTAL self-imposed surrogate mother moment.

THE BAD:

Gah, how were we already 0-2 about 10 minutes in when I thought we actually started out pretty good in the first six minutes or so? Then it got worse. 0-3, 14 minutes in. Oh, wait, 0-4 at the end of the first.......if Pekka had started the 2nd, I would have been shocked. All I wanted to hear at the start of the second was 'Now in goal for your Nashville Predators, number 39, Dan Ellis.' Not that it helped too much, but still. It was definitely not Pekka's night. Or anyone's night for that matter.

The scoring (the ONE lonely goal tonight) continues to come from the top line only.

All of those third period line changes. CLASSIC early season Coach Trotz moves right there. I almost think he just told them, "Do whatever. I don't even care."

THE UGLY:

WHAT WASN'T UGLY?!?!? It was all just one big embarrassment.

Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Klein's games. Hammer was minus four on the night until Jason Arnott scored late in the second, changing him to minus three. Kevin Klein was not so lucky and ended the night at minus four. MINUS. FOUR.

Adding in "THE FUNNY":

Late in the second period, when the guys were really getting pissed, Jerred Smithson took some really cheap shots that I don't think anyone noticed but me. He lightly kicked a player at one point and then a few seconds later hit someone with his stick on the way back to the bench. Way to take out your frustrations on the other team without getting caught....


Okay, seriously...does anyone else remember (or better yet, try hard to forget) the Atlanta game last year where we got our butts handed to us, 2-7? It was right after we sent them Rich Peverley. Yeah, that's how this game felt. I'd like to think that this will be the last time we get embarrassed like that during the regular season but if we continue to play like this (and I haven't seen anything leading me to believe otherwise), we are screwed. Royally screwed.

The silver lining in all of this (if there's any to be had) is that we are struggling to find ourselves and it is still way early in the season. It could be much worse if we were halfway through the season already. These are the kinds of games they have to bounce back from, using a major embarrassment to channel into something positive.

So, after what I hope is a really long and hard practice and video session tomorrow, the Predators head to Dallas to take on the Stars for the second time this season. The game will be televised locally on FS-TN (channel 28 for Comcast customers). The puck drops at 7:30pm CST.

I'd like nothing more than to see a completely different team on the ice come Wednesday night. Please, please show me a different team Wednesday night.

I'm allowed to be giddy on occasion

THIS is reason enough to elicit a few girlish squeals of delight: Colin Wilson Makes His NHL Debut Tonight

I know there are numerous people excited about this news so I'm just joining the fray. Seriously, I want to go all Kanye West and type in ALL CAPS FOR THE REST OF THIS POST but I'll show some restraint. I'm a ball of excitement mixed with nervousness since I know he's barely recovered from his injury and would hate to see him go out again due to over exertion.

Tonight can't come fast enough now. For as closely as I've followed him since we picked him up in the draft, I feel a little like a proud mom.

Show us what you're working with, Colin and more importantly, bring on the scoring and give the older players with a little less pep in their step a good dose of that rookie spark.

10/10/09 - Buffalo at Nashville: L 1-0

THE GOOD:

Pekka Rinne’s performance, even though I started the game being irritated with him after having a slight heart attack less than a minute into the period, watching Buffalo attack the net right out of the gate.

Joel Ward and Jerred Smithson paired on the first line penalty kill unit.

Francis Bouillon’s game. He was the ONLY defensive player who seemed to be doing anything good out there.

THE BAD:

Kevin Klein’s game.

Oh, let’s add Ryan Suter’s game to the list too.

THE UGLY:

David Legwand. No further explanation needed.


Last night’s game reminded me of a quote from “Cool Hand Luke” that my high school economics teacher liked to use all the time. “What we've got here is a failure to communicate.” It could be so much more than that but something just isn't clicking. Our play last night was pretty much the exact same as our play on Thursday night. The only difference maker on Thursday night was that we (somehow) found a way to score. If you delve further into our scoring so far, you'll notice that the top line has produced all of our goals. Aside from the shootout winner courtesy of Mike Santorelli, the second line of perfectly capable scorers has done nothing. On a team where the usual scorers come from the top two lines, this is not okay. And I haven't forgotten about the third and fourth lines either. The third line on Thursday had some good jump and surprisingly, the fourth line demonstrated some of that same jump last night. I guess now it's just a waiting game to see if that spark will somehow translate into scoring. Yes, it's just three games in and yes, this was just the first loss. But the games we've won were not by any stretch, games we necessarily deserved to win.

So, let's try this again, shall we? For the first Military Monday of the season, the Nashville Predators will host the Edmonton Oilers at the Sommet. The puck drops at 7:00pm and hopefully we'll get to see a goal or two scored for the home team this time around.

10/8/09 - Colorado at Nashville: W 2-3

THE GOOD:

Finally letting the guys go through pre-skate helmet optional. I don't know about you but I thought they looked more at ease and relaxed than ever before.

Riders in the Sky singing the national anthem. They totally reminded me of my childhood Saturday mornings. I'm just sad they haven't aged too gracefully.

Jerred Smithson moved to the third line in absence of Joel Ward and Jordin Tootoo. Even if they weren't sidelined, he should be on the third line.

Dan Ellis's play in the first period. He was probably the only redeeming quality about an otherwise bad 20 minutes.

The Miracle Kid video, Preds-style: LOVE IT! (and not just because I want that child).

Ladies and gentlemen, Martin Erat did his first ballerina spin of the season. We can all go home now.

Jerred Smithson taking shots on goal and almost making them.

The third line was by far one of the best lines out there. They might not have scored any goals but they were the one line that looked like they had their crap together.

GREAT push by the first line right after Triston Grant's first penalty. Tons of chances. Now I have to wonder whether we will learn to take advantage of those chances more often this season...

The no goal call actually just made everything better. In the end, it's what won us the game. The fans channeled their energy into vocal support for the team and the team fed off of that and turned it into something positive. This continues to be one of my favorite things about the team. Resiliency.

Patric Hornqvist was on fire tonight and has been since he got here. I am anxious to see if he keeps it up because he did have similar success at the start of the season last year, before he sucked it up and got himself sent back down to Milwaukee.

THE BAD:

The crowd's energy in the building for the majority of the game. It was a little too quiet for my tastes, hence why I got sleepy during the second period.

Ryan Jones skating with Wade Belak and Ben Guite. What a punishment. That boy needs to step up his game if he wants to see some better line action.

Our power play.

And the penalty kill, apparently. I guess we don't have it together as much as I thought we did after Saturday's game against Dallas.

The Triston Grant call up might have been a mistake. He took two bad penalties and those led to both of Colorado's goals. Probably not our best idea, in my opinion.

THE UGLY:

The entire first period and most of the second. We looked awful.

The no goal call by Toronto. That was CLEARLY not a kicking motion. Jason Arnott was stopping himself, although I will say he could have put his stick down in front of him to tap it in.


For the first home game of the season, what I witnessed was not exactly what I was expecting. Yes, there are some key injuries to overcome and I know that played a large factor in the overall success of the team on ice. If they continue to play like this though, it's going to be a rough few months ahead.

The Predators continue their season opener home stand on Saturday as they face off against the Eastern Conference Buffalo Sabres. Tickets are still available; click the Smashville logo on the sidebar. Since the game will not be televised locally (unless you're taking advantage of the free preview of Center Ice), maybe you should pop on by. Puck drops at 7:00pm CST.

Guaranteed Win FAIL

Yesterday, outspoken Dallas Stars' blogger, Razor, had an epiphany in which he GUARANTEED a Dallas Stars victory against the Nashville Predators last night in the Stars' home opener at the American Airlines Center. Along with his guarantee came a lofty promise to purchase every fan in attendance a ticket to another game should Dallas not come through with the win. While I applaud his boldness and tenacity in making such a claim, does anyone else find it a little over the top for someone (fan, coach, player, etc.) to guarantee a win for a team, like, ever?

Fans are drawn to sports because of the twists, turns and surprises that are bound to happen game in, game out. No matter how strongly one feels about their team of choice, a guaranteed outcome is just not possible. My motto has always been "Anything can happen". Of course I always set out before a game wanting the best possible outcome for the team but never in a million years would I go so far as to somehow find myself assuring people that the team would win.

So in checking back in with Razor today, I was more than curious to see how he was going to handle the situation. Like I thought, he basically reneged on his promise to buy everyone tickets to another game. In his opinion, the Dallas Stars did win the game last night; even if the official outcome proved otherwise. Smart move on his part, placating fans by saying for all intents and purposes based on the game as a whole, there was no way the Stars didn't walk away as the winners. And honestly, I probably would have done the same thing had I been in his shoes after making such a gamble. But once again, let's be clear about this: I wouldn't make such a statement.

Nothing about sports is ever guaranteed. That's the beauty of the game.

If Razor ever decides to guarantee something again (and back it up with a compensation plan to boot), I hope he protects himself against the masses in case they're not so willing to acquiesce to his broken promises should the guarantee fall through again.

10/3/09 - Nashville at Dallas: W 3-2 SO

THE GOOD:

Getting a power play goal right off the bat. This is exactly what I need to keep seeing.

Strong offensive pressure in the first 7 minutes or so. All I ever seemed to hear last season was how we needed to get a strong start and we seemed to do that tonight.

Francis Bouillon is a nice addition to the defense. Having never seen him play before, I liked what I saw tonight; especially his hard hitting style.

Marcel Goc was a nice off-season pickup for us. He fit in well on both the third and fourth lines tonight.

After finding out about Ellis getting the start early this morning, I was really hoping he'd be able to make a strong showing tonight. For the most part, he did. The second Dallas goal was clearly his fault but other than that, he had a strong game. He was quick to cover the puck and did not give up many rebounds. He's still got fight left in him, like I knew he would.

I liked the Jerred Smithson/Marcel Goc pairing on the first PK unit. I actually thought our PK looked pretty good throughout the night (even with the PP goal by Dallas because again, that was much more Elly's fault). With so many of the usual suspects gone from the penalty killing units, we held our own tonight.

Watching the guys stick up for each other is always nice to see. Jason Arnott and Steve Sullivan were quick to defend JP Dumont's honor (so to speak) after the hit from Robidas.

Patric Hornqvist's late third period try on the Dallas goal was pretty. I think the kid finally gets it!

Mike Santorelli's scoring on the shootout for the win. If that goal didn't instill some extra confidence in him, I don't know what else could.

THE BAD:

For some reason, Coach Trotz played all different wings with Martin Erat and David Legwand at the beginning of the game. Is this a sign that he's unsure of Mike Santorelli's ability to be a second line scorer or was this just Trotz being Trotz?

Where'd our defense go? We didn't look so hot after about halfway through the first. Both Teemu Laasko and Kevin Klein were non-existent to me tonight. This is not a good way to start the season.

Dan Ellis's rebound that lead directly to Dallas's second goal during their third period PP. Sadly, I saw that goal coming.

The third and fourth lines were pretty much interchangable tonight. Was this good? Bad? I don't know yet but our scoring came from the top line only...and that is not okay.

When I only notice Ryan Jones during the game as he takes a penalty, someone's not having the best night. The interchangeable third and fourth lines are not going to serve him well in furthering his game.

I was expecting a 20 minute intermission between the end of the third and the start of overtime. I apparently got stuck in a time warp and thought that it was the playoffs again.

THE UGLY:

JP getting checked hard into the boards by Robidas. I didn't really need to see replays of the hit from every possible angle.

The hits from Dallas were just brutal. BRUTAL. Dallas is never afraid to go to the body and they kept it up all night.

Did we really need to send the game to a shoot out? Shoot outs are ALWAYS ugly. Going to a fifth round of it didn't help either.


So, game one is done and now there are FOUR FREAKING DAYS OFF until the Predators play again on Thursday night against the Colorado Avalanche in our home opener. I am not a big fan of having such a long break right out of the gate. With the dynamics of this team still settling in, I hope this doesn't make things more difficult. However, this was just the first game, so I know it's going to take a few more games to get into a groove.

Hockey season is back, kids! Doesn't it feel great?