The Good Guys:
Steven Stamkos tallied the lone goal for the Predators on Thursday night, as he passed Mark Recchi for the 22nd-most goals in NHL history. Filip Forsberg continues to pace the Preds with 25 goals and 61 points, followed by Jonathan Marchessault (19g-30a) with 49 points and Stamkos (23g-21a) with 44 points. In net, Juuse Saros is 16-27-6 while Justus Annunen, who took the loss on Thursday night, is 14-10-1.
The Opposition:
The Maple Leafs are currently sitting on a three-game win streak after defeating the New York Rangers, 4-3, on Thursday. William Nylander leads Toronto with 38 goals to go along with 73 points, while Mitch Marner (21g-62a) sits in first for points with 83. Joseph Woll is 24-12-0 in net followed by Anthony Stolarz who is 14-8-0.
All-Time Meetings:
The Preds are 15-15-(1)-2 all-time against the Leafs, including a 7-6-1 record in Nashville. The Predators are 4-6-0 in their last 10 against Toronto but 3-2-0 in their past five at Bridgestone Arena.
On Nov. 18, 2014, 15 Preds skaters reached the scoresheet, led by Taylor Beck's two goals and an assist, as Nashville tied a franchise record for goals in a game, topping Toronto 9-2 at Scotiabank Arena.
Notables Versus Toronto:
Jonathan Marchessault has recorded 18 points (11g-7a) in 22 career games against Toronto. The forward has six points (4g-2a) in his last three games against the Maple Leafs.
Steven Stamkos has played against his hometown team 53 times in his career. He has tallied 66 points (23g-43a); the 43 helpers are the most he has against any single franchise in his career. Stamkos recorded a 10-game point streak against the Leafs (3g-14a) from Dec. 9, 2021-April, 17 2024, including a four-point effort on Dec. 9, 2021 in Toronto.
Filip Forsberg broke David Legwand’s record for most goals in Predators history by scoring his 211th on March 19, 2022 against Toronto. He owns eight goals and 15 points in 16 career games vs. the Maple Leafs.
Ryan O’Reilly played the final 13 games of the 2022-23 regular season with the Maple Leafs, where he had four goals and 11 points. He added nine points (3g-6a) in 11 postseason games.
Michael Bunting played 161 games with the Maple Leafs, from 2021-23, posting 46 goals, 66 assists and 113 points.
Maple Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok skated in 508 games for Nashville from 2013-21, tallying 211 points (94g-117a).
Milestone Watch:
Juuse Saros is two wins from 200 in his NHL career.
Ryan O’Reilly is two goals from 300 in his NHL career.
Jakub Vrana is two games from 400 in his NHL career.
Jordan Oesterle is two games from 400 in his NHL career.
Filip Forsberg (354) is three assists from passing David Legwand (356) for the second-most in franchise history.
Watch & Listen:
Coverage for tonight’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.)
