Last night’s hard-fought contest between the Red Wings and Predators – seeded fourth and fifth in the West, respectively – could have been a playoff preview. If you were not aware that is was March instead of April, however, you may have mistaken it for being a playoff game.
As usual, there were plenty of Red Wings fans in attendance. But the atmosphere in a sold out Bridgestone Arena was electric from the get-go, giving fans a taste of what is on the horizon next month.
“You had a lot of Detroit fans that came to our fine city and spent their money, which is great. But our fans were drowning them out,” head coach Barry Trotz said after the 3-2 win against the Red Wings.
“It’s always a good rivalry and always good to be on the bench. As we went out [to the ice] I said to [assistant coach] Lane Lambert, as the fans were the booing the Red Wings, ‘You better cover your ears right away because it’s going to be loud when we step out.’”
How loud was it in the arena when the Predators hit the ice? Smashville 24/7’s decibel meter reached 111 dB. It stayed that way once the puck dropped, as the on-ice action felt like the playoffs, too.
“The fans really showed up and it was a good advantage for us,” goaltender Pekka Rinne said. “At times I think we needed them; a few times we were in trouble. It gives us a lot of energy when we have fans like we do.”
Games against Detroit always have a different atmosphere in Bridgestone Arena. Tonight the fans took it to the next level, which made it feel like the playoffs had come early.
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The Morning After:
Yesterday’s results:
Predators 3, Red Wings 2
Smashville 24/7 3 stars of the night:
1. Andrei Kostitsyn (2 goals)
2. David Legwand (3 assists)
3. Sergei Kostitsyn (2 assists)
Recaps around the blogosphere:
| Preds On The Glass | Inside Smashville | Section 303 |
| Puck Scene | Hockey Night in Nashville | On The Forecheck |
Play of the game:
