The final 10 games of the regular season have arrived, and the magnitude of each continues to build as the Nashville Predators prepare to host the Montreal Canadiens this evening for a 6 p.m. CT puck drop at Bridgestone Arena.
After five-straight wins over the past week, the Preds dropped a 4-2 decision to New Jersey on Thursday night. Now, with the Western Conference Wild Card race as tight as ever and the Predators continuing to occupy the second Wild Card spot, the home club will be eager for another chance to bank points as their three-game homestand concludes tonight.
“Everything is a learning opportunity for our group,” Preds defenseman Nic Hague said following Thursday’s loss. “We'll regroup, and we’ve got another big one in a couple days. I'm always a believer in learning what you can, take a look at stuff that needs to be looked at, and then you’ve got to cut it loose and show up to the rink on Saturday. Another huge game that means a lot to us. I think that's the mindset, and we’ve got to take it day-by-day, keep working on our game.”
Forward Joakim Kemell and defenseman Justin Barron were healthy scratches for the Preds on Thursday. Nashville did not practice on Friday, but the team is expected to hold a morning skate prior to this evening’s game.
The Good Guys:
Reid Schaefer and Steven Stamkos found the back of the net on Thursday, and Justus Annunen took the loss in net. Per NHL PR, Stamkos’s goal was his 124th career tying marker to pass Teemu Selanne (123) for the eighth-most in NHL history.
Ryan O’Reilly has 24 goals and continues to lead the Preds with 66 points, followed by Filip Forsberg with 65 points, including 33 tallies. Stamkos now has 36 goals and 58 points, while Luke Evangelista has 40 assists and 50 points on the season. Juuse Saros is 26-19-7 in net; Annunen is 8-10-2.
The Opposition:
The Canadiens have won three straight, including a 2-1 victory over Columbus on Thursday. Nick Suzuki leads Montreal with 62 assists and 86 points, followed by Cole Caufield with 44 goals and 76 points. Lane Hutson has 59 helpers and 70 points from the backend, while Juraj Slafkovsky has 28 goals and 63 points. Goaltender Jakub Dobes is 24-8-4 in net; Jacob Fowler is 6-5-2 in 13 appearances.
All-Time Meetings:
The Preds are 17-10-(1)-8 all-time against the Canadiens, including a 9-2-(1)-5 mark at home. Nashville is 4-4-2 in the last 10 versus Montreal and 3-1-1 in the last five at Bridgestone Arena.
Nashville has picked up at least a point in 20 of its last 25 meetings with Montreal (14-5-6) and has only lost five times in regulation since Jan. 15, 2009.
On Nov. 14, 2009, the Predators put a franchise-record 55 shots on goal and outshot the Canadiens by a club-record 35 shots, and Pekka Rinne made 20 saves in a 2-0 victory at Bridgestone Arena.
In 24 contests since the 2009-10 season, Nashville has limited Montreal to an average of 2.13 goals per game, including 17 games in which the Predators have given up two or fewer goals.
Nashville Notables:
After sitting 32nd in the NHL standings on Dec. 8, the Predators have – since March 21 – occupied the Western Conference’s second Wild Card position with 77 points (34-29-9). Since Dec. 9, Nashville has gone 24-15-5 (53 points), the fourth-highest point percentage (.602) in the Western Conference.
Nashville’s penalty kill on home ice is fifth-best in the League at 82.5 percent, and the team has scored a power-play goal in 19 of its last 28 games.
Watch & Listen:
Coverage for this evening’s contest begins at 5:30 p.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on FanDuel Sports Network South, hosted by Lyndsay Rowley and Hal Gill. Play-by-play announcer Willy Daunic, analyst Chris Mason and rinkside reporter Kara Hammer will have the call on the television side.
Voice of the Predators Pete Weber and Jay More will call the game on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network, with pregame, postgame and intermission coverage by Max Herz beginning one hour before puck drop. The game will also be broadcast in Spanish on El Jefe which airs on 96.7 FM, 105.3 FM and 810 AM. (El partido también se transmite en español por El Jefe en 96.7 FM, 105.3 FM y 810 AM.)
