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Game 25: Avalanche At Predators, Preview And Open Thread

By Joe Dunman

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Matchavalanche_medium
Vs_medium
 Matchpredators_medium
Colorado Avalanche
Nashville Predators
12-12-0 December 4, 2008 12-10-2
Sommet Center
Nashville, TN

Normally, since I live relatively close to the fine city of Nash Vegas, I try to attend at least one meeting between the Avalanche and the Predators each season. But with finals ongoing, weeknight scheduling and other imminent travel plans, I won't be in attendance tonight at the Sommet Center. Which is probably for the best, since I've only seen the Avs win once in Nashville (out of five chances).
Last year, I went to the Predators' home opener against the Avs, and sat miserable in my tiny, top-level seat with the multiple realizations that I 1) had blown more than $150 on gasoline and crap tickets and crap food, 2) had to sit among a bunch of enormous people who must have gotten lost on their way to a NASCAR race, and 3) had to witness the most pathetic 4-0 shutout loss in recent Avalanche history. The Avs' front office never did respond to my invoice for the expenses, either. Jerks.
Without me there to jinx them (it's the old school Nordiques jersey that does it, I just know it), the Avs will probably do much better tonight. The Predators haven't been able to string together multiple victories since mid-November, and even though they're coming off a 2-0 shutout against Buffalo on Monday, they've lost four of their last seven. There also seems to be a bit of a goalie battle brewing between starter Dan Ellis (8-10-2, 3.06, .893) and youngster Pekka Rinne (4-0-0, 2.78, .898). Rinne had the shutout against the Sabres and has started two of the last three games, after a string of ten consecutive starts by Ellis. Rinne will get the start again tonight.
For the Avs, Big Bad Peter Budaj will be netting it up, looking for the same winning result as on Monday against the Wild, but this time with a slightly better save percentage than .706. That atrocious performance dropped his save percentage for the season back down to the precarious personal precipice of .900. I'll take "Annoying Alliteration" for a thousand, Alec.
The same guys who were injured before are still injured for the Avs. Joe Sakic, Ben Guite, Adam Foote and Darcy Tucker are all out and will remain so for a while. We might as well pretend they don't exist. That definitely won't be a problem as far as Tucker is concerned, I'm sure.
The Avs will be counting on a repeat of the offensive firepower they had in their game on Monday and hopefully will remember how to play defense at the same time. I know it's tough, but somehow they've got to make it work. For me.
ESPN preview.


























GP MIN W L T EGA GA GAA SA SV SV% SO
2008 - Peter Budaj 21 1207 9 11 0 1 56 2.78 562 506 .900 1





























GP MIN W L T EGA GA GAA SA SV SV% SO
2008 - Pekka Rinne 6 281 4 0 0 0 13 2.78 127 114 .898 1