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As the arrow of time advances from summer to fall, we can all rejoice at the impending return of the NHL. Here at 4th Line Towers we can’t wait to watch some proper hockey again. This year we’re approaching our previews in a different way; the word count for each team’s preview has been dictated by the number of points that team scored last season. To further mix things up, we’ve divvied up the teams between our writers and some special guests. Let the Central division preview begin! Nashville Predators – Mike Laybourne 2017/18: 117 points For a good preview on the Preds, go read last season’sRead More →

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The Nashville Predators came into the NHL playoffs expected to be a real contender for the Stanley Cup, and many believed that they were poised to make a return to the Stanley Cup Final.  They won the President’s Trophy; they had a historic season where they dominated on their home sheet of ice, and on the road. The Preds were the big tough schoolyard bully, and they came into the 2018 NHL Playoffs ready to shakedown some opponents and take their allowance. That is not what’s happened. Shakedown Street? The Preds rolled into the first round looking to annihilate the wounded Colorado Avalanche. A teamRead More →

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The scene is now set in the for the second round games in the Western Conference, with the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets vying for a place in the Conference final. We’ve already previewed the Golden Knights Vs Sharks series, now it’s time for the Central division match-up: How did we get here? Before Jacob Trouba‘s game winning goal in the first period sealed the deal on Friday, the last time an NHL team in Winnipeg made the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs was in 1987. That was with the original iteration of the Winnipeg Jets. The current franchise has never been ableRead More →

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While the world has united in global candlelit vigils over Auston Matthews‘ mysterious upper body injury; we should take a moment to remember that hockey also exists outside of Toronto. Actually, let’s go back to the mid 90s when music was still good and Nashville wanted its own hockey team. In 1994, perhaps optimistically, construction started on the Nashville Arena, now the Bridgestone Arena. The plan was optimistic because there was no major league sports team lined up as a tenant. The Sacramento Kings said no. The New Jersey Devils kicked the tyres on the new house, no doubt tempted by the $20 million relocationRead More →

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It’s game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals and you win a puck battle along the boards and have a clear shot for the net. You stride down the ice, and net the sickest wrist shot over the goaltenders left shoulder. That’s it! Your team has won it, you scored the game winning goal in the biggest game of your life. You’re 24 or 25 years-old and on the top of the world. You turn around with your arms up in the air waiting to see your teammates rushing to mob you, instead you see them just skating to you with “meh” like smiles onRead More →

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As the great Carl Landra once said, “Pekka Rinne is not that good and the Chicago Blackhawks have quite the scoring depth!” Well after their first playoff sweep in Nashville history, it appears otherwise. Conceding a mere three goals against one of the leagues highest scoring teams, Rinne was important to this success. Sharp and focused from game 1 onwards, the Finn was like a wall in net. Facing over 125 shots in this series, Rinne read each one like a book. Posting a record of 31-19-9 during the regular season, the 34-year-old’s contribution was overlooked. Nashville barely scraped into the playoffs and many expectedRead More →

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The season is just days away, and we’ve reached part three of our series looking previewing each team’s schedules. Until Prudhoe Bay, Alaska gets an NHL team (sort it out Bettman), the farthest distance between two teams is the trip from the Vancouver Canucks to the Florida Panthers. A journey by air of 2,780 miles. Considering that the Canucks are one of the worst teams in the NHL, they could save a whole of rainforest by just sending the two points by email with the subject title ‘foregone conclusion’. Geographically speaking, the closest teams in the NHL, perhaps unsurprisingly are the New York Rangers andRead More →

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Since the 2004-5 lockout the James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded to the league’s best defenseman, has been won 6 different players. These players are Drew Doughty, Erik Karlsson, Duncan Keith, P.K. Subban, Nicklas Lidstrom and Zdeno Chara. Of these winners, every single player made the playoffs the year that they won. For all but three years the winner was in the top 2 in points for defenseman. The exceptions are Doughty was 10th in 2015-16, Chara was 13th in 2008-09 and Lidstrom was 5th in 2006-07. Looking ahead to 2016-17, as much as it’d be nice to put the best shut down D on thisRead More →

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The guys are back as they talk about the opening games of the World Cup of Hockey, including the Americans struggles, Canada’s excellence, Rinne’s struggles and the speed of the young guns. They also predict the finalists and talk about the potential outcomes of contract situations for restricted free agents like Gaudreau and Kucherov. Joel tries to get into a feud with Bailey from the the LA Kings, they talk best Twitter follows in hockey, and try to plan how to go to a game in Vegas with so many season tickets sold. Carl and Joel then preview the entire Central division, going from theRead More →