LAST TIME OUT
Ryan O’Reilly scored in the shootout and Juuse Saros stopped all three Devils attempts to seal a come-from-behind, 3-2 victory over New Jersey on Sunday at Prudential Center.
Roman Josi’s first-period goal was his 21st of the season and the second in his last three games.
Skating in his 100th career game, Luke Evangelista scored the equalizer for Nashville with 7:15 remaining in regulation. The goal was Evangelista’s 16th of the season and marked his 50th career point (23g-27a).
Recording two assists, Filip Forsberg reached 600 career points (282g-318a), joining Josi as the only other player in Predators history to reach the milestone.
O’Reilly additionally recorded two helpers to reach the 40-assist mark for the third time in his career and the first time since the 2019-20 campaign (49).
The result moved Nashville’s magic number to one and their road record to 23-13-3. The Predators are now 3-0 in shootouts this season.
THE GOOD GUYS
Forsberg leads the Predators in points (89) and goals (43); he is tied for 12th and seventh among NHL skaters in each respective category. The forward has recorded 36 points (18g-18a) in his last 24 outings.
Josi leads his team and is sixth among League defensemen in assists (57); Nashville’s captain additionally leads all NHL blueliners in goals. Josi has 29 points (10g-19a) in his last 24 outings.
Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon leads the League in hits (357); he needs 26 to pass the NHL’s single-season record (382), recorded by Matt Martin in 2014-15.
Saros is 14-2-2 in his last 18 starts, with a 2.25 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage during that span.
Since Feb. 17, the Predators have accumulated the joint-most points (38) and wins (18) in the NHL, while scoring the third-most goals per game (3.75) and allowing the second-fewest goals per game (2.42).
Nashville holds the Western Conference’s first Wild Card spot with 94 points and a 22-16-1 record at home.
THE OTHER GUYS
The Jets enter Tuesday’s contest looking to collect their fourth straight win and improve their odds at earning home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Mark Scheifele leads the Jets in points (66), Kyle Connor leads in goals (31) and Josh Morrissey leads in assists (54).
Connor Hellebuyck, expected to receive the start on Tuesday, is 34-19-4 after 57 appearances, with a 2.41 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage; he is third and second among qualified NHL netminders in each respective category.
Hellebuyck’s steady presence in the paint has helped Winnipeg allow the fewest total goals of any team this season (190) and the fewest goals allowed per game (2.47).
Winnipeg’s 22 road wins this season are the sixth most in the NHL; they share the ninth-most points earned away from home (47) with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Winnipeg is third in the Central Division with 100 points; they trail the second-place Colorado Avalanche by two points with one game in hand.
The Jets clinched a playoff position on April 4 after a 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames.
ALL-TIME MEETINGS
The Predators are 30-20-(1)-6 all-time against the Jets franchise, including an 18-9-(0)-1 record at Bridgestone Arena. This is the fourth and final matchup between Nashville and Winnipeg in 2023-24; it is the second and final at home.
Nashville is 2-1-0 against Winnipeg this season, most recently earning a 4-2 win at Canada Life Centre on March 13. The Predators won the first meeting of the season at Bridgestone Arena, 3-2, on Nov. 26. The Predators are 2-2-1 in their last five games against the Jets; they are 4-4-2 in their last 10; and 3-1-1 in their last five at home.
A win in Tuesday’s game would give Nashville its first season-series victory over Winnipeg since 2019-20.
NOTABLES VS. WINNIPEG
- Josi tied the Predators franchise record for assists and points in a game with five on Feb. 27, 2018 at Winnipeg. He has 30 points (5g-25a) in 37 career games vs. the Jets.
- Forsberg recorded a five-game point streak (5a) vs. Winnipeg from March 13, 2018-March 1, 2019. He has picked up at least one point in 14 of his last 23 contests against the Jets and has posted 24 points (7g-17a) in 36 career games vs. Winnipeg.
- Saros is 6-6-3 with a 2.47 goals-against average, .927 save percentage and one shutout in 15 career meetings with Winnipeg.
- Colton Sissons made his NHL debut on Jan. 28, 2014 at Winnipeg.
- Cody Glass is a native of Winnipeg. He has two goals in five career games against his hometown team.
- General Manager Barry Trotz is from Dauphin, Man.
- The Predators acquired a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft from Winnipeg for forward Nino Niederreiter on Feb. 25, 2023. Niederreiter tallied 28 points (18g-10a) in 56 games for Nashville to begin the 2022-23 season.
MILESTONE WATCH
- Forsberg needs one goal to best the franchise’s single-season record (43), established by Matt Duchene in 2021-22.
- Gustav Nyquist is one point from 500 and three goals from 200 in his NHL career.
- Luke Schenn is three points from 200 in his NHL career.
- Tyson Barrie is four assists from 400 in his NHL career.
- Jason Zucker is five goals 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.)
