The Detroit Red Wings have led the Western Conference all season long, and are well on their way towards winning the President’s Trophy (regular season champions) for the fourth time in six years. Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators are in a tough battle for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West, four points behind the Colorado Avalanche with no games in hand. Check out this important Central Division match-up between two very motivated rivals in brilliant 1080i on HDNet, live at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Wings to Watch

He doesn’t get much attention on a team loaded with superstars, but Johan Franzen has been one of the Wings’ most important contributors over the past few weeks, doing a very capable job of filling the role normally held by Tomas Holmstrom (out with a groin injury). In his last seven games, he’s scored eight goals and three assists while posting a plus-three rating. The torrid pace has enabled Franzen to hit the 20-goal mark, and if this hot streak continues into the playoffs, the big Swede could be a tipping point in the Wings’ pursuit of the Cup.

Franzen is the hot goal-scorer of the moment, but the consistent catalysts for the Wings’ offense are Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. Datsyuk is one of the NHL’s most exciting players to watch, a dynamic gamebreaker with elite-level stickhandling and playmaking ability. And Zetterberg, an incredibly solid two-way forward, has developed into one of the NHL’s most complete players.

On the blue line, the Wings are blessed with two of the league’s finest power play point men, and it’s little surprise that they are amongst the NHL’s most effective teams when playing with the man advantage. Captain Nicklas Lidstrom will likely go down as the finest European-born NHLer of all time, while Brian Rafalski has acclimated nicely to life with his hometown team after spending seven seasons running the New Jersey Devils’ power play. This dynamic duo is a key reason why the Wings have been atop the league standings for most of the year.

In goal, head coach Mike Babcock has two excellent options to choose from, both veteran netminders who have backstopped the Wings to a Cup victory. Chris Osgood was the starter in 1998, when the Wings defeated the Washington Capitals, and Dominik Hasek tended the pipes in 2002 for their victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Osgood was dominant in the season’s early going, posting a ludicrous 20-3-2 record through his first 25 games. But though he’s cooled off a bit, he’s still gamely battling Hasek for the right to start when the playoffs begin.

Predators to Watch

After suffering a tough 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night, the Predators need to bounce back against the Wings. Though he’s been absolutely tremendous between the pipes this season, goaltender Dan Ellis had a rough night against the Cap, surrendering three goals on eight shots in the first period, and it’s quite possible that Chris Mason will get the start against the Detroit as a result.

Last year, Mason was the substitute starter, taking over when Tomas Vokoun went down with an injury, but he’s struggled with the official starter’s role after Vokoun was dealt to the Florida Panthers. A big win over the Wings—should he get the start—would do wonders for Mason’s confidence, but a loss would relegate him to the bench for the duration of the Preds’ playoff push. It’s quite a tough call for head coach Barry Trotz to make.

Up front, the Preds lean heavily on power forward Jason Arnott, who’s emerged as a bona fide #1 center in Nashville. With 68 points in 72 games (and a team-leading plus-15 rating), Arnott is absolutely thriving as the Preds’ leading man. J.P. Dumont complements Arnott nicely; his 64 points (in 72 games) are two shy of the career high he set last season (his first in Nashville).

The Preds’ most exciting player to watch is young Alexander Radulov. He scored at a Sidney Crosby-like pace while with the Quebec Remparts in the QMJHL, and though he hasn’t lit up the NHL with Crosby-like numbers as yet, he’s quickly emerging as the Predators’ most dangerous scoring threat. A hard-working offensive dynamo with impressive two-way instincts (plus-14 rating), Radulov is one of the NHL’s best-kept secrets… at least for now.

The biggest transition the Predators have had to make this season is on the blue line. Following the offseason departure of captain Kimmo Timonen, Trotz had to make some significant adjustments. Marek Zidlicky has re-emerged as a top-tier power play threat in Timonen’s absence, while youngsters Ryan Suter and Shea Weber are also playing key roles. And veteran Dan Hamhuis, who last season appeared to have been passed on the depth chart by Suter and Weber, has thrived with the expanded role afforded him following Timonen’s departure.

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