GameThread for St. Louis Blues at Nashville Predators, Apr 9, 2013

There are two teams who I usually enjoy watching in the playoffs (other than the Blues, of course): the Nashville Predators and the Phoenix Coyotes. These two little engines that could just haven't been able to crack the top eight this season, and it's unfortunate. On the flip side, however, the Blues look to be inching closer and closer to being a lock, so I think this mitigates whatever twinge of regret I might have that two smaller, non-traditional markets are missing out.

That twinge is mitigated further because a win over Nashville tonight will place the Blues six points ahead of the Phoenix Coyotes with a game in hand. Sure, a loss for the Preds basically means that they're destined to play the role of spoilers for the rest of this shortened season, but I'm sure that they can manage.

Brian Elliott gets the start tonight for the Blues, and Pekka Rinne will get the start for the Predators. Apparently Barry Trotz is just hell-bound and determined to ride his starter until he breaks, which explains Rinne's less-than-Pekka numbers this season. Pekka's pooped.

This is your GameDay Thread. Let's take advantage of a reeling Preds team. Let's get those two points. Let's go Blues.