GDT: 12/28/08: Nashville @ Edmonton

[worstfaceoffmanever]

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Previous Meetings
October 30: Nashville 3 vs. Edmonton 1: Shea Weber and Ryan Suter each posted multi-point nights and Pekka Rinne made 27 saves en route to his first win of the season.

Nashville Predators (16-14-3, 35pts, 3rd Central, 9th West)

Last Game: Nashville 3 vs. Detroit 2
Last Ten Games: 5-4-1
Away Record: 7-10-2
OT/Shootout Record: 5-3
Goals For: 87
Goals Against: 97
Power Play Ranking: 13.5%, 29th
Away Power Play Ranking: 12.4%, 28th
Penalty Kill Ranking: 82.2%, 10th
Away Penalty Kill Ranking: 80.4%, 14th

Nashville Team Leaders
Goals: Jason Arnott, 13
Assists: Jean-Pierre Dumont, 22
Points: Dumont, 29 (7g+22a)
Power Play Goals: Arnott/Shea Weber, 4
Power Play Scoring: Dumont, 11 (1g+10a)
Short Handed Goals: Five Tied at 1
Short Handed Scoring: Scott Nichol, 3 (0g+3a)
Game-Winning Goals: Four Tied at 2
Shots: Weber, 108
Shooting Percentage: Arnott, 14.8%
Plus-Minus: Weber, +12
Penalty Minutes: Jordin Tootoo, 60
Blocked Shots: Greg Zanon, 98
Hits: Weber, 73
Giveaways: Dumont, 22
Takeaways: Dan Hamhuis, 25
Turnover Differential: Ward, +17
Faceoffs Won: Arnott, 225-200
Faceoff Percentage: Radek Bonk, 64.0%
Time on Ice: Weber, 23:44
Wins: Dan Ellis, 10-12-3
Minutes Played: Ellis, 1480
Goals Against Average: Pekka Rinne, 2.28
Save Percentage: Rinne, .919
Shutouts: Rinne, 3

Nashville Fun Fact: The Predators have allowed two goals or less eight times in the last 11 games, and it's really starting to show. Prior to the 12/1 game against Columbus, Nashville were 26th in the NHL in GAA (3.30). Now they're 13th (2.76).

Nashville Player to Watch: Vern Fiddler has 3 goals in his last four games, and has 9 points in 10 games against Edmonton all-time.

Nashville Reason to Worry: Center Jason Arnott is now at 10 games without a goal, and winger JP Dumont has just one point in his last six games.

Nashville Injury Report
Scott Nichol, (Concussion, Out)

Nashville Projected Lines
Ward-Arnott-Dumont
Fiddler-Legwand-Erat
Smithson-Bonk-Tootoo
Pihlstrom-Peverley-Belak

Weber-Suter
Hamhuis-Zanon
De Vries-Klein

Ellis

Nashville Media Coverage: The Predators can be heard on 104.5 "The Zone." Pete Weber and Terry Crisp will have the call.


Edmonton Oilers (16-14-3, 35pts, 5th Northwest, 12th West)

Last Game: Edmonton 3 @ Vancouver 1
Last Ten Games: 6-3-1
Home Record: 11-3-2
OT/Shootout Record:
Goals For: 90
Goals Against: 100
Power Play Ranking: 18.7%, 14th
Home Power Play Ranking: 14.7%, 24th
Penalty Kill Ranking: 74.7%, 29th
Home Penalty Kill Ranking: 70.2%, 29th

Edmonton Team Leaders
Goals: Ales Hemsky/Sheldon Souray, 10
Assists: Hemsky, 25
Points: Hemsky, 35 (10g+25a)
Power Play Goals: Souray, 6
Power Play Scoring: Hemsky, 19 (2g+17a)
Short Handed Goals: Souray/Ethan Moreau, 1
Short Handed Scoring: Four Tied at 1
Game-Winning Goals: Dustin Penner, 4
Shots: Soruay, 109
Shooting Percentage: Penner, 18.0%
Plus-Minus: Lubomir Visnovsky, +5
Penalty Minutes: Zach Stortini, 80
Blocked Shots: Steve Staios, 60
Hits: Moreau/Erik Cole, 56
Giveaways: Hemsky, 35
Takeaways: Cole, 23
Turnover Differential: Cole, +7
Faceoffs Won: Shawn Horcoff, 389-348
Faceoff Percentage: Horcoff, 52.8%
Time on Ice: Souray, 25:11
Wins: Dwayne Roloson, 8-5-3
Minutes Played: Roloson, 1008
Goals Against Average: Roloson, 2.62
Save Percentage: Roloson, .920
Shutouts: Roloson, 1

Edmonton Fun Fact: The Oilers have relied heavily on Shawn Horcoff in the face-off circle. He's 5th in the NHL in face-offs taken at 737, roughly 40% of the team's total face-offs taken.

Edmonton Player to Watch: Sheldon Souray has only played the Predators five times in his career, but has six points (4g+2a) in those five outings, and has a goal in each of the last two games.

Edmonton Reason to Worry: The Oilers have conceded more power play goals than any team in the NHL short of Atlanta.

Edmonton Injury Report
Steve MacIntyre (Orbital, Out)
Fernando Pisani (Ankle, Out)
Ethan Moreau (Wrist, DTD)

Edmonton Projected Lines
Penner-Horcoff-Hemsky
Reddox-Cogliano-Pouliot
Nilsson-Gagner-Cole
Strudwick-Brodziak-Stortini

Souray-Visnovsky
Gilbert-STaios
Grebeshkov-Smid

Roloson

Edmonton Media Coverage: Tonight's game will be available on SportsNet-West in HD, and on AM 630 CHED (don't ask me what that stands for, as I have no clue).

[Paincakes]

It's a shame that this game is not being broadcast locally. One because it is an away game and two because I have always found our games against the Oilers to be very entertaining.

[Paincakes]

Marty Erat strikes again.

[Soundgarden]

Weber, nice to see him score.

[Dave is a killer]

wow ... Dan Ellis blows tonight and as does the defense

[Soundgarden]

ouch

[w00t]

Poor Klein is having a tough night. Edmonton's 5th goal was kind of a fluke though, can't blame him too too much.

[worstfaceoffmanever]

Klein needs to be benched, kicked, and put on the torture wheel after that giveaway. Just awful.

[darth5]

It is not just Kevin. Dumont's passes are awful, for example.

There have been some lucky bounces, but this reminds us what this team's real status is after an artificial high from the RW game. Badly in need of a talent infusion. Sadly, I fear mgmt is content to wait and see if Sully can withstand contact rather than actually move a player or two to improve the on-ice product.

[sparkle twin]

Why do they always play like crap after a win over detroit?

Lazy, sloppy, stupid play that leads to unforced turnovers 5 feet from Ellis which leads to goals against.

Didn't even generate a single PP until halfway through the third period. Sadly though I didn't see much that could have been called on EDM anyhow.

deVries/Klein were awful tonight.

[braindead]

Happy I turned that one off after 5-2. Actually, wish I had turned it off after...1-0.

Crap goaltending lost the game. Crappy play by Klien just made it worse. Ellis failed on two soft goals and, really, I'd like to think he could stop the PP shot from the point by Souray. Rinne's goal was relatively soft also. The KK giveaway should ensure that we see VK tonight. All in all a disappointing but familar way to follow up on a big win over the Red Wings.