<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<rss version="2.0">
	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for Nashville Predators</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright>Copyright 2006-2007 areyouwatchingthis.com</copyright>
		<lastBuildDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:28:57 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:28:57 GMT</pubDate>
		<generator>RUWT?</generator>

		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Red Wings-Predators Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
STATS Senior Writer

Detroit (11-6-4) at Nashville (12-8-1), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Nashville Predators look to win their sixth straight game
Monday night and complete a perfect five-game homestand as they
meet the Detroit Red Wings for the first time in 2009-10.

Nashville (12-8-1) is one of the hottest teams in the NHL,
winning nine of 11 games. The last two wins for the Predators
have come in shootouts, including a 4-3 victory over Columbus on
Saturday.

Goaltender Pekka Rinne stopped two of three Blue Jackets'
shooters to improve to 8-1-0 with a 2.18 goals-against average
in his last nine starts. He stopped two of three shooters for
New Jersey in Thursday's 3-2 victory.

"I have always kind of liked shootouts," Rinne said. "For a
goalie, you want to be a difference maker."

The Predators have scored at least one power-play goal in four
straight games, with Jason Arnott and Martin Erat each getting
one Saturday. David Legwand added a short-handed goal.

"The power play was good tonight," coach Barry Trotz said.
"Special teams were a big part of the game. We got two
power-play goals and a short-handed goal."

Rinne went 3-1 with a 2.46 GAA against Detroit (11-6-4) last
season as the Predators won four of six. The Red Wings' Chris
Osgood has lost four straight starts to Nashville, posting a
3.76 GAA.

This is Detroit's first game in Nashville since an 8-0 loss Feb.
28 in which the Predators scored a franchise-record five
first-period goals. Rinne made 30 saves and Arnott had a hat
trick after not scoring in his previous nine games against the
Red Wings.

Osgood returned for Friday's 2-1 overtime loss to Florida after
missing three games with the flu. Jimmy Howard was in net
Saturday to earn a 3-2 shootout win at Montreal.

Brad Stuart and Pavel Datsyuk each had power-play goals in the
first period Saturday as the Red Wings blew a two-goal lead
before avoiding a third straight loss.

"I think we played well," center Henrik Zetterberg said. "And we
came in here, we got a lot of power play from the beginning - up
two goals. I think it was a well-played game, both teams coming
from back-to-back games so it was good goaltending."

The Red Wings will be without defenseman Niklas Kronwall after
he suffered the brunt of a leg-on-leg, open-ice collision with
Montreal enforcer Georges Laraque on Saturday.

Kronwall didn't return after he fell to the ice in obvious pain
and is expected to be out for some time. The Red Wings felt the
play was dirty.

"You know it's something that shouldn't happen in hockey," coach
Mike Babcock said. "A guy shouldn't hang his leg out there and
hurt another guy. It's unacceptable and it's disappointing,
obviously. We just lost a good player for a period of time. Our
doctors will look at him, but he's out for a chunk for sure."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136362-Red-Wings-Predators-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136362-Red-Wings-Predators-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:47:58 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Santorelli and Legwand lift Preds to SO win]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[NASHVILLE, Tenn.(AP) -- The Nashville Predators still know how to
take care of the Columbus Blue Jackets at home.

Mike Santorelli and David Legwand scored shootout goals to lead
the Predators to a 4-3 victory over Columbus on Saturday night.
Nashville has beaten the Blue Jackets 12 straight times at home.

The Blue Jackets haven't won in Nashville since April, 3, 2006.

Pekka Rinne denied two of Columbus' three shooters in the
tiebreaker to earn his fifth consecutive victory and ninth in
his 10 decisions.

Nashville's fifth victory in a row snapped Columbus' three-game
winning streak. The Predators last two wins have come in
shootouts.

"I have always kind of liked shootouts," Rinne said. "For a
goalie, you want to be a difference maker."

Rinne is 2-0 in tiebreakers this season and 7-2 in his NHL
career.

Jason Arnott, Legwand and Martin Erat had goals for Nashville in
regulation.

R.J. Umberger scored at 4:55 of the first period to give
Columbus a 1-0 lead. Umberger added a second goal, and Anton
Stralman also scored for the Blue Jackets.

On Umberger's first goal, Derick Brassard's pass from the right
boards ski-ramped into the air off Erat's stick. Standing in the
low slot, Umberger took a baseball swing at the puck and knocked
it past Rinne on the glove side.

The goal was initially waved off by referee Tom Kowal, but a
prolonged video replay overturned that call. It was determined
that Umberger didn't make contact with the puck when it was
above the height of the crossbar.

The Predators drew even at 12:12 of the first on a power-play
goal by Arnott. Columbus regained the lead 15 seconds later when
Umberger scored again.

From below the goal line to the left of the Nashville net,
Umberger banked in the puck off Rinne's left skate.

"You get a couple early and it gives you a lot of confidence,"
Umberger said. "I had a few good chances the rest of the game."

Nashville tied it 2-2 at 1:29 of the second period on a
short-handed goal by Legwand.

Erat forced a turnover by Blue Jackets defenseman Jakub Voracek
inside the Columbus blue line. Erat found Legwand in front of
goalie Steve Mason, and Legwand lifted a backhander high to
Mason's stick side.

"I just saw Mason coming out of the corner of my eye, and I
tried to get it up on him," Legwand said. "He was down earlier,
and I got it up over his blocker."

"The short-handed goal really hurt our momentum a lot because we
had full control of the hockey game," Columbus coach Ken
Hitchcock said. "It was a careless turnover at the blue line."

Erat gave Nashville its first lead 2 minutes later with a
power-play goal when he redirected Shea Weber's slap shot from
the left point. The Predators are 10-0 this season when they
score a power-play goal.

"The power play was good tonight," Nashville coach Barry Trotz
said. "Special teams were a big part of the game. We got two
power-play goals and a short-handed goal."

Stralman's power-play goal at 19:02 of the second period made it
3-3.

Mason stopped 45 shots in regulation and overtime. Rinne turned
aside 26 Columbus attempts.

"It's frustrating," Mason said. "They obviously know how to play
at home, and they did a really good job."

NOTES: Columbus C Samuel Pahlsson returned after missing three
games with an elbow infection and back spasms. Blue Jackets D
Fedor Tyutin has six assists in his last three games. ...
Nashville has scored at least one power-play goal in four
consecutive games. It's the first time the Predators have done
that this season.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136247-Santorelli-and-Legwand-lift-Preds-to-SO-win</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136247-Santorelli-and-Legwand-lift-Preds-to-SO-win</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:24:11 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Blue Jackets-Predators Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
STATS Senior Writer

Columbus (12-6-2) at Nashville (11-8-1), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The surging Nashville Predators have always enjoyed a tremendous
home-ice advantage over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Predators look for a fifth win in a row overall Saturday
night as they try to defeat the Blue Jackets for the 12th
straight time at Sommet Center.

Nashville (11-8-1) hasn't lost at home to Columbus (12-6-2)
since April 3, 2006. The Blue Jackets are 4-19-2 with one tie in
Nashville.

One of the keys to that success has been the Predators'
defensive work against Rick Nash. The Columbus star went six
straight games without a point in Nashville before scoring four
times in last season's three losses.

The Blue Jackets' long streak of road futility in the series is
not the only hurdle they will have to overcome. Mathieu Garon,
in his first season with Columbus, is 0-4 with a 4.08
goals-against average at Nashville and has posted a 4.43 GAA in
losing five straight starts overall against the Predators.

After originally labeling Garon as starter for this game, coach
Ken Hitchcock opted to give Steve Mason a second straight start
after he made 25 saves Thursday in Columbus' third straight
victory, 4-1 at Dallas. Nash had a power-play goal and Kristian
Huselius scored twice - once short-handed and once on the power
play.

"I really liked our competitiveness all game," coach Ken
Hitchcock said.

Garon and Mason continue to vie for the No. 1 job for the Blue
Jackets, with Garon going 4-1 with a 2.33 GAA in five starts.

"The only thing I wanted to do was play well when I had the
chance and I'll deserve more starts," Garon told the Blue
Jackets' official Web site. "That's the only way I'll play more.
I've been feeling good lately."

Garon will go up against one of the hottest teams in the NHL in
Nashville, which is on its longest win streak of the season and
has won eight of 10 overall. The Predators improved to 3-0 on
their five-game homestand with a 3-2 shootout victory over New
Jersey on Thursday.

Jason Arnott scored twice for Nashville after not scoring in his
previous nine games.

"Arnott has been getting some really good chances, but nothing
has been going in," coach Barry Trotz said. "Arnott was getting
a touch frustrated, but he kept working."

The veteran center had a goal on the power play as the Predators
improved to 9-0-0 when scoring with the man advantage this
season. Nashville has four power-play goals on this homestand,
two by Steve Sullivan.

"Right now, we are really just playing solid games," said winger
J.P. Dumont, who has a team-high 15 assists. "(We) keep working
hard, every line every night is playing some big roles and
that's what we need."

Since Arnott joined the club for the 2006-07 season, the
Predators are 18-2-2 versus the Blue Jackets. They are 17-0-2
when he plays against Columbus and he had eight goals and 10
assists in those games.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135749-Blue-Jackets-Predators-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135749-Blue-Jackets-Predators-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:52:59 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Predators beat Devils in shootout]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[NASHVILLE, Tenn.(AP) -- After coming within one game of setting an
NHL record for road wins to start the season, the New Jersey
Devils have dropped two consecutive games away from the Garden
State.

Mike Santorelli and Martin Erat scored shootout goals, and Jason
Arnott had two goals in regulation in the Nashville Predators'
3-2 victory over the Devils on Thursday night.

The loss came on the heels of New Jersey's first road defeat
Monday night at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers. The Devils
came within one win of tying Buffalo's NHL record of 10 straight
road wins to start a season.

Pekka Rinne stopped two of New Jersey's three shooters in the
tiebreaker for his fourth consecutive victory and eighth in nine
decisions. New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur took the loss after
winning his first three shootouts of the season.

Santorelli has converted on both of his shootout attempts this
season, while Erat's score was his first after being denied in
his first two attempts.

Arnott opened the scoring at 4:44 of the opening period. The
former Devils player beat New Jersey's Brian Rolston to a puck
in the lower part of the right faceoff circle and directed a
seemingly harmless shot on goal that slipped between Brodeur's
pads.

"I was more worried to tell (Rolston) that he was there than
looking at the puck," Brodeur said. "He surprised both of us by
whacking it from there."

Zach Parise tied it at 8:35 of the first. From the left point,
defenseman Colin White sent a wrist shot toward the Nashville
goal. Skating through the slot, Parise was able to deflect the
puck by Rinne just inside the far post.

Arnott struck again at 1:09 of the third with a power-play goal
off of a deflection of J.P. Dumont's shot. Arnott had been held
without a goal in his last nine games.

"Arnott has been getting some really good chances, but nothing
has been going in," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "Arnott
was getting a touch frustrated, but he kept working."

The Predators are 9-0-0 when scoring a power-play goal this
season, and have their first four-game winning streak of the
2009-2010 campaign.

When he was a member of the Devils in 2000, Arnott scored the
Stanley Cup-winning winning goal in double overtime in Game 6
against the Dallas Stars.

"It was just one of those tight games where they had some
opportunities and we had some opportunities as well," Arnott
said. "Fortunately we came out with two points."

Parise again answered back for the Devils at 4:39 of the third.
Behind the Nashville goal, Dean McAmmond sent a pass to Parise
who was in front of Rinne. With Nashville's Jerred Smithson on
his back, Parise was able to jam the puck in.

The goal was Parise's team-leading 13th of the season, and
seventh in his last six games. His six game goal streak ties his
career high.

Rinne denied Parise in the shootout when the big Finn was able
to get his glove in the way of Parise's high backhand.

"I think I did it too slow," Parise said of his shootout
attempt. "I'm not taking anything away from him because he made
a good save, but I wasn't happy about how I did the move."

Travis Zajac was the lone Devil to convert in the shootout when
he lost control of the puck but managed to get a wild backhand
by Rinne on the far side.

"They are one of the best teams in the league and Brodeur is one
of the best goalies of all time, so obviously it is a big deal
for me," Rinne said. "It's never just a goalie's win, but I'll
take it."

NOTES: McAmmond made his Devils debut Thursday night. ... Zajac
had his 100th career assist. ... Devils center Dainius Zubrus
didn't return after being hit in the leg by a puck in the second
period. ... Dumont has assists in three straight games. ...
Three of the last four games between Nashville and New Jersey
have gone to shootouts.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135552-Predators-beat-Devils-in-shootout</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135552-Predators-beat-Devils-in-shootout</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:58:40 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Devils-Predators Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA
STATS Senior Writer

New Jersey (14-5-0) at Nashville (10-8-1), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The New Jersey Devils knew they weren't going to win all of
their road games this season. They have a nearly unblemished
record at Nashville, though.

Coming off their first loss away from the Prudential Center, the
Devils look to continue their road success against the Predators
on Thursday night.

New Jersey (14-5-0) fell one win shy of tying the NHL record of
10 road wins to start a season, losing 3-2 to Philadelphia on
Monday night. The Devils, who had won eight straight overall,
opened a three-game trip that ends Saturday night against
Dallas.

"You never want to lose, but we knew that we weren't going to go
41-0 on the road," left wing Zach Parise said. "But 9-0 is
pretty good, so we will just try to start it up again in
Nashville."

The Devils have been outstanding on the road versus the
Predators (10-8-1), going 6-1-0. New Jersey won 3-1 at the
Sommet Center on Jan. 19 in the teams' only meeting last season.

Nashville was held to one goal for the fourth time at home
versus New Jersey. The Devils had allowed two goals or fewer in
eight straight games before facing the Flyers.

Martin Brodeur made 32 saves at Philadelphia in his first loss
in seven games. He is 4-1-0 with a 2.17 goals-against average in
five games at Nashville.

Devils left wing Zach Parise, who had a goal in last season's
matchup with the Predators, has scored in five straight games.
He has four assists during that span.

Patrik Elias had an assist on Parise's goal against Philadelphia
and finished with two. Those were his first points of the season
after missing 14 of the first 15 games while recovering from
groin surgery.

Despite Elias' injury, New Jersey didn't have a spot for Brendan
Shanahan on its top three lines and the two sides mutually
parted unexpectedly before the season opener. Shanahan, selected
by the Devils with the No. 2 pick in the 1987 draft, announced
his retirement Tuesday.

Shanahan played his first four seasons with New Jersey and
returned late last season, scoring six goals in 34 games and
adding a goal and two assists in the Devils' first-round,
seven-game playoff loss to Carolina.

Nashville has been benefiting from a relatively set lineup. The
Predators are as healthy as they've been all season, and have
won three straight and seven of nine.

Nashville's latest victory was particularly impressive, 4-3 over
NHL points leader San Jose on Thursday night.

Pekka Rinne, who stopped 29 shots and improved to 7-4-0, said
the win was a confidence boost for the Predators entering their
matchup with the Devils.

"We know we can play against anybody in this league," he said.

Rinne faced New Jersey for the first time last season, making 32
saves.

Predators defenseman Ryan Suter had an assist in that contest.
He had two assists against the Sharks after being held off the
scoresheet in seven straight games.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135096-Devils-Predators-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135096-Devils-Predators-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:20:16 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Predators' 2 PP goals help beat Sharks 4-3]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn.(AP) -- The Nashville Predators thought they gave
away two points to the Sharks a week ago in San Jose. They
refused to make the same mistake on their own ice.

Joel Ward and David Legwand each had a goal and two assists, and
the Predators beat the Sharks 4-3 Tuesday night for their third
straight win and seventh in nine games.

"We kind of came up short there," Ward said of that 4-3 loss in
San Jose in which the Sharks scored the winning goal with a
minute to go. "We were really disappointed there. ... A little
bit of revenge I guess you could say. We were kind of hungry to
play tonight and try to get two points off them."

Jerred Smithson had a goal and Ryan Suter had two assists for
Nashville, which was coming off a 2-0 win over Montreal in which
the Predators fired off a franchise-record 55 shots. Putting the
puck in the net was no problem against Sharks backup goalie
Thomas Greiss, playing his fourth game this season.

The Predators scored two power-play goals against the NHL's top
penalty-killing team. Steve Sullivan scored on the 5-on-3 in the
first period, and Ward's goal came in the second with the man
advantage.

Joe Thornton had a goal and an assist, Scott Nichol had a
short-handed goal and Patrick Marleau had a goal for San Jose,
which lost in regulation for the first time since Oct. 22. The
Western Conference-leading Sharks were 9-0-3 since.

"Mentally you know when you're on the back end of a road trip,
and your legs don't give you everything you want," Sharks coach
Todd McLellan said of his team's final stop on a three-game road
trip. "Mentally you better be sharp, and we weren't that one
bit."

Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne, who improved to 7-4-0, called the
win a good confidence boost with the New Jersey Devils visiting
Thursday night.

"We know we can play against anybody in this league," he said.

The Predators kept this game from being that close by starting
the night shooting just as they did against Montreal, and they
outshot San Jose 14-9 in the first period. Sullivan scored his
fifth 28 seconds into a 5-on-3 advantage in the first period.

"You give them time, and they're going to pick you apart,"
Nichol said of his former teammates.

Nichol scored his first of the season against his former team to
tie at 1 apiece at 14:23.

But Smithson's wrister with 3:54 left in the first put Nashville
up to stay.

The Predators padded the lead with two more in the second. Ward
tipped in Suter's shot at the blue line at 8:16 with the man
advantage, and Ward passed from the boards to Legwand who fired
off a one-timer from the left circle to make it 4-1 at 10:57.

Thornton came off the bench and scored his sixth this season
from the left circle off a pass from Frazer McLaren with 41
seconds left in the second.

Marleau tipped in a pass from Thornton with 51 seconds left in
regulation.

Nashville coach Barry Trotz wasn't happy with the clock operator
essentially giving the Sharks two free time-outs within the
final minute. The clock reset to 0.0 after Marleau's goal and
again after an icing with 3 seconds left.

"That's five guys that can do damage on any given night. We have
to get it corrected with our off-ice officials, but it's
absolutely unacceptable for a home team," Trotz said.

NOTES: The Predators now have scored a power-play goal for the
eighth time in 11 games. ... Nashville improved to 8-0-0 when
scoring on the power-play and 7-1-0 when scoring first. ...
Nashville defenseman Kevin Klein played in his 100th career NHL
game. ... The Sharks recalled Benn Ferriero, McLaren and Logan
Couture from their AHL affiliate, and all three played against
Nashville.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134913-Predators-2-PP-goals-help-beat-Sharks-4-3</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134913-Predators-2-PP-goals-help-beat-Sharks-4-3</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:07:49 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Sharks-Predators Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
STATS Senior Writer

San Jose (14-4-4) at Nashville (9-8-1), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The NHL-leading San Jose Sharks are on a 12-game point streak,
but they're not happy about blowing a pair of two-goal leads
recently.

The Sharks complete a three-game road swing Tuesday night when
they take on the Nashville Predators.

San Jose (14-4-4) has not lost in regulation since a 5-2 defeat
to Tampa Bay on Oct. 22, going 9-0-3 since.

The Sharks, though, squandered two-goal leads in two of their
last three games. They fell 3-2 in a shootout to Dallas on
Thursday and 4-3 in overtime at Chicago on Sunday.

"You've got to bear down, hold on to those games," center Joe
Pavelski said. "It is the second time in three games and maybe
it's an issue, but I don't think so. We're pretty resilient."

Rookie defenseman Jason Demers recorded his first career goal
and Patrick Marleau scored 45 seconds later to give San Jose a
3-1 lead two minutes into the second period Sunday. The Sharks,
however, allowed the Blackhawks to pull even heading into the
third.

"Sometimes the hockey gods don't work in your favor," coach Todd
McLellan said. "If we could have gotten the fourth one, it could
have worked in our favor. But they fought back, and that's what
good teams do."

Marleau ended a six-game goal drought and Dany Heatley scored in
his third straight game for San Jose. Six of Heatley's seven
power-play goals this season have come on the road.

The Sharks will likely face a hot goaltender in Nashville's
Pekka Rinne, who won five of his last six starts with a 1.99
goals-against average. He made 20 saves as Nashville (9-8-1)
beat Montreal 2-0 on Saturday.

"The guys on defense did a great job, I didn't have to face too
many shots," Rinne said. "Obviously you have your good saves and
your moments, but it was one of the easier games that we have
had this year so far."

Steve Sullivan scored both goals and had 11 shots on goal as
Nashville outshot Montreal 55-20. The 55 shots and 24 in the
first period were franchise records.

"It's just the mindset, you break down teams' defense when you
put it on net," coach Barry Trotz said. "They are scrambling for
pucks, they are reaching, and we are being firm in their
offensive zone."

The Predators have won six of eight and two in a row since a 4-3
loss at San Jose last Tuesday. Nashville blew a 3-2 lead in the
third period as Devin Setoguchi scored the equalizer and
defenseman Dan Boyle had the winner with one minute left.

Neither of the goaltenders that started that game are expected
to start Tuesday. Dan Ellis had 25 saves for Nashville and
Thomas Greiss 23 for San Jose.

The Sharks' Evgeni Nabokov went 6-1-1 with a 2.01 GAA in his
last eight starts versus the Predators.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134459-Sharks-Predators-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134459-Sharks-Predators-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:27:15 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Predators blank Canadiens 2-0]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[NASHVILLE, Tenn.(AP) -- A record-breaking night for the Nashville
Predators left them feeling victorious, while a record-tying
night for Carey Price left him with a loss.

Steve Sullivan scored two goals and Pekka Rinne made 20 saves to
lead the Predators to a 2-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens
on Saturday night.

Nashville outshot Montreal 55-20 and the Predators have won two
straight and six of their past eight. Montreal has dropped four
of six. The 55 shots are a franchise record for Nashville.

Rinne got his second shutout of the season and ninth of his
career. Sullivan had just two goals in the team's first 17 games
of the season. Price made a career-high 53 saves for Montreal.
The 53 saves tied Wayne Thomas' Canadiens record for most saves
in a game. Thomas did it March 10, 1974 in a 5-4 win at
Pittsburgh.

"They threw a lot of pucks at the net tonight," Price said.
"Records aside, we were here to get two points, not a record."

"He performed well, there is no doubt," Canadiens coach Jacques
Martin said of his goaltender. "It's unfortunate that his
teammates didn't take advantage of a performance like that."

Sullivan scored his first goal at 10:48 of the opening period
when he collected a rebound of his own shot and was able to beat
Price with a backhand.

The Predators set a franchise record with 24 shots on goal in
the first period. The previous record for shots in a period was
23 set Feb. 28, 2004, against the New York Rangers.

"It's just the mindset, you break down teams' defense when you
put it on net," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "They are
scrambling for pucks, they are reaching, and we are being firm
in their offensive zone."

J.P. Dumont was credited with the only assist on Sullivan's
goal. Dumont leads the Predators in points this season with 12.

"I'm not going to lie, I really feel comfortable with J.P., and
I find that he really settles the play down for us in the
offensive end," Sullivan said. "He's so good at puck protection
and nifty little passes that when you are open, you are getting
the puck."

Sullivan made it 2-0 at 12:59 of the third period.

With the Predators on a 5-on-3 power play, Price stopped a slap
shot from Nashville defenseman Shea Weber, but the rebound came
right to Sullivan in the left circle where he fired a one-timer
by Price on the stick side.

Rinne has won six of his last seven and improved his record on
the season to 6-4-0.

"The guys on defense did a great job, I didn't have to face too
many shots," Rinne said. "Obviously you have your good saves and
your moments, but it was one of the easier games that we have
had this year so far."&gt;

Notes: The Canadiens made their first trip to Nashville since
Feb. 22, 2007. ... Montreal right wing Brian Gionta missed his
first game of the season with a lower-body injury. ...
Saturday's game was the first of five consecutive home games for
the Predators. They play seven of their remaining eight November
games at home.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134092-Predators-blank-Canadiens-2-0</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134092-Predators-blank-Canadiens-2-0</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:30:53 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Canadiens-Predators Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN FERGUSON
STATS Writer

Montreal (9-10-0) at Nashville (8-8-1), 8:00 p.m. EDT

A renewed scoring punch has helped Nashville Predators recover
from a slow start. The Montreal Canadiens, meanwhile, can't seem
to find much traction so far.

The Predators will try for their seventh win in 10 games as they
host the inconsistent Canadiens on Saturday night.

After opening the season with consecutive victories, Nashville
had six goals during an 0-5-1 skid but has rebounded to score
three or more in six games since snapping that losing streak
Oct. 22.

The Predators (8-8-1) earned a split of their four-game road
trip with a 3-1 victory at St. Louis on Thursday night. Jordin
Tootoo's unassisted score with 3:43 remaining broke a 1-all tie,
and David Legwand added an empty netter for his first goal of
the season.

Patric Hornqvist also scored for the second straight game to tie
Shea Weber for the team lead with five goals.

"We stayed persistent for 60 minutes and it paid off," coach
Barry Trotz said. "It was a good effort especially on the road."

Fourteen different players have scored Nashville's 25 goals in
the past nine games, with Weber's four leading the way. J.P.
Dumont has assisted on seven of those goals and scored twice to
take over the team's points lead (11).

The Canadiens got their power play back on track to snap a
two-game slide with Thursday night's 4-2 win at Phoenix.
Montreal (9-10-0) scored on both of its opportunities after
going 1 for 16 with a man advantage in its previous six games.

Marc-Andre Bergeron and Glen Metropolit scored 1:02 apart in the
third period as the Canadiens doubled their goal production from
their previous three games, and Carey Price earned his second
win in three starts - after losing six in a row - by stopping 18
shots.

"There are two factors in determining a game - special teams and
goaltending," coach Jacques Martin said. "Both of them tonight
were key factors."

Montreal suffered similar difficulties finding the net during
its two other losing streaks. It was outscored 20-9 during a
five-game skid Oct. 6-17, and 9-3 while dropping consecutive
games Oct. 28-30.

In between those two slides, the Canadiens produced 14 goals
during a four-game win streak. Until Thursday's win, the only
victories in the previous seven games came via shootouts.

Montreal will make its first trip to Nashville since a 6-5
shootout win on Feb. 22, 2007, and will try to improve on its
4-0-1 mark over the Predators since the start of the 2002-03
season.

The Canadiens earned a 3-2 win at home last season and are 7-2-1
with one tie all-time against Nashville. Andrei Kostitsyn
tallied the go-ahead goal in the second period, and Andrei
Markov added another score early in the third.

Jaroslav Halak, who has shared time with Price, earned the
victory and could start again Saturday. He was in net during
Montreal's previous game at Nashville.

The Predators have also split up goaltending duties this season,
and Pekka Rinne or Dan Ellis will try to help them earn their
first home win over the Canadiens since March 23, 2002.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133484-Canadiens-Predators-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133484-Canadiens-Predators-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:32:13 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Tootoo lifts Predators past Blues]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ST. LOUIS(AP) -- Jordin Tootoo never saw his winning goal go in.
His Nashville teammates' reaction told the story.

Tootoo scored on a wrist shot with 3:43 left to give the
Predators a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday
night. Tootoo beat Chris Mason from just outside the faceoff
circle for his first goal of the season.

Tootoo, who missed the first 13 games of the season because of a
quadriceps injury, picked up a loose puck and flipped it toward
the net just a split second before being flattened by St. Louis
center T.J. Oshie. The shot slipped by Mason, who appeared
screened by Martin Erat on the play.

"I was on the ice and I just looked at my teammates and they
were the ones that were cheering," Tootoo said. "It felt good.
My main focus was to keep the puck low, I knew I was going to
get hit."

Mason took responsibility.

"I moved my stick over," he said. "Regardless that's a (save)
I've got to make."

Patric Hornqvist also scored for Nashville, and David Legwand
added an empty-netter.

Rinne shut the door after giving up a goal to Brad Boyes just
2:03 into the game. Boyes tipped in a pass from Erik Johnson to
get the Blues started.

"It's always a tough way to start," Rinne said. "But we
responded well. Personally, I think it was one of our better
games.

Nashville coach Barry Trotz agreed.

"We stayed persistent for 60 minutes and it paid off," Trotz
said. "It was a good effort especially on the road."

Hornqvist tied it at 1 with his fifth goal of the season in the
second period. He picked up a loose puck and slipped it past
Mason from close range.

Nashville had 31 shots on Mason through the first two periods
but managed to break through just once against their former
teammate. Mason, who spent six years in Nashville, had not lost
to the Predators in the four previous meetings since leaving.

The Blues were looking to win back-to-back games for the first
time since the opening weekend of the season when they swept a
two-game set from Detroit in Sweden. St. Louis beat Vancouver
6-1 on Tuesday night.

"To play well one night and not the next night, it's something
that's got to stop," Boyes said. "Our work ethic has got to be a
lot better."

St. Louis coach Andy Murray was extremely disappointed in his
team's effort.

"I've had a lot of losses as a coach," he said. "That ranks
right up there because of the way we played."

St. Louis winger David Backes was given a major penalty and game
misconduct for boarding Jean-Pierre Dumont late in the second
period.

NOTES: The Blues has 22 shots on goal, ending their streak of al
least 30 at six games. ... Nashville won 14 straight games
against St. Louis from Oct. 15, 2005, to Jan. 27, 2007. ... St.
Louis winger Paul Kariya is scoreless in his last nine games.
... The Blues have killed off 14 consecutive power-play
attempts. ... The Predators will begin a five-game homestand
Saturday against Montreal.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133357-Tootoo-lifts-Predators-past-Blues</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133357-Tootoo-lifts-Predators-past-Blues</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:00:58 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Predators-Blues Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN FERGUSON
STATS Writer

Nashville (7-8-1) at St. Louis (6-6-4), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The St. Louis Blues opened the season with a pair of wins in
Sweden, but they've experienced nothing but inconsistency since
returning to the United States more than a month ago.

The Blues, however, have a prime opportunity to record
back-to-back victories for the second time Thursday night as
they try to continue their recent success against the visiting
Nashville Predators.

St. Louis posted a 4-3 win over two-time defending Western
Conference champion Detroit on Oct. 2 and a 5-3 victory against
the Red Wings the next day in Stockholm. The Blues have lost 10
of 14 since but have shown signs of improvement over their past
four games.

After suffering three straight defeats after regulation, St.
Louis snapped its season-high five-game slide Tuesday night at
home, 6-1 over Vancouver.

David Perron scored twice during a four-goal first period en
route to his first career hat trick and helped the Blues (6-6-4)
score two more goals than in the previous five games combined.

St. Louis scored twice in seven power-play chances after going 4
for 47 with the man advantage in its previous 13 contests.

"We generated a lot of chances in the first. It's something
we've failed to do in the past," said forward Andy McDonald, who
had a goal and two assists. "We've been struggling to score
goals, so it was nice to be able to come out and jump on them a
little bit and get everybody rolling."

Chris Mason just missed his first shutout while stopping 22
shots. He lowered his goals-against average to 1.64 over the
past six games.

The former Nashville goaltender's emergence last season for the
Blues was a big reason why they ended a five-year playoff
drought and beat out the Predators for one of the West's final
berths.

Mason was 2-0-2 with a 1.18 GAA against his former club as St.
Louis went 4-0-2 in the season series. The Blues are 5-1-2 at
home against Nashville since Feb. 16, 2007.

They'll face a Predators team that's searching for its sixth win
in nine games following a 2-5-1 start. Nashville (7-8-1) enters
the finale of a four-game road trip after Tuesday night's
deflating 4-3 loss to San Jose.

Patric Hornqvist's goal with 10:31 remaining gave the Predators
a 3-2 lead, but the Sharks scored twice over the final 6:34
against backup Dan Ellis, getting the winning goal with a minute
left.

"We deserved a point and all we need is a save from the goalie
and we didn't get it," Ellis said. "We're playing the best team
in the league, and we played pretty well for the most part."

Pekka Rinne, who has wins in four of his last five appearances,
could get the start Thursday.

B.J. Crombeen and Keith Tkachuk each scored three goals last
season against the Predators, while Brad Boyes, who had a goal
and three assists Tuesday, had a team-best six points (two
goals, four assists).

Ryan Suter led Nashville with five points against the Blues - a
goal and four assists.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133042-Predators-Blues-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133042-Predators-Blues-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:58:11 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Boyle's late goal lifts Sharks over Predators]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[SAN JOSE, Calif.(AP) -- Scott Nichol took care of the small
details that led to a big victory for the San Jose Sharks.

Dan Boyle scored with a minute left in the third period to lift
the Sharks to a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on
Tuesday night.

"We deserved a point and all we need is a save from the goalie
and we didn't get it," Predators goaltender Dan Ellis said.
"We're playing the best team in the league and we played pretty
well for the most part."

Nichol, the third line center and former Predators player,
sparked a third-period rally by hustling down the ice to save an
icing call. He intercepted Ellis' outlet pass, stayed on the ice
despite having the wind knocked out of him, and drew the only
Nashville penalty of the night.

"That's why Scott Nichol is here," Sharks coach Todd McLellan
said. "He does a lot of the little things that don't show up on
the stats page. He gives you everything he has every time out."

Joe Pavelski, Jamie McGinn and Devin Setoguchi also scored for
the Sharks, 6-0-1 at home. Thomas Greiss made 23 saves for his
second win in three games.

Michael Santorelli, Marcel Goc and Patric Hornqvist scored for
the Predators, who lost for just the second time in six games.
Ellis stopped 25 shots.

Pavelski has scored in two straight games after returning from
an injury that caused him to miss 15 games.

Patrick Marleau created the scoring opportunity when he took the
puck behind the net and found Pavelski open for a 1-on-1 with
Ellis midway through the first period.

The Predators tied it with 1:40 left in the first. Santorelli
knocked the puck out of the air in the crease, outfought Sharks
forward Manny Malhotra, and slipped a shot into the net. Greiss
was on the ice after blocking Martin Erat's shot attempt.

The Sharks regained the lead early in the second period on
McGinn's goal. Marc-Edouard Vlasic took a long shot that
deflected off Brad Staubitz's stick. McGinn settled in and
released a shot from the left side.

"They frustrated us early and got the puck behind the defense,"
Nichol said. "We got some timely goals from good players. We
kind of grunted this one out. We're going to have games like
this and it's a good lesson."

Goc, formerly of the Sharks, scored his first goal of the season
and recorded his first point in nine games. He tied the game
with 5:11 left in the second period after taking a crossing pass
from Jordin Tootoo.

"It was good to get that first one out of the way," Goc said. "I
think we played pretty well for the most part, but after we
scored in the third period we sat back a little bit and gave
them too many chances."

Nashville took a 3-2 lead when Hornqvist redirected Dan Hamhuis'
shot midway through the third period.

"We didn't play the way we wanted to play," Setoguchi said. "We
stressed putting the puck on goal and we didn't do that until
the last 10 minutes. They scored to go up 3-2 and it kind of lit
a fire under us. We told ourselves that we could lose this if we
don't wake up."

Setoguchi, in the lineup for the first time in seven games, tied
it 3-3 with 6:34 left when he steered Boyle's shot over Ellis'
right shoulder.

NOTES: The Sharks assigned F Torrey Mitchell to AHL Worcester
for a conditioning assignment. ... Predators D Shea Weber
returned to the lineup after missing two games because of a foot
injury. ... Marleau has 34 points in 39 games against Nashville.
... Goc recorded his first points in nine games. ... The
Predators went 53 minutes, 50 seconds without drawing a penalty.
... Sharks C Joe Thornton had a four-game point streak snapped.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132892-Boyles-late-goal-lifts-Sharks-over-Predators</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132892-Boyles-late-goal-lifts-Sharks-over-Predators</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:48:31 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Predators-Sharks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By PAUL DIGIACOMO
STATS Senior Editor

Nashville (7-7-1) at San Jose (12-4-2), 10:30 p.m. EDT

After a dismal start, the Nashville Predators are coming on
strong. The San Jose Sharks haven't had many problems since the
puck dropped on the 2009-10 season.

San Jose looks to increase its NHL-leading point total Tuesday
night when it hosts surging Nashville.

The Sharks have jumped out to a 12-4-2 record, one season after
winning the Presidents' Trophy with 117 points and getting upset
by Anaheim in the first round of the playoffs.

San Jose moved into a tie with Colorado for the most points in
the league at 26 with a 5-0 home win over Pittsburgh on Saturday
night. Joe Pavelski had a goal and an assist in his first game
back from the injured list, and Evgeni Nabokov made 27 saves in
his 49th shutout as the Sharks remained unbeaten in regulation
at HP Pavilion (5-0-1).

Pavelski, a fourth-year center who set career highs with 25
goals and 34 assists last season, was out five weeks after
breaking his foot while blocking a shot against the Ducks on
Oct. 3.

"There's a smile on everyone's face when he is back in the
lineup," coach Todd McLellan said. "He means so much to our
team, a very intelligent player. He brings a calmness to the
ice."

Dany Heatley, Dan Boyle, Jamie McGinn and Manny Malhotra also
scored against the Penguins. Heatley, tied with Patrick Marleau
for the team lead with 11 goals in his first season with the
Sharks, also was glad to see Pavelski return.

"He really didn't miss a step. It looked like he missed no time
at all," Heatley said. "He should have had two goals, I stole
the other one from him. He played real well tonight and we're
happy to have him back."

Pavelski was held to one goal in four games against Nashville in
2008-09, but the Sharks went 2-1-1 as right wing Devin Setoguchi
registered four goals and four assists.

The Predators began this season with three wins in 10 games
before turning things around. They've since won four of five,
beating Los Angeles 3-1 on Saturday afternoon in the second
contest of a four-game road trip.

Nashville (7-7-1), which is 29th in the NHL with 2.0 goals per
game, got some much-needed offense from a pair of defensemen.
Francis Bouillon and Cody Franson both scored after combining
for one goal in the team's first 14 games.

"That's a big thing for our team. We need our defensemen to
score," said Dan Ellis, who made 27 saves. "We don't have an
abundance of talent and we don't have a surefire sniper. Jason
Arnott is the closest thing we've got, so we need to score by
committee and we need to score with grit. That's what we're
starting to do."

The Predators have scored four or more goals three times in
seven games after not doing so in the first eight.

Nashville won in San Jose last season for just the second time
since the start of 2003-04. The Predators are 2-5-3 there in
that span.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132532-Predators-Sharks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132532-Predators-Sharks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:25:42 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Predators beat Kings 3-1]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[LOS ANGELES(AP) -- The Nashville Predators received a huge
offensive boost from defensemen Francis Bouillon and Cody
Franson, who played a solid two-way game in front of goalie Dan
Ellis.

Bouillon and Franson both scored goals along with right wing
Joel Ward, and Ellis made 27 saves to lead the Predators to a
3-1 victory over Los Angeles on Saturday. The trio had combined
for only two goals through the team's first 14 games.

"That's a big thing for our team. We need our defensemen to
score," Ellis said. "We don't have an abundance of talent and we
don't have a surefire sniper. Jason Arnott is the closest thing
we've got, so we need to score by committee and we need to score
with grit. That's what we're starting to do."

Ellis made his first start since Oct. 28, when he was pulled by
coach Barry Trotz early in the second period after giving up
three goals on 10 shots in a game the Predators rallied to win
4-3 at Minnesota.

"I deserved to be pulled from that game because I let in three
goals on three (consecutive) shots," Ellis said. "I just tried
to practice hard and see the puck well, which is the most
important thing for a goalie. You've got to find ways to keep
your game sharp. I think I was able to accomplish that in
practice, and I felt good tonight."

The Predators, who came in averaging only 1.9 goals, opened the
scoring at 16:38 of the second period while Raitis Ivanans was
off for hooking Jordin Tootoo.

Franson fired wide on a one-timer from the right point, but
Bouillon - playing in his 500th NHL game - beat forward Wayne
Simmonds to the loose puck after it caromed off the end boards
and beat Jonathan Quick from a sharp angle on the power play for
his 22nd goal in 10-plus NHL seasons.

"I was looking for that goal for a long time," Bouillon said.
"It was a really important goal and I was at the right spot at
the right time. We faced a great team today, and it was a good
win."

Franson, playing in only his ninth NHL game, scored his second
goal of the season on a slap shot from just inside the blue line
with 15:08 remaining to give the Predators a 2-0 lead after
Martin Erat circled the net with the puck and fed it out to the
right point. Erat returned to the lineup after missing three
games with a lower-body injury.

"When our D contributes on the back end, it gives us a much
better chance to win, obviously," Trotz said. "I thought we had
good energy today, and we stayed on the puck real hard."

The Kings got on the board with 11:35 to play as Dustin Brown
scored his sixth of the season during a power play.

But Ward restored Nashville's two-goal margin just 80 seconds
later when he tucked the puck inside the right post after Quick
and teammate Anze Kopitar got tangled up with David Legwand
outside the crease.

The Predators again played without defenseman Shea Weber and
forwards J.P. Dumont and Colin Wilson because of injuries. But
they still managed to beat a team that had recorded standings
points in its previous eight games (6-0-2), the longest such
streak by a Kings squad since November 2000.

"They came into the building short-handed with some players out
who are important players for them, but they came in with an
attitude and a game plan that was based on hard work and grit.
And it worked for them," Kings coach Terry Murray said.

"They beat us from the dots to the boards in every area of the
ice. You can't just play this game on skill alone. It's about
hard work and digging in for 60 minutes. It doesn't matter who
you're going to play. And emotionally, we didn't find it here
today."

Murray expected some sort of an emotional letdown by his team
after the victory over the defending Stanley Cup champions on
Thursday. So after the first 10 minutes, he burned his only
timeout.

"I was prepared to do what I did if we were not playing the
right way, emotionally. I was looking for it," Murray said. "The
first shift, they win the faceoff and we were in our end for
about a minute and 10 seconds, and we weren't able to really
establish any kind of different trend after that. That's why we
addressed it at the 10-minute mark. But the challenge has to
come from within the locker room."

NOTES: Luc Robitaille, who scored 557 his 668 career goals in a
Kings uniform and is currently the club's president of business
operations, will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on
Monday. The only other members of the Hall who played their
first NHL game in a Kings jersey are G Billy Smith and D Larry
Murphy. ... The Kings begin a five-game road trip Monday night
at Chicago. It will be their longest of the season.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132148-Predators-beat-Kings-3-1</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132148-Predators-beat-Kings-3-1</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:22:35 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Predators-Kings Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA
STATS Senior Writer

Nashville (6-7-1) at Los Angeles (10-4-2), 4:00 p.m. EDT

Anze Kopitar had yet to be born when the Los Angeles Kings last
earned points in nine straight games. In fact, neither had the
Nashville Predators.

Kopitar and the Kings look to reach that feat for the first time
in 29 years as they host the Predators on Saturday.

Los Angeles' point streak (6-0-2) is its longest since going
6-0-0 with two ties from Nov. 2-18, 2000. A win or loss after
regulation versus the Predators (6-7-1) would give the Kings
(10-4-2) points in nine consecutive contests for the first time
since Oct. 18-Nov. 5, 1980, when they went 9-0-0 with one tie.

Kopitar was born less than seven years later, and now he's
leading Los Angeles' current surge. The former first round pick
is having a breakout season with 13 goals and 13 assists.

The Kings and their star center now will try to take advantage
of a matchup with Nashville, which entered the league 18 years
after Los Angeles' last nine-game point streak. The Predators
have been shut out in two of their last three road games,
including a 4-0 loss to Anaheim on Thursday night that dropped
them to 3-4-1 on the road.

Los Angeles is 5-1-1 at Staples Center and coming off an
outstanding performance there. The Kings rallied for a four-goal
third period in a 5-2 win over defending champion Pittsburgh on
Thursday night.

Kopitar tied it with his second goal early in the third and
Jarrett Stoll scored the go-ahead goal with 7:51 to play.

That gritty performance illustrates how high Los Angeles'
confidence is after six seasons out of the playoffs.

"Our maturity level is a lot higher," said Kopitar, didn't score
his 13th goal last season until game No. 50. "We're playing with
a lot of desperation, and that's a good thing. We were losing
these kinds of games last year, going into the third period
behind the champions. Now we're sticking with it for 60 minutes
and getting the right result."

Kopitar and his linemates, Ryan Smyth and Justin Williams, have
totaled 48 points in 11 games together.

"We're looking for that line to be an elite line in the game,"
Kings coach Terry Murray said. "When you have that kind of
expectation on you (from) a coaching staff, then there is a need
to respond, and I'm seeing a more consistent effort that shows
(Kopitar) wants to be that player."

Injuries, meanwhile, have forced Nashville to shuffle its lines.

Defenseman Shea Weber, winger J.P. Dumont and rookie center
Colin Wilson sat out against the Ducks because of injuries after
playing in the Predators' last game. Weber has a bruised foot,
Dumont suffered an upper-body injury in Tuesday's practice and
Wilson has a sore groin.

Their status for Saturday's game is uncertain.

The Predators have also been without winger Martin Erat for the
last three games due to a lower-body injury, but captain Jason
Arnott returned to the lineup after missing six games because of
arm and shoulder injuries.

Winger Jordin Tootoo, meanwhile, made his season debut after
missing 13 games due to a hip flexor injury. He was the 30th
player Nashville has used, matching last season's total.

Arnott took over for Weber as the point on the Predators' power
play, which went 0 for 5.

Nashville converted 35.7 percent (5 for 14) of its chances with
the man advantage in going 4-0 against Los Angeles last season.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131799-Predators-Kings-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131799-Predators-Kings-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:55:53 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Hiller makes 40 saves in Ducks' shutout win]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ANAHEIM, Calif.(AP) -- For one night, everything came together for
the Anaheim Ducks.

Jonas Hiller stopped 40 shots - including 10 by Patric Hornqvist
- to earn his fifth NHL shutout and Teemu Selanne scored two
goals to overtake Hall of Famer Jean Beliveau on the career
points list, in the Ducks' 4-0 victory over the short-handed
Nashville Predators on Thursday night.

The shutout was the first for the Ducks since Jan. 17 when
Hiller won at Minnesota. He made his fourth consecutive start
since Jean-Sebastien Giguere re-aggravated a groin injury.

"We played pretty solid defensively," Hiller said. "I gave up a
couple of rebounds, but our defensemen were doing a great job
clearing the puck. It's definitely the way we have to play.
After we got the first goal, we were able to get that second one
and were able to build on that."

Selanne increased his career point total to 1,221, breaking a
tie with Beliveau for 38th place. Selanne has played in 1,146
regular-season games, 21 more than Beliveau.

"He's a legend in Montreal, and it's a great honor to pass guys
like him because you know you have done some good things in this
league," Selanne said. "Things like this are just a bonus for
myself. Obviously, I'm very lucky and thankful for how my career
has gone."

Todd Marchant scored for Anaheim, snapping his 13-game point
drought from the start of the season. Bobby Ryan also had a goal
for the Ducks, who had won only one of their previous seven.
Saku Koivu and Ryan Getzlaf each had two assists.

"I really hope tonight's game is going to give us the confidence
boost that we need," Selanne said. "I'm not very happy about how
we played, and this team can play way better than we did. For
some reason we were a little too flat, and if seemed to me that
there wasn't enough intensity there. But we found a way to win."

Nashville was blanked for the fourth time this season after
winning three in a row.

"We tried to generate as many chances as we could, especially on
special teams, but we didn't really bear down and put a few
home," Predators forward Joel Ward said.

The Predators, who began this four-game road trip averaging the
second-fewest penalty minutes in the NHL (9.2), gave Anaheim a
two-man advantage for 22 seconds after penalties to Jordin
Tootoo and Kevin Klein.

The Ducks capitalized 4 seconds after the first penalty expired,
as Selanne got a pass in the slot from Getzlaf and beat Pekka
Rinne at 15:32 of the first period. Rinne finished with 27
saves.

Anaheim then scored twice off turnovers in the Nashville zone
during the third period with the teams skating 4-on-4. Koivu set
up Selanne's eighth of the season and second of the game, and
Marchant made it 3-0 when Petteri Nokelainen found him alone in
the low shot.

"I didn't expect it to take that long," Marchant said.
"Sometimes you just can't figure out how or why or what's going
on. But the biggest thing I try to do is just stay positive and
keep plugging away and continue to put pucks on the net and do
the things that make me successful."

Defenseman Shea Weber, right wing J.P. Dumont and rookie center
Colin Wilson, who all played in the Predators' previous game,
sat out because of injuries. Weber bruised a foot while blocking
a shot, Dumont was hurt during Tuesday's practice, and Wilson
had a sore groin.

Martin Erat missed his third game because of a lower body
injury, but captain Jason Arnott returned to the Nashville
lineup after sitting out six games due to arm and shoulder
injuries. Tootoo made his season debut after missing 13 games
because of a hip flexor injury and was the 30th player the
Predators have used this season, equaling last season's total.

Arnott replaced Weber as the point defenseman on the Predators'
power play, which was 0 for 5.

"It wasn't as sharp, no question," coach Barry Trotz said. "We
couldn't capitalize on our power play chances. I didn't think we
got enough traffic in front on the early power plays. Later on,
we tried to do that a little more, but they did a good job
defending it."

Anaheim defenseman James Wisniewski completed his two-game
suspension for delivering a blow to the forehead of Phoenix's
Shane Doan last Saturday.

NOTES: A moment of silence was held for the victims of
Thursday's shooting at an Army base in Fort Hood, Texas. ...
Selanne's 587 goals are the most among active players and 18th
best overall. ... The Ducks are 17-1-3 against the Predators in
Anaheim. Their only regulation loss was Jan. 31, 2001. ...
Hiller's only other game against the Predators was Dec. 8, 2007,
in a 4-2 loss.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131697-Hiller-makes-40-saves-in-Ducks-shutout-win</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131697-Hiller-makes-40-saves-in-Ducks-shutout-win</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:44:28 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Predators-Ducks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANDY LEFKOWITZ
STATS Editor

Nashville (6-6-1) at Anaheim (4-7-2), 10:00 p.m. EDT

The Nashville Predators closed October with their longest
winning streak of the season. They look to keep that surge going
as they open November with a four-game road trip.

The Predators go for their fourth straight win Thursday night
when they meet the Anaheim Ducks, who remain mired in an
unexpected slow start.

Last week, Nashville (6-6-1) posted wins over Minnesota and
Chicago before topping Dallas 4-2 at home Saturday. The
Predators got third-period goals from Steve Sullivan, Patric
Hornqvist and Kevin Klein while Pekka Rinne finished with 27
saves.

"Overall our game has been improving over the last week or so,"
Rinne said.

Rinne has been a big reason behind the Predators' recent
success. He came on in relief of Dan Ellis on Oct. 28 against
the Wild, stopping all 12 shots faced to get the win. The next
night, Rinne made 22 saves to blank the Blackhawks.

Rinne, who had a goals-against average of 0.76 in the three
victories, was named the NHL's second star of the week Monday.
He's 1-0-2 with a 2.26 GAA in three career starts versus
Anaheim.

Having a healthy J.P. Dumont in the lineup has also helped Barry
Trotz's team. Dumont missed four games last month with a
concussion, but has two goals and seven assists over his last
five contests. He also has goals in three straight games in
Anaheim.

Dumont leads the club with eight assists and 11 points, and he
will be counted upon to continue producing with defenseman Shea
Weber expected to miss this game with a foot injury. Weber leads
Nashville with five goals, and was the club's top scorer against
the Ducks last season with a goal and four assists in four
games.

Following this contest, the Predators will visit Los Angeles and
San Jose before wrapping up the trip Nov. 12 in St. Louis.

Anaheim (4-7-2) lost for the sixth time in seven games Tuesday,
falling 4-3 to Pittsburgh. The 2007 Stanley Cup champions
reached the West semifinals last season, but now have the fewest
wins in the conference and are tied with Minnesota for last with
10 points.

Corey Perry scored twice, including his 100th career goal, to
extend a pair of streaks. The right wing has six goals in a
career-high four-game run, and 10 points in his last six
contests.

"We're working hard, and if we keep playing the way we played
tonight, we're going to get bounces and create chances for
ourselves. Everybody in here is trying their hardest," said
Perry, who led the Ducks with three goals as they went 2-1-1
versus Nashville last season.

Teemu Selanne was Anaheim's top scorer against the Predators in
2008-09, with five assists and six points. The 17-year veteran -
playing his final NHL season - is second on the team with six
goals, but has only two in his last nine games.

Facing the Predators may help the future Hall of Famer snap out
of his slump, as he has done well in recent games at the Honda
Center against Nashville. The 10-time All-Star has recorded
points in his last six of those matchups, totaling six goals and
eight assists while helping Anaheim to a 5-0-1 record.

With Jean-Sebastien Giguere still day-to-day with a groin
injury, Jonas Hiller will probably be back in goal for the
Ducks.

The Switzerland native is 4-5-1 with a 3.04 GAA in 10 starts,
but has one win in his last six outings. He lost his only career
start against Nashville, stopping 29 shots in a 4-2 defeat in
December 2007.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131378-Predators-Ducks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131378-Predators-Ducks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:33:34 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Hornqvist, Klein lift Predators to win]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[NASHVILLE, Tenn.(AP) -- Patric Hornqvist and the Nashville
Predators closed out October with a flourish.

Hornqvist and Kevin Klein scored 1:43 apart midway through the
third period to lead Nashville to a 4-2 win over the Dallas
Stars on Saturday night.

The Predators are on a season-high three-game winning streak.
Dallas lost for the second time in two nights.

The teams traded power-play goals in the first. Steve Ott scored
for Dallas and Shea Weber answered for Nashville.

With the Stars on the power play, Brad Richards sent a wrist
shot on goal from the left point. Nashville goaltender Pekka
Rinne stopped that shot, but Ott was able to pounce on the
rebound and beat Rinne on the stick side.

James Neal also assisted on Ott's goal, giving him a point in a
career-high six consecutive games.

Ott returned to the Stars' lineup after serving a two-game
suspension for a low hit he delivered to St. Louis defenseman
Carlo Colaiacovo on Oct. 24.

Dallas took a 2-1 lead at 2:15 of the second on a goal by Brian
Sutherby, but Nashville tied it early in the third on Steve
Sullivan's first goal since the season opener in Dallas.

"We thought that we were really taking the play to them so there
was really no doubt in our minds that this game was ours for the
taking," Sullivan said.

Nashville took its first lead at 10:59 when Hornqvist picked up
a loose puck in the Dallas crease and put a wrist shot
underneath the crossbar for his third of the season.

"For the first time in 10 games, I got it right on my stick,"
Hornqvist said. "It was nice to get a goal again, and if we can
keep playing like that we are going to have success the whole
year."

Klein put the Predators in front 4-2 at 11:42 with a slap shot
through traffic from the right point.

"If you look at all of the goals, there is one common theme that
there was someone right in front of the net," Nashville coach
Barry Trotz said. "Goals are hard to come by, you have to go to
the hard places, and guys did."

Rinne made 27 saves to record his fourth consecutive win. Alex
Auld turned aside 29 shots in the loss.

"Both teams had some pretty quality chances, but overall our
game has been improving over the last week or so," Rinne said.

Auld felt his team was in good position going into the third
period with a 2-1 lead.

"They came out with a lot of sustained pressure, and they scored
three hardworking goals," Auld said. "I would have liked to come
up with some saves to hold the team in it, but I wasn't able to
do that tonight."

NOTES: This was the third meeting between the teams this season.
They won't play each other again until they finish the season
series on March 23 in Nashville. ... Dallas G Marty Turco missed
his second consecutive game because of flulike symptoms. ... The
Predators have scored a power-play goal in three consecutive
games for the first time this season. ... Nashville RW Martin
Erat missed his second straight game because of a lower body
injury.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130506-Hornqvist-Klein-lift-Predators-to-win</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130506-Hornqvist-Klein-lift-Predators-to-win</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:01:58 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Stars-Predators Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF MEZYDLO
STATS Senior Writer

Dallas (6-2-5) at Nashville (5-6-1), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The Nashville Predators are starting to find ways to win games.
Their familiarity with the Dallas Stars may be able to help them
continue their recent success.

The Predators try for a season-high third straight victory when
they face the Stars for the third time Saturday night at the
Sommet Center.

Nashville (5-6-1) beat Central Division-leading Chicago 2-0 on
Thursday for its third win in four games since an 0-5-1 stretch.

"We're making some strides," coach Barry Trotz told the
Predators' official Web site. "I'm really happy with this
effort."

One reason for the Predators' improvement is they've scored 12
goals in the last four games after totaling 11 in regulation of
their previous eight contests.

Against the Blackhawks, Joel Ward scored Nashville's first
power-play goal at home and fifth in 45 chances overall as the
club improved to 2-3-0 at home.

"Every coach says that he wants his team to go hard to the net,"
Ward said. "It is important for us because of our lack of goals.
We're missing Jason Arnott (arm) and Martin Erat (lower-body
injury) in the lineup. We've just to keep it simple and make
things happen."

Dan Ellis is 2-3-1 with 3.03 goals-against average this season,
but 5-4-0 with a 2.43 GAA against the team that drafted him in
2000. Still, Pekka Rinne could get the start after making 22
saves in his first shutout of the season.

"I've been feeling a little better and it's a really good
feeling," said Rinne, who's 3-3-0 with a 2.74 GAA and won the
last three games he's played.

Rinne made 20 saves after Ellis was pulled for allowing three
goals on three shots in a 6-0 loss at Dallas on Oct. 14.

Nashville was a 3-2 shootout winner on the road over the Stars
to open the season on Oct. 3, but now faces a Dallas club that's
coming off a 6-5 shootout loss to Florida on Friday. The Stars
are 3-0-2 since last losing in regulation on Oct. 19.

James Neal scored his eighth goal, while Brian Sutherby and
Fabian Brunnstrom each added a goal with an assist as Dallas
(6-2-5) rallied from 3-0 deficit.

"We showed a lot of character and persistence the way we fought
back," said Dallas coach Marc Crawford, who coached his 1,000th
NHL game. "To be a good team, we've got to be a lot tighter."

Neal has five goals in four games and two with three assists
versus the Predators this season.

With Marty Turco sidelined because of flu-like symptoms, Alex
Auld made 24 saves Friday for the Stars.

Auld, 2-0-2 with a 3.66 GAA this season, is 3-1-1 with a 2.42
GAA against Nashville, but will likely give way to Turco if he's
healthy.

Turco is 4-2-3 with a 2.26 GAA, and has an 0.96 GAA in two
starts versus the Predators this season. He's 12-6-1 with a 1.90
GAA all-time against Nashville.

Dallas, 4-0-3 on the road, should have gritty center Steve Ott
back following a two-game suspension for a low hit on St. Louis'
Carlo Colaiacovo last Saturday.

After playing three times in the first month, these teams
conclude their season series in Nashville on March 23.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130257-Stars-Predators-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/130257-Stars-Predators-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:26:22 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Rinne, Predators shut out Blackhawks]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[NASHVILLE, Tenn.(AP) -- Pekka Rinne and the Nashville Predators
put it all together - at the Chicago Blackhawks' expense.

"Guys went to the net hard and battled," Predators coach Barry
Trotz said. "The power play came through. The penalty kill was
good. We got good goaltending."

Rinne made 22 saves for his first shutout of the season and
fifth overall, and Joel Ward scored on a second-period power
play in Nashville's 2-0 victory Thursday night.

Jerred Smithson added a short-handed empty-net goal with 4
seconds left to help the Predators beat the Blackhawks for the
first time in three games this season.

"You knew they were going to be hungry and desperate because the
first two outcomes weren't in their favor," Chicago coach Joel
Quenneville said. "The difference was we didn't cash in on our
opportunities."

Ward scored with 5:07 left in the second period. Francis
Bouillon sent the puck in front of the net from the lower edge
of the left faceoff circle, and Ward, stationed in front of the
crease, redirected it past goalie Cristobal Huet.

"Every coach says that he wants his team to go hard to the net,"
Ward said. "It is important for us because of our lack of goals.
We're missing Jason Arnott and Martin Erat in the lineup. We've
just to to keep it simple and make things happen."

Nashville has won two straight and three of their last four
games.

"We're getting lots of traffic and lot of pucks loose in the
crease on the power play," Trotz said. "Our power play has come
through the last couple of games.

"We're just pounding pucks, making good solid decisions and
going to the hard areas. That's how you have to do it on the
power play."

Pekka was coming off a 4-3 victory Wednesday night at Minnesota.

"It helps any team to get a goaltender on a roll," Trotz said.
"Both Pekka and Dan Ellis have been fine."

NOTES: Chicago's Brent Seabrook was back in the lineup following
what was believed to be concussion-related symptoms. ... Erat
was scratched because of a lower-body injury. ... The Predators
have scored a power-play goal in each of their last two games.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/129959-Rinne-Predators-shut-out-Blackhawks</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/129959-Rinne-Predators-shut-out-Blackhawks</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:44:22 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
	
			
	</channel>
</rss>









