The Nashville Predators continue their five-game road trip with a rematch against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday.
With 27 games left to play and several teams in close contention for the Western Conference’s two Wild Card positions, each outing on Nashville’s five-game trip will carry significant postseason implications.
To leave Vegas with an important two points, the Predators will need to ice a sharp, detailed performance against one of the best home teams in the League.
“They're one of the best teams in the League and especially in [T-Mobile Arena],” Predators Captain Roman Josi said. “It's a really hard place to play in and they’ve got some guys back from injury, too. They’re just a really good team and they always come out hard here, so we’ve got to be ready.”
“They make you pay,” Predators Head Coach Andrew Brunette said. “They don't make too many mistakes. And if you get loose or if you're not sharp, there's a reason they're the Stanley Cup champions. I liked our game here last time. There were maybe a few things we could have cleaned up, but I liked the energy and we’ll need the same thing [Tuesday].”
Puck drop is at 9 p.m. CT, here’s everything you need to know:
LAST TIME OUT
Five different Predators skaters scored and Juuse Saros made 35 saves in a 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues at the Enterprise Center on Saturday.
With a goal and an assist, Filip Forsberg tied David Legwand (566) for the second-most points in Predators history, behind Josi (650). The effort earned the forward his 17th multi-point game of the season and the second in his last four outings.
Luke Schenn scored his first goal as a Predator; the defenseman has six points (1g-5a) in 36 games with Nashville this season.
Ryan O’Reilly recorded a goal and an assist for his 14th multi-point game of the season and the second in his last four outings. His 20th goal of the season made O’Reilly first player to reach the 20-goal mark in their first season with the Predators since James Neal in 2014-15 (23).
Luke Evangelista scored his 10th goal of the season and his first in 11 games; he’s tied for sixth among NHL rookies in goals.
Colton Sissons scored his 14th of the season and his first in six games.
With an assist on Forsberg’s third-period goal, Josi reached the 50-point mark for the eighth time in his career, becoming the only player in Predators history to accomplish the feat.
The result moved Nashville to 28-25-2 on the campaign and 14-10-2 on the road.
THE GOOD GUYS
Forsberg leads the Predators in points (55) and goals (26); the forward is tied for 12th among NHL skaters in goals.
Josi leads his club and is fifth among League defensemen in assists (39); Nashville’s captain is additionally tied for fifth among NHL blueliners in points (50).
After 44 appearances, Saros is 21-21-2 with a 3.02 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage. Kevin 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 (1,527) and hits per 60 minutes (27.59); defenseman Jeremy Lauzon leads the League in hits with 258.
Nashville is fifth in the Central Division with 58 points and a 14-10-2 record on the road.
THE OTHER GUYS
The Golden Knights will return to T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday looking to complete a perfect back-to-back set after a 4-0 win over the San Jose Sharks on Monday.
Mark Stone leads the Knights in points (53) and assists (37). Jonathan Marchessault leads his club and is tied for 10th among NHL skaters in goals (28).
With Logan Thompson getting the start on Monday, Adin Hill is likely to receive the nod on Tuesday. Hill is 14-4-2 after 21 appearances, with a 2.06 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage.
Vegas is second in the Pacific Division with 68 points and a 19-7-2 record at T-Mobile Arena; they are tied for the second-most home wins of any team this season.
ALL-TIME MEETINGS
The Predators are 6-7-3 all-time against the Golden Knights, including a 3-4-1 record on the road. This is the second of three matchups between Nashville and Vegas in 2023-24; it is the second and final at T-Mobile Arena.
Nashville is 0-1-0 against Vegas this season, dropping a 4-1 decision in Nevada on Jan. 15. The Predators are 1-3-1 in their last five games against the Golden Knights; they are 3-5-2 in their last 10; and 2-2-1 in their last five on the road.
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 Forsberg record a hat trick. Nashville has allowed one goal or fewer in three of its six 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 10 points (10a) in 15 career games against Vegas.
- 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
- Forsberg (566) is one point from passing David Legwand (566) for the second-most in franchise history.
- Schenn is three points from 200 in his NHL career.
- Ryan McDonagh is three assists from 300 in his NHL career.
- Dante Fabbro is five games from 300 in his NHL career.
WATCH & LISTEN
Coverage for Tuesday’s game begins at 8:30 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.
Max Herz and Hal Gill will call the game on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network, with pregame, postgame and intermission coverage by 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.)
