manny
12-28-2005, 03:31 PM
Trotz keeps the pedal
on the metal
By Doug Ward | NHL.com correspondent
December 28, 2005 With New Year's Eve less than a week away, it appears no resolutions will be necessary in Nashville. The Predators are currently riding a six-game winning streak, and the team sits alone in second place in the Central Division, just two points behind Detroit. After guiding the Predators to 24 wins in their first 34 games (24-7-3, 49 points), coach Barry Trotz can only hope his team's play in the 2006 mirrors its behavior in the latter part of 2005.
The Predators' success this season can easily be traced to the goaltending of Tomas Vokoun (19 wins), the oversized play of 5-foot-7 Steve Sullivan (16 goals, 33 points) and the jolt of energy and confidence that came along with Paul Kariya (12 goals, 33 points) when he chose Music City as his new home via free agency last summer.
Nashville's best start ever has also hinged on its ability to take care of business in the four-point games against division foes. The Preds are 9-0-1 in matchups within the Central.
Those inter-division games will take on added significance when the division-leading Red Wings, also first overall in the Western Conference, travel to Nashville Friday, Jan. 6, in the first meeting this season between the Central Division's top two teams. An earlier meeting scheduled for Nov. 21 was postponed when Jiri Fischer needed emergency treatment for a heart problem.
In the meantime, the Predators will spend the final days of the year in an introspective mode. Three road games in three nights in Calgary, Vancouver, and Edmonton will help to determine exactly who and what they've become in the past year. By the time Ryan Seacrest counts down the final seconds of 2005 in Times Square, the Predators figure to know themselves a little better.
By methodically picking up points as the season marches toward its midway point, the Predators continue to look like a team that will fit comfortably into the Western Conference's top eight teams. But Trotz refuses to take anything for granted.
"You look at teams one through 10 in our conference," Trotz told The Tennessean, "and you realize that despite our record, we're only 10 points away from not being in the playoffs. That's pretty scary, so we're trying to pick up as many points as possible along the way."
Who's hot -- Despite being snubbed by Canada when he was left off of that country's Olympic team, Nashville's Paul Kariya has been hot lately, picking up six points (two goals, four assists) in his last two games. ... Vancouver's Todd Bertuzzi, who was named to Canada's Olympic team, has five points in his last two games, while teammate Brendan Morrison has five assists and six points during that time. ... Detroit defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) over the past seven games. ... Edmonton's Ales Hemsky has nine points (three goals, six assists) in his last four games. ... Since returning from a conditioning assignment in San Antonio, Phoenix goaltender Brian Boucher has been sharp while appearing in three games. Boucher has a 1.79 goals against average and .931 save percentage in his last two starts.
Shootout summary -- The three teams that remain undefeated in shootouts all play in the Western Conference. Dallas and Los Angeles are both 3-0 in the new tiebreaking format and remain tied for the Pacific Division lead with 45 points.
The Red Wings, in first place in the Central Division and first overall in the West with 51 points (24-9-3), are 1-0 in shootouts. Nashville is tops among teams in the West with four wins (against one loss), while Anaheim is the lone Western Conference team yet to win a shootout.
http://nhl.speedera.net//image-upload/quenneville_joe_194x230.jpg Avs coach Joel Quenneville has implemented a short-term, three-man rotation in goal between David Aebischer, Peter Budaj, and Vitaly Kolesnik. Rumor mill -- Although Calgary goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff declined an invitation to join Finland's Olympic team due to a hip injury, Flames coach Darryl Sutter said he plans to continue playing his No. 1 netminder regularly. Sutter hopes the two-week Olympic break will aid in Kiprusoff's recovery. -- The goaltending situation with the Avalanche remains uncertain, and rumors that the team is pursuing deal for an established netminder continue to circulate. From 1996-2003, you knew you were going up against Hall-of-Famer Patrick Roy when you faced Colorado. During his seven full seasons in Denver, Roy played in at least 60 games a year while backstopping the Avs to a pair of Stanley Cup titles. But what was once an exclamation point has become a question mark, with David Aebischer, Peter Budaj, and Vitaly Kolesnik sharing time in an unconventional three-man rotation. Over the course of last two-and-a-half weeks, coach Joel Quenneville has started Kolesnik six times, Budaj twice, and Aebischer once. "We don't foresee this as a long-term situation," Quenneville said. ... The Kings' Jeremy Roenick is expected to miss four-to-six weeks after undergoing surgery on a broken finger. ... Recently retired sniper Brett Hull has been talking to the Dallas Stars about returning to his former team (1998-2001) in a yet-to-be determined capacity. "He's just getting settled into retirement," Dallas GM Doug Armstrong said, "but it would be foolish on our part to waste such a great hockey mind."... Wayne Gretzky did not coach the Coyotes Monday night at Denver, remaining on an indefinite leave of absence due to the death of his mother, Phyllis. ... In St. Louis, the newest suitor interested in purchasing the Blues is reported to be a group headed up by Andy Appleby, CEO of General Sports & Entertainment.
The week ahead -- The ghost of Christmas past: Columbus' Sergei Fedorov will catch a glimpse of what his life might be like had his own personal history taken a different course. First, the Columbus center will see the team he never seemed quite comfortable with, when the Mighty Ducks visit Ohio on Dec. 28. Next, Fedorov will travel to the city he always seemed to belong, but bolted, when the Blue Jackets travel to Detroit to face the Red Wings on New Year's Eve. Fedorov has just one goal and six assists in 17 games since being dealt to the Blue Jackets by Anaheim on Nov. 15.
Other upcoming games of note include a showdown of Pacific Division co-leaders that pits the Kings against the Stars at Dallas on Saturday, Dec. 31. The New Year's Eve game is the first of a home-and-home series that concludes Monday night in Los Angeles.
on the metal
By Doug Ward | NHL.com correspondent
December 28, 2005 With New Year's Eve less than a week away, it appears no resolutions will be necessary in Nashville. The Predators are currently riding a six-game winning streak, and the team sits alone in second place in the Central Division, just two points behind Detroit. After guiding the Predators to 24 wins in their first 34 games (24-7-3, 49 points), coach Barry Trotz can only hope his team's play in the 2006 mirrors its behavior in the latter part of 2005.
The Predators' success this season can easily be traced to the goaltending of Tomas Vokoun (19 wins), the oversized play of 5-foot-7 Steve Sullivan (16 goals, 33 points) and the jolt of energy and confidence that came along with Paul Kariya (12 goals, 33 points) when he chose Music City as his new home via free agency last summer.
Nashville's best start ever has also hinged on its ability to take care of business in the four-point games against division foes. The Preds are 9-0-1 in matchups within the Central.
Those inter-division games will take on added significance when the division-leading Red Wings, also first overall in the Western Conference, travel to Nashville Friday, Jan. 6, in the first meeting this season between the Central Division's top two teams. An earlier meeting scheduled for Nov. 21 was postponed when Jiri Fischer needed emergency treatment for a heart problem.
In the meantime, the Predators will spend the final days of the year in an introspective mode. Three road games in three nights in Calgary, Vancouver, and Edmonton will help to determine exactly who and what they've become in the past year. By the time Ryan Seacrest counts down the final seconds of 2005 in Times Square, the Predators figure to know themselves a little better.
By methodically picking up points as the season marches toward its midway point, the Predators continue to look like a team that will fit comfortably into the Western Conference's top eight teams. But Trotz refuses to take anything for granted.
"You look at teams one through 10 in our conference," Trotz told The Tennessean, "and you realize that despite our record, we're only 10 points away from not being in the playoffs. That's pretty scary, so we're trying to pick up as many points as possible along the way."
Who's hot -- Despite being snubbed by Canada when he was left off of that country's Olympic team, Nashville's Paul Kariya has been hot lately, picking up six points (two goals, four assists) in his last two games. ... Vancouver's Todd Bertuzzi, who was named to Canada's Olympic team, has five points in his last two games, while teammate Brendan Morrison has five assists and six points during that time. ... Detroit defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) over the past seven games. ... Edmonton's Ales Hemsky has nine points (three goals, six assists) in his last four games. ... Since returning from a conditioning assignment in San Antonio, Phoenix goaltender Brian Boucher has been sharp while appearing in three games. Boucher has a 1.79 goals against average and .931 save percentage in his last two starts.
Shootout summary -- The three teams that remain undefeated in shootouts all play in the Western Conference. Dallas and Los Angeles are both 3-0 in the new tiebreaking format and remain tied for the Pacific Division lead with 45 points.
The Red Wings, in first place in the Central Division and first overall in the West with 51 points (24-9-3), are 1-0 in shootouts. Nashville is tops among teams in the West with four wins (against one loss), while Anaheim is the lone Western Conference team yet to win a shootout.
http://nhl.speedera.net//image-upload/quenneville_joe_194x230.jpg Avs coach Joel Quenneville has implemented a short-term, three-man rotation in goal between David Aebischer, Peter Budaj, and Vitaly Kolesnik. Rumor mill -- Although Calgary goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff declined an invitation to join Finland's Olympic team due to a hip injury, Flames coach Darryl Sutter said he plans to continue playing his No. 1 netminder regularly. Sutter hopes the two-week Olympic break will aid in Kiprusoff's recovery. -- The goaltending situation with the Avalanche remains uncertain, and rumors that the team is pursuing deal for an established netminder continue to circulate. From 1996-2003, you knew you were going up against Hall-of-Famer Patrick Roy when you faced Colorado. During his seven full seasons in Denver, Roy played in at least 60 games a year while backstopping the Avs to a pair of Stanley Cup titles. But what was once an exclamation point has become a question mark, with David Aebischer, Peter Budaj, and Vitaly Kolesnik sharing time in an unconventional three-man rotation. Over the course of last two-and-a-half weeks, coach Joel Quenneville has started Kolesnik six times, Budaj twice, and Aebischer once. "We don't foresee this as a long-term situation," Quenneville said. ... The Kings' Jeremy Roenick is expected to miss four-to-six weeks after undergoing surgery on a broken finger. ... Recently retired sniper Brett Hull has been talking to the Dallas Stars about returning to his former team (1998-2001) in a yet-to-be determined capacity. "He's just getting settled into retirement," Dallas GM Doug Armstrong said, "but it would be foolish on our part to waste such a great hockey mind."... Wayne Gretzky did not coach the Coyotes Monday night at Denver, remaining on an indefinite leave of absence due to the death of his mother, Phyllis. ... In St. Louis, the newest suitor interested in purchasing the Blues is reported to be a group headed up by Andy Appleby, CEO of General Sports & Entertainment.
The week ahead -- The ghost of Christmas past: Columbus' Sergei Fedorov will catch a glimpse of what his life might be like had his own personal history taken a different course. First, the Columbus center will see the team he never seemed quite comfortable with, when the Mighty Ducks visit Ohio on Dec. 28. Next, Fedorov will travel to the city he always seemed to belong, but bolted, when the Blue Jackets travel to Detroit to face the Red Wings on New Year's Eve. Fedorov has just one goal and six assists in 17 games since being dealt to the Blue Jackets by Anaheim on Nov. 15.
Other upcoming games of note include a showdown of Pacific Division co-leaders that pits the Kings against the Stars at Dallas on Saturday, Dec. 31. The New Year's Eve game is the first of a home-and-home series that concludes Monday night in Los Angeles.