The Predators will conclude their four-game homestand tonight in search of their first win of the season when they host the Boston Bruins at Bridgestone Arena for a 7:45 p.m. CT puck drop. This is the first of two meetings between the two clubs this season; Nashville will visit Boston in March.
Despite Steven Stamkos’ first goal as a member of the Preds on Saturday afternoon, Nashville is still in search of their first win of the season through five games. There have been things to like in recent efforts, but overall, the Predators say they’re still simply not doing enough to find success, and getting into the win column is paramount.
“It's tough sledding, for sure,” Stamkos said following Saturday’s loss to Detroit. “We can't just keep saying the same things over and over in terms of, ‘OK, the effort was there, OK, we had a lot of shots, we had a lot of looks.’ At some point, we’ve got to go do it… It’s certainly not fun when you're not winning, and it's a tough League to win in, no question about it. But, we're a better group than what we're showing right now.”
The Preds could have a fresh face in the lineup tonight in the form of Zachary L’Heureux. The rookie forward was recalled from AHL Milwaukee on Monday, and following Monday’s practice, Predators Head Coach Andrew Brunette said the plan is to get L’Heureux into the lineup.
If L’Heureux dresses tonight against the Bruins, it would be his NHL debut.
“They just want me to be me,” L’Heureux said of what the Preds are expecting from him. “I’m not going to create a miracle or [anything], I’m just going to play my game, come in here and do what I do. Maybe bring a little excitement, bring a little jump and just see what I’m able to do here.”
Last Time Out:
In addition to a power-play goal from Stamkos, defenseman Luke Schenn also tallied in Nashville’s 5-2 loss to the Red Wings, a game that saw the visitors add two empty-netters as the Preds pushed for a late equalizer. Goaltender Juuse Saros made 19 saves on the afternoon as the Predators suffered their fifth loss in as many tries to start the season.
The Good Guys:
Filip Forsberg leads the Preds with two goals and five points through five games, while Jonathan Marchessault and Ryan O’Reilly have identical statlines (1g-3a). Tommy Novak has found the back of the net on two occasions thus far; Roman Josi has three assists on the season. Saros is 0-4-0 in net with an .875 save percentage.
The Opposition:
The Bruins are 3-2-1 through six games to start the season, including a 2-1 overtime loss in Utah on Saturday. Cole Koepke (3g-3a) leads the Bruins with six points, followed by David Pastrnak with four goals and five points. Elias Lindholm, Mark Kastelic and John Beecher each have two goals and three assists through six games. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman is 2-1-1 in net for Boston; Joonas Korpisalo is 1-1-0 in two appearances.
All-Time Meetings:
Nashville is 15-18-(1)-3 all-time against Boston, including a 10-9-(0)-0 record at Bridgestone Arena.
The Predators lost both regular season games against the Bruins last season (0-2-0). In the first game, Boston won, 3-2, on Oct. 14, 2023 at TD Garden; Colton Sissons scored both goals for Nashville and Juuse Saros stopped 27 of 30 shots.
Boston is the only team that Nashville has never had a transaction with since the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft, in which the Predators selected center Mike Sullivan.
Notables Versus Boston:
Steven Stamkos has tallied 41 points (27g-14a) in 53 games against the Bruins. His 27 goals are the second-most (Alexander Ovechkin – 29) of any active NHL skater against Boston.
On his run to winning the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy in 2019, Ryan O’Reilly faced Boston in the Stanley Cup Final and posted nine points (5g-4a) in the seven-game series.
Defenseman Brady Skjei had accumulated 13 points (2g-11a) in 21 career games against the Bruins; the 13 points are the third-most he has put up against any one team during his time in the NHL.
Roman Josi has six goals and 12 points in 20 career games against Boston.
Jeremy Lauzon was drafted by Boston in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft. He played in 76 games for the Bruins from 2018-21.
Milestone Watch:
Luke Schenn is one point from 200 in his NHL career.
Gustav Nyquist is two goals from 200 in his NHL career.
Tommy Novak is three points from 100 in his NHL career.
Watch & Listen:
Coverage for tonight’s game begins at 7 p.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on FanDuel Sports Network 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. Preds fans can still find the FanDuel Sports Network in the same channel positions and app as they did with Bally Sports South. The network has simply rebranded as of Monday.
Voice of the Predators 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.)
Tonight’s 7:45 p.m. CT puck drop comes as part of the NHL’s Frozen Frenzy with all 32 teams in action tonight. Click here for more information.
