Newly acquired Predators defenseman Denis Grebeshkov was wondering Tuesday morning how difficult it would be to play against the team that had traded him to Nashville one day earlier.

Grebeshkov, who was dealt from Edmonton to the Predators on Monday, came back to burn his former team one night later.

The Russian blueliner scored once and assisted on another goal as the Preds edged the Oilers 4-3, getting the post-Olympic portion of their schedule started on the right note in front of an announced crowd of 15,682 at Bridgestone Arena.

“I thought it would be a little weird to play against those guys, but it turns out it wasn’t,” Grebeshkov said. “I’m happy our team won tonight and I helped them. I couldn’t ask for a better start.”

It was a more familiar Predator, however, who scored the game-winner.

Jason Arnott snapped a 3-3 tie with a goal from behind the net. With 14:58 left in the game, Arnott back-handed a puck to the crease. The puck bounced off the skate of Edmonton defenseman Jason Strudwick and slid past goalie Jeff Deslauriers.

Click here to read the full article – By The Tennessean

Nashville Predators Sports Memorabilia
and other Nashville Predators Autographs
Below are links to memorabilia available for popular Nashville Predators players.

Martin Erat started a second-period scoring flurry and later ended the game with a shootout conversion as the Nashville Predators earned a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in their final contest before the Olympic break.

The victory gave the Predators (33-23-5, 71 points) five points in their four-game road trip (2-1-1) and, more importantly, guaranteed they would remain among the top eight in the Western Conference when the NHL ceased operations so many of its players could compete for their national teams in Vancouver.

With 21 games to play following the break, Nashville already has one more win on the road (17) than it had in all of 2008-09. Among the Western Conference teams, only San Jose (21) and Los Angeles (19) currently have more road wins.

Twelve of the remaining games, beginning March 2 at Edmonton, will be at home.

The last Olympic year (2006) the Predators went 7-1-2 in their first 10 games following the break, including 5-0-0 at home.

“We come out of the break and only have 21 games so it will be a dog fight in the West,” coach Barry Trotz said.

Click here to read the full article – By Nashville City Paper

Nashville Predators Chrome License Plate Frame

Nashville Predators License Plate Frame

Nashville Predators Black Spare Tire Cover

Colin Wilson scored in his second game since being recalled and lifted the Nashville Predators to a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

Wilson’s power-play goal off a rebound was the game-winner as the Predators snapped a five-game road losing streak (0-4-1). It was the second goal in 12 NHL appearances for the 2008 first-round draft pick who appeared in 10 games at the start of the season but spent the last three-plus months in the American Hockey League.

He played just 4:51 in a shootout loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday, but logged 10:58 of ice time and had four shots in this one.

Goalie Dan Ellis played for the first time since Jan. 29 and made 36 saves, including 18 in the third period, for his 12th victory. He had lost his previous two starts and three decisions.

New York outshot Nashville 38-36 for the contest.

Jordin Tootoo gave the Predators a 1-0 lead with 2:15 to play in the first period. It was Tootoo’s first goal in 15 games and his third of the season.

Click here to read the full article – By Nashville City Paper

Nashville Predators Mens Apparel
and other Predators Apparel

Nashville Predators Primary Logo Team T-Shirt

Nashville Predators RBK Edge Premier NHL Team Color Jersey

Nashville Predators RBK Edge Premier NHL White Jersey

He’s big, he’s talented and he’s playing the best hockey of his very young professional career.

So the question many Predators fans are asking these days is a simple one: When will Wilson be called upon to produce in Nashville as opposed to Milwaukee?

Predators management and coaches say they’re well aware of Wilson’s improved play over the past several weeks, and they’re in agreement that Wilson has positioned himself well in the organizational ladder.

So another Nashville injury or two at the forward position almost certainly will mean Wilson’s name gets called. But at the same time, the Predators say they don’t feel the need to rush the 20-year-old into the lineup on the NHL level.

“He’s doing right now what we do with all of our younger players — playing in Milwaukee and getting to play in more situations,” General Manager David Poile said. “The reports are getting better almost by the game about him, and his confidence is getting back up there, too.

Click here to read the full article – By The Tennessean

Nashville Predators Sports Memorabilia
and other Nashville Predators Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for popular Nashville Predators players.

Big bodies. Big shots. Big numbers.

They’re two of only four players who’ve managed to score at least 20 goals in each of the past 10 NHL seasons.

One of those four players (Markus Naslund) is now in Sweden and another (Petr Sykora) has been reduced to part-time status in Minnesota, so Arnott and Iginla appear to be the only two with realistic chances of extending their streaks to 11.

“To be able to put up those numbers over a long stretch of time like that is pretty remarkable,” said St. Louis forward Keith Tkachuk, who has 530 career goals. “It says a lot about their talent, their consistency and about their ability to stay healthy. This is a long, grueling schedule and you really have to put in the work.”

Click here to read the full article – By The Tennessean

Nashville Predators Sports Memorabilia
and other Nashville Predators Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for popular Nashville Predators players.

The Predators hope top prospect Colin Wilson will be back on the ice this week after missing much of training camp with a strained groin.

Once he’s fully healthy, the Predators will have to make the decision that the injury delayed: Does he remain on the NHL level or begin his pro career in Milwaukee of the American Hockey League?

The prevailing opinion immediately after Wilson’s injury was that he would most likely head back to Milwaukee, but Coach Barry Trotz now says that’s not necessarily the case.

“We’re just going to see how it goes,” Trotz said. “We’ve seen him in the rookie games and in the first part of camp and he’s played quite well. So we’ll see where his conditioning is and how his skating is. If it’s fine, I’d say there’s a good chance he’ll be back in the mix right away.

“But if he’s fallen off because of the injury, then we’ll make that decision. We’ll just play it day by day.”

Click here to read the full article – By John Glennon of The Tennessean

Nashville Predators Sports Memorabilia
and other Nashville Predators Autographs
Below are links to memorabilia available for popular Nashville Predators players.

The Nashville Predators hope to celebrate a season-opening victory Saturday at Dallas. And they’ll have a sizable travel party, if they do get that opportunity.

Forwards Joel Ward, Jordin Tootoo and rookie Colin Wilson are all injured and unable to play but are going with the team to Dallas. So are other members of the organization, more than on a typical road trip.

“We’re going to take the whole staff,” coach Barry Trotz said following Friday morning’s workout at the team’s training facility. “We think it’s important we let everybody be a part of the first game. So we’ll have a dinner (Friday) night, tell some stories and go from there.”

The Predators are 4-6 all-time in season-openers. They only time they lost two in a row was in the first two seasons in team history – a 4-0 defeat against Florida in 1998-99 and a 2-0 loss to Los Angeles in 1999-00.

They were beaten 5-2 at St. Louis in their first game last season.

Whatever happens, the players and coaches will have plenty of time to digest it.

Click here to read the full article – By David Boclair of Nashville City Paper

Nashville Predators Mens Apparel
and other Predators Apparel

Nashville Predators RBK Edge Premier NHL White Jersey

Nashville Predators NHL Secondary Logo Faceoff Cap

Nashville Predators RBK Edge Premier NHL Team Color Jersey

Only a couple of days before the Predators take the ice for their regular-season opener in Dallas, Coach Barry Trotz said he’s yet to decide on the starting goalie.

Pekka Rinne entered training camp as the clear favorite after finishing last season as the top netminder. But Dan Ellis, who lost the starter’s job to Rinne halfway through last season, had a much better preseason than did Rinne.

Trotz said he plans to make a decision before the team flies to Dallas on Friday for Saturday night’s opener against the Stars.

“We’re going to take everything into consideration — preseason and last season,’’ Trotz said. “There’s factors — records against Dallas, preseason play — and there’s gut feel on how guys are seeing the puck right now.

“It might be as simple as saying, ‘Peks was the guy at the end of the year — you’re starting.’ I have not made my mind up yet.’’

Click here to read the full article – By John Glennon of The Tennessean

Nashville Predators Sports Memorabilia
and other Nashville Predators Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for popular Nashville Predators players.