After three days between games, the Nashville Predators will begin a back-to-back set tonight in Chicago when they face the Blackhawks at United Center for a 7:30 p.m. CT puck drop. This evening’s contest is the third of four meetings between the division rivals this season; the Preds have beaten the Hawks twice already.
There’s an extra dose of anticipation for the Predators tonight with forward Joakim Kemell expected to make his NHL debut. Nashville’s first-round pick in 2022 (17th overall), the 20-year-old Finn has nine goals and 25 points in 38 games with Milwaukee (AHL) this season. Now, the Preds are ready for their first true look at another highly touted prospect in the best League in the world.
"He's definitely stronger,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said Thursday of Kemell. “You could see that. I feel he's skating well. In practice today, I thought he skated really well, and I think his whole, 200-foot game has been much better. I’ve seen him in Milwaukee a little bit. They have him killing penalties, and he's doing a really good job down there. Obviously, we all know the shot and the power-play opportunities to score. So, we're excited to see him, and again, reiterate he's got to be skating.”
“I’m feeling great, so excited, and that's what I work for so hard every day,” Kemell said of joining the Preds after receiving the call on Wednesday. “I knew I'm coming here, and…of course [I’m a] young kid, excited, first time called up here, so I was just laughing. [I was] so excited to call my parents going there, and it was just unbelievable.”
Brunette said Thursday he wasn’t quite sure yet exactly where Kemell would play in the lineup, but added the Finn could slot in alongside Tommy Novak and Fedor Svechkov - the latter of whom Kemell has played with before - and Brunette also offered Ryan O’Reilly’s line as a potential option.
Luke Evangelista (lower body, day-to-day) and Mark Jankowski (upper-body, week-to-week) were both absent from Thursday’s practice. Jonathan Marchessault didn’t skate either and was given a maintenance day.
The Good Guys:
Filip Forsberg continues to lead the Preds with 19 goals and 51 points, followed by Marchessault with 39 points (16g-23a) and Roman Josi (9g-27a) with 36 points. Steven Stamkos has 17 goals and 33 points, while Ryan O’Reilly has 14 goals and 30 points on the season. Juuse Saros is 11-22-6 in net; Justus Annunen is 12-7-0.
The Opposition:
The Blackhawks have dropped their last three outings, including a 4-3 overtime loss against Edmonton on Wednesday. Connor Bedard (15g-31a) leads Chicago with 46 points, followed by Teuvo Teravainen (11g-25a) with 36 points, and then Ryan Donato with 16 goals and 32 points. Petr Mrazek is 9-18-2 in net; Arvid Soderblom has a 7-12-4 record.
All-Time Meetings:
Nashville is 71-51-(4)-12 all-time against Chicago, including a 32-28-(1)-9 record on the road.
The 138 games against the Blackhawks are the most the Predators have played against any franchise. Their 71 wins are the most Nashville has against any individual franchise.
The Predators went 7-0-1 vs. the Blackhawks in 2020-21, their most wins against Chicago in a single season in team history.
Nashville recorded a 16-game point streak against Chicago from Jan. 9, 2020-March 4, 2023 (13-0-3), tied for its longest point streak against a single opponent in franchise history (16 GP vs. Columbus from Nov. 15, 2006-March 28, 2008).
The Predators have earned at least a point in 29 of their last 33 games against the Blackhawks (25-4-4), holding Chicago to two-or-fewer goals 28 times in that span.
The Predators are 5-0-0 in their last five games against the Blackhawks; they are 9-1-0 in their last 10; and 8-1-1 in their last 10 at United Center.
Notables Versus Chicago:
Gustav Nyquist has tallied 26 points (12g-14a) in 29 career games against the Blackhawks; it is the most points he has recorded against any single franchise in his career, tied for the most goals and tied for the second-most assists. In his past 10 times suiting up against Chicago, he has tallied 13 points (7g-6a).
Filip Forsberg has recorded 28 points (14g-14a) in 36 career games vs. the Blackhawks. The winger is currently on a six-game point streak (5g-3a) against Chicago, including a hat trick on April 12, 2024. He scored his 300th career NHL goal on Jan. 16 vs. Chicago.
Ryan O’Reilly has posted 41 points (16g-25a) in 52 career games against Chicago. He is tied for the fifth-most points among active skaters against the Blackhawks (Draisaitl – EDM, Kopitar – LAK).
Steven Stamkos has scored 18 goals in 30 career games against the Blackhawks, tied for the fifth-most among active skaters.
Juuse Saros is 14-3-2 with a 1.98 goals-against average, .933 save percentage and two shutouts in 20 career appearances vs. the Blackhawks.
Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones was drafted fourth overall by the Predators in 2013; he skated in 199 games for Nashville from 2013-16, tallying 63 points (15g-48a).
Chicago forward Craig Smith was drafted by the Predators in the fourth round (98th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft; he played in 661 games for Nashville from 2011-20, recording 330 points (162g-168a).
Milestone Watch:
Cole Smith is one game from 200 in his NHL career.
Steven Stamkos (572) is two goals from passing Mike Bossy (573) for the 23rd-most in NHL history and two assists from 600 in his career.
Ryan O’Reilly is four goals from 300 in his NHL career.
Watch & Listen:
Coverage for tonight’s game begins at 7 p.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on FanDuel Sports Network South, hosted by Lyndsay Rowley. Play-by-play announcer Willy Daunic and analyst Chris Mason will have the call on the television side.
Max Herz and Hal Gill will call the game on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network. 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.)
