MONTREAL - After two years out of the NHL playoffs, there is new optimism among the Nashville Predators. Custom Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys .A stunning turnaround aided by a coaching change, the addition of veteran forwards James Neal and Mike Ribeiro and the emergence of 20-year-old forward Filip Forsberg have put Nashville in first place in the Central Division going into the all-star break.Now they believe theyve got enough pieces to keep up their strong play through the second half of the regular season and do some damage in the playoffs.Absolutely, veteran centre Mike Fisher said Tuesday. We really believe in this group.We believe were a top team in this league and we are. Weve shown it thus far. Were really confident in the group we have, that we can win any night against other top teams.The Predators had not lost twice in a row this season going into a game Tuesday night against the Canadiens in Montreal, where they were without star goalie Pekka Rinne for a third game due to an injury expected to last three weeks.Backed by Rinne and an impressive defence group led by Shea Weber, the Predators are the NHLs stingiest team, allowing only 2.25 goals per game. But Nashville has been known as a tight defensive side in recent years.The surprise is that they are tied for fifth in goals scored per game at 3.0.Part of that stems from the decision last summer to let the conservative Barry Trotz go after coaching the team through its first 15 NHL campaigns and bring in a more attack-minded Peter Laviolette.Trotz is now performing wonders in making the Washington Capitals a winning, two-way club, while Laviolette will also be a coach of the year candidate for doing much the same in Nashville.Its good for both sides, said Weber. You see the success theyre having (in Washington) and that were having.There was a different feel coming into training camp this year with a new face and I think the guys have responded very well.The second part of the season will determine if the Predators are for real, but it looks like it so far.They certainly have the goaltending with Rinne, considered one of the best in the world.With Weber, they have the big No. 1 blue-liner every team wishes it had, and he is backed by a group that can defend and move the puck. Among them is emerging talent Seth Jones, the fourth pick in the 2013 draft.Only a few months ago, they didnt appear to have much up front, but then Forsberg turned into a nearly point-per-game player and a strong two-way player on the top line with veteran Mike Ribeiro, who so far has shown a new commitment to discipline after being bought out by Arizona due to behavioural problems.Hes been an excellent addition to our team, Laviolette said of Ribeiro, who is on pace for his first 70-point campaign since 2010-11. Terrific in the room, terrific teammate, terrific on-ice play.Forsberg, playing his first full NHL campaign, was acquired from Washington in March 2013 for Martin Erat and Michael Latta in what is looking to be a spectacular steal for Nashville.Fisher centres James Neal, a one-time 40-goal scorer picked up in a trade with Pittsburgh in June, and Colin Wilson, who is having a breakout season and will soon top his career high of 35 points.Veteran Olli Jokinen, signed from Winnipeg, is playing on the fourth line. Another reclamation project, defenceman Anton Volchenkov, brings his stay at home style to the third defence pair and being dumped by New Jersey.Fisher likes the teams chances.With the goaltending we have, and look at our back end: everyone can handle the puck and skate, he said. And you look at the mix, the young guys, the leadership, energy, the way we play.Were all excited about what we can do. Its a tough league and the playoffs are tough, but we feel weve got a lot of pieces and character and we can be successful.The Predators have won only two playoff series in their history, the last against Detroit in 2012.The optimism now stems from adding some offence to a team known for tight defence. That comes from Laviolette.Id say were more aggressive, said Fisher. We want to be hungry for pucks, to forecheck really hard.The way our defence can move the puck helps us offensively. And defensively, we want to be hard to play against. He wants us to play both ends. He wants us to make plays and be creative, but be responsible.It has worked so far, but Weber, the captain, knows there is a lot of hockey still be played.I was on this team a while back when we were in first place for a while too, he said. Weve had good teams since Ive been in Nashville.Its just been tough the last couple of years. Theres still a lot of season left and we have to keep it up. Dallas Thomas Jersey . Rosbergs time of 1 minute, 33.185 seconds at the Bahrain International Circuit was a quarter of a second faster than Hamilton, who had to abandon his final flying lap after running wide at the first corner. Ron Jaworski Jersey .Y. -- The Montreal Canadiens have had few reasons to celebrate this season as they have been mired near the basement of the Eastern Conference. http://www.theeaglesshoponline.com/Youth-Carson-Wentz-Eagles-Jersey/ . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season.BOSTON - Stuck in a four-game losing streak, the Columbus Blue Jackets rested their All-Star goalie and let backup Curtis McElhinney have another shot at the Boston Bruins.McElhinney answered with 34 saves as Columbus ended its own skid and stopped Bostons five-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory over the Bruins on Saturday night.It feels good. Obviously, you want to be the catalyst that comes in and responds to a situation and I felt like I gave the guys an opportunity to win tonight, said McElhinney, who was also in net for the Blue Jackets in a 6-2 rout of the Bruins on Dec. 27 in Columbus.Boston hadnt lost a game in regulation since, going 9-0-3 and winning five straight until stalling Saturday night at home.Matt Calvert scored the go-ahead goal with 3:03 left in the third and added an empty-netter in the final minute as Columbus responded from a 2-1 loss at the New York Rangers the night before by finishing strong in Boston.It was nice to see them get that second one there to put us ahead and, obviously, the third gave us the distance, said McElhinney, who got the start as Sergei Bobrovsky rested in the second night of the back-to-back games.Ryan Johansen had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets, extending his point streak to 13 straight games, and Calvert battled through a stomach bug while ending an eight-game stretch without a goal.Despite the illness and a shot to the head in the second period, Columbus coach Todd Richards said Calvert never stopped hustling.Thats what you want to see from the guys that are working, Richards said.McElhinney didnt allow anything past him after Carl Soderbergs goal 11:34 into the first period tied the game at 1.The tie stood as McElhinney and Boston goalie Tuukka Rask exchanged saves through the second and third periods until Calvert broke the stalemate by backhanding in a rebound off a slap shot by Brandon Dubinsky. Dubinsky got the Bruins to bite on aa fake and had a full windup for a shot that got through Rasks pads and hovered just outside the goal line before Calvert got his stick on it. Mack Hollins Jersey. Boston pulled Rask for the extra skater and Calvert capitalized with a shot from just inside the centre line with 38 seconds remaining.Rask, who finished with 28 saves, was still fuming over Calverts first goal and stormed straight to the tunnel after the final buzzer. Boston had allowed just six goals during the five-game streak.It was night and day from the past whatever games we played well, Rask said. We started a little slow and then we gained our game in the first period. Then, the second and third we were just back to the old habits.Johansen gave Columbus a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal 7:57 into the first period, extending his franchise-record points streak to 13 straight games.Soderberg tied it 11:34 into the first on a one-timer off a pass from Loui Eriksson.McElhinney buckled down from there and also survived taking a direct hit to the head on a slap shot by Zdeno Chara.It felt good because it didnt go in, McElhinney said. Thats always a start with his shot. Big guy, big shot.NOTES: The Bruins issued a statement from club president Cam Neely on the death of longtime radio broadcaster Bob Williams, who died Thursday at age 85. For a generation of New England hockey fans, Bobs legendary voice was synonymous with the Bruins and he will always be a part of our clubs history, Neely said. ... Boston LW Brad Marchand served the first of a two-game suspension for slew-footing Derick Brassard of the New York Rangers on Thursday. ... Johansens goal in the first period was his 17th of the season. Jack Johnson and Scott Hartnell both picked up assists — also the 17th for both. ... Boston was trying for its first six-game winning streak of the season. ... McElhinney started for All-Star Sergei Bobvrosky, who lost his last four starts. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '