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Load up on the rum & fried chicken

If, as Barry Melrose Rocks posited the other day, the Nashvile Predators stretch drive for the playoffs most resembles the film Major League, then hopefully someone in that locker room has set up the shrine to Jobu (I'm guessing Radulov, as his scoring touch seems to have departed of late):

Jobu shrine from the movie Major League

The funny thing is, the Major League-style drama is really what was avoided when Gary Bettman stepped in to put the kabosh on Jim Balsillie's purchase of the team last summer. Balsillie was all set to purchase the team and submarine their performance in order to trigger the paid attendance clause in their lease and pack the team off to Hamilton, where he'd already made his arena deal and started taking deposits for Predators season tickets.

The bottom line here is that although the last few days have gone well in the playoff hunt (victories over Columbus and Chicago, while Vancouver stumbled against Calgary and Colorado), much still needs to fall into place to assure a post-season slot. Friday's game in Columbus is the next stop, and you have to wonder whether Ken Hitchcock's whining about Jordin Tootoo will motivate his guys, or merely serve as a distraction.
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