Well, the Stars are the champs, at least as far as the general NHL
population is concerned. However, in these parts, the big hockey
story is still the Nashville Predators. After a phenomenal first
season in which they exceeded all expectations on the ice and off,
people are champing at the bit for the opportunity to "Get Bit" all
over again. There were so many highlights this season, it's hard
to narrow them down, so here's what we'll do...
The Top 15 Predators Memories of 1998-99
15. Banner raised to the roof of the arena in tribute to the fans
of the Predators - April 17, 1999
14. Opening Night - 1-0 Loss to Florida Panthers on October
10, 1998
13. David Legwand taking the ice on closing night for his first
NHL game -the future skates in
12. First franchise goal - Andrew Brunette's reviewed tally against
Carolina
11. Wayne Gretzky's one and only visit to Nashville - a stellar
performance from the Great One, who tallied five assists in the
Rangers' 7-5 win.
10. First franchise victory - defeated Carolina Hurricanes
9. Fang-tastic Finale - loss to NJ Devils on last night. Entire
Predators squad gave game jerseys off their backs to lucky fans
8. Scott Walker's "spin-o-rama" goal against the Dallas Stars
7. Tomas Voukoun's shutout of the Phoenix Coyotes - first-ever
for the franchise
6. Halloween victory over the Colorado Avalanche . . . scary stuff
5. Cliff Ronning's goal in last minute to defeat St. Louis Blues
4. Mike Dunham's 51 save performance against the Detroit Red Wings
3. Sergei Krivokrasov's goal with less than half a minute to go
to defeat (eventual Stanley Cup champs) Dallas Stars
2. Sebastien Bordeleau's overtime goal for the 3-2 victory over
the New Jersey Devils on January 30, 1999
1. December 23, 1998 - Merry Christmas! A 6-3 victory over
defending Stanley Cup Champions Detroit Red Wings (Editor's note:
Dec. 23rd, ironically, is also Ace Reporter Jim Iovino's birthday.
Another reason to celebrate).
All of these events were crucial in creating something special in
Nashville. The questions that were asked about the wisdom of the
NHL's decision to grant a franchise to the town most known for its
status as country music capital of the world were all answered.
The work of Jack Diller, David Poile and the rest of the Predators
front office made Craig Leipold's vision come to life. The
Nashville Arena was the loudest in the league and the fans the most
loyal. Unlike Bud Adams' mishandling of the Houston Oliers move to
Nashville, every move made by the Preds was golden and succeeded in
hooking fan after fan. Case in point: attendance steadily rose
throughout the season, culminating in a fantastic final month in
which every game was sold out.
Overall, the Predators had an exceptional first year both on the ice
and off. They earned the respect of many other squads for their hard
work and intensity and managed to score victories over all of the top
squads in the league. They finished up this year as the only
franchise never to lose in hallowed Maple Leaf Gardens (0-0-1) and
were able to beat every team in the Western conference. The only
thing that remains to be seen is whether or not they can match their
performance next year.
Team MVP
Cliff Ronning was acquired from the Phoenix Coyotes and
quickly became a leader on the team and a fan favorite. The team's
leading scorer, with 20 goals and 40 assists, the Rat scored one of
the most memorable goals of the season against the St. Louis Blues.
Surprise of the Year
Tomas Vokoun was the first string goalie for the Milwaukee
Admirals and the beginning of the year and by the end of the year
was competing with Mike Dunham for the top spot with the big team.
Because of the injuries to the goaltenders up in Nashville (Dunham
and Eric Fichaud), Vokoun wound up playing almost half of the
Preds' games and notched the franchise's first shutout against
Phoenix.
Disappointment of the Year
The only disappointing thing about the year was that it ended.
Off-Season Changes
The Predators could do a lot over the summer, but there are a few
problems they need to solve. The largest of these - pardon the pun
- is the issue of team size. The Predators do not have anyone up
front who can take up space and disrupt other team's netminders,
especially on the power play. They also need to shore up with some
bigger defensemen...potentially that one nasty man who makes
everyone glad he's on your team. Don't look for any big moves from
David Poile leading up to the draft, even though the Preds have at
least eight picks in the first three rounds, they do not have one
of the choice picks (1-4) in the draft. They also do not have the
budget to go after any big free-agents, so while there should be no
stunning moves made this summer, the addition of David Legwand to
the squad next year should boost the offensive output.
Well, that's all folks. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
