GDT: Predators @ Ducks - 12/6/2006 - 9:00pm CST

PredDave · December 6th, 2006, 12:23 PM

GAMEDAY: Predators at Ducks, 9 PM

December 6, 2006

TONIGHT'S MATCH-UP

WHO: Nashville Predators (17-6-3) vs. Anaheim Ducks (20-3-6)

WHEN: 9:00 p.m. CT

WHERE: Honda Center, Anaheim, Calif.

TONIGHT THE PREDS WEAR: White

TV: FSN South (Comcast cable Ch. 28 in Davidson and Williamson counties; DirecTV regional sports network alternate Ch. 664)

RADIO: WGFX 104.5-FM

Two of the West's best meet up tonight for the first time this season when the Anaheim Ducks host the Nashville Predators for a 9:00 p.m. game at the Honda Center. Anaheim, currently first in the National Hockey League with 46 points, boasts an impressive 20-3-6 record this season. Nashville, meanwhile, ranks third in points in the Western Conference with 37 and a 17-6-3 mark. As leaders of the Central Division, the Predators are currently seeded second in the Western Conference standings. (Per league rules, each conference's three division leaders hold the top three spots in the standings).

Nashville will be hungry for a victory after going winless in back-to-back games for the first time since Oct. 7 and 12. Nashville lost a 4-3 overtime decision to Chicago on Saturday and fell in regulation 3-2 to the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday. In each of those games, Nashville carried a lead into the third period. Rookie winger Alexander Radulov will be looking to extend a six-game point streak (5g-2a) that includes goals in five of those six games. Forward Steve Sullivan, who scored the Predators' fourth short-handed goal of the season Monday, has been consistent as well with six points (2g-4a) over the last five games.

Anaheim is coming of its first loss in six games after splitting a home and home series with the Los Angeles Kings over the weekend. The Ducks won 4-3 in L.A. on Saturday before dropping a 3-2 decision at home Sunday. Forward Teemu Selanne leads Anaheim in scoring with 34 points (13g-21a) in 29 games while all-star defensemen Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer rank second and third with 30 and 25 points, respectively. Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere leads the league in wins with 16, is seventh in goals-against average (2.21) and sixth in save percentage (.922).

The Predators won't have history on their side tonight. Nashville has won only three times (3-10-1) in 14 meetings in Anaheim and has defeated the Ducks just once in the past five matches--a 3-2 shootout win on Oct. 8, 2005 at the Gaylord Entertainment Center. Following tonight's game, the teams will meet three more times this season.

LemaireisGOD · December 6th, 2006, 06:20 PM

Playing these Pacific teams, when the games start at flippin' 9:00PM and 9:30PM respectively? Why the heck do they have to make it another 30 minutes later for us? They never have to stay up late when they come to play us. The Ducks are probably the best rounded team in the West. I feel pretty qualified to say so since I've watched a good portion of their games and they've played my Wild 3 times this season. We're not nearly the best team in the league; but they give teams tons of matchup problems. They skate very well; they can be gritty...they can play the finesse game and they have lots of skill and they're realitively young as well. Pronger and Niedermayer are without doubt the best pairing in the NHL. No other pairing can provide the tremendous size with unmatched ability to carry the puck and QB the power play. The Predators have their work cut out for them. GO WILD!!!

PredDave · December 6th, 2006, 07:54 PM

Yeah, I'm really hoping the Preds don't get blown out too badly (after watching the way they have played the last few games). I'm predicting a 5-2 loss for the Predators, but would be happy to steal at least a point out of the game (like an OT loss or whatever).

Pronger & Niedermayer are studs. I think the Ducks are a very well-built team that will end up playing the Sabres for the Cup this year (barring any serious injuries)...

I agree about the time thing... can you imagine if you lived in the Pacific time zone? The freakin' East Coast games would begin at 4 pm for you... that's just lunacy!

oh well, go Preds!

PredDave · December 6th, 2006, 07:56 PM

ITEMS OF NOTE:

Tonight will feature a pregame ceremony celebrating Scott Niedermayer's 1000th game.

Wednesday's game marks the return of Paul Kariya to Anaheim. Kariya - first in Ducks history with 669 points - has had little success against his former team. Since leaving Anaheim before the 2003-04 season, the left wing has only three points in six games against the Ducks and none in four games as a Predator.

Anaheim has won three straight against Nashville and four of the last five meetings between the teams. The Ducks have been even better at home, winning 11 of 14 all-time matchups at the Honda Center.

LemaireisGOD · December 7th, 2006, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Yeah, I'm really hoping the Preds don't get blown out too badly (after watching the way they have played the last few games). I'm predicting a 5-2 loss for the Predators, but would be happy to steal at least a point out of the game (like an OT loss or whatever).

Pronger & Niedermayer are studs. I think the Ducks are a very well-built team that will end up playing the Sabres for the Cup this year (barring any serious injuries)...

I agree about the time thing... can you imagine if you lived in the Pacific time zone? The freakin' East Coast games would begin at 4 pm for you... that's just lunacy!

oh well, go Preds!

4PM games don't cause me to go to work the next morning like a zombie. I watched all of last night's Predators game and it even seemed Pete and Terry were amazed at how well rounded and complete the Ducks are. They really can play any sort of game that is needed. They have speed, they have grit, they have skill...and they can be patient or play run and gun. There are absolutely no glaring weaknesses on that team.

PredDave · December 7th, 2006, 07:02 AM

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....612070409/1028

Predators don't enjoy No. 1 vs. 2 matchup
West leader Anaheim wins with a shutout

They may have removed "Mighty" from the nickname this season, but the on-ice product in Anaheim is still a pretty impressive one.

The Ducks offered the Predators a little demonstration on Monday, as they blanked Nashville 4-0 in a match-up of the Western Conference's top two seeds.

Playing without sidelined centers David Legwand and Jason Arnott, as well as goalie Tomas Vokoun, the Predators (17-7-3) managed to stay competitive for the first two periods.

In fact, they skated harder, checked harder and worked far harder than they did in Monday's clunker of a loss at Phoenix.

"Actually, we did a lot of good things last night even though the score may not indicate it," Coach Barry Trotz said. "I told the guys if they came back with that energy and effort, we'll bounce back and get some wins."

But the Predators' failure to score on six power-play opportunities — four in the first period — probably proved the biggest factor in the defeat. Nashville also hurt its cause in the third period when, trying to rally from a two-goal deficit, the Predators committed three penalties.

December 6th, 2006, 12:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
PredDave Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 832	GDT: Predators @ Ducks - 12/6/2006 - 9:00pm CST GAMEDAY: Predators at Ducks, 9 PM December 6, 2006 TONIGHT'S MATCH-UP WHO: Nashville Predators (17-6-3) vs. Anaheim Ducks (20-3-6) WHEN: 9:00 p.m. CT WHERE: Honda Center, Anaheim, Calif. TONIGHT THE PREDS WEAR: White TV: FSN South (Comcast cable Ch. 28 in Davidson and Williamson counties; DirecTV regional sports network alternate Ch. 664) RADIO: WGFX 104.5-FM Two of the West's best meet up tonight for the first time this season when the Anaheim Ducks host the Nashville Predators for a 9:00 p.m. game at the Honda Center. Anaheim, currently first in the National Hockey League with 46 points, boasts an impressive 20-3-6 record this season. Nashville, meanwhile, ranks third in points in the Western Conference with 37 and a 17-6-3 mark. As leaders of the Central Division, the Predators are currently seeded second in the Western Conference standings. (Per league rules, each conference's three division leaders hold the top three spots in the standings). Nashville will be hungry for a victory after going winless in back-to-back games for the first time since Oct. 7 and 12. Nashville lost a 4-3 overtime decision to Chicago on Saturday and fell in regulation 3-2 to the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday. In each of those games, Nashville carried a lead into the third period. Rookie winger Alexander Radulov will be looking to extend a six-game point streak (5g-2a) that includes goals in five of those six games. Forward Steve Sullivan, who scored the Predators' fourth short-handed goal of the season Monday, has been consistent as well with six points (2g-4a) over the last five games. Anaheim is coming of its first loss in six games after splitting a home and home series with the Los Angeles Kings over the weekend. The Ducks won 4-3 in L.A. on Saturday before dropping a 3-2 decision at home Sunday. Forward Teemu Selanne leads Anaheim in scoring with 34 points (13g-21a) in 29 games while all-star defensemen Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer rank second and third with 30 and 25 points, respectively. Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere leads the league in wins with 16, is seventh in goals-against average (2.21) and sixth in save percentage (.922). The Predators won't have history on their side tonight. Nashville has won only three times (3-10-1) in 14 meetings in Anaheim and has defeated the Ducks just once in the past five matches--a 3-2 shootout win on Oct. 8, 2005 at the Gaylord Entertainment Center. Following tonight's game, the teams will meet three more times this season.

December 6th, 2006, 06:20 PM	#2 (permalink)
LemaireisGOD Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 504	Don't you just hate... Playing these Pacific teams, when the games start at flippin' 9:00PM and 9:30PM respectively? Why the heck do they have to make it another 30 minutes later for us? They never have to stay up late when they come to play us. The Ducks are probably the best rounded team in the West. I feel pretty qualified to say so since I've watched a good portion of their games and they've played my Wild 3 times this season. We're not nearly the best team in the league; but they give teams tons of matchup problems. They skate very well; they can be gritty...they can play the finesse game and they have lots of skill and they're realitively young as well. Pronger and Niedermayer are without doubt the best pairing in the NHL. No other pairing can provide the tremendous size with unmatched ability to carry the puck and QB the power play. The Predators have their work cut out for them. GO WILD!!! __________________ "Why mess around with PT Boats when you can have a Destroyer?" ~ Al Strachan (Hockey Night in Canada)

December 6th, 2006, 07:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
PredDave Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 832	Yeah, I'm really hoping the Preds don't get blown out too badly (after watching the way they have played the last few games). I'm predicting a 5-2 loss for the Predators, but would be happy to steal at least a point out of the game (like an OT loss or whatever). Pronger & Niedermayer are studs. I think the Ducks are a very well-built team that will end up playing the Sabres for the Cup this year (barring any serious injuries)... I agree about the time thing... can you imagine if you lived in the Pacific time zone? The freakin' East Coast games would begin at 4 pm for you... that's just lunacy! oh well, go Preds!

December 6th, 2006, 07:56 PM	#4 (permalink)
PredDave Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 832	ITEMS OF NOTE: Tonight will feature a pregame ceremony celebrating Scott Niedermayer's 1000th game. Wednesday's game marks the return of Paul Kariya to Anaheim. Kariya - first in Ducks history with 669 points - has had little success against his former team. Since leaving Anaheim before the 2003-04 season, the left wing has only three points in six games against the Ducks and none in four games as a Predator. Anaheim has won three straight against Nashville and four of the last five meetings between the teams. The Ducks have been even better at home, winning 11 of 14 all-time matchups at the Honda Center.

December 7th, 2006, 07:02 AM	#6 (permalink)
PredDave Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 832	http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....612070409/1028 Predators don't enjoy No. 1 vs. 2 matchup West leader Anaheim wins with a shutout They may have removed "Mighty" from the nickname this season, but the on-ice product in Anaheim is still a pretty impressive one. The Ducks offered the Predators a little demonstration on Monday, as they blanked Nashville 4-0 in a match-up of the Western Conference's top two seeds. Playing without sidelined centers David Legwand and Jason Arnott, as well as goalie Tomas Vokoun, the Predators (17-7-3) managed to stay competitive for the first two periods. In fact, they skated harder, checked harder and worked far harder than they did in Monday's clunker of a loss at Phoenix. "Actually, we did a lot of good things last night even though the score may not indicate it," Coach Barry Trotz said. "I told the guys if they came back with that energy and effort, we'll bounce back and get some wins." But the Predators' failure to score on six power-play opportunities — four in the first period — probably proved the biggest factor in the defeat. Nashville also hurt its cause in the third period when, trying to rally from a two-goal deficit, the Predators committed three penalties.