I was looking over tonights games and the Nashville/Columbus game caught my eye. Columbus as we all know, is dreadful while the Predators have been playing some really good hockey. Ok, so now that we are done with obvious facts opinions, there is some really interesting stats to look at. Playing against division rivals (as the Blue Jackets and Predators are) Columbus has had very little success with a 2-9-1 record, while the Predators have had tremendous success with a 7-2-2 record. Along with that the Blue Jackets have been god awful after a win with a 1-9-2 record, and the Predators after a loss are 9-5-1. Another extremely compelling record to look at is how well the Predators do with one day's rest, with an impressive 17-2-3. That would have been enough to convince me, but looking at Nashville's PP (3rd best in NHL) up against Columbus' PK (2nd worst in NHL) as well as Pekka Rinne's success (12-4-1 record) against Columbus, it seemed like a terrific match up for the Predators.
Good Luck Everyone
Good Luck Everyone
