West foes not at full strength - Nashville, Tennessee - Tuesday, 03/06/07 - Tennessean.com
In theory, tonight's meeting between the Predators and Detroit Red Wings is a showdown between heavyweights battling for Western Conference supremacy.
In reality, it's a matchup of two injury-stricken teams desperately trying to maintain their perch.
Here's proof: The odds of a player such as Rich Peverley, Ramzi Abid, Darryl Bootland or Matt Hussey emerging as a hero tonight are better than they are for players such as Peter Forsberg, Steve Sullivan, Henrik Zetterberg or Tomas Holmstrom.
The former group — the first two are Predators, the second two are Red Wings — are at least healthy enough to play, which is more than can be said for a long list of bigger names on both teams.
The Predators probably will be without Forsberg (upper body), Sullivan (back spasms) and Scott Hartnell (foot). Centers Jason Arnott and David Legwand, both of whom missed Sunday's game, are hoping to return to action tonight.
Don't think for a minute the Red Wings, who enter the game two points behind Nashville in the Central Division, will have any sympathy for the Predators.
In addition to injured forwards Zetterberg (back) and Holmstrom (upper body), Detroit is expected to be without goalie Dominik Hasek (thigh) and forwards Daniel Cleary (knee), Mikael Samuelsson (foot) and Todd Bertuzzi (back).
Sound much like a clash of titans?
"Every year, it's the team that gets through injuries during the season and the playoffs, and the team that presses forward, that's successful,'' Predators Coach Barry Trotz said. "Detroit is going through it just like we are. Everybody gets nicked up. It's the nature of the beast.''