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Don’t Count Out Nashville
by Alanah McGinley on 04/10/08 at 02:31 PM ET
Comments (7)
From the Forechecker,
As the Red Wings and Predators prepare to drop the puck for Game One in Detroit tonight, virtually every pundit throughout the hockey world has called for a Red Wings victory, while giving nominal credit to Nashville’s pluck and tenacity for simply making the playoffs.
Those platitudes are nice, but are there genuine reasons to believe that the Predators can pull off an upset over this year’s Presidents Trophy winner? There are indeed…
continued... *5 reasons that Predators fans should have hope
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators | KK Hockey | Permalink
Comments
tell that to anaheim last year and calgary the year before that
Posted by FlyersFan on 04/10/08 at 03:10 PM ET
Classic stuff, Puck. You think of that all by yourself? Did the #8-seed Oilers abandon hope in 2006? Just asking.
Posted by PredNeck from Hicktown on 04/10/08 at 03:11 PM ET
The Predators’ power play is actually 27th in the league, not 26th. Still, you’ve got to admire someone who tries to spin having the fourth-worst power play in the league as a reason to hold out hope.
Posted by Ryan from Toronto on 04/10/08 at 03:26 PM ET
Classic stuff, Puck. You think of that all by yourself? Did the #8-seed Oilers abandon hope in 2006?
Classic stuff indeed. Actually, it’s H.F. Cary’s English translation of Dante’s inferno:
Through me you pass into the city of woe:
Through me you pass into eternal pain:
Through me among the people lost for aye.
Before me things create were none, save things
Eternal, and eternal I endure.
All hope abandon ye who enter here.
#1) So what. Detroit’s been around a long time so they’re bound to have some anomoly’s like this. Blogger failed to mention 2001-02 President’s Trophy and Stanley Cup championship. So I guess Detroit also know’s how to play the favorite very well at times too.
#2) Looking at overall season stat instead of head to head season series Detroit owns the 5 on 5 play with a +235 over the season vs Preds -6. Also, Detroit gets about 5 more shots on net per game than Nashville.
#3) Arguably, Maltby and Sammuelsson missing time might be an advantage. Missing Drapers face-offs would be bad, but it appears he’s ready to play. Injuries happen. Detroit has overall better depth than Nashville and it’s specious to assume those mentioned will not be able to keep up a fast pace for 60+ minutes of playoff hockey.
#4)If you toss out Downey and Tootoo respectively and look at the penalty stats, Predators bulk of infractions come from their D. Don’t think they can change that overnight. Wings should own the special teams play and win series on PP goals.
#5)So, Dan Ellis’ #1 ranking in Save Percentage is not to be ignored, but Chris Osgood’s #1 GAA or Hasek’s #3 GAA is?
If those are the strongest arguements for having hope, and you had two slices of bread, you still wouldn’t have a sandwich.
Posted by Puck from San Francisco, CA on 04/10/08 at 04:29 PM ET
IT’s amazing how the Pred fans can rip Detroit all day and night, but if the Wing fans respond, then they are bitter trolls. They need to figure out in Nashville (104.5) that just because Pierre McGuire or Barry Melrose say something, it doesn’t make it true.
Posted by Yzerman19 from Nashville on 04/10/08 at 04:48 PM ET
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“reasons that Predators fans should have hope”
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Posted by Puck from San Francisco, CA on 04/10/08 at 02:44 PM ET