The Nashville Predators face the Colorado Avalanche for the second time this month. Can they earn a better outcome this afternoon against a bruised up Avs team?
The Nashville Predators return to Bridgestone Arena after an odd loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night. The Predators lost 3-0 to the Red Wings but played one of their strongest statistical games when it came to shot quality and puck possession.
The Avalanche arrive in Nashville after a particularly tough outing against the Vancouver Canucks. No only did the Avs lose in a bizarre 4-3 game, but they also lost yet another player to injury. This time Evan Rodrigues left the game in the first period with a lower body injury, and he has been ruled out for this afternoon game.
The Avs' injury list already reads nearly as long as a starting lineup and with just about as much talent as well. Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, Darren Helm, and Shane Bowers are out as well as defenseman Kurtis MacDermid. Bowen Byram is questionable to return to the lineup after missing time with a lower body injury.
Of course, Colorado has a deep and talented roster so stars like Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Artturi Lehkonen, and Devon Toews pose plenty of danger to a Predators team still ironing out early season kinks. Although Mikko Rantanen left the Canucks game briefly after taking a high stick, he returned to the ice after a trip to the locker room. Rantanen and Logan O'Connor each scored twice on the Preds in their earlier meeting this month, and the Avs team will be looking to bounce back from an "off" game against Vancouver.
Nashville is coming off of its own "off" game. The Preds played well against the Red Wings leading in Corsi for, high danger chances, and expected goals for, but Detroit's Ville Husso played an exceptional game in net and earned the shut out. Before Wednesday's loss to the Red Wings, the Preds had earned 9 of 10 possible points in a home stand that saw the team pull out some tight wins.
This afternoon's match up may come down to which team can shake off the frustration of a tough loss and get to their game first. Goaltending will be a battle as Juuse Saros is likely to be in net for the Predators while Alexandar Georgiev will probably get the start in net for the Avs.
Nashville will need big games from leading goal scorers Nino Niederreiter and Filip Forsberg along with Roman Josi's best 200 foot game. Today will be young Juuso Pärssinen's first chance to play against the reigning Stanley Cup winners, so keep an eye on the young forward to see how he performs against Colorado's speed and defense.
Two important Central Division points are on the line in today's matinee. The Predators are currently in a three way tie for fourth place in the division. After a rocky start to the season, now is the time for Nashville to climb back up in the rankings.
The Predators take on the Colorado Avalanche this afternoon at 1:00 pm CST at Bridgestone Arena. The game will be broadcast on Bally Sports South, streamed on ESPN+, and 102.5 The Game will have the call locally.