2 0 1 0 P L A Y O F F M E D I A G U I D E - Nashville Predators

PREDATORS IN ELITE CLASS WITH FIVE STRAIGHT 40-WIN/23 HOME WIN SEASONSThe Predators finished the 2009-10 season with a 47-29-6 record (100 points), the third-best mark in franchisehistory. The victory total vaulted Nashville into an elite class of just five teams who have reached the 40-win markin five consecutive seasons (San Jose, New Jersey, Calgary, and Detroit are the others). In the five NHL seasonssince 2005-06, the Predators have amassed 228 victories, the fifth-most in the League, and third-most in the WesternConference. Additionally, the club has 131 home victories since the start of the 2005-06 campaign, tied for the thirdmostin that span behind only Detroit (136) and New Jersey (132). The Predators are one of just four teams (withDetroit, New Jersey and Minnesota) to have at least 23 home victories in each of the last five campaigns.Going back one more season to 2003-04, Nashville is one of just four Western Conference teams, and one of eightteams overall, to make the playoffs at least five times.ROAD WARRIORSNashville finished with a 23-15-3 (49 points) mark on the road this season, tying the franchise record for roadvictories and points previously attained during the 2006-07 season. Four times in 2009-10, the Preds reeled off atleast four straight wins away from Bridgestone Arena, something that had only been done three times total in thefranchise’s first 10 seasons. Twice the team put together five-game road winning streaks (March 12-April 3 andDec. 29-Jan. 15) and a four-game winning streak Dec. 4-19 was part of a 6-0-1 run from Nov. 12-Dec. 19 which tiedthe club mark for consecutive away games with a point. Nashville’s 23 wins was tied for the League’s fourth-highesttotal in 2009-10, and it was one of just five teams (along with Washington, San Jose, Chicago and Los Angeles) togross at least 23 wins both at home and on the road.The Predators road record was made possible by their 92 even-strength goals – the second-most road goals in theLeague – and overall goal total which was fifth highest (115).NASHVILLE CLUTCH IN EXTRA TIMEThe Predators posted a 14-6 record in their 20 games that required overtime or a shootout in 2009-10, setting afranchise record for extra-session wins in a season. Seven of the club’s final 13 games of the regular season requiredextra time, with Nashville posting a 6-1 record in those games. Nashville’s .700 winning percentage was good forsecond in the NHL. The Predators posted a 6-2 record in games determined in the five-minute overtime period, andan 8-4 mark in shootouts. Five players accounted for the six overtime goals, with David Legwand – the franchise’sall-time leader in overtime points (7g-5a) – scoring twice. Three of the six goals came in the first minute of suddendeath. Nashville netminders Dan Ellis and Pekka Rinne led the charge in shootouts, combining to post a .764 savepercentage, fourth-best in the League. Ellis posted a .800 save percentage in three appearances, good for fifth in theNHL. Rinne meanwhile, finished strong, stopping 18 of the last 20 attempts he faced to finish with a .756 savepercentage. He was one of only two goalies to face at least 25 shootout attempts and post a save percentage greaterthan .750. An NHL-high 41 of those attempts came on Bridgestone Arena Ice, where he posted a .780 savepercentage, fourth-best among goalies facing at least 15 attempts. Among shooters, Martin Erat led the way, going5-for-11 – tied for eighth-best (45.4 percent) among shooters taking at least 10 attempts – with three shootoutdecidingmarkers, tied for fourth-best in the NHL.PREDATORS SET FRANCHISE RECORD FOR WINS IN A MONTHWith an 11-5-1 record in March 2010, the Predators set a franchise record for wins and points in a single month. Theprevious marks were 10 wins attained four times (January 2004, November 2006, January 2007 and February 2009),and 22 points set with a 10-4-2-0 record in January 2004. Nashville’s banner March included a six-game winningstreak from the 12th to the 21st and a 4-1 mark in overtime, which five of the last nine games of the month required.It was also just the second time in franchise history the Predators played as many as 17 games in a single month –they went 6-8-3-0 in January 2002, another Olympic year. Additionally, the Preds went 9-0-1 in one-goal gamesduring the month.TROTZ HITS SIXTH ON PAIR OF ALL-TIME LISTSPredators head coach Barry Trotz reached a couple of milestones as his 11 th season behind the Nashville benchcame to a close. On April 3 at Detroit, he recorded his 900 th game coached – all behind Nashville’s bench –becoming just the sixth coach in NHL history to reach the mark with a single team. Al Arbour (1,499 with N.Y.Islanders) ranks first on the games coached with a single team list, while Billy Reay (1,012 with Chicago), LindyRuff (979 with Buffalo), Jack Adams (964 with Detroit) and Toe Blake (914 with Montreal) round out the top five.With a victory over the Red Wings that afternoon, the Dauphin, Man., native, tied Scotty Bowman’s 410 wins withDetroit for sixth on the wins with a single team list. He moved into sole possession of sixth place with a win over St.Louis in the season finale. Arbour’s 739 wins with the Islanders tops that list, followed by Ruff (481), Glen Sather(464 with Edmonton), Dick Irvin (431 with Montreal) and Bowman’s 419 wins with Montreal.