The Nashville Predators finally finished up their longest road trip of the season. While it ended with a dud on Sunday afternoon, the entire trip was a success. The Preds went 3-1-2 during the six-game road trip, picking up eight out of a possible 12 points. They still have a firm grip on second place in the Central, leading Dallas by eight points and only trail Winnipeg by two points for first place. The Preds are getting healthy at the right time and should be right in the thick of things for the second half of the season.
PRINCE FILIP RETURNS
Filip Forsberg returned to game action and made his presence known. Forsberg had four goals this week to give him 18 on the season. It really sucks that he got hurt and missed so much time. I really thought he was going to hit the 40-goal mark this season. It says a lot about the team when Forsberg missed as many games as he did, and still leads the team in goals. He’ll carry the team the rest of the season.
CAREER HIGH FOR SISSONS
Colton Sissons may be one of the most improved players on the roster this year. He’s already set a career high in goals and we just now hit the halfway mark. He’s had to play a more offensive role with all the injuries, and for the most part he’s risen to the occasion. Here’s hoping he can keep the offense going along with all of his other responsibilities.
TRADE DEADLINE APPROACHING
We’ve hit the halfway point so that means the trade deadline is right around the corner. With just over a month to go, the rumors are already starting to get rolling. The Preds have been linked to a few names so far, like Wayne Simmonds and Gustav Nyquist. I really think the Preds need a power forward that can park himself in front of the net and make life miserable for the defense. We’ll see what David Poile has up his sleeve come February 25th.
THREE STARS OF THE WEEK
First Star – Filip Forsberg – Four goals this week right off IR. Forsberg has the talent to carry the Preds offensively. Hopefully this is the start of one of his hot streaks.
Second Star – Colton Sissons – Three goals and two assists this week for Sissons. He also set a career high in goals with ten. He’s been one of the most improved players on the roster this year. Good to see him have some success.
Third Star – Mattias Ekholm – Two goals and four assists for Ekholm this week. This has easily been his best season. Ekholm is the forgotten piece of the defense, but he’s been outstanding this year. Overall, he’s probably been the best defensemen on the Preds this year.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Three games on tap this week, all at home. Tuesday night, the defending Stanley Cup champs make their one and only trip to Bridgestone Arena. Then it’s a huge game against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night. First place could be on the line in that game. Then it’s the Florida Panthers on Saturday night to wrap the week up.
Be sure to check out the Talking Preds Podcast. New episodes almost weekly. Be sure to follow along on Twitter and Facebook for live tweeting during the games along with something new we’re trying out. For certain games, I’ll be jumping on live during intermissions, pre-game, or post-game with thoughts on the game. Love to have some good hockey discussion so follow along and let me know what you guys think.
Herbie Brooks is the Lead Nashville Predators Analyst for SoBros Network. He knows three things: beating Commies, winning Gold Medals, and having great hair. Follow him on Twitter: @SoBroHerbie_B
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