The Nashville Predators continue their three-game homestand on Tuesday when they face off against the New Jersey Devils at Bridgestone Arena.
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:
LAST TIME OUT
In their first game back from the All-Star break, Nashville erased a two-goal deficit in the third period and Ryan McDonagh netted his first overtime goal as a Predator to hand the home team a 5-4 win over the Arizona Coyotes at Bridgestone Arena.
McDonagh (1g-1a), Ryan O’Reilly (1g-1a), Filip Forsberg (1g-1a) Tommy Novak (1g-1a), Roman Josi (1g-1a) and Gustav Nyquist (2a) each iced two-point performances.
Forsberg’s 25th goal of the season saw the forward tie Nicklas Lidstrom, Thomas Steen and former Predators forward Patric Hornqvist for ninth place on the NHL’s all-time goals list among Swedish-born players.
Forsberg additionally recorded his 300th career assist, becoming the the fourth player in Predators history to reach the milestone, joining Josi (478), David Legwand (356) and Martin Erat (318).
Josi’s second-period PPG was Nashville’s first goal on the man-advantage since Jan. 20 and made Nashville’s captain the third skater in franchise history to record at least 60 career power-play goals, joining Shea Weber (80) and Forsberg (65).
Juuse Saros made 27 saves and improved to 20-19-2.
Nashville improved to 27-23-2 on the campaign and 14-13-0 at home.
THE GOOD GUYS
Forsberg leads the Predators in points (53) and goals (25) and is tied for ninth among NHL skaters in goals. Josi leads his club and is tied for fourth among NHL blueliners in assists (36).
After 41 appearances, Saros has recorded a 2.97 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage. In his last nine starts, the netminder is 4-4-1 with a .912 save percentage and 2.58 goals-against average.
Kevin Lankinen is 6-4-0 after 14 appearances, with a 3.12 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage.
The Predators lead the NHL in hits (1,428) and hits per 60 minutes (27.28); defenseman Jeremy Lauzon leads the League in hits with 233.
Nashville is fifth in the Central Division with 56 points.
THE OTHER GUYS
The Devils arrive in Music City on Tuesday looking to complete a perfect back-to-back set, after defeating the Seattle Kraken, 3-1, at Prudential Center on Monday.
Jesper Bratt leads the Devils in points (55) and assists (35). Tyler Toffoli leads his club in goals (22).
With starting goaltender Vitek Vanecek day-to-day with a lower-body injury, Akira Schmid or Nico Daws could receive the nod on Tuesday.
Schmid is 5-7-1 after 15 appearances, with a 3.26 goals-against average and a .893 save percentage. Daws is 4-5-0 after nine appearances, with a 3.14 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage.
New Jersey is fourth in the Metropolitan Division with 56 points and a 14-9-2 record on the road.
ALL-TIME MEETINGS
The Predators are 20-9-(0)-6 all-time against the Devils, including an 8-5-(0)-5 record at Bridgestone Arena. This is the first of two matchups between Nashville and New Jersey in 2023-24; it is the first and only at home.
Nashville went 2-0-0 against New Jersey last season, earning a 6-4 win in the most recent meeting on Jan. 26, 2023 at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators also claimed a 4-3 OT win at the Prudential Center on Dec. 1, 2022. The Predators are 5-0-0 in their last five games against the Devils; they are 9-0-1 in their last 10; and 4-0-1 in their last five at home.
Nashville hasn’t lost in regulation to New Jersey since March 3, 2015, going 11-0-3 in that time span. Since the start of the decade, the Predators are 13-3-4 against the Devils, earning points in 18 of their 21 meetings. Nashville’s win streak of eight games against New Jersey is tied for its second-longest active run vs. another opponent (NYI – 10) and tied for the 10th-longest active winning streak against an opponent in the NHL.
The Predators’ last regulation loss at home to the Devils came on Jan. 19, 2009. Nashville has gone 7-0-4 against New Jersey on home ice since then, including wins in four straight.
On Jan. 30, 1999, Sebastien Bordeleau scored the game-winning goal (2:34) for Nashville over New Jersey in the franchise’s first overtime victory.
NOTABLES VS. NEW JERSEY
- Josi has 16 points (5g-11a) in his last 13 games against the Devils. He’s operating at a point-per-game pace in his career vs. New Jersey, recording 18 points (5g-13a) in 18 games.
- McDonagh has played 41 career games against the Devils – the most among current Predators skaters – tallying 20 points (3g-17a). He scored his first career NHL goal on April 9, 2011 vs. New Jersey (Martin Brodeur).
- Yakov Trenin scored his first career NHL goal on Dec. 7, 2019 vs. New Jersey (Louis Domingue).
- Brunette served as associate coach for the Devils during the 2022-23 season.
- Predators prospect Marc Del Gaizo is a native of Basking Ridge, N.J.
- Devils forward Erik Haula played in 51 games for Nashville in 2020-21, tallying 21 points (9g-12a).
MILESTONE WATCH
- McDonagh is one game from 900 and four assists from 300 in his NHL career.
- Luke Schenn is four points from 200 in his NHL career.
- Michael McCarron is two games from 200 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.)
