The Nashville Predators kick off a five-game road slate on Saturday when they face the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center.
With disappointing showings in their last two outings at Bridgestone Arena, the Predators will be eager to right the ship and ice a winning effort against their Central Division rival.
“I just think our minds haven't been right since the break,” Head Coach Andrew Brunette said after practice on Friday. “It hasn’t been us the last three games. And we're a team that's competed every night, that's played as hard as possible. And we didn't always get the results, but we brought that every night. And these three games since the break, I don't feel we've been at that level, and that’s where the frustration mounts.”
With 28 games remaining and a four-point gap between themselves and the Western Conference’s final Wild Card spot, the Predators know they need to find that level quickly.
“Our season is on the line,” Captain Roman Josi said following Thursday’s loss. “We need to figure it out. Saturday is going to be a huge game, especially after this one. And obviously, you never you never want to feel like that. You’ve got to bottle it up and find a way to motivate yourself.”
Puck drop is at 4 p.m. CT with the game set to broadcast on Bally Sports South, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio. Here’s everything you need to know:
LAST TIME OUT
Cole Smith and Tommy Novak scored, but the Predators left the ice frustrated after falling to the Dallas Stars by a 9-2 decision on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.
Smith’s second-period goal was his sixth of the season and established a career high in points for the forward (18). Smith’s previous career high (17) was set during the 2022-23 season.
Novak’s second-period goal was his 11th of the season and his third in as many games. The marker extended the forward’s point streak to five games (3g-3a).
Kevin Lankinen replaced Juuse Saros in net at the start of the second period and made 18 saves in the relief effort; Saros made 14 saves on 18 shots and was credited with the loss.
Thursday was the second time in franchise history the Predators have allowed nine goals in a game; the first was Nov. 4, 2019 against the Colorado Avalanche, a 9-4 loss. It was tied for the second-largest margin of defeat in a game in Predators history, the first being an 8-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan 11, 1999.
The result moved Nashville to 27-25-2 on the campaign and 14-15-0 at home.
THE GOOD GUYS
Filip Forsberg leads the Predators in points (53) and goals (25); the forward is tied for 12th among League skaters in goals.
Josi leads his club and is fifth among NHL defensemen in assists (38); Nashville’s captain is additionally fifth among League blueliners in points (49).
Saros is 20-21-2 after 43 appearances, with a 3.05 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. Lankinen is 6-4-0 after 15 appearances, with a 3.35 goals-against average and a .889 save percentage.
The Predators lead the NHL in hits (1,499) and hits per 60 minutes (27.58); defenseman Jeremy Lauzon leads the League in hits with 250.
Nashville is fifth in the Central Division with 56 points and a 13-10-2 record on the road; they are four points behind the Blues and the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
THE OTHER GUYS
After defeating the Edmonton Oilers, 6-3, in the first of a four-game homestand on Thursday, the Blues will look to ice another winning effort and widen the distance in the standings between themselves and the Predators on Saturday.
Robert Thomas leads the Blues in points (60) and assists (41) and shares the team lead in goals (19) with Jake Neighbours; the forward is tied for ninth among all NHL skaters in helpers.
Jordan Binnington is 19-14-2 after 38 appearances, with a 2.90 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage. Joel Hofer is 10-8-0 after 19 appearances, with a 2.77 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
St. Louis is fourth in the Central Division with 60 points and a 16-9-1 record at Enterprise Center.
ALL-TIME MEETINGS
The Predators are 62-48-(4)-13 all-time against the Blues, including a 28-29-(1)-6 record on the road.
This is the second of three matchups between Nashville and St. Louis in 2023-24; it is the second and final at Enterprise Center. Nashville is 1-0-0 against St. Louis this season, scoring a season-high eight goals in an 8-3 victory on the road on Nov. 24.
The Predators are 3-1-1 in their last five games against the Blues; they are 5-4-1 in their last 10; and 2-2-1 in their last five on the road. Nashville has won 15 of its last 25 games against St. Louis – including 13 of its last 22 – and has scored at least four goals in 11 of those wins.
The Predators advanced to the Western Conference Final for the first time in franchise history in 2017 after defeating the Blues in the second round, 4-2. Nashville held St. Louis shotless in the third period on Feb. 16, 2008 at Bridgestone Arena; it’s the only time in franchise history the team has given up zero shots in a single period.
NOTABLES VS. ST. LOUIS
- Josi has 28 points (6g-22a) in 48 career meetings with the Blues.
- Forsberg has produced at a point-per-game rate against St. Louis in his career, recording 17 goals and 21 assists in 36 meetings with Nashville’s Central Division rival. He had three points (2g-1a) on Nov. 24 at St. Louis.
- Saros recorded his first career NHL shutout on Dec. 30, 2016 at St. Louis.
- Ryan O’Reilly spent five seasons with the Blues, serving as team captain and winning the Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe and Selke Trophy in 2019. He recorded 269 points (97g-172a) in 327 games with St. Louis from 2019-23.
- Luke Schenn’s brother, Brayden, currently serves as St. Louis’ captain.
- Predators Assistant Coach Dan Hinote played three seasons with the Blues from 2006-09, posting 25 points (11g-14a) in 150 games.
- Predators Assistant General Manager, Director of Player Development and Milwaukee Admirals General Manager Scott Nichol concluded his NHL career by playing two seasons in St. Louis from 2011-13, skating in 110 games.
MILESTONE WATCH
- Forsberg (564) is three points from passing David Legwand (566) for the second-most in franchise history.
- Schenn is four points from 200 in his NHL career.
- Ryan McDonagh is four assists from 300 in his NHL career.
WATCH & LISTEN
Coverage for Saturday’s game begins at 3:30 p.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on Bally Sports South, hosted by Lyndsay Rowley. Play-by-play announcer Willy Daunic and analyst Chris Mason will have the call on the television side.
Pete Weber and Hal Gill 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.)
