The Nashville Predators are in town tonight to face the mighty injury-depleted Oil. It’s the last game before a much-needed break, and the last game before the return of our saviour, Connor McDavid. (I just checked. He’s not a saviour, but he should give the team some much needed help down the middle.)
Last Games
Edmonton
I can’t even remember if they won or lost. I think they lost. *checks* OH YEAH! They were in Dallas and it wasn’t great. Brandon Davidson got hurt on what looked like an innocuous play, and he will not be in tonight’s lineup. What I DO remember, though, is Matt Hendricks getting beaned in the beans by a Goligoski slapshot. Poor Hendo dropped like he’d been shot, and he later tweeted out a picture of his busted cup. I’m not one for a lot of sympathy pain, but wow.
Id like to thank Bike & @RussellAthletic for saving my bacon tonight! #closecall pic.twitter.com/heGYVlQnqr
— Matt Hendricks (@MattHendy26) January 22, 2016
Nashville
*shrugs* Maybe they won? Maybe they lost? I do know that whatever it was, they did it without me noticing.
Keys to the Game
Edmonton
- Keep the Preds out of the penalty box. The PK isn’t great, but the PP is atrocious.
- Get the puck to whoever is’nt gripping his stick so tight he fans on the shot.
- Don’t screen the goalie (I’m looking at you Pouliot)
- Make it through tonight without losing another player to injury.
Nashville
- Capitalize on the injuries the Oilers already have. Lots of guys will be out of position, and that bodes well for the visitors.
- Get lots of penalties and then score on a short-handed breakaway.
- Get bodies in front of the Oilers net. Or behind it, because apparently the Oilers can get scored on from there too.
Players to Watch
Edmonton
Taylor Hall, obviously. He’s been struggling a bit of late, and it’d be real nice to see him break this one wide open with a hatty and an assist.
Nashville
Seth Jones. Ryan Johansen……? (Honestly, other than Shea Weber I don’t even know who plays in Nashville, and I haven’t looked up the lineups yet, so I’ve got nothing…)
Projected Lineups
Edmonton
Taylor Hall – Leon Draisaitl – Teddy Purcell
Nail Yakupov – Benoit Pouliot – Jordan Eberle
Zack Kassian – Mark Letestu – Iiro Pakarinen
Matt Hendricks – Anton Lander – Rob Klinkhammer
Andrej Sekera – Mark Fayne
Darnell Nurse – Justin Schultz
Eric Gryba – Griffin Reinhart
Cam Tal-Bot
Nashville
Kevin Fiala – Ryan Johansen – James Neal
Filip Forsberg – Mike Ribiero – raig Smith
Miikka Salomaki – Mike Fisher – Calle Jarnkrok
Eric Nystrom – Paul Gaustad – Cody Bass
Roman Josi – Shea Weber
Mattias Ekholm – Ryan Ellis
Petter Granberg – Barret Jackman
Pekka Rinne
Final Thoughts
With next week being an off-week, I hope some of the guys can find some time to rest and relax and decompress. Sometimes I forget that this is their job, and while they’re compensated pretty handsomely for what they do, I don’t think I’d want millions of people watching me when I’m having an off-day. The time away from the rink will be good, I think.
Plus, we are starting a new season on Feb 2nd when McDavid returns.
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