Scouting the Predators

This isn’t the best time to be playing the Nashville Predators. They’re 8-0-2 in their last 10 games and have won five in a row at home, and even the loss of goalie Pekka Rinne hasn’t slowed them. Anders Lindback has stepped in and one 6-0-1 and has allowed only nine regulation goals in seven games, including two shutouts. The Predators played last night (they beat New Jersey) but even that isn’t necessarily a positive for the Kings, because the Predators are 3-1-1 in the second game of back-to-back games this season. To read the The Tennessean’s fine account of last night’s game, click here. On the positive side for the Kings, they did beat Nashville 4-1 on Nov. 6 in Los Angeles. Here’s how the Predators and Kings are expected to line up tonight, followed by a note on tomorrow’s game…

NASHVILLE LINEUP
Sergei Kostitsyn-Marcel Goc-Martin Erat
Steve Sullivan-Cal O’Reilly-Colin Wilson
Joel Ward-Jerred Smithson-Jordin Tootoo
Steve Begin-Nick Spaling-J-P Dumont

Ryan Suter-Shea Weber
Alexander Sulzer-Shane O’Brien
Francis Bouillon-Kevin Klein

Anders Lindback

—–

KINGS LINEUP
Brown-Kopitar-Williams
Smyth-Stoll-Moller
Clifford-Handzus-Simmonds
Ponikarovsky-Lewis-Westgarth

Scuderi-Doughty
Johnson-Harrold
Martinez-Drewiske

Bernier

—–

As for tomorrow’s game, the Chicago Blackhawks have announced that injured wingers Marian Hossa (lower-body), Patrick Kane (ankle) and Viktor Stalberg (upper-body) will all be out of the lineup against the Kings. Corey Crawford is scheduled to start in goal for the Blackhawks.