GAME DAY: Oilers vs. Preds, October 31

The Nashville Predators will close out the month of October tonight when they host the Edmonton Oilers at Bridgestone Arena for a 7 p.m. CT puck drop. The Halloween matchup marks the second time the Preds and the Oilers have gotten together this season; Nashville fell to Edmonton, 4-2, back on Oct. 17.

After a slow start, the Predators now have points in each of their last four games, including a 3-2 overtime loss to Tampa Bay on Monday night. Prior to that, the Preds won three straight, including a shutout over Boston last week for their first victory of the season.

“The last four [games], I think if you look at the Boston game, I thought we played to our identity, to what it would look like,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said. “I thought that was our most complete game of the year. And then the next three, there was, again, those inconsistencies… We’re looking to try to somehow get ourselves up to a [complete effort in a] 60-minute game, and we're getting there. It's just taking some time, and it'll be better for us in the long run. We just have to stick to the program here a little bit.”

The Oilers will be without superstar forward Connor McDavid tonight after he was injured on Monday in Columbus. Despite that, Brunette knows the Preds will still have plenty to deal with anytime they face Edmonton.

“[They still have] some really good pieces, and we all know a lot of times, especially a team that…they lose a superstar, they rally together, and they take off,” Brunette said. “So, we’ve got our issues on our own, and we have to find a way to play a little better.”

Last Time Out:

Steven Stamkos recorded two assists - his first multi-point effort with the Preds - as he returned to Tampa for the first time since signing with Nashville. Ryan O’Reilly and Nyquist tallied for the Predators in the overtime loss, and Juuse Saros made 24 saves in one of his best efforts of the season.

The Good Guys:

Filip Forsberg (4g-4a) and Ryan O’Reilly (3g-5a) co-lead the Preds with eight points apiece, followed by Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei who each have two goals and six points to their names. Nyquist (3g-2a), Luke Evangelista (1g-4a) and Roman Josi (5a) have five points apiece. Saros is 2-4-1 in net with a .905 save percentage.

The Opposition:

The Oilers (4-5-1) were winners of two straight before falling in Columbus on Monday by a 6-1 final. With McDavid out due to injury, Leon Draisaitl leads the Oilers with six goals and 10 points through 10 games. Former Preds defenseman Mattias Ekholm has eight points (2g-6a), and Evan Bouchard has three goals and six points. Stuart Skinner is 2-4-1 in net; Calvin Pickard, who beat the Preds two weeks ago, is 2-1-0 in four appearances.

All-Time Meetings:

Nashville is 46-34-(3)-4 all-time against Edmonton, including a 23-18-(3)-0 record at Bridgestone Arena.

The Predators have a record of 16-11-1 in their past 28 contests with the Oilers, including an 8-6-0 mark at Bridgestone Arena.

Nashville won 13 straight games against Edmonton from Oct. 29, 2014-Oct. 20, 2018, outscoring the Oilers, 40-15, during the streak.

Notables Versus Edmonton:

Jonathan Marchessault tallied his first goal as a member of the Predators in the first matchup of the season with the Oilers. Filip Forsberg also lit the lamp and Roman Josi picked up two assists.

Ryan O’Reilly has recorded 37 points (16g-21a) in his career against the Oilers, including his fifth career NHL hat trick as part of a four-point game (3g-1a) on Nov. 4 at Edmonton.

Forsberg has tallied 25 points (13g-12a) in 26 career games against the Oilers. He became the second player in NHL history to score a “lacrosse-style” goal in Nashville’s game against Edmonton on Jan. 14, 2020.

Juuse Saros set the Nashville franchise record for most saves in a shutout when he posted 46 vs. Edmonton on Dec. 14, 2017. In 11 career games vs. the Oilers, Saros is 3-5-1 with a .916 save percentage and two shutouts.

Milestone Watch:

Luke Schenn is one point from 200 in his NHL career.

Tommy Novak is one point from 100 in his NHL career.

Jeremy Lauzon is three games from 300 in his NHL career.

Filip Forsberg is five power-play goals from passing Shea Weber for the franchise lead (80).

Watch & Listen:

Tonight’s contest will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu with John Buccigross and Kevin Weekes on the call.

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.)