Preds Top 100 Moments: 2008-2010

Now in its centennial season, the National Hockey League is celebrating in style. It started on Jan. 1 with the Centennial Classic in Toronto, and the League has big plans to commemorate the milestone as the 2017 calendar year continues. That includes an NHL Centennial Fan Arena tour, a traveling fan experience unlike any other, which will make a stop in Nashville on Feb. 11-12. Also, all 30 - and soon 31 - teams will wear the NHL Centennial logo on the sleeves of their jerseys for the next year.
The Nashville Predators don't have the same longevity the League does, but in their nearly 20 years of existence, there have been plenty of moments worth remembering. So in the spirit of the centennial, we're counting down the Top 100 moments in franchise history over the coming weeks, continuing part two in our story which covers 2008 through 2010.

Jan. 31, 2008: J-P Dumont Sets Franchise-Record Point Streak at 16 Games
J-P Dumont picked up a pair of assists in a 4-2 victory over Columbus, extending his point streak to a franchise-record 16 games. At the time of the streak, it was the longest active scoring streak in the NHL. Dumont ended the season with 43 assists and 72 points, tied for the third-highest total in franchise history. The Montreal native's streak earned him Second Star of the Month honors for January 2008, and a four-year contract, which was announced the following day.

March 22-30, 2008: Dan Ellis Sets Franchise Shutout Streak of 233:39
Having lost five of their previous six games, the Predators entered the final week of March - and their last seven games of the 2007-08 regular season - in need of strong performance to make the postseason for the fourth consecutive season. Behind the play of rookie netminder Dan Ellis, they did just that.
Ellis, who was slated for the starting job with Milwaukee (AHL) during training camp, went 5-1-1 down the stretch, highlighted by a franchise-record shutout streak of 233:39 which saw him shut out the Columbus Blue Jackets twice (March 22 and 28), and go to overtime against Detroit (March 30). He stopped 147 consecutive shots during the streak, which at the time was the fifth-longest in the NHL since the 1943-44 season.
April 1 & 3, 2008: Two Improbable Comebacks Birth Smashville Standing O
In a do-or-die game at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Nashville fell behind 3-0 in the first seven minutes, and it appeared they would not be making their fourth consecutive trip to the postseason.
Following the third goal, Chris Mason took over in net and helped the defense tighten up, allowing the Blues only 10 shots over the last 55 minutes of play. After tying the game in the third, Rich Peverley buried a Jan Hlavac feed in overtime to complete the improbable, come-from-behind win to move the Predators into eighth place in the Western Conference playoff race.
Forty-eight hours later back in Nashville, the Preds came face-to-face with the Blues again. With a 2-2 score four minutes into the third period, the Predators worked the puck deep into the offensive zone and Hlavac found J-P Dumont behind the St. Louis net. Dumont was hooked down as he attempted to spin in front of the net, but from his knees managed to sling the puck toward the right wing face-off dot. Greg de Vries corralled the bouncing puck and netted the go-ahead, game-winning goal to clinch the team's fourth consecutive trip to the playoffs.
Aside from clinching a playoff spot, the April 3 game became known debuting the "Smashville Standing Ovations" that Bridgestone Arena has become known for. Clinging to a 3-2 lead with 4:30 left in the game, the sellout crowd gave the Preds a standing ovation throughout the entirety of the final TV timeout in an effort to will the team to victory.

April 14, 2008: Nashville Scores Two Goals in 8 Seconds in Game 3 Versus Detroit
Things looked grim for the Predators after they fell behind 2-0 to the Red Wings in Game Three of their 2008 Round One series, but things would change quickly. Nashville got on the board at 12:53 of the second period, then it took just over two minutes more to net the equalizer when David Legwand converted a J-P Dumont pass on a 2-on-1 at 15:01 in the second period.
With a 3-2 Detroit lead, Ryan Suter broke the scoring drought with a slap shot from left point that beat Hall-of-Fame goaltender Dominik Hasek to the far side and evened the score at 3-3. Jason Arnott notched the go-ahead goal just eight seconds later when he rushed into the offensive zone and beat Hasek with a slapper from the right wing face-off circle.
April 16, 2008: Dan Hamhuis and Shea Weber Score 32 Seconds Apart in Game 4
The Predators came out of the gate strong in Game Four of their 2008 Round One series. After netminder Dan Ellis set the tone by robbing Henrik Zetterberg on a pair of scoring chances in the first 40 seconds of the contest, the Preds tallied twice in a 32-second span - Dan Hamhuis snuck in for a back-door goal at 5:18 of the first, then fellow defenseman Shea Weber extended the lead to 2-0 at 5:50 with a blast from point.
With the eventual victory, Nashville knotted the series with Detroit at two games apiece, the greatest scare the Wings would receive on the road to their 11th Stanley Cup title.

Nov. 11, 2009: Ellis Makes 54 Saves, Sets Preds' Single-Game Record
In one of the most impressive goaltending performances in franchise history, Dan Ellis stopped a franchise-record 54-of-57 shots as the Predators squeezed out a 4-3 overtime victory over the San Jose Sharks at the SAP Center. On a night where Nashville was outshot by nearly a 2:1 margin (57-29), Ellis stood on his head, serving as the cornerstone for the penalty kill as they extinguished four chances against in the first 10 minutes, and making 17 stops overall with the team a man down.
Jan. 10, 2009: Steve Sullivan Returns; Later Wins Masterton Trophy
After missing 142 consecutive regular-season games, and being sidelined for 687 days, Steve Sullivan returned to the Predators lineup from a back injury that required two operations and countless hours of rehab. Amidst a standing ovation, the long-time alternate captain and Predators leader returned to the ice for the first time since Feb. 22, 2007.
Sullivan saw 20 shifts, totalling 12:30 of ice time, including 2:34 on the power play, and three shots on goal in a 4-1 home victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.
His comeback earned him the 2009 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded annually to the NHL player who "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey." He was Nashville's first NHL Award winner.

Jan. 25, 2009: Shea Weber Competes in First All-Star Game
In 2009, defenseman Shea Weber competed in his first All-Star Game. Weber's selection made him the fifth Pred to represent the team at the All-Star Game. Though the then-23-year-old was the fifth Predators player to garner All-Star honors, he became the first representative to be drafted and developed by the franchise. In the first half of the 2008-09 season, he was tied for the League lead in goals by NHL defensemen with 12, second amongst defensemen with 125 shots on goal, and fourth amongst blueliners with 28 points. He led the Predators in average ice time, plus/minus rating, hits, and shots on goal.
Feb. 28, 2009: Preds Score Five First-Period Goals, Beat Detroit 8-0
Just 10 days removed from a disheartening 6-2 loss to Detroit at Joe Louis Arena, the Predators avenged the loss in a big way with an 8-0 rout of the defending Stanley Cup champions at Bridgestone Arena. The victory was Nashville's fourth-straight win and set a franchise record for margin of victory, which still stands today. The Predators came out of the gate strong by scoring five first-period goals in a six-minute span including two goals within 29 seconds of each other. Each goal was scored by a different player with Ville Koistinen, David Legwand, Joel Ward, Antti Pihlstrom and Jason Arnott all netting opening-frame markers. The fast start marked the first time in franchise history that the Predators notched five first-period goals.
The victory capped off a month that saw the Predators post 10 wins, the third 10-win month in franchise history to that point.

April 9, 2009: Arnott Scores Extra-Attacker Goal, Then Shootout Winner vs. Wings
Jason Arnott scored an extra-attacker goal, then netted the shootout-deciding marker as Nashville rallied from two goals down late in the third period to top Detroit, 4-3, at Joe Louis Arena - keeping their playoff hopes alive. The win tied Nashville with the St. Louis Blues for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference playoff race with one game remaining on the Predators' schedule.
Arnott scored six goals in Nashville's final four games to set the franchise record for goals in a season (33). The win completed a 4-2-0 series against the Red Wings, Nashville's second winning record in a season against their fiercest rivals.
Oct. 21, 2009: Rookie Colin Wilson Scores First-Career Goal in Game in Boston
Four games after becoming the fourth teenager in franchise history to suit up for the Predators, rookie Colin Wilson scored his first career goal at TD Garden in Boston, the city where he played collegiately, helping the Boston University Terriers to an NCAA title six months prior. Wilson's performance came one night after receiving his NCAA title ring at BU's game against Notre Dame.

Feb. 23, 2010: Preds and Bridgestone Americas, Inc. Announce Multiyear Naming Rights Deal
In February of 2010, the Predators and Bridgestone Americas, Inc., announced a multiyear naming rights and marketing partnership for the team's venue, naming it Bridgestone Arena. The Bridgestone Arena name made its debut on March 2, 2010, against the Edmonton Oilers.
With its corporate headquarters in Nashville, Bridgestone Americas putting the Bridgestone name on the arena seemed like a natural fit. The Bridgestone brand has been deeply entrenched in hockey as the title sponsor of the NHL's annual New Year's Day Winter Classic outdoor games, and their logo is prevalent on the boards of many NHL arenas.

Feb. 28, 2010: Weber and Suter Clash in Gold Medal Game in 2010 Winter Olympics
In what has been tabbed as a "game for the ages," Nashville defensemen Shea Weber (Canada) and Ryan Suter (United States) clashed in the Gold Medal Game of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The game is widely considered as one of the greatest Olympic hockey games ever played. Weber's Canadian squad claimed gold with a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory.
March 29, 2010: Patric Hornqvist Scores 30th Goal, First Preds Draft Pick to Reach Mark
Patric Hornqvist scored his 30th goal of the season in a 3-2 victory at Florida, making him the first Predators draft pick to hit the 30-goal mark. Hornqvist netted the equalizer at 16:53 in the third period, knotting the score at 2-2 and sending the game into overtime.
The 2009-10 campaign was a big one for the Sollentuna, Sweden, native. In his first full season in the NHL, the last overall draft pick in the 2005 NHL Draft (230th overall) tied fellow forward Steve Sullivan for the team lead in scoring with 51 points.

April 16, 2010: Preds Win Game One vs. Hawks, Team's First Road Playoff Game
Led by two goals from J-P Dumont, the Predators scored four-straight, third-period goals to claim a 4-1 victory over Chicago in Game One of the teams' Round One series. It was the first road playoff win in franchise history.
Nashville would go on to give the eventual Cup champions their stiffest challenge of 2010 playoffs, at one point leading the series 2-1 and having them on the ropes in Game Five before falling in overtime.
July 8, 2010: Weber Named Fifth Captain in Franchise History
On July 8, 2010, Shea Weber became both the youngest and the first Predators draftee to be named captain. Just 24 at the time, Weber was already considered one of the top blueliners in the NHL and was coming off a season in which he claimed the Gold Medal at the Winter Olympics as a member of Team Canada, and led the Predators to the playoffs for the fifth time in the previous six seasons.

Aug. 8, 2010: Preds Name Sean Henry and Jeff Cogen to Leadership Team
In August of 2010, the Predators appointed a senior management team with the addition of Jeff Cogen as CEO and Sean Henry as President and COO.
Henry, who assumed the role of CEO for the Predators and Bridgestone Arena from Cogen on Dec. 1, 2015, joined the organization after spending 11 years with the Tampa Bay Lightning. With the Lightning, he served as the interim CEO. Henry was instrumental in turning the franchise around by significantly growing suite and ticket revenues, expanding sponsorship revenues, structuring new partnerships with the city and county, and turning The St. Pete Times Forum (now Amalie Arena) into one of the busiest venues in the country.
Cogen joined the Predators after serving as the President and Alternate League Governor of the Dallas Stars. While in Dallas, Cogen was also a Board Member overseeing the operation of Dallas's American Airlines Center. During his tenure, the Stars were consistently in the Top 10 in the NHL in attendance and considered the preeminent NHL Sun Belt franchise over the previous 15 years.