The Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets face off tonight and battle for two important points in the wildcard race.
It is all coming down to the wire for the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference. The Seattle Kraken locked up the top wildcard spot with their win Thursday night over the Arizona Coyotes, the Kraken's first appearance as a franchise in the postseason. Now three teams are vying for that final second wildcard spot in the west - the Winnipeg Jets, the Calgary Flames, and the Nashville Predators. Tonight the Predators take on the Jets for a very important two points.
Tonight's game will be the fourth and final meeting between these Central Division rivals. The Jets bested the Predators in two of the previous three meetings, but it took overtime for Winnipeg to secure those two wins. All three games were decided by one goal.
What could decide tonight's outcome?
Goaltending Showdown
This game will likely be a showdown of goaltenders as Juuse Saros and Connor Hellebuyck are two of the top goaltenders in the league this season. They lead the league in games played and are both in the top ten in saves in shots on goal, goals saved above expected, and wins above replacement. Much about tonight's outcome will come down to which goaltender performs better in net for his team.
Connor Hellebuyck is coming off a Wednesday night loss to the other team in this wildcard triangle - the Calgary Flames. Hellebuyck stopped 32 of the 35 shots he faced, but the Jets offense couldn't generate more than one goal in the game. Saros won just his second shutout game of the season on Thursday against a tough Carolina Hurricanes team in a solid performance across the lineup for the Preds.
Power Play
The Predators and Jets both boast top ten performances on the penalty kill. Tonight a lucky bounce on the power play may be a difference in the outcome between two teams that have struggled on the man advantage this season. Winnipeg's top power play unit is the real threat on the man advantage, so if Nashville can tie up Kyle Connor, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Josh Morrissey the advantage may swing the Predators' way.
Nashville needs to finish on their power play opportunities tonight. The Preds are missing their top three power play goal scorers - Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, and Matt Duchene - to injury, but the first power play unit of Cody Glass, Luke Evangelista, Tommy Novak, Phil Tomasino, and quarterbacked by veteran Tyson Barrie found ways to set up in the offensive zone and threaten. Those young players will need to finish on power play chances in tonight's game.
Managing Physical and Mental Pressure
Winnipeg has the edge when it comes to managing the physical fatigue that accumulates at the end of the long hockey season. The veteran led team understands what it takes to push through these last few games in an 82 game season. The Jets are also taking the ice tonight for their third game since Sunday.
Nashville's schedule was packed this week. Tonight will be the Preds' fourth game since Monday, and the players called up from Milwaukee may still be adjusting to the physical toll a more compressed hockey schedule takes.
These two teams enter the game tonight from different angles, and the mental pressure falls on Winnipeg. The Jets added pieces at the trade deadline - including former Predator Nino Niederreiter - to make a serious run in the postseason this year. There are a slew of contracts the Jets will need to address next season, and their window for a deep playoff run is sooner rather than later.
Then there's Nashville. General Manager David Poile (with input from incoming GM Barry Trotz) sold off big pieces at the trade deadline and looks to "reset" the roster moving forward. Injuries to several of the biggest remaining players - Forsberg, Josi, and Duchene - led to an influx of Milwaukee Admirals players who have shown up and shown out. Tommy Novak joined the team in mid December and is now the leading goal and points scorer among healthy players. Luke Evangelista, Phil Tomasino, and Kiefer Sherwood are taking advantage of their NHL opportunities this season while Spencer Stastney has impressed in just two games on the Predators blue line.
The Preds sold at the deadline, lost a slew of players to injury, and still find themselves in the hunt for a wildcard spot (mostly thanks to excellent goaltending from Saros and backup Kevin Lankinen). The team is playing YOLO hockey with house money, but don't mistake that for a group of players who don't care. The Predators are all in on this wildcard push. Win or lose, Nashville gains valuable experience from this late season opportunity, and they want this win tonight in Winnipeg.
How to Watch
Tonight's game will be broadcast on Bally Sports South and 102.5 The Game will have the radio call. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 pm CST.
Related Reading:
What the Heck Is Happening In Nashville?