hockey news

Ryan Kennedy of the Hockey News gives us a feature on Joel Ward, the hitherto unknown winger who has found a home along side Jason Arnott and J.P. Dumont on the Nashville Predators’ top scoring line:

In the New York Times Slap Shot blog, Jeff Z. Klein surveys the state of statistical analysis of the NHL, and finds a variety of interesting topics being investigated:

Adam Proteau of the Hockey News considers the question of whether single- or multiple-owner organizations are better suited for NHL success:

In Edmonton, it’s difficult to be cheery, what with the Oilers having won just three home games this season.

Adam Proteau over at the Hockey News has excerpts from an interesting interview with NHLPA head Paul Kelly posted today, and it's well worth harkening to the man who's lent credibility to an organization that was faltering in the wake of the Great Lockout. While Kelly's professionalism is welcome, his ideas still need to be vetted:

For early birds, the time is coming to start preparing for Fantasy Hockey season, and studying the various guides that hit the magazine shelves and websites during August and September. Prompted by the post yesterday at Waiting for Stanley which examined the Hockey News' Fantasy Pool Guide from a Canucks perspective, I thought I'd try doing the same vis-a-vis the Nashville Predators.

The bottom

For today, head on over to Hockey News, where my latest piece deals with Ken Hitchcock's recent interview with one of the Columbus Blue Jackets bloggers, in which he fires a few verbal barbs towards Nashville, including this doozy:

These are pretty slow days from a hockey news perspective, so just a few quick notes:1. Today's Tennessean has three items of interest; firstly, that 2008's top draft pick Colin Wilson has decided to return to Boston University for his sophomore season. This isn't a surprise, but sticks a fork in any speculation some fans had that he'd make an impact in Nashville this year.2. The next item in

Yesterday over at the Hockey News Adam Proteau wondered out loud whether anyone can reasonably expect St. Louis to make the playoffs this season, and while I agree that there's not much reason to get excited about their chances in 2008-9, the same question might well be asked of the Nashville Predators.In light of the Alexander Radulov defection and the Marek Zidlicky trade, how do the Predators

I'll get to a full eulogy for the Predators 2007-8 season shortly, but in the meantime, a few shots from Ken Campbell of the Hockey News caught my eye over the last few days:

First, Campbell slipped this beauty into his Hockey News column:
there’s little reason to believe this year’s [Predators] playoff run will have any more of a long-term impact on this franchise than any other. Come next

Pardon the quick and dirty nature of this post, but I’ve been trying to write something since Monday and I keep getting friggin’ interupted.

The Preds will play the Los Angeles Kings tonight at 7pm at the Sommet Center. Be there or be square.  You can always catch them on the radio at 104.5 or on Fox Sports South.