You’ll have to excuse JR a bit. Apparently down in Nash-Vegas, he hosts an enormous Royal Rumble party every year. When we sent this to him, he wasn’t sure who he was and definitely didn’t know how his arms worked. We thank him for playing hurt.
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Even after the Turris trade, the Preds kind of loafed around a bit by their standards and expectations. But now they’ve won six of seven, are only a point behind the Jets with games in hand.Is this them finally clicking?
I think so. January was obviously an incredible month and most of that was without Forsberg and partially without Arvidsson and with Ellis getting his feet back under him. So they went on a tear while understaffed and now that they are healthy again? Watch out.
Both Johansen and Arvidsson are off last year’s scoring pace. Forsberg has missed some time which doesn’t help. Any real concern here?
I don’t think so. The Turris/Fiala/Smith line really kicked it in when they needed to and Subban and Ellis are pumping it in from the back end. Obviously come April (and beyond), they’ll need that line to get it together but that’s three guys I don’t worry much about.
Ryan Ellis is back now. How has he looked?
Better than ever? His first game was little (*scrunches up face and does that seesaw thing with his hand*) but since then, he’s been fantastic.
Pekka Rinne threw a .940 at the league in January. He’s playing perhaps the best hockey of his career. What’s been the change?
Rest, I think, and finally having an offense that he doesn’t have to go out and win 2-1 every night. After a shaky start, Juuse Saros has really been great- he had three shutouts in five games or something – which allows Laviolette some flexibility in giving Rinne time off and setting the goalies up for success.
Anything the Preds might do before the deadline or was Turris the move?
I think Poile might add a wing just to give Laviolette another option in the playoffs, but he got his guy with Turris. Of course, it’s David Poile so he probably has some one-for-one that’ll shock the world up his sleeve
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Game #50 Preview
