It was a busy week for the Nashville Predators. There was the All-Star Weekend, where Roman Josi and Pekka Rinne showed out. Then there was a HUGE announcement regarding a certain game being played in Dallas. But before we get into all of that, the Preds had some business to take care of in Colorado and Vegas. We all know the Preds weren’t playing their best hockey the week leading into the break, but they turned things around to pick up a crucial four points. They are now tied with the Jets for first in the Central, though Winnipeg does have four games in hand. The push for the playoffs will start to really ramp up once the break is over. Hopefully these last two games are indicative of how the Preds will do moving forward.
WINTER CLASSIC
So the huge news coming from the All-Star Game is that the Predators have been selected as the opponents for the Dallas Stars in the 2020 Winter Classic being played in the Cotton Bowl. You can read my full thoughts on the announcement here, but this is huge news for the franchise. Shout out to Sean Henry and the rest of the team that made this happen. By the way, I just booked my hotel in Dallas for the game. I’d suggest you do the same.
PREDS SHOW OUT IN THE ALL STAR GAME
The two Nashville representatives had themselves quite the All-Star Game. Josi had one goal and five assists between the two games and Rinne made 14 of 19 saves. The Central would have likely won had Devan Dubnyk hadn’t spotted the Metro a 5-0 lead before Pekka came in and took over. Way to go Minnesota. You screwed it up for everyone. Never trust Dubnyk.
THREE STARS OF THE WEEK
First Star – Sean Henry and the Preds Ownership – Ever since the new ownership has taken over, the ceiling for the franchise keeps getting higher and higher. Seriously, enough can’t be said about the Preds being selected for the Winter Classic. Well done, ladies and gentlemen. Well done.
Second Star – Juuse Saros – The Juice had himself a night against the Vegas Golden Knights. Saros stopped a career high 47 of 48 shots to give the Predators the two points. Juuse has been playing really well lately. They’ll need him moving forward.
Third Star – Nick Bonino – Two more goals and an assist this week. Bonino has been on fire lately.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Only two games this week as the team finishes up their break. Friday night they’ll head down to Miami to play the Panthers. Hopefully they have revenge on their minds. Then it’s back to Nashville on Saturday as the Stars make a visit to Bridgestone Arena. Going to be a long week without any Preds hockey, but once it starts back up, it’s full steam ahead. The push for the playoffs begin now.
Be sure to check out the Talking Preds Podcast. New episodes almost weekly. Be sure to follow along on Twitter and Facebook for live tweeting during the games along with something new we’re trying out. For certain games, I’ll be jumping on live during intermissions, pre-game, or post-game with thoughts on the game. Love to have some good hockey discussion so follow along and let me know what you guys think.
Herbie Brooks is the Lead Nashville Predators Analyst for SoBros Network. He knows three things: beating Commies, winning Gold Medals, and having great hair. Follow him on Twitter: @SoBroHerbie_B
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