• The Nashville Predators (53-18-11) are the 2017-18 President’s Trophy winner, given to the team with the best record in the regular season. It is the first time in franchise history they have won the award.
• Earlier in the evening Thursday the team won their first Central Division title with a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals (49-26-7) on the fifth anniversary of the trade that gave us Filip Forsberg from the Caps in exchange for unhappy Martin Erat and a prospect. #ThanksCapitals
• Forsberg celebrated Saturday night in the regular season finale at Bridgestone with a hat trick in a 2-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets (45-30-7). The President’s Trophy was presented to the team in a ceremony prior to the game, but the trophy they seek is a bit taller and and a lot more silver.
• Speaking of that trophy, the Predators will begin their quest for the Stanley Cup in a first round match-up with the Colorado Avalanche (44-32-6). The Avs did not do so great in the season series, losing all four, but the Predators know you shouldn’t take an eighth seed for granted.
• Semi-related, crews are currently installing what is assumed to be a catfish tank at Bridgestone Arena for the playoffs, and we’re not so sure this ends well. ?
• Remember that fan that sent a catfish to Toronto after that blown call? Mayor Briley reimbursed her for the rather expensive shipping costs out of his pocket.
• PSA: Early voting for the May 1 elections begins this Wednesday and runs through April 26. You can vote at one of the 11 early voting locations.
• The NoTax4Tracks group is the subject of a round of fact checking from WPLN where the station took a look at two of their recent claims about service changes and total project cost. In one case, an ad was retracted after a 70 percent was printed as 90 percent.
• Eleven people are running for Mayor of Nashville, though we should find out this week when exactly the vote will be held. The Tennessee Supreme Court is expected to rule whether it can be held in August or must be moved to May.
• Unrelated to anything, Gulch Angel Wings Mural 1, Rolling Stones 0.
• A committee of the Tennessee Republican Party voted to remove eight candidates from the August primary ballot, saying the group lacked the credentials to run as a Republican. One such candidate was Larry Crim, who has perennially run in just about any and every race he can.
• The USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee, er Tennessean, has put together a list of what they say are the five best places in Nashville to get french fries. Uh, cool.
• Diskin Cider will soon open its taproom to the public in the Wedgewood-Houston development. They are set for a May 19 grand opening.
• Federal law enforcement has charged a former Nashville International Airport employee for allegedly stealing roughly $130,000 worth of cell phones by purchasing them for the authority and then reselling them. The charges stem from a larger ongoing corruption investigation at the airport.
• So that huge European-style food hall set for the Fifth+Broadway development will apparently have an Airstream travel trailer on the roof. Never change, New Nashville.
• The proposal to have Metro Center as a backup location for the new soccer stadium, should the current proposed location at the Fairgrounds not work out, is again being discussed, this time at a community event Tuesdsay. Team ownership has said that any changes in the current plan could prompt the franchise to rescinded.
• Shock rocker Marilyn Manson was hanging out with Norman Reedus of “Walking Dead” fame around town riding motorcycles and making a stop at Pepperfire for some hot chicken. We hear he ordered medium, though it would be fun to hear what he thinks of XX Hot.
• The state legislature is wrapping up its work for the year, and WPLN has a run down of the last-minute action that could have far reaching consequences across Tennessee. After it adjourns, the General Assembly is not expected to reconvene until next January.
• One such bill is the nullification of Nashville’s recently approved ban on certain types of investor-owned short-term rentals, as lawmakers debate competing amendments. A current version would allow the “grandfathering” of existing properties to remain unchanged rather than the three-year phase out ordinance from the city.
• Adult entertainment venue patrons could soon see a $2 tax added to their cover charges as the law heads to the governor for a signature. The money collected was originally aimed to fund assistance to victims of sex trafficking, but the final version puts the money into the general fund.

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