2007–08 Nashville Predators season


The 2007–08 Nashville Predators season began October 4, 2007. It was their tenth season in the National Hockey League.
The 2007 off-season was dominated by the attempted purchase of the Predators by Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie, who signed a letter of intent to purchase the team for at least $220 million. The attempted sale led to widespread speculation that Balsillie intended to relocate the team to Hamilton, Ontario, if the Predators failed to reach a 14,000 paid average attendance in 2007–08, allowing the team to break its lease. Balsillie had already entered negotiations on a lease at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton. Despite calling the negotiations a "contingency plan," Balsillie petitioned the NHL to decide on his ability to relocate the franchise at the same time the NHL Board of Governors voted on his purchase of the team. However, the deal was ended by Predators Owner Craig Leipold on June 22, as he informed the NHL that he was pulling out of the agreement due to a lack of a finalized sale agreement and over concerns that Balsillie would relocate the team to Hamilton.
On August 1, a group led by local businessman David Freeman issued a letter of intent to purchase the Predators. The sale was approved by the Board of Governors on November 29.
In January, it was revealed that former Predators Owner Craig Leipold was purchasing the majority share in the Minnesota Wild.
Key dates prior to the start of the season:
On November 15, 2007, Martin Erat scored just 19 seconds into the overtime period to give the Predators a 5–4 home win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Thrashers' Marian Hossa would tie that mark in overtime on December 23, 2007, in a 3–2 Atlanta road win over the St. Louis Blues. Both goals would prove to be the fastest overtime goals scored during the 2007–08 regular season.

Divisional standings

Conference standings

Game log

October

Record: 4–7–0; Home: 4–2–0; Road: 0–5–0
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
1October 4Colorado0 – 4NashvilleMason16,3631–0–02
2October 6Dallas1 – 5NashvilleMason13,0792–0–04
3October 10Nashville1 – 4St. LouisMason19,1502–1–04
4October 11Phoenix6 – 3NashvilleMason12,1552–2–04
5October 13Calgary7 – 4NashvilleMason13,1522–3–04
6October 17Nashville1 – 3AnaheimMason17,1742–4–04
7October 20Nashville0 – 3San JoseMason17,4962–5–04
8October 23Nashville0 – 6Los AngelesMason14,0262–6–04
9October 25Atlanta0 – 3NashvilleEllis13,3833–6–06
10October 27Florida3 – 4NashvilleEllis15,7674–6–08
11October 30Nashville1 – 5CalgaryMason19,2894–7–08

November

Record: 8–2–2; Home: 3–1–1; Road: 5–1–1
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
12November 1Nashville3 – 0VancouverEllis18,6305–7–010
13November 2Nashville4 – 1EdmontonEllis16,8396–7–012
14November 4Nashville5 – 2ChicagoMason12,0867–7–014
15November 7Nashville3 – 2DetroitSOMason16,8857–7–115
16November 10Columbus4 – 3NashvilleSOMason15,9478–7–117
17November 12Nashville4 – 1ColumbusMason12,5549–7–119
18November 15Chicago4 – 5NashvilleOTMason15,35310–7–121
19November 17St. Louis3 – 2NashvilleSOMason15,24610–7–222
20November 19Nashville1 – 2St. LouisMason15,23910–8–222
21November 22Detroit2 – 3NashvilleMason14,34611–8–224
22November 24Minnesota4 – 3NashvilleMason12,63911–9–224
23November 29Nashville6 – 5OttawaEllis19,53812–9–226

December

Record: 6–9–0; Home: 3–4–0; Away: 4–5–0
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
24December 1Nashville5 - 4MontrealSOEllis21,27313-9-228
25December 4Nashville1 - 3TorontoMason19,40013-10-228
26December 6Vancouver5 - 2NashvilleEllis15,91813-11-228
27December 8Anaheim2 - 4NashvilleMason13,46914-11-230
28December 10Detroit2 - 1NashvilleEllis15,05614-12-230
29December 13Colorado2 - 1NashvilleMason12,45614-13-230
30December 15Nashville1 - 3ColoradoMason16,58214-14-230
31December 18Nashville2 - 3MinnesotaEllis18,56814-15-230
32December 19Nashville2 - 5ChicagoEllis14,15114-16-230
33December 22Los Angeles3 - 4NashvilleEllis15,69815-16-232
34December 23Nashville3 - 1ColumbusMason15,48116-16-234
35December 26Nashville2 - 5ChicagoMason20,51116-17-234
36December 27Columbus3 - 4NashvilleMason14,33117-17-236
37December 29San Jose5 - 2NashvilleMason13,29817-18-236
38December 31Nashville1 - 0DallasEllis18,58418-18-238

January

Record: 8–3–3; Home: 5–1–1; Road: 3–2–2
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
39January 3Edmonton2 – 5NashvilleEllis12,67619–18–240
40January 5Minnesota1 – 4NashvilleEllis17,11320–18–242
41January 7Nashville2 – 5AnaheimEllis17,17420–19–242
42January 8Nashville7 – 0Los AngelesMason14,75121–19–244
43January 12Nashville1 – 2ColumbusSOMason16,23021–19–345
44January 13Chicago3 – 2NashvilleSOEllis12,48421–19–446
45January 15Calgary0 – 3NashvilleMason11,76422–19–448
46January 17Anaheim2 – 1NashvilleMason14,19322–20–448
47January 19Nashville5 – 2St. LouisMason19,27523–20–450
48January 21St. Louis3 – 6NashvilleMason13,64224–20–452
49January 22Nashville4 – 0ColoradoEllis15,23525–20–454
50January 24Nashville3 – 4PhoenixOTMason12,62225–20–555
51January 29Nashville1 – 3BostonMason14,15025–21–555
52January 31Columbus2 – 4NashvilleMason13,74526–21–557

February

Record: 6–4–3 ; Home: 5–2–2 ; Road: 1–2–1
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
53February 2Phoenix2 – 3NashvilleEllis27–21–559
54February 5Carolina0 – 1NashvilleEllis28–21–561
55February 7Tampa Bay2 – 1NashvilleOTEllis28–21–662
56February 9Nashville3 – 4San JoseEllis28–22–662
57February 10Nashville6 – 3PhoenixEllis29–22–664
58February 12Detroit2 – 4NashvilleEllis30–22–666
59February 14Chicago6 – 1NashvilleMason30–23–666
60February 16St. Louis1 – 2NashvilleEllis31–23–668
61February 17Nashville4 – 5MinnesotaOTEllis31–23–769
62February 19Edmonton4 – 5NashvilleEllis32–23–771
63February 21Vancouver3 – 2NashvilleOTEllis32–23–872
64February 23Dallas6 – 3NashvilleEllis32–24–872
65February 27Nashville4 – 8BuffaloMason32–25–872

March

Record: 7-6-1; Home: 2-4-0; Road: 5-2-1
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
66March 1Nashville3 – 1DallasEllis18,58433–25–874
67March 4Nashville5 – 1EdmontonEllis16,83934–25–876
68March 6Nashville2 – 6VancouverEllis18,63034–26–876
69March 7Nashville2 – 1CalgaryEllis19,28935–26–878
70March 9Nashville3 – 4DetroitMason20,06635–27–878
71March 11San Jose2 – 1NashvilleEllis14,96535–28–878
72March 13Los Angeles4 – 1NashvilleEllis15,85335–29–878
73March 15Nashville3 – 1DetroitEllis20,06636–29–880
74March 18Washington4 – 2NashvilleEllis17,11336–30–880
75March 20Detroit6 – 3NashvilleMason17,11336–31–880
76March 22Chicago1 – 2NashvilleSOEllis17,11337–31–882
77March 25Columbus0 – 3NashvilleEllis16,33038–31–884
78March 28Nashville2 – 0ColumbusEllis15,59539–31–886
79March 30Nashville0 – 1DetroitOTEllis20,06639–31–987

April

Record: 2-1-0; Home: 1-0-0; Road: 1-1-0
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
80April 1Nashville4 – 3St. LouisOTMason17,35740–31–989
81April 3St. Louis2 – 3NashvilleEllis17,11341–31–991
82April 4Nashville1 – 3ChicagoMason21,92941–32–991

Playoffs

Western Conference">Western Conference (NHL)">Western Conference Quarter-finals: [Detroit Red Wings] (1) vs. Nashville Predators (8)

Red Wings win series 4–2.
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceSeries
1April 10Nashville1 – 3DetroitEllis20,0660 – 1
2April 12Nashville2 – 4DetroitEllis20,0660 – 2
3April 14Detroit3 – 5NashvilleEllis17,1131 – 2
4April 16Detroit2 – 3NashvilleEllis17,1132 – 2
5April 18Nashville1 – 2Detroit1OTEllis20,0662 – 3
6April 20Detroit3 – 0NashvilleEllis17,1132 – 4

Player stats

Skaters

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice ; W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; Sv% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average

Awards and records

Records

On March 30, goaltender Dan Ellis had a 233:39 long shutout streak snapped in a 1–0 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings. This was the fifth longest shutout streak in league history

Milestones

Transactions

The Predators were involved in the following transactions during the 2007–08 season.

Trades

Free agents

Draft picks

Nashville's picks at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft in Columbus, Ohio. The Predators possess the 23rd overall pick in the draft. The pick was originally traded to the Philadelphia Flyers when the Predators acquired Peter Forsberg. Nashville re-acquired the pick, however, on June 18 in exchange for Scott Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen.
Round#PlayerPositionNationalityCollege/junior/club team
123Jonathon BlumDVancouver Giants
254Jeremy SmithGPlymouth Whalers
258Nick SpalingCKitchener Rangers
381Ryan ThangLWUniversity of Notre Dame
4114Ben RyanCUniversity of Notre Dame
4119Mark SantorelliCChilliwack Bruins
5144Andreas ThuressonWMalmo Redhawks
6174Robert DietrichDDEG Metro Stars
7204Atte EngrenGLukko

Farm teams

Milwaukee Admirals

The Milwaukee Admirals are the Predators' top affiliate, playing in the American Hockey League in 2007–08.

New Mexico Scorpions

The New Mexico Scorpions were a Predators' affiliate, playing in the Central Hockey League in 2007–08. On July 2, 2009, the Scorpions ceased operations.

Roster