HELP WANTED!

Fang Faction and Bloguin is looking for an aspiring hockey writer who would like to cover the Nashville Predators. This opportunity will allow you to acquire experience in the field of sports writing/blogging. Your writing will be featured on sites like YardBarker and more.

Past writers include Jake Old, who now writes for The Tennessean, and Ryan Shannon, who will be attending the University of Tennessee and majoring in Journalism.

If you enroll, or will be enrolling, into a middle Tennessee university and are in the school's journalism program, this would be a great opportunity to grow an audience.

Job Description

Keep die hard fans in Smashville up-to-date with the latest Preds news. Also, writing 70-82 previews and recaps, each, per season.

Advantages of writing at Fang Faction:

• Experience
• Gain Credibility
• Grow an audience
• Excellent website look
• Get your voice heard
• Possible credentials

Requirements

• The passion to write
• Writing experience preferred (but not needed)
• Knowledge of the hockey game and the Predators
• Free time

Interested? Contact Fang Finger at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Tweet to @Fang_Faction to show your interest. If you have writing experience, please do send me two or three pieces that you have written.

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In hockey, goaltenders are the last resort for their team, the final hope. Nashville Predators goalies Pekka Rinne and Chris Mason were often their team’s last resort and came up big. Too often the players up front were leaving Rinne and Mason out to dry this season.

(Photo by: Post Gazette)

Since the Nashville Predators are out of the playoffs, many fans, including myself, like to observe the progress of former-Predators to see if they have become better players or not. After one round of hockey complete, there remains two more rounds and the Stanley Cup Finals before the best team of the NHL raises the coveted Cup for their fan base.

Currently there are six ex-Preds battling for the cup from five different teams including the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks.

John Russell/Getty Images

One positive entering the offseason was the strong defense of the Nashville Predators, according to General Manager David Poile. However, I will to disagree. Injuries to Hal Gill and inconsistency from Ryan Ellis and Jon Blum put the Predators behind the eight ball this season on defense.

(Mark Humphrey/AP Photo)

Plain out and bluntly, the offense was horrible this season. Injuries, lack of true scoring talent and a shortened season are all factors of a poor offensive showing. Usually in a full 82 game season, the Nashville Predators start to gel and grow as players around the mid-way point. However, there was no room for error and the Predators couldn’t handle the pressure.

Don Smith/Getty Images

Pekka Rinne had a dip in his stats this season to no fault of his own. His teammates were leaving him out to dry often in games whether it was defensively or offensively. Last season, Rinne had a Vezina Trophy worthy year with a 43-18-8 record and five shutouts. This year, the Finnish native went 15-16-8 with five shutouts in a 4 game season, opposed to last year's 82.

His dip in stats can be blamed mainly on an injury he played with throughout the year. The Nashville Predators released a statement Thursday afternoon that their star goaltender underwent hip arthroscopy surgery May 8 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. It will take four months for him to recover, but should be back by training camp in September.

Hopefully this injury does not affect Rinne as he still has six years remaining on his current seven-year $49 million deal. This should be seen as a glimmer of opportunity though for young Predators' prospect Magnus Hellberg, who could see playing time in the NHL if anything happens to Rinne.

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Despite an undoubtedly horrendous season for the Nashville Predators this year, there was one player who stood out during their winning ways in the early- to mid-part of the season. Colin Wilson. Though his season was shortened to only 25 games, the 23 year old had his break out season showing his full potential.

(Photo by: AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Thanks to heavy campaigning from wife Carrie Underwood and country music singer Brad Paisley, Mike Fisher has advanced to the Final 16 in the EA Sports' NHL 14 Cover Vote. Fisher was voted by the Predators' faitful past the round of 64 by receiving more vote than teammate Brandon Yip and snuck through the Round of 32.

photo courtesy of Fox Sports

Welcome to the Weekend Update playoff edition. This is where we will update you on the series from around the postseason and provide you with some highlights of the past week's games. In this edition, Harding comes up big on little notice, Jonathan isn't Quick enough, Bickell gets the game-winner, Filppula dangles and dishes to Nyquist, and another Crosby comeback.

First, here's your update on every NHL playoff series. Eight out of eight series have been exciting so far. The biggest surprise is the New York Islanders stealing a game in Pittsburgh to even the series at one game a piece.

More offseason moves were made Friday, as Marek Mazanec was signed to a two-year entry-level contract. Mazanec was drafted in the sixth round (179th overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Mazanec led HC Plzen to their first Czech Extraliga championship this season with a .932 save percentage and 2.13 Goal Against Average in the postseason.

Next season, the 21 year old will most likely see time with the Cincinnati Cyclones or, possibly, as backup to Magnus Hellberg in Milwaukee.

Below is the Press Release sent out by the Predators.

Nashville, Tenn. – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed 2012 sixth-round draft pick Marek Mazanec (MAIR-ehk muh-ZAN-ehk) to a two-year entry-level contract.

Mazanec, 21 (7/18/91), recently led Plzen to its first Czech League title by stopping 48-of-51 shots in a Game Seven double-OT victory. He ranked fourth in 2013 playoff goals-against average (2.13) and sixth in save percentage (.932), in addition to tying for second in shutouts (2). During the 2012-13 regular season, the 6-4, 189-pound native of Pisek, Czech Republic ranked sixth in the Czech Extraliga in goals-against average (2.49).

Nashville's ninth choice, 179th overall (sixth round), in the 2012 Entry Draft represented the Czech Republic at the 2011 World Junior Championships and the 2009 World Under-19 Championships.