 |  |  |
| Nashville Predators | 9:30 pm ET / 7:30 pm MT | Colorado Avalanche |
| 17-15-3 | December 29, 2008 | 18-16-1 |
| 37 points | Pepsi Center | 37 Points |
| T-8th in West | Denver, CO | T-8th in West |
This will be a brief preview because I hate the Nashville Predators and the less I talk about them the happier I am. The Avs are in an interesting position right now. They've moved into playoff contention once again, this time in a three-way tie for the final spot with Edmonton and Nashville. Each team has 37 points. The Avs are also in their first win streak since December 9th and they're now two games above .500. That's a nice change of pace.
The goalie carousel also seems to be on hiatus, at least for now, since Peter Budaj had a strong game (especially in the third period, overtime and the shootout) against the Red Wings. Where he used to be highly suspect in the late minutes of games, he's now solid as a rock. He'll get the start tonight against Pekka Rinne.
Unfortunately, the Avs continue to face injury issues and still have to rely on Tyler Arnason as the first line center. He put up five shots on goal against Detroit, but got no points and was not particularly useful, even though both his linemates (Ryan Smyth and Milan Hejduk) had better nights. TJ Hensick, who on paper should be the second line pivot man, is deep in Tony Granato's dog house and may see even fewer minutes. The Avs need him more than ever, so hopefully he can shake the hockey monkey off his back.
Here's hoping the Avs can win another and claim a firm spot in the playoff picture, even with the weak lineup.
ESPN preview.