Category: Sports

The Predators scored twice late in regulation, but it wasn’t quite enough to stage another comeback, as they fell 3-2 to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena. The result sees Nashville’s three-game winning streak come to an end, as the Avs won their sixth consecutive outing.

After Viktor Arvidsson scored to bring the Preds to within one goal with less than six minutes to play, Nashville again put the puck in the net just over two minutes later, but it was met with controversy.

Predators forward Colin Blackwell was called for goaltender interference on a play that saw Dante Fabbro’s goal negated. Additionally, because a penalty was called, the play was not reviewable.

However, despite the call, the Predators say they could have done more to find a way to change the outcome of Saturday’s effort.

“It’s one of those weird plays,” Preds forward Matt Duchene said of the goaltender interference call. “If [Blackwell] was backing in, and he might have touched him a little bit had [Avalanche Defenseman Nikita Zadorov] not kept backing up, but Zadorov didn’t know he was there. Just an unfortunate play. At the end of the day, we didn’t score any goals through two periods. So, it’s tough to win.”

“Anytime you don’t win the game you always want to see more,” Preds Head Coach John Hynes said. “We had a pretty strong effort… We just didn’t find enough ways to be able to get the puck in the back of the net, but I think it was a hard-fought game… We’ve got to take some of the lessons from this one, and then it’s onto [Monday’s game against] Edmonton.”

It took more than 33 minutes for the game’s first goal to arrive, but it came in favor of the visitors when Gabriel Landeskog roofed a shot over the shoulder of Juuse Saros in the second period. Roughly two minutes later, Martin Kaut made it 2-0 Colorado, and that score held into the third.

Arvidsson’s tally came on a breakaway, and then, a Fabbro slap shot beat Colorado goaltender Pavel Francouz, but the goal was immediately waved off, and a penalty was also assessed to Blackwell for goaltender interference.

“I only looked at it once, but I think goalie interference is tough because as a defenseman, you kind of push the guy into the goalie sometimes,” Preds Captain Roman Josi said. “[Blackwell] kind of got pushed into the goalie. He definitely didn’t mean to hit the goalie, so it’s a tough decision sometimes.”

After Nashville’s penalty kill came up big, Colorado then scored into an empty net seconds after Saros had been pulled for an extra attacker. Calle Jarnkrok got the second of the night for the Preds, but just 1.7 seconds remained on the clock – too little too late.

“We played well… it’s just finishing [our chances],” Preds forward Matt Duchene said. “Our offense a lot of times has let us down this year, and I think it was kind of the same tonight. We just weren’t able to capitalize on our chances and they got enough on their side of things.”

Despite the frustration, the Predators have no choice but to prepare for the finale of their season-long five-game homestand: a date with the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night.

“I felt when I scored that we were coming there,” Arvidsson said. “It’s a questionable call. Too bad it didn’t go our way. We just have to rebuild and get ready for Edmonton.”

Notes:

Yannick Weber, Korbinian Holzer and Austin Watson were scratched for the Predators on Saturday night.

Nashville’s five-game homestand concludes on Monday night (at 7 p.m. CT) when the Edmonton Oilers make their only visit of the season to Bridgestone Arena. That contest begins a back-to-back set for the Preds that will take them to Minnesota on Tuesday night (at 7 p.m. CT).

If Austin Riley eventually becomes the Braves’ starting third baseman, Atlanta would seemingly improve its depth by placing Johan Camargo’s offensive and defensive versatility on its bench.

While this might sound like a good plan, Braves manager Brian Snitker does not necessarily see it as a practical one. At this point, he believes Riley and Camargo would both be best served playing on an everyday basis, even if that means one would likely be doing so at the Triple-A level.

“Realistically, can you get both guys [on the roster]?” Snitker said. “No, I don’t know you can do them justice. If you’re not playing them every day, then you’re not going to do them justice. You can talk about it, and it all sounds good. But in reality, it’s just not that easy to do.”

Camargo has long been considered a talented, versatile player who might be best utilized as a utility player during a significant portion of his career. But he fared well as Atlanta’s starting third baseman in 2018 and then struggled when pushed to a backup role last year. Those most recent results could influence what the Braves do with Camargo if Riley is eventually given the everyday job at third base.

“We saw how [being a role player] affected Camargo last year,” Snitker said. “It wasn’t real good. I don’t know if [Riley or Camargo] have the experience to be that versatile [bench] guy that we want.”

Eventually, Camargo could once again be placed as a utility player, a role he filled in 2017 and through the first six weeks of the ‘18 season. But for now, his focus is on the third-base battle currently being waged against Riley, who seems intent to put last year’s disappointing second half behind him.
“Both of them have done really well,” Snitker said. “I love where Austin is at offensively. They are both going to make it tough. We’ve got a long way to go, but they both have been very good.”

Riley has gone 4-for-13 with no extra-base hits through the first week of the Grapefruit League season. But he has shown his tremendous power potential with a couple of long flyouts, and he has struck out just once. That’s very encouraging given he struck out in 50 of his final 109 at-bats last season.

“There are some takes that I’ve seen [on pitches] he chased last year,” Snitker said. “The contact has been really good. You’ve got to look [beyond] stats here because every day we’re playing in some kind of wind tunnel. You’ve got to just see how hard guys are hitting balls.”

Camargo, who has gone 4-for-12 with a homer and two strikeouts, might be the superior defensive option. But the Braves are confident Riley could also be an asset with his glove at the hot corner.

“I’m very comfortable with [Riley] at third base,” Snitker said. “I have no problem with him at third at all. Shoot, he went out in the outfield last year and was really good. He was a plus defender out there.”

Riley seems intent and quite capable of keeping this battle interesting through the end of camp. There should be some hesitancy about possibly being fooled by Spring Training results. But if he continues to consistently make solid contact with a reduced strikeout rate, the Braves might end up giving him the third base job earlier than some might have expected.

In front of a record-breaking crowd of 59,069 at Nissan Stadium, Nashville SC made its debut in Major League Soccer, dropping a hard-fought contest 2-1 to Atlanta United FC.

Atlanta got on the board first with a lightning-quick counterattack and a goal from Ezequiel Barco in the 9’ minute. Nashville responded with a goal off of a set piece by defender Walker Zimmerman in the 29’ minute to even things up. Atlanta grabbed one more goal after a set piece sequence saw Emerson Hyndman rocket a ball into the back of the net to take the lead in the 38’.

Nashville put the pressure on in the second half, pressing forward and looking for scoring opportunities. In the opening minutes of the half, Dominique Badji laid a phenomenal cross into the middle, and David Accam narrowly missed the tying goal. Randall Leal hit the near post on a strong individual effort in the 78’. The Boys in Gold put the pressure high late in the half, but could not find an equalizer.

Goals

9’ ATL – Ezequiel Barco
29’ NSH – Walker Zimmerman (assisted by Hany Mukhtar)
38’ ATL – Emerson Hyndman

Key Stat

13 Shots – Nashville SC peppered the Atlanta attacking third, particularly in the second half. The Boys in Gold had plenty of chances late in the match, but an equalizer was not in the cards.

Up Next

Nashville SC travels to Portland to take on the Timbers next Sunday night on ESPN. The next home match is on Saturday, March 21 against Columbus Crew SC.

The Westwood soccer team hosted their regular season home opener on Thursday in the opening game of the People’s Bank and Trust Spring Hometown Sports Series here on Thunder Radio.  With the wet weather on their home pitch at Dyer-Bouldin Field, the Rockets moved the match with North Franklin to the Manchester Soccer Park.  The Rockets controlled the time of possession in a 5 to 1 win to run their season record to 3 and 0. 

The Rockets got on the board in the 2nd minute when Caleb Cargile attacked from the left wing and scored on an unassisted goal.  Cargile pushed a pass in front of Nico Sanfilippo in the 18^th minute who converted to make the score 2 nil.  Cy Brody Dyer added a pair of free kicks in the 2^nd half at the 38^th and 54^th minutes while Izick Sierra closed out the scoring in the 56^th minute with an unassisted goal. 

North notched their lone goal in the 47^th minute.  Westwood out shot North 17 to 7 in the match.  Rocket keeper Elijah McCoy finished with 5 saves while backup keeper Torin VanZandbergen had a save.  The JV Rockets defeated North 9 to 0. 

Westwood is back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Bell Buckle.  The Rockets will open up conference play against Webb in a 5:45 PM contest. 

Download the broadcast at: www.thunder1320.com/downloads

Mikael Granlund and the Predators waited until the last possible second – literally – to tie the game, and then Granlund tallied again in overtime to give Nashville a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.

The result gives the Preds their third consecutive victory and 72 points overall in the standings, enough to keep their Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

On a night that seemed as though it might not go Nashville’s way, Granlund proved a game is never truly over until the final horn sounds. And when only 0.1 seconds exists between the time the puck enters the net and the game clock reads zero, well, that creates a moment that even the most seasoned hockey veteran has likely never experienced before.

“That was quite the ending,” Granlund said. “Everything that happened there. The biggest thing is that we got those two points and we found a way somehow. It was a big two points. We tied it up, then they get the third goal right at the end and then we tie it up again. That’s hockey sometimes. Entertaining for sure.”

“It was pretty crazy,” Preds Captain Roman Josi said. “It was fun. The crowd was into it, and we were obviously into it. It’s a big game too, they’re right ahead of us. It was a really fun game.”

It took until the 19:28 mark of the opening period, but the Predators took the lead before the first intermission when Colin Blackwell found Colton Sissons in front, and No. 10 buried his ninth of the season for a 1-0 advantage. With an assist on the play, Blackwell extended his point streak to four games.

The Flames didn’t waste much time evening the score early in the second period, as Rasmus Andersson beat Juuse Saros 26 seconds into the stanza. Roughly three minutes later, Mikael Backlund gave Calgary their first lead of the evening.

The Predators kept pushing in the third, and with less than six minutes to play in regulation, Preds Captain Roman Josi’s shot squeaked through David Rittich to tie the game at 2-2. However, with 43 seconds remaining, Andrew Mangiapane scored what appeared to be a back-breaking goal against the Predators.

But never say never.

With Saros pulled and the clock ticking down, Filip Forsberg came up with the puck after a scramble in front of the Calgary net, and from behind the goal line, he fed Granlund who banked a shot in off of Rittich’s pad with virtually no time left on the clock.

That sent the Bridgestone Arena crowd into a frenzy, but Granlund wasn’t done yet.

Just over a minute into the extra session, and after one move around the defender didn’t work, Granlund found the puck on his stick once more, and No. 64 snapped it into the twine to complete one of the more dramatic comebacks in franchise history.

“No, not that tight,” Preds Head Coach John Hynes said when asked if he had ever experienced a buzzer beater of that nature. “That’s another step in that mental focus and resiliency. Just understanding that in a game there’s bad things that are going to happen, but you have to stay focused. I think that’s a big learning lesson for us.”

With the goal, Granlund became just the fourth player in NHL history to score the game-tying goal with less than 10 seconds to play in regulation before winning it in overtime – regular season and playoffs combined.

But what’s most important on this night is another two points in the column for the Predators.

“It doesn’t matter how we win at the end of the day, but this one was pretty special,” Josi said. “It doesn’t happen too often in your career that you score that late. It was a huge game and a huge two points, but it was definitely a special one.”

They don’t ask how, just how many – and when it comes to points, the Predators now have 72 of them with 19 games to play.

The stretch run is here. Buckle up.

“We’ve been trending in the right direction, for sure,” Sissons said. “This game will definitely give us some confidence and give us a little bit of energy. We’ll take that and run.”

Notes:

Prior to Thursday’s game, the Preds reassigned goaltender Connor Ingram to Milwaukee as Pekka Rinne returned to the lineup from illness. Rinne backed up Saros on Thursday.

Yannick Weber, Korbinian Holzer and Austin Watson were scratched for the Preds against the Flames.

Nashville’s five-game homestand continues on Saturday night when the Colorado Avalanche come to Bridgestone Arena for a special 6 p.m. CT puck drop.

The Nashville Sounds Baseball Club has announced its full promotions schedule for the 2020 season at First Horizon Park. The 70-game home slate includes 15 fireworks shows, themed weekends and numerous giveaways.

Single-game tickets will be available for purchase beginning Monday, March 9 at 9:00 a.m. at the First Horizon Park ticket office, online at www.nashvillesounds.com, or by phone at 615-690-HITS ext. 2.

Opening Weekend presented by First Horizon begins Thursday, April 9 when the Sounds host the Iowa Cubs at 6:35 p.m. Fans will be treated to a postgame fireworks show on Opening Day. Additional Opening Day details will be revealed in late March.

The Hit City Opening Day Bundle goes on sale Thursday, March 5 and starts at $50 (tax & fees not included). It includes a limited edition Hit City hat, an all-you-can-eat buffet ticket with soda, water, lemonade and tea (1.5-hour service), access to Hit City Hall, the ballpark’s newest group hospitality area featuring an elevated experience in a climate controlled party tent, and fan choice of a Corner or Select section ticket on the first base side.

The Opening Weekend celebration continues Friday, April 10 with the 2020 Magnet Schedule Giveaway to the first 4,000 fans presented by FOX 17 News, and fans are invited to stay for the FOX 17 News postgame fireworks. Opening Weekend concludes on Easter Sunday, April 12, with the 2020 Team Photo Giveaway presented by the Middle Tennessee Hyundai Dealers to all fans. Postgame activities include Kids Run the Bases presented by First Horizon and catch on the field for all fans. 

First Horizon Park’s traditional fifth inning Country Legends Race will be represented with four separate giveaway dates in 2020, all presented by First Horizon. It starts on Sunday, May 17 as the first 2,000 fans can collect the Johnny Cash Wind-Up Figurine Giveaway. The Wind-Up Figurine Giveaway series continues with Reba McEntire on Sunday, June 14. The final two in the series are George Jones on Sunday, July 19 and Dolly Parton on Sunday, August 16. All four giveaways will be for the first 2,000 fans. 

Themed weekends return to First Horizon Park this season beginning Friday, May 8 for 2000s Weekend. The celebration of the 2000s includes Nickelodeon Night on Saturday, May 9. The Sounds will wear Nickelodeon-themed jerseys featuring SpongeBob SquarePants on Friday and Saturday with a jersey auction scheduled for Saturday.

On June 26 and 27, the Sounds will again participate in Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión® (Fun Cup™) event and transform into Vihuelas de Nashville, complete with specialty jerseys and hats. On Saturday, June 27, the first 2,000 fans will take home the Sugar Skull Mug Giveaway. Additionally, on Saturday fans will have the opportunity to participate in the specialty jersey auction.

Star Wars Weekend is set for July 17 and 18 with a Lightsaber Giveaway to the first 2,500 fans on Friday. Saturday will be complete with Star Wars character appearances and a specialty jersey auction.

A total of 18 giveaways are sprinkled throughout the schedule, with many falling on Thursdays and Sundays.

On Thursday, April 23 the first 2,000 fans receive the Summer Tour T-Shirt Giveaway presented by Ashley HomeStore. The Thursday giveaways continue May 7 with the Velcro Hat Giveaway (four interchangeable logo patches) to the first 2,000 fans presented by DEX Imaging. Other Thursday giveaways include the Hawaiian Shirt Giveaway to the first 2,000 fans on May 21 and the Stainless Steel Tumbler Giveaway presented by the Middle Tennessee Hyundai Dealers to the first 2,000 fans on July 23.

Two popular giveaways make their way to Sunday in 2020 with the Kids Booster Towel Giveaway presented by the Nashville Sounds Foundation to the first 1,000 children ages 12 and under and the Nashville Sounds/Texas Rangers Duffle Bag Giveaway presented by The Smile Generation to the first 2,000 fans on August 2.

Memorial Day Weekend will be full of excitement at First Horizon Park with a postgame fireworks show scheduled for Sunday, May 24 and the Stars and Stripes Backpack Giveaway presented by Advance Financial to the first 2,000 fans on Memorial Day.

The Sounds are teaming up with their crosstown friends to bring the Nashville Predators Replica Jersey Giveaway presented by Vanderbilt Health to the first 1,000 adults and 1,000 children on Saturday, June 13. The Predators Energy Team and Gnash will be on hand for additional festivities. 

First Horizon Park will be a popular Nashville venue for the Independence Day celebration with back-to-back fireworks shows on Thursday, July 2 presented by Nashville International Airport and Friday, July 3 presented by FOX 17 News.

A pair of giveaways highlight the final weekend of the home schedule. On Friday, August 28, the first 4,000 fans can take home the 2021 Magnet Schedule Giveaway presented by FOX 17 News. The penultimate home game of the 2020 season features the University of Tennessee Apron Giveaway to the first 2,000 fans presented by First Horizon on August 29.

Several individual theme nights scatter the 2020 promotions schedule, including:

April 25: Discovering Greatness: The Contributions of African Americans in Nashville – The Sounds celebrate the 100^th anniversary of Negro League Baseball with a special pregame event panel featuring prominent African American leaders in the Nashville area.

May 4: AASC Peanut Free Night presented by Allergy, Asthma & Sinus Center – We go peanut free with this annual promotion to ensure fans with peanut allergies can enjoy a night at the ballpark worry free.

May 16: Armed Forces Day – The Sounds pay tribute to all men and women of the armed forces while players wear special military jerseys. Each branch of the military will be recognized during special in-between inning celebrations. Military families can enjoy a $2.00 discount on single-game ticket prices by offering their government-issued military I.D. at the Sounds Ticket Office.

June 28: Senior Day presented by Amerigroup – Sounds Fans 55 & older get their chance to run the bases postgame and can take advantage of a $2.00 discount on single-game tickets. Silver Sounds Club members receive complimentary admission to Senior Day and one lucky member will be selected to throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the game.

June 29: Pride Night – The Nashville Sounds continue to support everybody at First Horizon Park. We celebrate the LGBTQ community by promoting acceptance and inclusion for all members of Middle Tennessee communities. 

July 31: Stand Up To Cancer Night – Join the Sounds as we honor the fighters and survivors by raising funds for Stand Up To Cancer. All fans are invited to join the players and staff with a Stand Up To Cancer placard as we briefly pause the game in the middle of an inning to recognize those who are in the fight against cancer.

August 1: Bachville Night – For a second time at First Horizon Park, fans can mix and mingle with contestants from ABC’s hit reality show “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” in a special pregame Q&A session and cocktail hour.

August 14: By One Vote: Tennessee Tips the Ballot – Fans are invited to participate in a special pregame event to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the ratification of the 19^th amendment, learning about women’s suffrage and how baseball in Tennessee contributed to America’s history. 

August 27: Paradise at the Park – We celebrate the return of the Paradise Park, a Broadway favorite to many. Join the party at The Band Box and enjoy Paradise Park staples such as grilled cheese sandwiches, tater tots, corn dogs and Natural Light pitchers.

The complete list of weekly promotions for the 2020 season at First Horizon Park are listed below. 

Kroger Plus Mondays (10 Dates): Score a “Family 4-Pack” of Select section tickets, 4 hot dogs and 4 fountain sodas for just $44 when showing a Kroger Plus shopper’s card at the Sounds Ticket Office. Offer subject to availability. Phone and internet orders are not available for this promotion.

Tito’s Tail Waggin’ Tuesday (8): 2019’s most pup-ular promotion returns in 2020. Bring your favorite four-legged friend to the game on Tuesdays when First Horizon Park opens its doggie doors to Nashville’s pups and their masters. Tickets start at $25 ($20 for owners; $5 for dog) with all dog ticket proceeds from each Tuesday game benefitting a local nonprofit organization. 

Winning Wednesday (7): Returning for the second consecutive season is Winning Wednesday presented by Pepsi. Come on a Wednesday for your chance to win several different prizes, including a postgame trip around the bases (available to all fans) after a Sounds victory. Additionally, the first 1,000 fans on each Wednesday are guaranteed a free prize or offer via scratch-off.

Throwback Thursdays (12): We’re going retro as Budweiser presents Throwback Thursdays when the Sounds wear their 1978 uniforms to commemorate the team’s original uniform style. Fans can purchase Pepsi fountain soda and Budweiser products at a discounted rate.

FOX 17 News Friday Fireworks (11): First is the action on the field and second is the FOX 17 News postgame fireworks show every Friday. 

Hit City Saturdays (11): The roar of the crowd at First Horizon Park gets loudest on Saturday. Make the ballpark the place to be in Nashville with entertainment options like Third and Home and The Band Box. 

Sunday Family Fun Day (11): As always, it’s all about families on Sundays. With pregame autographs presented by the Middle Tennessee Hyundai Dealers and postgame Kids Run the Bases presented by First Horizon. Additionally, fans can expect children-focused giveaways for select Sunday games.

Seniors and Military families can enjoy a $2.00 discount on single-game ticket prices at First Horizon Park. The offer is valid for any reserved seat section – subject to availability. Offer valid for up to four (4) tickets per I.D. (Seniors 55 +, government-issued military I.D. required at ticket office; no phone orders).

The 2020 season begins on Thursday, April 9 when the Sounds host the Iowa Cubs at 6:35 p.m. 2020 season ticket memberships are on sale through the Nashville Sounds ticket office. For more information on membership packages, call 615-690-4487, or e-mail tickets@nashvillesounds.com.

The People’s Bank and Trust Hometown Sports Series is scheduled to get underway on Thursday afternoon.  The Westwood Rocket soccer team will host North Franklin in a non-conference match scheduled for 4:15 PM at the Manchester Soccer Park.   The People’s Bank and Trust Hometown Sports Series will feature at least 15 games of the baseball and softball teams from the Coffee County Middle School and Westwood Middle School plus soccer games from the middle school and high school soccer teams. 

The People’s Bank and Trust Hometown Sports Series is just another example of Thunder Radio’s dedication to serving Manchester.  We take great joy in the responsibility of being Manchester’s only locally owned and operated media outlet. 

Korbinian Holzer was doing some shopping – at the Anaheim Ducks Team Store, of all places – on Monday afternoon when his phone rang.

“Obviously, I walked out right away,” Holzer laughed

Just a few moments later, the apparel the defenseman was about to purchase became that of the opposition. Instead, Holzer hung up the phone and headed home, packed up his suitcases and headed to Los Angeles International Airport to catch a flight bound for Nashville, Tennessee.

The 32-year-old Holzer wasn’t expecting to field the call he received as the NHL Trade Deadline approached, but as any professional hockey player knows, anything can happen in this business.

The Predators acquired the German blueliner from the Ducks on Monday afternoon in exchange for defenseman Matt Irwin and a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, the only deal Preds General Manager David Poile elected to make leading up to the Trade Deadline.

About an hour after midnight central on Tuesday morning, Holzer touched down in Music City, a place he had been many times before as a member of a fierce rival. Just hours later, however, he emerged from the home locker room at Bridgestone Arena, sporting a Predators logo on his practice jersey, the start of a fresh journey with a new club.

“I’m very excited,” Holzer said moments after introducing himself as “Korbi” to all waiting to hear from him for the first time. “For me, it’s an opportunity to play some meaningful games with a great organization [that’s had] a lot of success over the last few years. I’ve seen firsthand what this team can do playing in Anaheim. [There were] some good series with this team and this organization, and I think the skill level of this team is super high. It’s just [about] getting to work and making a final push here for the playoffs. You never know what happens after that.”

Nashville is Holzer’s third stop in the NHL after he began his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2010-11 season. It was off to Orange County in 2015, and after four-plus seasons with the Ducks, the Predators brought him on board.

Holzer has skated in a career-high 46 games this season with a goal and four points to go along with 35 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-3 defenseman was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the fourth round (111th overall) of the 2006 NHL Draft and also has 297 games of AHL experience with Toronto and San Diego

A native of Munich, Holzer has represented his country internationally on many occasions, including the 2010 Olympic Games, the 2007 World Junior Championship and five trips to the World Championship.

He’s also familiar with a pair of Preds after facing them on the opposite blue line as he was rising through the international ranks.

“I know the two Swiss guys, Yannick Weber and Roman Josi from [facing them on their] national team,” Holzer said. “Germans and Switzerland, [we went] at it pretty good when we were growing up.”

Holzer is about to get to know the rest of his teammates quite well, as he joins the Predators for the push to the postseason. He didn’t play on Tuesday against Ottawa, his first opportunity to do so with his new club, and although he may not appear in every game the rest of the way, he’ll be ready if called upon.

Preds defenseman Korbinian Holzer skates at Bridgestone Arena for the first time since being acquired by Nashville at Monday’s NHL Trade Deadline.
Preds defenseman Korbinian Holzer skates at Bridgestone Arena for the first time since being acquired by Nashville at Monday’s NHL Trade Deadline. Nashville Predators

“I’m a solid defenseman,” Holzer said. “I play defense first, [but I] try to get up in the rush when there’s an opportunity. But I’m a big guy, I play physical, I try to keep everybody honest out there, try to protect the goalie and I’m willing to block a lot of shots. [I want to] be good on the [penalty kill] and just play my role, try to do whatever it takes to help the team win.”

Holzer believes his new team has plenty of potential to win down the stretch, and as those in the game know well, no club makes it anywhere without their depth being tested. That’s where Holzer will likely come in at some point, and he couldn’t be happier to have the chance to contribute here in Nashville.

No doubt he’ll be making a run to the Predators Team Store sometime soon.

“We’re in a great spot [in the standings],” Holzer said. “[We just need to take it] game by game, and I think this is a great opportunity for this organization and this team to make up a lot of ground the rest of the season. Then, if you get in – and I know it sounds cliché – but if you get in, anything’s possible.”

The Coffee County CHS basketball teams found out on Monday & Tuesday who their 1^st round opponents will be for the opening round of the Region 4AAA basketball tournament.   The Lady Raiders found out on Monday night that they will face Blackman on Friday night in an opening round game.  The Red Raiders found out on Tuesday night that they will travel to Blackman on Saturday night for their opening round game. 

The Lady Raiders, who finished in 1^st place in the District 8AAA regular season and in 1^st place District 8AAA tournament, will host the Lady Blaze at 7 PM at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym.  The Lady Blaze finished the regular season as District 7AAA’s #1 seeded team as they finished with a 14 and 0 record in the district.  The Lady Blaze lost to Oakland and Stewarts Creek in the District 7AAA tournament to be the 4^th seeded team in the Region Tournament.  When contacted by Thunder Radio on Tuesday, Coach Joe Pat Cope had this to say about the home court advantage the Lady Raiders gain by playing at “The Patch”.

On Wednesday, we will talk to Red Raider head coach Micah Williams. 

The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and the Predators have begun the unofficial stretch run with two more points.

Ryan Ellis and Viktor Arvidsson scored power-play goals, as Nashville defeated the Ottawa Senators, 3-2, on Tuesday night at Bridgestone Arena. The result gives the Preds their second-straight victory and points in six of their last seven outings.

Plus – at least for the evening – Nashville has climbed back into a playoff spot for the first time since November. Not bad for a Tuesday night.

“[Our effort was] good,” Ellis said. “[Ottawa is a] young team over there, and they’re working really hard. We talked about our compete level, and I thought it was pretty good tonight. We need to keep doing that.”

“Even if it wasn’t necessarily the best start for us – I think Ottawa came out hard and wound up getting a lead – but we were able to respond,” Preds Head Coach John Hynes said. “We’re really figuring out – as games continue to go on – that there’s certain things, we have to do better, and the guys are responsive to it. It seems as though when things go well, we stay with it. But also the responses when things don’t go well have been, I’d say, more consistent and more focused on what needs to get done the right way.”

The Senators tallied first on Tuesday night when Thomas Chabot beat Juuse Saros less than five minutes into the contest, but exactly 20 seconds later, Colin Blackwell tied the game when he deposited a rebound in the crease.

“When you play with a lot of emotion, you kind of just black out when things like that happen,” Blackwell said of goal and subsequent celebration. “It was a big goal after they had just scored type of thing. I thought maybe a couple weeks ago the building got flat, maybe the bench got flat, but it’s just how we respond.”

Ottawa regained the lead late in the opening frame, but in the second stanza, Nashville’s power play went to work. First, it was Ellis, who snapped a shot past Craig Anderson on the man advantage for his first goal since returning from a 20-game hiatus. Then, Arvidsson tapped home a loose puck for the home team’s second power-play goal of the period for a 3-2 advantage after 40 minutes.

That was all the offense the Preds needed, because Saros continued to stand tall, stopping 33 shots in total by the time it was all over.

“It was a strong second… and I think that showed a lot of character,” Arvidsson said. “In the third too, we kept them off the scoresheet. I think Juuse played great in net. We managed to pull it out, and we played a solid 60 minutes.”

As Monday’s Trade Deadline came and went with the Preds remaining relatively quiet, General Manager David Poile expressed confidence in his group and the upward trajectory they appear to be attaining.

Tuesday’s win was another example of Nashville raising their level of play once more, and although it wasn’t perfect, the points are paramount.

“We are taking good strides in the right direction,” Ellis said. “Overall, I think our record is getting better and better and we seem to be somewhat clicking at the right time. It’s not going to be every shift, but it’s about the overall process of the game and the night in, night out. But things are looking up in this dressing room right now and guys are starting to work harder. Like we say, ’embrace the grind.’ I think we are on the right path.”

Notes:

Prior to Tuesday’s game, the Preds recalled goaltender Connor Ingram on an emergency basis from Milwaukee. Ingram served as the backup to Juuse Saros. Pekka Rinne did not dress due to illness.

Newcomer Korbinian Holzer was among the scratches for the Predators against the Senators. Yannick Weber and Austin Watson were also out of the lineup.

Colin Blackwell is now on a three-game point streak for the first time in his NHL career.

On home ice, the Preds are on a six-game winning streak against the Senators, a run that dates back to Oct. 9, 2014.

Nashville has scored at least three goals in 10 consecutive games versus the Senators.

Nashville’s five-game homestand continues on Thursday night at 7 p.m. CT when the Calgary Flames come to town. Colorado will visit Bridgestone Arena on Saturday, and Edmonton stops by on Monday.