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What does this picture have to do with the Flyers playing the Predators tonight? Not a damn thing, but it’s giving me eye boners… Tonight the Flyers take on the Nashville Predators in their only meeting of the year.  The hot and cold Flyers are taking on the solid Preds in what I hope will be a good game.  Frankly, I don’t know much about the Predators.  They have 81 points, which is good for 7th in the West.  Tonight is “St. Patty’s in Smashville”.  And yes, “Smashville” is what Nashville calls itself.  So besides a hockey game, there will tons of drunk Nashvillians.  With the craziest schedule in history, the Flyers will look to show up with a consistent effort and high level of energy for the entire game.  I mean, lets get serious….if they can’t get “up” for a game against the Blueshirts, how are the Flyers supposed to get “up” for a game against the Predators?  There are some agitators on the Preds (heavyweight Wade Belak and bizzaro-Asham Jordin Tootoo) but does that get the blood boiling?  What, do you get pumped because of a guy named Pekka Rinne, who as the Preds #1 goaltender has this team in the hunt of a playoff berth? (Rinne, who just signed a new contract, woulda looked goooood as the Flyers #1 next year) But if I were the Flyers, obviously I’d want to take all my frustration about World War 2 out on that sauerkraut Marcel Goc.  Yes, “The Goc” from Team Germany.  You just know that underneath that ugly Predators jersey there is surveillance equipment for his homeland.  If Germany attacks us and the land invasion begins in Nashville…well I know who I’d look at first….I’m just sayin’. So what do the Flyers have to do?  Well they need to break down a great 1-2 defensive combo in Ryan Suter and Shea Weber.  They need to limit the sneaky play of JP Dumont, Martin Erat and David Legwand…all three will be buzzing around the net all night.  They also need to be physical if a Tootoo (Man alive, a Carcillo – Tootoo scrap could be the best fight of the year!)  gets out of control. The Flyers also need to simplify things and, frankly, play better hockey.  This surfer-vibe of “hey man, everything’s cool, take another rip of the binger” isn’t going to cut it as March ticks down to April.  I expect Pronger, Lappy, Richards and Kimmo to have this group constantly fired up and ready to battle for 2 points.  With desperate teams nipping at their orange and black heels, it’s time to nut up or shut up.  The game means a lot to both clubs.  Dropping points at this point of the year is not a luxury one can afford.  You have to show up and play intense hockey for 60 minutes, and even that doesn’t guarantee a victory.  Nashville is a solid hockey club that is well coached and well prepared.  Do not sleep on Nashville

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