Game Day: Blue Jackets vs. Preds Preview

The Nashville Predators will conclude the month of November by beginning a three-game homestand tonight when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets at Bridgestone Arena. This evening's contest is the first of two meetings between Nashville and Columbus this season; the Preds will play their final game of the 2021 calendar year when they travel to Ohio on Dec. 30.
After defeating New Jersey, the day after Thanksgiving by a 4-2 final, the Predators fell, 6-2, in Colorado on Saturday night. Now, another homestand will afford them the opportunity to collect more points and stay in the thick of the Central Division, and the Preds know they'll need a better showing than their most recent outing.

"We couldn't find a way to win the game, and we've got to find a way to be better and get more wins," Preds forward Mikael Granlund said following Saturday's loss. "We're kind of going, 'win, lose, win, lose,' and we want to get better and be better than that."
The Predators recalled Michael McCarron prior to Saturday's game in Colorado, but the forward didn't dress and was reassigned to Milwaukee on Monday. Nashville is expected to hold a morning skate today ahead of tonight's tilt.
Update: McCarron
has been recalled
from Milwaukee this morning.

The Good Guys:

Luke Kunin and Matt Duchene found the back of the net on Saturday against the Avalanche, and goaltender David Rittich made 29 saves in the loss. Filip Forsberg added an assist to extend his point streak to three games since returning last week from injury.
Duchene continues to lead the Preds in scoring with 13 goals and 22 points, followed by Granlund (5g-16a) with 21 points and Roman Josi (7g-13a) with 20 points. Ryan Johansen has six goals and 17 points on the season, while Forsberg has six goals and 11 points in 12 games. Juuse Saros is 9-7-1 in net for Nashville with a .918 save percentage.

The Opposition:

Columbus (12-7-0) has won five of their last seven games but fell to the Blues by a 6-3 final on Saturday. Oliver Bjorkstrand (6g-13a) leads the club with 19 points, followed by Jakub Voracek (1g-17a) with 18 points and Zach Werenski (5g-10a) with 15 points. Boone Jenner has 10 goals on the season, and Alexandre Texier has six goals thus far. Elvis Merzlikins is 9-3-0 in net for Columbus, while Joonas Korpisalo is 3-4-0.

All-Time Meetings:

The Predators are 65-22-(1)-7 all-time against the Blue Jackets, including a 39-6-(1)-3 record at Bridgestone Arena. Nashville and Columbus last met on May 5, 2021 at Nationwide Arena, a 4-2 defeat for the road side.
The Predators went 6-2-0 against the Blue Jackets last season, their third-most wins in a single season against Columbus and their most since claiming seven in 2007-08. Nashville has earned at least a point in 12 of its last 15 games vs. the Blue Jackets (11-3-1), including wins in seven of its last nine.
In the Preds' 49 home games vs. Columbus, they've only lost six times in regulation, with two of those losses coming in the first three matchups between the two teams. Nashville's 39 wins against Columbus are its most against a single NHL opponent on home ice.

Notables Versus Columbus:

Filip Forsberg notched his fifth career hat trick on April 7, 2018 vs. Columbus. He has 16 points (8g-8a) in 20 career meetings with the Blue Jackets, including points in seven of his last 10 games. Mattias Ekholm has three points (2g-1a) in his last five games vs. Columbus; following his two-goal performance on Feb. 27, 2021, he now has 10 points (5g-5a) in 18 career meetings with the Blue Jackets.
In addition to posting 19 points (7g-12a) in 35 career games against Columbus, Matt Duchene played in 23 games for the Blue Jackets in 2018-19, recording 12 points (4g-8a). Roman Josi has picked up 17 points (4g-13a) in 29 contests against the Blue Jackets, including two multi-point efforts in 2020-21.
Ryan Johansen was selected by Columbus in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. He has seven points (2g-5a) in 14 career meetings with his former team. Assistant Coach Dan Hinote served in the same position with Columbus from 2010-14; he also was a pro scout for the Blue Jackets from 2014-18.

Watch & Listen:

Coverage for this evening's 7 p.m. CT puck drop from Nashville begins at 6:30 p.m. CT with the Predators Live! pregame show on Bally Sports South hosted by Lyndsay Rowley and Terry Crisp. Willy Daunic, Chris Mason and Kara Hammer have the call on the television side, while Pete Weber and Hal Gill will broadcast on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network. Pregame coverage on the radio begins at 6 p.m. with Darren McFarland. For broadcast information and channel locations throughout the country,
click here
.