The Nashville Predators look to earn two valuable points tonight as they welcome Elias Pettersson and the Vancouver Canucks to town.
The Nashville Predators return home to Bridgestone Arena tonight to take on the 22-30-4 Vancouver Canucks. Nashville has been on a roller coaster lately with the absences of Filip Forsberg and Alexandre Carrier, a shutout loss to the Boston Bruins, a season high goals scored in a win over the Florida Panthers, and a heartbreaking last minute loss to the Wild on Sunday. The Predators' playoff chances have shrunk and with the trade deadline just over a week away, everything in Nashville feels uncertain. Tonight could be a night to steady the ship just a bit or force David Poile to throw a man or two overboard at the trade deadline.
Vancouver Canucks
If there is a franchise that can relate to ups and downs and uncertainties, it is the Vancouver Canucks. After a disappointing first half of the season, head coach Bruce Boudreau was relieved of his duties and replaced by Rick Tocchet. Whispers of the move dragged out in the press and among the team and fans before actually happening on January 22. The Canucks recent play has been nearly as up and down as Nashville's with Vancouver going 2-4-1 since the return from the All Star break.
There are still plenty of players to try and contain tonight on the ice starting with 24 year old Elias Pettersson. The reigning NHL All Star hardest shot champion is having a career year with 71 points and 27 goals already. Pettersson has racked up eleven points in his last five games including five goals in that stretch. He had a five point game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
The Predators can't just focus on containing Pettersson though as Andrei Kuzmenko, J.T. Miller, and Conor Garland will find the open ice if Nashville overplays the Canucks' star. Kuzmenko has already recorded 24 goals in his first season while J.T. Miller has collected 51 points in 56 games.
The Canucks are an interesting team when it comes to special teams. The team ranks dead last in the league on the penalty kill while boasting one of the best power plays since the All Star break. Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller are part of the team's success on the man advantage with Hughes earning 27 power play points and Miller 24 so far this season.
Goaltending is a challenge for Vancouver as none of the four net minders who have gotten starts for the Canucks this season have a save percentage over .900. 21 year old goaltender Arturs Silovs played his first two NHL games against Philly and the New York Rangers, but the Canucks have yet to announce who will start in net tonight.
Nashville Predators
The Predators are coming off a heartbreaking - and critical - loss to the Minnesota Wild on Sunday afternoon. While the team isn't out of the playoff hunt entirely yet, every game from now until the March 3 trade deadline has long term implications for not just this season but as the roster as David Poile looks into the future.
Nashville will be without top goal scorer Filip Forsberg again tonight, so the Preds will need to see players like Matt Duchene, Ryan Johansen, and Nino Niederreiter step up offensively. Phil Tomasino will play in his fifth game this season, and General Manager David Poile is hoping to see better offensive production from Tomasino while he is in the lineup.
The Canucks struggling penalty kill could be an opportunity for the Predators if they can get the power play on track. Nashville has gone 3/13 in their last four games on the man advantage, and two of those successes came in one game against Florida.
The penalty kill will need to execute well against a Canucks team that is vibing on the power play. Yakov Trenin, Ryan McDonagh, and Cole Smith will need to work together to keep the puck away from the net front.
The Predators will need a solid performance in net tonight against a Canucks team that ranks tenth overall in the league in goals for per game. It is most likely that Juuse Saros will get the nod in net.
How to Watch
The Predators welcome the Canucks to Bridgestone Arena tonight at 7:00 pm CST. The game will be broadcast on Bally Sport South and 102.5 The Game will have the radio call.
Related Reading:
Filip Forsberg Still Out, Phil Tomasino Still In Say GM David Poile
Nashville Predators Trade Talk: Defensemen
Predators - 3, Wild - 4: Josi, Niederreiter Help Preds Battle Back But Late Wild Goal Wins Game