Wednesday, April 21, 2010
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Thursday, March 25, 2010
Devils host Rangers with first place in reach
The New Jersey Devils will try to take over sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division tonight when they host the rival New York Rangers at Prudential Center.
New Jersey enters tonight one point behind the Penguins for the top spot in the division as well as the second seed in the Eastern Conference. The Devils are currently fourth in the East and seven points ahead of fifth-seeded Ottawa.
The Devils drew even with Pittsburgh thanks to a 6-3 win over Columbus on Tuesday, but the Penguins regained the top spot with a point in Wednesday's shootout loss to Washington.
New Jersey ended a two-game slide with the home win over the Blue Jackets and is 5-2-1 in its last eight games. Zach Parise and Travis Zajac both scored twice to lead the Devils to the easy win.
"We aren't looking at the standings," said Zajac. "We have to start winning games and playing good hockey, and tonight we did that."
Ilya Kovalchuk and Paul Martin also scored for the Devils, who have captured five of their last six home games and will complete a three-game homestand tonight. New Jersey is 25-10-1 overall as the host this year.
Martin Brodeur made 19 saves in the win, which marked the 40th victory of the season for the future Hall of Famer. Brodeur, who already holds the all-time NHL mark for 40-win campaigns by a netminder, now has eight for his career.
"I expect myself to put up these kind of numbers because I play so (often), but it's always nice to get it done," said Brodeur. "It's a big number and there are not many guys in the league who are able to do it, and now I have eight of them in my career."
New Jersey could also clinch a playoff spot tonight with some help from Toronto, which is playing in Atlanta. If the Devils win this evening, then a loss of any kind by the Thrashers would seal up a postseason berth for Jersey. The Devils could also clinch if they get a point against the Rangers and Atlanta loses in regulation.
While the Devils are still in the mix for the division title and one of the top seeds in the East, the Rangers' playoff chances are hanging in the balance.
New York is 10th in the East and is five points behind Boston for the conference's eighth and final playoff spot.
The Rangers picked up a decisive home win over the rival Islanders on Wednesday, posting a 5-0 victory at Madison Square Garden. Marian Gaborik recorded two goals and an assist, and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 27 shots for his third shutout of the season.
Gaborik's goals came in the first and third periods and he now has 39 tallies on the season. Another goal would give the Slovakian his second 40-goal campaign.
Artem Anisimov, Michael Del Zotto and Dan Girardi also scored for the Rangers.
The Rangers are playing on back-to-back nights for the 11th time this season. New York has a 6-2-2 record in the second game of back-to-backs so far in 2009-10.
Tonight marks the start of a six-game road trip for New York, which is 16-15-3 as the guest this year and has lost three of its last five away from the Big Apple.
The Devils have won three of the five meetings with New York this year and Jersey have taken six of nine overall in the series. The Rangers also have three losses in their last four trips to the Garden State.
New Jersey enters tonight one point behind the Penguins for the top spot in the division as well as the second seed in the Eastern Conference. The Devils are currently fourth in the East and seven points ahead of fifth-seeded Ottawa.
The Devils drew even with Pittsburgh thanks to a 6-3 win over Columbus on Tuesday, but the Penguins regained the top spot with a point in Wednesday's shootout loss to Washington.
New Jersey ended a two-game slide with the home win over the Blue Jackets and is 5-2-1 in its last eight games. Zach Parise and Travis Zajac both scored twice to lead the Devils to the easy win.
"We aren't looking at the standings," said Zajac. "We have to start winning games and playing good hockey, and tonight we did that."
Ilya Kovalchuk and Paul Martin also scored for the Devils, who have captured five of their last six home games and will complete a three-game homestand tonight. New Jersey is 25-10-1 overall as the host this year.
Martin Brodeur made 19 saves in the win, which marked the 40th victory of the season for the future Hall of Famer. Brodeur, who already holds the all-time NHL mark for 40-win campaigns by a netminder, now has eight for his career.
"I expect myself to put up these kind of numbers because I play so (often), but it's always nice to get it done," said Brodeur. "It's a big number and there are not many guys in the league who are able to do it, and now I have eight of them in my career."
New Jersey could also clinch a playoff spot tonight with some help from Toronto, which is playing in Atlanta. If the Devils win this evening, then a loss of any kind by the Thrashers would seal up a postseason berth for Jersey. The Devils could also clinch if they get a point against the Rangers and Atlanta loses in regulation.
While the Devils are still in the mix for the division title and one of the top seeds in the East, the Rangers' playoff chances are hanging in the balance.
New York is 10th in the East and is five points behind Boston for the conference's eighth and final playoff spot.
The Rangers picked up a decisive home win over the rival Islanders on Wednesday, posting a 5-0 victory at Madison Square Garden. Marian Gaborik recorded two goals and an assist, and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 27 shots for his third shutout of the season.
Gaborik's goals came in the first and third periods and he now has 39 tallies on the season. Another goal would give the Slovakian his second 40-goal campaign.
Artem Anisimov, Michael Del Zotto and Dan Girardi also scored for the Rangers.
The Rangers are playing on back-to-back nights for the 11th time this season. New York has a 6-2-2 record in the second game of back-to-backs so far in 2009-10.
Tonight marks the start of a six-game road trip for New York, which is 16-15-3 as the guest this year and has lost three of its last five away from the Big Apple.
The Devils have won three of the five meetings with New York this year and Jersey have taken six of nine overall in the series. The Rangers also have three losses in their last four trips to the Garden State.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
NHL Trade Deadline Re-Cap
With quantity going over quality with the trade deadline we have to examine questions such as are 6 hotdogs better than 3? Well Yes, but that does not necessarily mean that quantity is indicative of success.
So lets examine the recent NHL trade deadline. An all time high of 31 trades involving 55 players were completed WOW, having said that not 1 trade made any headlines there wasn't any outrage on VS network or on facebook and twitter. In fact, I would go as far as to say all the trades combined weren't as newsworthy as the handful of deals made before the Winter Olympic break that saw Canada beat the USA in Vancouver.
While the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk, Dion Phaneuf, Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Olli Jokinen were all moved back in late January and early February, the day of March 3, which many NHL enthusiasts have had circled for months now, came and went with a whisper.
"This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper." T.S. Eliot said that.
Now granted, the NHL isn't going to fall to pieces because of a boring trade deadline, but it is one day that many fans who remain middle-of-the-road about the sport actually care enough to check in. With the event superceded by the success of the Gold Medal Game, names like Derek Morris, Wojtek Wolski and Ryan Whitney aren't going to rope in new followers.
There were names out there. Florida's Tomas Vokoun, Dan Hamhuis of Nashville and Ray Whitney of Carolina were all reportedly out there. Even heavy-hitters like Anaheim's Scott Niedermayer and Vincent Lecavalier of Tampa Bay found their way into rumor mills, credible or not.
But in the end, anyone who didn't get a chance to sneak away during the day to check the latest news didn't miss much come dinner time.
The Philadelphia Flyers were one of only a few clubs in a playoff position that didn't make any type of deal, and general manager Paul Holmgren said there just wasn't anything out there that made sense for his club.
"At the end, we explored some of the guys who were mentioned and then we started to focus on depth when it didn't look like anything was going to make sense for us," Holmgren said. "I didn't believe that anything that was made available to us, made us better and then we just started to look at adding just a small piece by a late-round draft pick or something like that, and we weren't able to do that."
Ultimately, the deadline will be evaluated by its impact on the season. Did contenders like Washington, Pittsburgh and Phoenix get better? Probably.
The Coyotes definitely subscribed to the quantity theory, making seven trades and adding five players to their NHL roster, including defensemen Morris and Mathieu Schneider, forwards Wolski, Lee Stempniak and center Petteri Nokelainen.
"We went into it hoping to add a few parts and add to our depth and I think we've addressed those needs today," said Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett, whose club hasn't reached the postseason since 2002 but stands fifth in Western Conference points (79) at the moment.
On the other side of things, bottom-feeders like Carolina, Toronto and Edmonton unloaded talent to better position themselves for the future.
But sex sells, and the lack of big names may have left a bitter taste for some. I don't know about you, but perhaps that sourness can be improved with a mix of beef, sour cream, lettuce and tomato.
So lets examine the recent NHL trade deadline. An all time high of 31 trades involving 55 players were completed WOW, having said that not 1 trade made any headlines there wasn't any outrage on VS network or on facebook and twitter. In fact, I would go as far as to say all the trades combined weren't as newsworthy as the handful of deals made before the Winter Olympic break that saw Canada beat the USA in Vancouver.
While the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk, Dion Phaneuf, Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Olli Jokinen were all moved back in late January and early February, the day of March 3, which many NHL enthusiasts have had circled for months now, came and went with a whisper.
"This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper." T.S. Eliot said that.
Now granted, the NHL isn't going to fall to pieces because of a boring trade deadline, but it is one day that many fans who remain middle-of-the-road about the sport actually care enough to check in. With the event superceded by the success of the Gold Medal Game, names like Derek Morris, Wojtek Wolski and Ryan Whitney aren't going to rope in new followers.
There were names out there. Florida's Tomas Vokoun, Dan Hamhuis of Nashville and Ray Whitney of Carolina were all reportedly out there. Even heavy-hitters like Anaheim's Scott Niedermayer and Vincent Lecavalier of Tampa Bay found their way into rumor mills, credible or not.
But in the end, anyone who didn't get a chance to sneak away during the day to check the latest news didn't miss much come dinner time.
The Philadelphia Flyers were one of only a few clubs in a playoff position that didn't make any type of deal, and general manager Paul Holmgren said there just wasn't anything out there that made sense for his club.
"At the end, we explored some of the guys who were mentioned and then we started to focus on depth when it didn't look like anything was going to make sense for us," Holmgren said. "I didn't believe that anything that was made available to us, made us better and then we just started to look at adding just a small piece by a late-round draft pick or something like that, and we weren't able to do that."
Ultimately, the deadline will be evaluated by its impact on the season. Did contenders like Washington, Pittsburgh and Phoenix get better? Probably.
The Coyotes definitely subscribed to the quantity theory, making seven trades and adding five players to their NHL roster, including defensemen Morris and Mathieu Schneider, forwards Wolski, Lee Stempniak and center Petteri Nokelainen.
"We went into it hoping to add a few parts and add to our depth and I think we've addressed those needs today," said Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett, whose club hasn't reached the postseason since 2002 but stands fifth in Western Conference points (79) at the moment.
On the other side of things, bottom-feeders like Carolina, Toronto and Edmonton unloaded talent to better position themselves for the future.
But sex sells, and the lack of big names may have left a bitter taste for some. I don't know about you, but perhaps that sourness can be improved with a mix of beef, sour cream, lettuce and tomato.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Canes aim for longest win streak of the season
Resurgent 'Canes aim for longest win streak of season vs. Devils
Not many people were thinking playoffs for the Hurricanes after the season's first two months, but a possible postseason berth is getting a little closer to Carolina's reach.
The 'Canes shoot for a season-high fifth straight win and sixth in a row on home ice tonight versus the New Jersey Devils at RBC Center.
Carolina seemed buried in the standings at the end of November thanks to a 5-17-5 start. However, the Hurricanes are 18-13-2 since the start of December and are now within 10 points of a playoff spot. The club has netted 15 goals over its second four-game win streak of the season, giving it a win in eight of its last 10 games following Thursday's 4-3 overtime win versus Buffalo.
The Hurricanes fell behind by two goals in the first period, but Brandon Sutter and Ray Whitney both scored on the power play, with Whitney lighting the lamp with just two seconds left in the frame. Sutter later capped off his first career three-point night by notching his second assist of the game on Sergei Samsonov's game-winner 1:47 into overtime.
"Before we scored the power play goals and Sutter's line goes out and [Tuomo] Ruutu throws a couple hits and we draw a penalty and end up drawing another one, that for me was a turning point because we weren't really skating the way we were going to need to," said 'Canes head coach Paul Maurice.
Manny Legace ended with 30 saves and he has started three of the four games since Cam Ward was sidelined with a back injury. Legace has allowed seven goals over his personal three-game win streak.
Jussi Jokinen added an assist to give him six goals and three helpers over an eight-game point streak. He'll try to keep that run going tonight in the finale of a three-game homestand for Carolina, which will play four of its first five games after the Olympic break on the road.
The Hurricanes made a trade on Friday to bolster their blueline, sending center Matt Cullen to Ottawa for Alexandre Picard and a 2010 second-round draft pick. Cullen, who was on Carolina's Stanley Cup-winning club in 2006, had 12 goals and 28 assists in 60 games this year with the 'Canes, while Picard notched four goals and 11 assists in 45 games with the Senators.
Meanwhile, New Jersey comes to town having snapped a three-game slide with last night's 5-2 victory over Nashville. The win improved the Devils to just 5-9-2 over their last 16 games, but they did up their lead over the second- place Penguins to two points in the Atlantic Division after Pittsburgh lost in overtime to the Rangers Friday night.
Skating in his fifth game since being acquired a little over a week ago from Atlanta, Ilya Kovalchuk had the go-ahead goal in the third period. He also added an assist after going pointless in his previous three games.
Jamie Langenbrunner had a goal and two assists for the Devils, while Zach Parise, Travis Zajac and Patrik Elias all had a goal and an assist. Martin Brodeur made 19 saves in the victory.
Tonight marks the first meeting this season between the Devils and Hurricanes in Carolina. New Jersey took the first two matchups at home, giving them a three-game win streak in the series, but it has lost three in a row at RBC Center.
The Devils have also lost five straight on the road overall.
Not many people were thinking playoffs for the Hurricanes after the season's first two months, but a possible postseason berth is getting a little closer to Carolina's reach.
The 'Canes shoot for a season-high fifth straight win and sixth in a row on home ice tonight versus the New Jersey Devils at RBC Center.
Carolina seemed buried in the standings at the end of November thanks to a 5-17-5 start. However, the Hurricanes are 18-13-2 since the start of December and are now within 10 points of a playoff spot. The club has netted 15 goals over its second four-game win streak of the season, giving it a win in eight of its last 10 games following Thursday's 4-3 overtime win versus Buffalo.
The Hurricanes fell behind by two goals in the first period, but Brandon Sutter and Ray Whitney both scored on the power play, with Whitney lighting the lamp with just two seconds left in the frame. Sutter later capped off his first career three-point night by notching his second assist of the game on Sergei Samsonov's game-winner 1:47 into overtime.
"Before we scored the power play goals and Sutter's line goes out and [Tuomo] Ruutu throws a couple hits and we draw a penalty and end up drawing another one, that for me was a turning point because we weren't really skating the way we were going to need to," said 'Canes head coach Paul Maurice.
Manny Legace ended with 30 saves and he has started three of the four games since Cam Ward was sidelined with a back injury. Legace has allowed seven goals over his personal three-game win streak.
Jussi Jokinen added an assist to give him six goals and three helpers over an eight-game point streak. He'll try to keep that run going tonight in the finale of a three-game homestand for Carolina, which will play four of its first five games after the Olympic break on the road.
The Hurricanes made a trade on Friday to bolster their blueline, sending center Matt Cullen to Ottawa for Alexandre Picard and a 2010 second-round draft pick. Cullen, who was on Carolina's Stanley Cup-winning club in 2006, had 12 goals and 28 assists in 60 games this year with the 'Canes, while Picard notched four goals and 11 assists in 45 games with the Senators.
Meanwhile, New Jersey comes to town having snapped a three-game slide with last night's 5-2 victory over Nashville. The win improved the Devils to just 5-9-2 over their last 16 games, but they did up their lead over the second- place Penguins to two points in the Atlantic Division after Pittsburgh lost in overtime to the Rangers Friday night.
Skating in his fifth game since being acquired a little over a week ago from Atlanta, Ilya Kovalchuk had the go-ahead goal in the third period. He also added an assist after going pointless in his previous three games.
Jamie Langenbrunner had a goal and two assists for the Devils, while Zach Parise, Travis Zajac and Patrik Elias all had a goal and an assist. Martin Brodeur made 19 saves in the victory.
Tonight marks the first meeting this season between the Devils and Hurricanes in Carolina. New Jersey took the first two matchups at home, giving them a three-game win streak in the series, but it has lost three in a row at RBC Center.
The Devils have also lost five straight on the road overall.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
NHL to open 2010-11 season in three European cities
NHL to open 2010-11 season in three European cities
New York, NY (Sports Network) - The NHL will continue its recent trend of playing season-openers in Europe, announcing Tuesday that six teams will play in three cities to start the 2010-11 campaign.
The Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild will play a pair of games in Helsinki, Finland on October 7 and October 8. The Columbus Blue Jackets and San Jose Sharks will square off for two games in Stockholm, Sweden on October 8 and October 9, while the Boston Bruins and Phoenix Coyotes will take the ice for two games in Prague, Czech Republic on October 9 and October 10.
It will mark the fourth consecutive year that NHL teams will travel overseas to begin the season.
"The Premiere Games are a highly anticipated part of our season launch, and we are extremely pleased that six teams -- more than ever -- will open their season in Europe," said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. "With these games, nearly half of our clubs will have participated in Premiere -- a testament to how excited our teams are to be playing before our outstanding fans in Europe."
Detroit and St. Louis opened this season with two games in Stockholm while Chicago and Florida met for a pair of games in Helsinki. Prague hosted the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning for two games to start the 2008-09 season, while Ottawa and Pittsburgh also opened that season with a two-game set in Stockholm.
The NHL also began the 2007-08 season in London, as the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings met for a pair of games. For more great news and information check out our friends at: bet on sports com
Friday, January 15, 2010
UFC Fight Night 20 Recap
UFC Fight Night 20 Recap - Does Maynard Get a Title Shot vs. BJ Penn?
by Nick Meyer
To tap, or not to tap? That is the proverbial question that Efrain Escudero faced on Monday night as opponent Evan Dunham cranked on his arm, threatening with all his might to break it.
Escudero waited as long as he possibly could, but the betting underdog Dunham had the arm-bar in so tight that there was no escaping with the limb intact.
Escudero, the betting favorite and former Ultimate Fighter winner, had no choice but to tap, but by then, it looked like some potentially serious damage had already been done. Escudero winced in pain on the mat as Dunham did a victory dance, cementing the most memorable (and cringe-worthy) highlight of Ultimate Fight Night 20.
From that point on, the action shifted to the main event of the evening as Gray Maynard attempted to avenge the only loss of his MMA career (albeit not an official one because of its Ultimate Fighter TV show status) against fellow lightweight Nate Diaz.
Maynard and Diaz slugged it out for three rounds with the fight only hitting the ground for a few sparse moments despite that area being both guys' strengths.
In the end, Maynard won a split decision, but he wasn't overly impressive in doing so. Now, the big question on every UFC fan's mind regarding the lightweight division is whether or not Maynard will be granted a title shot against BJ Penn at the recently announced UFC 112 event in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Maynard didn't do well against Diaz compared with how he did against the likes of Jim Miller, fellow contender Frankie Edgar, and Roger Huerta, but Diaz's length seems to be a tough matchup for him along with his jiu-jitsu prowess.
Would Maynard give BJ Penn a fight? That's for the UFC to decide now as they look to fill what could be an exciting UFC 112 card in a unique venue in the Middle East.
Right now, Maynard has the edge over Edgar for the title shot, but some feel Edgar could be better-suited to give Penn some competition. The MMA betting community will find out soon which of these soon-to-be-huge underdogs will get the title shot against Penn.
Also taking home big wins at UFC Fight Night 20 were Amir Sadollah and Aaron Simpson.
Simpson, an intriguing middleweight prospect, got caught up in a war with the underdog Tom Lawlor that looked like a potential loss. But Simpson managed to gain control using his impressive takedowns and some well-placed shots before squeaking out a controversial split-decision that the crowd in Fairfax, Virginia couldn't help but boo.
Former TUF winner Sadollah was much more impressive on the night in the welterweight division, however, as he dominated Brad Blackburn for much of the fight, handing his opponent his first UFC loss.
Sadollah showed off his impressive head movement, quickness, and muay thai skills, blasting Blackburn with a big knee late in the fight and also with a big left hand earlier on. Each blow stunned Blackburn and scored big points on the judges' scorecards.
Sadollah, the slight betting favorite going in, stayed out of trouble for most of the fight and nearly finished Blackburn a couple of times.
Next up for UFC fans will be UFC 109: Relentless on February 6 in Las Vegas. The betting action should be fierce for the main event featuring Randy Couture and Mark Coleman on the BetUs.com Sportsbook, so check it out today and get ready another round of intense MMA action in the weeks to come.
by Nick Meyer
To tap, or not to tap? That is the proverbial question that Efrain Escudero faced on Monday night as opponent Evan Dunham cranked on his arm, threatening with all his might to break it.
Escudero waited as long as he possibly could, but the betting underdog Dunham had the arm-bar in so tight that there was no escaping with the limb intact.
Escudero, the betting favorite and former Ultimate Fighter winner, had no choice but to tap, but by then, it looked like some potentially serious damage had already been done. Escudero winced in pain on the mat as Dunham did a victory dance, cementing the most memorable (and cringe-worthy) highlight of Ultimate Fight Night 20.
From that point on, the action shifted to the main event of the evening as Gray Maynard attempted to avenge the only loss of his MMA career (albeit not an official one because of its Ultimate Fighter TV show status) against fellow lightweight Nate Diaz.
Maynard and Diaz slugged it out for three rounds with the fight only hitting the ground for a few sparse moments despite that area being both guys' strengths.
In the end, Maynard won a split decision, but he wasn't overly impressive in doing so. Now, the big question on every UFC fan's mind regarding the lightweight division is whether or not Maynard will be granted a title shot against BJ Penn at the recently announced UFC 112 event in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Maynard didn't do well against Diaz compared with how he did against the likes of Jim Miller, fellow contender Frankie Edgar, and Roger Huerta, but Diaz's length seems to be a tough matchup for him along with his jiu-jitsu prowess.
Would Maynard give BJ Penn a fight? That's for the UFC to decide now as they look to fill what could be an exciting UFC 112 card in a unique venue in the Middle East.
Right now, Maynard has the edge over Edgar for the title shot, but some feel Edgar could be better-suited to give Penn some competition. The MMA betting community will find out soon which of these soon-to-be-huge underdogs will get the title shot against Penn.
Also taking home big wins at UFC Fight Night 20 were Amir Sadollah and Aaron Simpson.
Simpson, an intriguing middleweight prospect, got caught up in a war with the underdog Tom Lawlor that looked like a potential loss. But Simpson managed to gain control using his impressive takedowns and some well-placed shots before squeaking out a controversial split-decision that the crowd in Fairfax, Virginia couldn't help but boo.
Former TUF winner Sadollah was much more impressive on the night in the welterweight division, however, as he dominated Brad Blackburn for much of the fight, handing his opponent his first UFC loss.
Sadollah showed off his impressive head movement, quickness, and muay thai skills, blasting Blackburn with a big knee late in the fight and also with a big left hand earlier on. Each blow stunned Blackburn and scored big points on the judges' scorecards.
Sadollah, the slight betting favorite going in, stayed out of trouble for most of the fight and nearly finished Blackburn a couple of times.
Next up for UFC fans will be UFC 109: Relentless on February 6 in Las Vegas. The betting action should be fierce for the main event featuring Randy Couture and Mark Coleman on the BetUs.com Sportsbook, so check it out today and get ready another round of intense MMA action in the weeks to come.
NHL Predators Road trip against the Calgary Flames
Preds end road trip against sliding Flames
(Sports Network) - The Nashville Predators will attempt to wrap a three-game road trip perfect this evening as they take on the Calgary Flames, who will be trying to avoid a fifth loss in six games.
The Predators visit Pengrowth Saddledome off road wins over Vancouver and Edmonton. Nashville has won four straight and 10 its last 13 on the road (10-2-1), including Tuesday's 5-3 victory over the Oilers.
Ryan Jones notched a career-high three points off a goal and two assists, while Shea Weber and Marcel Goc scored 28 seconds apart early in the opening frame to set the tone. Weber, Goc, J.P. Dumont and Patric Hornqvist all ended with a goal and a helper each, while Pekka Rinne made 38 saves.
"We did a pretty good job of getting the lead early and Pekka kind of held us in it after that," Weber said.
Weber's two-point night gave him three goals and eight assists over his last eight games, while Hornqvist has five goals and three assists over his last six games. Hornqvist, who leads the team with 18 goals, also has 12 tallies and six helpers over his last 15 contests.
Nashville, which has won six of its last eight overall, was without captain Jason Arnott for a third game in a row because of an upper-body injury.
Still, the Predators improved to 17-7-2 on the road this year and are tied for fourth in the Western Conference with 59 points. Nashville is also nine points behind first-place Chicago in the Central Division.
The Flames have just one fewer point than the Predators, but enter tonight tied with the Avalanche for first place in the Northwest Division. Colorado has gained on Calgary because the Flames have lost four of their last five and are 0-1-1 on a three-game homestand that concludes tonight.
After a shootout loss to Colorado on Monday, Calgary was dealt a 3-1 setback by visiting Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Mark Giordano scored the lone goal and Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 24 shots for the Flames, who have lost three straight at home and are 12-9-3 as the host this year.
"We had 18 or 19 quality scoring chances tonight and we were only able to capitalize on one of them," said Calgary coach Brent Sutter. "One goal a night is tough to win games."
Calgary hopes that Jarome Iginla is able to shake off his recent slump, as the Flames captain has zero points in his last five games and just one goal over his last 10 contests. Iginla, though, has three goals and six points in three games versus the Predators this year, as well as 26 goals and 24 assists in 39 career contests against them.
Iginla had two goals and an assist in a 5-3 loss to the Predators at home on December 19, just Calgary's second loss in the last six meetings at Pengrowth Saddledome.
The Flames have sandwiched a pair of road victories over Nashville around that loss to give them six wins and their last seven meetings with the Predators overall.
Kiprusoff has been in net for all three games of this season's series, going 2-1-0 with a 1.68 goals-against average with a 22-save shutout on November 30.
Rinne was on the other end of that blanking in his lone start versus Calgary this year, making 25 saves, while Dan Ellis has started the other two games, going 1-1-0 with a 2.52 GAA.
(Sports Network) - The Nashville Predators will attempt to wrap a three-game road trip perfect this evening as they take on the Calgary Flames, who will be trying to avoid a fifth loss in six games.
The Predators visit Pengrowth Saddledome off road wins over Vancouver and Edmonton. Nashville has won four straight and 10 its last 13 on the road (10-2-1), including Tuesday's 5-3 victory over the Oilers.
Ryan Jones notched a career-high three points off a goal and two assists, while Shea Weber and Marcel Goc scored 28 seconds apart early in the opening frame to set the tone. Weber, Goc, J.P. Dumont and Patric Hornqvist all ended with a goal and a helper each, while Pekka Rinne made 38 saves.
"We did a pretty good job of getting the lead early and Pekka kind of held us in it after that," Weber said.
Weber's two-point night gave him three goals and eight assists over his last eight games, while Hornqvist has five goals and three assists over his last six games. Hornqvist, who leads the team with 18 goals, also has 12 tallies and six helpers over his last 15 contests.
Nashville, which has won six of its last eight overall, was without captain Jason Arnott for a third game in a row because of an upper-body injury.
Still, the Predators improved to 17-7-2 on the road this year and are tied for fourth in the Western Conference with 59 points. Nashville is also nine points behind first-place Chicago in the Central Division.
The Flames have just one fewer point than the Predators, but enter tonight tied with the Avalanche for first place in the Northwest Division. Colorado has gained on Calgary because the Flames have lost four of their last five and are 0-1-1 on a three-game homestand that concludes tonight.
After a shootout loss to Colorado on Monday, Calgary was dealt a 3-1 setback by visiting Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Mark Giordano scored the lone goal and Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 24 shots for the Flames, who have lost three straight at home and are 12-9-3 as the host this year.
"We had 18 or 19 quality scoring chances tonight and we were only able to capitalize on one of them," said Calgary coach Brent Sutter. "One goal a night is tough to win games."
Calgary hopes that Jarome Iginla is able to shake off his recent slump, as the Flames captain has zero points in his last five games and just one goal over his last 10 contests. Iginla, though, has three goals and six points in three games versus the Predators this year, as well as 26 goals and 24 assists in 39 career contests against them.
Iginla had two goals and an assist in a 5-3 loss to the Predators at home on December 19, just Calgary's second loss in the last six meetings at Pengrowth Saddledome.
The Flames have sandwiched a pair of road victories over Nashville around that loss to give them six wins and their last seven meetings with the Predators overall.
Kiprusoff has been in net for all three games of this season's series, going 2-1-0 with a 1.68 goals-against average with a 22-save shutout on November 30.
Rinne was on the other end of that blanking in his lone start versus Calgary this year, making 25 saves, while Dan Ellis has started the other two games, going 1-1-0 with a 2.52 GAA.
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