Hockey is back, anyone as FREAKIN excited as I am!

[KBT]

The Preds are on a 4 game winning streak with the 2nd most points in the Western Conference only behind the Detroit Red Wings! The Preds are now 12-2-3 with 27 points and are now 9-1-0 at home which is tied for the best home record in the entire NHL. Not many were at tonights game because of the tornados, only 10,000 which is awful considering how great the Preds have been playing all season.

A huge game is coming up for the Preds, next Monday against the Red Wings, their first game against the division leader.

[Mitchapalooza]

Alright Canucks with the win over San Jose tonight.

After 3 losses, the Canucks are finally starting to pick it up again with the win over Detroit and tonight's win.

Tomorrow it is the tough LA Kings, lets make it a 3-game winning streak.

[Tara]

GO Kings GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mitchapalooza]

Well nice to see the Canucks come out of their California road trip winning 2 of the 3 games they played. They now have won 3 of their last 4 games (wins against ANA, DET & SJ, with the NEAR loss to LA).

Now its back home for a two game homestand against Chicago and Colorado

[ericlizafan]

Sens are still on fire, I'm loving it! The Alfie-Heatley-Spezza line has to be without a doubt, the best line in hockey.

[Toups]

DETROIT (AP-CP) - Detroit Red Wings defenceman Jiri Fischer suffered a seizure and had his heart stop on the team's bench during the first period of an NHL game against the Nashville Predators on Monday night.

Fischer was given CPR at the bench by team physician Dr. Tony Colucci before the 25-year-old native of the Czech Republic was removed on a stretcher. He was taken to hospital and listed in stable condition.

"His heart was stopped," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "They hooked up the auto defibrillator and shocked him."

Team spokesman John Hahn said Fischer was taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital and was stable, breathing on his own and responsive.

"It's our understanding, the reports from the hospital, that he is fine and he will be fine," Babcock said.

Play did not resume and the game was called with 7:31 left in the first period. Nashville was leading 1-0 at the time.

Fischer was worked on by medical personnel for several minutes before being wheeled back toward the Red Wings dressing room.

Play was stopped after the Wings alerted officials to a problem on the bench. The teams were immediately sent to their dressing rooms, but some Detroit players remained near the bench and looked on while CPR was administered.

"First of all, everybody is definitely caught by surprise," Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman said. "We turn and see Jiri laying between the boards and the bench and we're not sure why.

"You fear for the guy's life at that moment. I can't remember anything like that."

Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan stayed on the ice and helped Fischer's fiancee, Avery, across the surface to be with him.

"Obviously, she was very worried and concerned. She just wanted to be next to Jiri," said Shanahan.

The decision was made to resurface the ice then, and the remaining time was to be added to the second period.

The game was later called.

"It was obvious to everybody involved that it was the right decision," Predators coach Barry Trotz said. "It was very disturbing to both sides and I think the NHL recognized it, the players recognized it. To be quite honest, the game became very secondary. When a friend or a teammate was in danger like Jiri was in, then the decision was made for everybody to reschedule it."

It was not immediately clear whether the game would be played in its entirety or resume from the point of the stoppage.

"Our primary objective is that Jiri is taken care of," Trotz said.

Fans at Joe Louis Arena were not immediately told what was happening and many were shown talking on cellphones. An in-house PA announcer later told the crowd that Fischer was "alert and responsive" more than 40 minutes after play was stopped. A loud cheer went up.

Fischer, who played for the QMJHL's Hull Olympiques, is in his sixth NHL season and won a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2002.

He was diagnosed with a heart abnormality in September 2002, causing him to miss two days of practice. The problem was found on an electrocardiogram as part of a routine battery of tests during the Red Wings' pre-season physicals. When the result was abnormal, Fischer was given a stress test that he passed.

"There is a little abnormality, but nothing that will stop me from playing," Fischer said at the time. "It's nothing that will bother me emotionally."

He said that his heart essentially is a little thicker than normal.

"I wasn't scared about the abnormality," Fischer said. "But I was scared about not playing hockey again. That was a shock for me."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

WOW. I hope he'll be okay.

[Mitchapalooza]

Yah I saw the highlights for this game, looked really scary. Sounds like he is ok though, he is awake and talking and everything so I think he will be ok.

[ericlizafan]

There is some more bad news on the hockey front, yesterday afternoon Senator's forward Chris Neil's mother was killed in a car accident in his home town of Flesherton, ON...south of Barrie I believe. She was by herself. Neil had just finished the morning skate in Carolina when he got the call. This is really sad, it was so sudden. I love you Chris, and you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers...you have my deepest sympathies.

[Mitchapalooza]

^^

That is so awful I hope he is ok.

Happy to see the Nucks pull out another strong win last night against the Blackhawks.

[Toups]

[Toups]

Boston traded Joe Thorton - their franchise player!! Their GM is an idiot! They got nothing in return from San Jose. If Boston wanted to make a change, they should've fired their coach.

[Mitchapalooza]

^^

OMG I know tell me about. What is Boston THINKING!!

They absolutely got the worst of that deal and this is going to cause major franchise problems for the Bruins.

That would be like Van City trading Marcus Naslund or Calgary trading Ignila or Ottaw trading Alfreddson or Heatley.

[KBT]

My Preds are doing awesome, and 2nd in the Western Conference while playing 4 fewer games than the Red Wings and Canucks who are in 1st and 3rd!

They are now 16-4-3 and 12-2-0 at home.

One thing I am not happy about though is the pathetic crowds that show up on the weekdays..this week was 12,000 and 10,000...PITIFUL.

I do think Nashville is one of the smaller markets but still the crowds should be bigger.

[Mitchapalooza]

Nope they are not 2nd in the West Kirk. They are 4th. Don't forget the three teams leading their division take 1st, 2nd and 3rd, then 4th goes to the next highest team after the first three (which would be Nashville).

Western Conferece is this as of right now:

1.) Detroit* (1st in Central Division)

2.) Vancouver* (1st in Northwest Division)

3.) Dallas* (1st in Pacific Division)

4.) Nashville

5.) Los Angeles

6.) Calgary

7.) Colorado

8.) Edmonton

9.) Phoenix

10.) Anaheim

11.) Minnesota

12.) Chicago

13.) San Jose

14.) Columbus

15.) St. Louis

While conference placing is what matters in the end as it determines playoff matchups, Nashville IS 4th in the League.

The only way Nashville will ever enter the Top 3 in the West is if they take 1st place from Detroit in the Central Division. If the playoffs started today Nashville would be taking on the Flames in Round 1.

[Hartless]

Man Ottawa has this thing where they lose to cruddy teams...Boston? I mean really....ah well, hopefully we get that back tonight.