The Nashville Predators close out their final back-to-back set of the season and their 2023-24 home schedule on Saturday as they host the Columbus Blue Jackets at Bridgestone Arena.
Puck drop is at 7 p.m. CT, with the game set to broadcast on Bally Sports South, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio.
Click here to get tickets and find out everything you need to know below:
LAST TIME OUT
Filip Forsberg broke the franchise’s single-season goals record and notched his 10th career hat trick as the Predators defeated the Chicago Blackhawks by a 5-1 decision on Friday at United Center.
Forsberg’s trio of goals earned him 46 on the season, enough to break the record (43) established by Matt Duchene in 2021-22. Forsberg additionally bested the franchise record for multi-goal games in a season (10). The previous record was also established by Duchene in 2021-22. Forsberg’s hat trick was his second of the season and the franchise-leading 10th of his career. With 92 points on the campaign (46g-46a), Forsberg joined Roman Josi (96 in 2021-22) as the only other player in franchise history to hit the 90-point mark in a single season.
Kiefer Sherwood scored his 10th goal of the season, earning him the first double-digit goal campaign of his career. Jason Zucker scored his 16th goal of the season and his fifth since joining the Predators at the trade deadline.
Kevin Lankinen made his first start at United Center since leaving the Blackhawks as a free agent in 2022. The netminder moved to 11-6-0 on the season, stopping 25 shots and recording his first assist of the season.
Luke Evangelista swapped in for Gustav Nyquist (roster management) on Nashville’s top line and recorded two assists. The effort earned Evangelista his fourth multi-point performance of the season.
The Predators were perfect on the power play for the second time this season, converting on all three chances.
Nyquist, Ryan McDonagh and Juuse Saros did not dress (roster management) for Friday’s game. Troy Grosenick was recalled from Milwaukee (AHL) to serve as Lankinen’s backup.
The result saw Nashville sweep their season series against Chicago and improve to 24-13-3 on the road.
THE GOOD GUYS
Forsberg leads the Predators in points (92) and goals (46); he is 11th and seventh among NHL skaters in each respective category. The forward has recorded 39 points (21g-18a) in his last 26 outings.
Josi leads his team and is tied for fifth among League defensemen in assists (60); Nashville’s captain additionally leads all NHL blueliners in goals (21) and is third in points (81). Josi has 32 points (10g-22a) in his last 26 outings.
Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon leads the League in hits (367); he needs 16 to pass the NHL’s single-season record (382), recorded by Matt Martin in 2014-15.
With Lankinen receiving the start on Friday, Juuse Saros will likely close out the back-to-back set on Saturday. Saros is 14-2-3 in his last 19 starts, with a 2.34 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage during that span. Saros leads all qualified League netminders in wins (14) since Feb. 17.
Troy Grosenick, recalled to Nashville on Friday, owns a 17-7-1 record, a 2.56 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage and two shutouts in 28 appearances with the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) this season.
Since Feb. 17, the Predators have accumulated the second-most points (41) and wins (19) in the NHL, while scoring the third-most goals per game (3.77) and allowing the fourth-fewest goals per game (2.42).
Nashville holds the Western Conference’s first Wild Card spot with 97 points and a 22-16-2 record at home.
THE OTHER GUYS
The Blue Jackets conclude a four-game road trip and their 2023-24 road schedule looking to ice an improved effort after dropping their last three contests, most recently in a 4-0 decision to the Florida Panthers on Thursday.
Johnny Gaudreau leads Columbus in points (59) and assists (48), while Kirill Marchenko leads in goals (23).
With netminders Daniil Tarasov (upper body) and Elvis Merzlikins (lower body) both day-to-day, the Blue Jackets could start Jet Greaves or Malcolm Subban - both emergency recalls from Cleveland (AHL) - on Saturday against Nashville.
Greaves is 2-5-0 after seven appearances, with a 3.18 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage during that span. Subban recorded a 3.00 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage in one game with Columbus this season, a 3-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on April 7.
Columbus is eighth in the Metropolitan Division with 64 points and a 10-23-7 record on the road. The Blue Jackets were eliminated from postseason contention on March 24.
ALL-TIME MEETINGS
The Predators are 68-23-(1)-8 all-time against the Blue Jackets, including a 41-6-(1)-3 record at Bridgestone Arena. This is the second and final matchup between Nashville and Columbus in 2023-24; it is the first and only at home. Nashville is 1-0-0 against Columbus this season, earning a 2-1 win at Nationwide Arena on March 9; Nashville recorded a season-high 49 shots and Luke Evangelista scored the game-winning goal.
The Predators are 3-1-1 in their last five games against the Blue Jackets; they are 7-2-1 in their last 10; and 5-0-0 in their last five at home. Nashville’s 68 all-time wins against Columbus are its most against a single opponent in franchise history. In the Predators’ 51 home games vs. Columbus, they’ve only lost six times in regulation, with two of those losses coming in the first three matchups between the two teams. Nashville’s 41 wins against Columbus at Bridgestone Arena are its most against a single NHL opponent on home ice.
The Predators posted a 17-game home winning streak against the Blue Jackets that spanned five seasons from 2006-11. Three of the 10 most winningest goaltenders against Columbus in NHL history played for the Predators: Pekka Rinne (first, 22), Tomas Vokoun (third, 20) and Chris Mason (tied for seventh, 16). Nashville and Columbus were both part of the Central Division from the 2000-01 season through the 2012-13 season and in 2020-21.
NOTABLES VS. COLUMBUS
- Forsberg owns two career hat tricks against Columbus, including his first career four-goal game on Nov. 30, 2021. He has 21 points (12g-9a) in 25 career meetings with the Blue Jackets, including points in nine of his last 15 games vs. Columbus.
- Josi has picked up 18 points (4g-14a) in 33 contests against the Blue Jackets, including two multi-point efforts in 2020-21.
- Nyquist played parts of three seasons for Columbus from 2019-23, recording 117 points (43g-74a) in 200 games.
- Sherwood is a Columbus, Ohio, native.
- Assistant Coach Dan Hinote served in the same position for Columbus from 2010-14; he also was a pro scout for the Blue Jackets from 2014-18.
- Assistant Coach Todd Richards was Columbus’ head coach for parts of five seasons from 2012-15.
- Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier (2019-22) and defenseman Erik Gudbranson (2020-21) spent time with Nashville.
MILESTONE WATCH
- Nyquist is three goals from 200 in his NHL career.
- Luke Schenn is two points from 200 in his NHL career.
- Tyson Barrie is four assists from 400 in his NHL career.
- Zucker is four goals from 200 in his NHL career.
WATCH & LISTEN
Coverage for Saturday’s game begins at 6:30 p.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on Bally Sports 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.
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.)
