GAME DAY: Golden Knights vs. Preds, March 26

The Nashville Predators can extend their franchise-record point streak to 18 games as they close their season series against the Vegas Golden Knights at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday.

A Predators win would not only see Nashville’s point streak reach 18 games, but would also match their season-high six-game win streak and with a regulation victory, put them on top of a four-point swing in the Western Conference Wild Card race.

Getting there will be no easy task, and the home team will need to keep their foot on the gas against a Vegas team that’s desperate to bolster their postseason position and potentially hop Nashville in the standings.

“Every game is a challenge, and it's a different challenge every night,” Predators Head Coach Andrew Brunette said. “We had a desperate team in Detroit and we had a Stanley Cup finalist in Florida. We had a team in San Jose that had nothing to play for and were going to play hard. So every night there’s a different sort of challenge. Tomorrow night, it's going to be a hard game. [Vegas] is as good as any team in the League. I know they're chasing us, but our focus is we want to move forward. We don't care who we play, we just want to get better every game.”

“Our last game [against Vegas] we obviously got a big win, but we kind of got away from our game and it wasn't ideal for us,” Predators forward Ryan O’Reilly said. “We found a way to win, which is huge, so we’ve got to use that momentum and get back to our smothering mindset. When we're hunting and everyone's hunting on the same page… I think our game builds from there and we’re able to be difficult for teams. But [Vegas] is in the same kind of position as us, they're fighting for their lives. So, it's going to be a really good game.”

Puck drop is at 7 p.m. CT with the game set to broadcast on Bally Sports South, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio.

Click here to get tickets and find out everything you need to know below:

MORNING SKATE SKINNY

LAST TIME OUT

Filip Forsberg scored the only goal of the game late in the third period and Juuse Saros earned Nashville its second straight shutout as the Predators defeated the Detroit Red Wings, 1-0, at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday.

The result stretched Nashville’s franchise-record point streak to 17 games (15-0-2), the longest point streak of the 2023-24 NHL campaign and the longest since the Carolina Hurricanes’ 17-game streak in 2022-23.

Forsberg’s 10th game-winning goal of the season established a career high and extended the forward’s point streak to six games (6g-5a). Forsberg additionally recorded his third career fighting major.

Saros’ 22-save performance earned the netminder his third shutout of the season and the 23rd of his career. The shutout win became the 10th time in franchise history and the first since March 5-7, 2020 the Predators have posted consecutive shutouts.

Factoring on Forsberg’s goal, Roman Josi and Gustav Nyquist extended their point streaks to six games (3g-7a) and five (2g-5a), respectively.

The result additionally earned Nashville their fifth straight win and moved the team to 20-15-1 at Bridgestone Arena.

THE GOOD GUYS

Forsberg leads the Predators in points (78) and goals (39); the forward is tied for ninth among NHL skaters in goals.

Josi leads his club and is sixth among League defensemen in assists (54); he shares the League lead in goals by a defenseman (18) with Colorado’s Cale Makar.

Saros is 31-21-4 after 56 appearances, with a 2.73 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage; he is currently on a career-high 13-game point streak (11-0-2), the longest in franchise history. Saros is 11-0-2 during Nashville’s 17-game point streak with a 1.76 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage.

Kevin Lankinen is 10-4-0 after 19 appearances, with a 2.90 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. During Nashville’s 17-game streak, Lankinen has won all four of his starts and posted a .952 save percentage and a 1.50 goals-against average.

The Predators 17-game point streak is the longest active streak in the NHL and the longest of the 2023-24 campaign. During the streak, Nashville has outscored their opponents 69-29, scored the joint-most goals per game (4.06) and allowed the fewest goals per game (1.71).

Nashville currently holds the Western Conference’s first WIld Card position with 88 points and 11 games left to play.

THE OTHER GUYS

Vegas enters Tuesday’s contest looking to close out a perfect road back-to-back set, after defeating the St. Louis Blues by a 2-1 overtime decision on Monday.

Jonathan Marchessault leads the Golden Knights in points (61) and goals (39); the forward is tied for ninth among NHL skaters in goals.

With Logan Thompson getting the start Monday and Adin Hill out with an undisclosed injury, Henderson Silver Knights (AHL) callup Jiri Patera is likely to receive the nod on Tuesday. Patera is 1-3-0 after five appearances, with a 3.35 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.

In addition to Hill, the Golden Knights are missing a number of key players, including captain and assist leader Mark Stone (upper body, IR), defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (illness) and deadline pickup Tomas Hertl (knee, IR).

Vegas currently holds the Western Conference’s second Wild Card spot with 85 points and a 16-14-5 record on the road; they trail the Predators first spot by three points.

ALL-TIME MEETINGS

The Predators are 7-7-3 all-time against the Golden Knights, including a 3-3-2 record at Bridgestone Arena. This is the third and final matchup between Nashville and Vegas in 2023-24; it is the first and only at home.

Nashville is 1-1-0 against Vegas this season, claiming a 5-3 win at T-Mobile Arena in the last meeting on Feb. 20. Nashville fell in the opening game of the regular-season series vs. Vegas, 4-1, in Nevada on Jan. 15. The Predators are 2-2-1 in their last five games against the Golden Knights; they are 3-5-2 in their last 10; and 1-3-1 in their last five at home.

The Predators went 1-1-1 against the Golden Knights last season, winning 3-2 in OT on April 4, 2023 at Bridgestone Arena. Nashville also earned a point in a 5-4 overtime loss on New Year’s Eve that saw Filip Forsberg record a hat trick. Nashville has allowed one goal or fewer in three of its seven victories over Vegas.

NOTABLES VS. VEGAS

• Saros is 4-5-1 with a .921 save percentage and one shutout vs. Vegas in his career. Saros made a then career-high 47 saves in Nashville’s 2-1 victory at Vegas on Jan. 23, 2019. He also recorded a 43-save shutout against Vegas on Jan. 16, 2018, becoming the first Predators goaltender to record multiple 40-plus save shutouts in the same season.
• Forsberg recorded his eighth career regular-season hat trick on Dec. 31, 2022 at Vegas. He recorded a five-game point streak vs. Vegas from Nov. 24, 2021-Feb. 7, 2023 (8g-1a), scoring at least two goals in three of those games.
• Josi has 12 points (12a) in 16 career games against Vegas.
• Jeremy Lauzon scored his first career NHL goal on Nov. 11, 2018 vs. Vegas (Malcolm Subban).
• Cody Glass was selected by Vegas in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft; he was the Golden Knights’ first-ever draft pick. He played in 66 games for Vegas from 2019-21, tallying 22 points (9g-13a). Glass was acquired by Nashville from Vegas for forward Nolan Patrick on July 17, 2021.

MILESTONE WATCH

• Colton Sissons is one point from 200 in his NHL career.
• Josi is two games from 900 and three assists from 500 in his NHL career.
• Nyquist is three assists from 300 in his NHL career.
• Luke Schenn is three points from 200 in his NHL career.
• Tyson Barrie is five assists from 400 in his NHL career.

WATCH & LISTEN

Coverage for Tuesday’s game begins at 6:30 p.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on Bally Sports South, hosted by Lyndsay Rowley and Hal Gill. Play-by-play announcer Willy Daunic, analyst Chris Mason and rinkside reporter Kara Hammer will have the call on the television side.

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.)