GDT: Senators @ Predators - 12/14/2006 - 7pm CST

[PredDave]

TONIGHT'S MATCH-UP

WHO: Nashville Predators (19-8-3) vs. Ottawa Senators (16-15-1)

TICKETS: Still available!! Order online, call (615) 770-PUCK or visit any Ticketmaster outlet

WHEN: 7 p.m. CT

WHERE: Gaylord Entertainment Center, Nashville, TN

TONIGHT THE PREDS WEAR: Gold

TONIGHT'S ANTHEM PERFORMER: Anna Reynolds, Dennis Morgan

TONIGHT'S INTERMISSION BAND: Mindy Ellis

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

RADIO: WGFX 104.5-FM; SATELLITE RADIO: XM Radio Ch. 208

[PredDave]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/preview;...gid=2006121427

Yahoo Preview

The Nashville Predators are already one of the NHL's best home teams. Getting two of their best players back from injury would only make them better.

Nashville could have forwards Jason Arnott and Steve Sullivan in the lineup Thursday when it tries to continue its strong play at home in a matchup with the Ottawa Senators.

David Legwand scored with 2:45 left in regulation Tuesday, lifting the Predators to a 3-2 victory over Edmonton.

Nashville (19-8-3) entered the game having lost three of four on the road, but Legwand's goal helped the Predators earn at least one point in their 10th straight home game. They are 7-0-3 at the Gaylord Entertainment Center since a season-opening loss to Chicago, and are the only NHL team with only one regulation home loss.

"It was a good win for us," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "I was concerned about the first game back from a road trip. Sometimes emotionally you can be flat. I thought our guys showed some real good maturity as a group and responded really well."

Thursday could see the return of both Arnott and Sullivan, who have combined for 15 goals and 43 points. Arnott practiced Monday for the first time since undergoing knee surgery Nov. 22 and almost returned Tuesday.

"You want to get your legs back. You don't want to come back too early and hurt it again thinking you are all right," Arnott said.

Sullivan, who has missed the past two games with a groin injury, also practiced Monday and is very close to returning.

"It's always tough to take an injury but we had a lot of guys step in and do well," defenseman Shea Weber said. "And with (the injured) guys having a chance to come back, we are definitely happy."

Also absent from Nashville's lineup is starting goaltender Tomas Vokoun, who has missed three weeks with a hand injury. Backup Chris Mason has gone 5-3-1 in Vokoun's place, including a 38-save performance on Tuesday.

"He's been playing awesome for us," right wing Scott Hartnell said of Mason. "Steady as a rock in there, between the pipes. Tonight, when the game was on the line he was there to make some saves. There weren't many rebounds. He's just doing a solid job in net for us."

[PredDave]

Predators tonight

Who: Predators vs. Ottawa Senators.

Where: The HOP @ 501 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37214

When: 7 p.m.

TV: Fox Sports Net.

Radio: 104.5-FM.

Season series: First and only meeting.

Senators story line: Ottawa (108 goals) is third in the league in scoring. … Center Jason Spezza has 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) and left wing Dany Heatley has 36 (18, 18). … The Senators are 10-8-1 on the road. … Ottawa has allowed a league-high eight short-handed goals. … Defenseman Tom Preissing ranks second in the NHL in plus/minus rating at plus-21.

Predators story line: Nashville is 3-6-0 all-time against the Senators, 2-2 against them at the HOP. … With an assist against Edmonton on Tuesday, left wing Paul Kariya is tied for the team's points lead with 27. He is the team's assist leader with 21. … Defenseman Greg Zanon logged his first point of the season with an assist on Tuesday.

Senators injuries: RW Brian McGrattan (right hand) and RW Daniel Alfredsson (hip) are questionable, and D Wade Redden (shoulder, chest) is out.

Predators injuries: RW Steve Sullivan and C Jason Arnott (knee) are probable, and RW Scottie Upshall (groin) and G Tomas Vokoun (thumb) are on injured reserve.

[PredDave]

Sens head to Music City to face Predators

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=188395&hubname=nhl

The Nashville Predators try to build on their recaptured momentum tonight when they host the Ottawa Senators at Gaylord Entertainment Center.

Nashville has won two of its last three games after losing three straight. On Tuesday, David Legwand lit the lamp with 2:45 remaining in regulation to lift the Predators over the Edmonton Oilers, 3-2, in the Music City.

Vernon Fiddler and Alexander Radulov also scored for the Predators, while Chris Mason came up big late and finished with 38 saves on the night.

Mason continues to fill in for the injured Tomas Vokoun, who remains out with torn ligaments in his left thumb.

The Predators could receive some reinforcements tonight, as both Steve Sullivan (groin) and Jason Arnott (knee) are nearing returns.

[PredDave]

This is going to be a great game! It will be fun to see which Pred's team comes out tonight -- sluggish & flat or energized & firing on all cylinders. I hope for the latter, but I know that the Sens really lit Detroit the other night so I'm crossing my fingers for a good one...

Go Preds!

[LemaireisGOD]

This should be an interesting game. The Senators are an enigmatic team this season. They can either torch your team or get torched. There is very little consistancy. Your team should encourage them to start Martin Gerber because he can't stop a beachball right now. GO WILD!!!

[PredDave]

Sitting high atop the HOP in the Media Press area, I see no Alfredsson on the ice during warmups, but I DO SEE Arnott and Sully out there!

[PredDave]

3-0 after the 1st period! wow, I can't remember the last time the Predators outshot their opponent by more than 2-1 for a first period.

SHOTS AFTER 1ST PERIOD: PREDATORS 9, SENATORS 4

[PredDave]

6-0 after two periods! I believe Sully just scored the first *true* natural hat trick in Predators' franchise history (i.e. 3 goals in a row in the same period, etc, etc, etc)

[PredDave]

oh yeah, I forgot to mention... Emery chased after the 6th goal. Maybe Gerber will give up a few?

SHOTS AFTER 2 PERIODS:

PREDATORS 17
SENATORS 11

[LemaireisGOD]

Wow...it isn't even remotely close. Emery has been a total sieve in this game. Radulov notched his 10th goal...pretty mad pace considering the amount of games he's played. Great game! GO WILD!!!

[PredDave]

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?page=Thre...e&service=page

NHL's 3 Stars of the Day

#1 Star: Sullivan tallied three goals for his sixth career hat trick in Nashville's 6-0 rout of the Senators.

[PredDave]

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=188459&hubname=nhl

Sullivan nets three as Preds hammer Sens

Steve Sullivan's injured groin didn't slow him down. The rest it forced him to take might've even helped.

Sullivan had a natural hat trick in the second period, and Scott Hartnell added two goals to lead the Nashville Predators to a 6-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.

''They were quicker, they did everything at high speed and we couldn't handle it,'' Ottawa coach Bryan Murray said. ''We got attached to the guy with the puck all the time, and they made cross-seam passes, and backdoor tip-ins.''

It was Sullivan's sixth NHL hat trick and his third with the Predators. He scored the three goals in a span of 5:56, the quickest for any player in Nashville history. Sullivan showed no effects of a groin strain sustained a week earlier at Los Angeles that forced him to miss Nashville's previous two games.

''I just wanted to go out and get my legs underneath me,'' Sullivan said. ''I just wanted to make sure I didn't hurt the hockey team.''

[LemaireisGOD]

Great win...and you keep your distance from the Red Wings! GO WILD!!!

[PredDave]

Originally Posted by LemaireisGOD

Great win...and you keep your distance from the Red Wings! GO WILD!!!

I was hoping Bondra could light the lamp a few times last night and help the Hawks beat the Wings.... oh well, no biggie.