Game Day: Preds vs. Blackhawks Preview

The Nashville Predators (34-24-7) will continue their three-game homestand as they host the Chicago Blackhawks (23-8-6) Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.
The puck drops at 7 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast on Hulu/ESPN+, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio. Here's everything you need to know:

Line 'Em Up

Below are Nashville's lines from Tuesday vs. Detroit:
Tomasino - Glass - Duchene
Sherwood - Novak - Evangelista
Trenin - Sissons - Smith
Afanasyev - Jankowski - Asplund
Josi - Fabbro
Lauzon - Barrie
Gravel - Foote
Saros

Last Time Out

Nashville improved to 17-11-3 at home in 2022-23 with Tuesday's win over Detroit. The Predators closed out their two-game regular-season series against the Red Wings with a 1-1-0 record.
Nashville picked up the victory while recording 16 shots on goal; it was the ninth time in franchise history the team has won a game while firing 16 shots or fewer. Kiefer Sherwood had two points (1g-1a) for his second multi-point outing of the season and first since Oct. 7 vs. San Jose in Prague (1g-1a), and Tommy Novak scored his third game-winning goal of 2022-23. Cal Foote assisted on Novak's goal for his first point as a member of the Predators.

All-Time Meetings

The Predators are 65-50-(4)-12 all-time against the Blackhawks, including a 36-22-(3)-3 record at Bridgestone Arena. This is the third and final matchup between Nashville and Chicago in 2022-23 and the first and only at home.
Nashville is 2-0-0 against Chicago this season, most recently earning a 3-1 win at United Center on March 4. The Predators won a 4-2 game on the road on Dec. 21, which saw Roman Josi pass David Legwand for the most points in franchise history.
The Predators have earned at least a point in 23 of their last 26 games against the Blackhawks (19-3-4), holding Chicago to two-or-fewer goals 22 times in that span. Nashville is currently on a 16-game point streak against Chicago (13-0-3), tied for its longest point streak against a single opponent in franchise history (16 GP vs. Columbus from Nov. 15, 2006-March 28, 2008).

Notables vs. Chicago

• Juuse Saros is 10-2-2 with a 2.06 goals-against average, .934 save percentage and one shutout in 15 career appearances vs. the Blackhawks.
• Kevin Lankinen played the first 69 games of his NHL career with Chicago from 2020-22. He went 25-29-11 and posted a 3.23 goals-against average and .901 save percentage for the Blackhawks.
• Dante Fabbro scored his first career NHL goal on April 6, 2019 vs. Chicago (Cam Ward).
• Predators prospect Ryan Ufko won the USHL's Clark Cup with the Chicago Steel in 2020-21; prospect Spencer Stastney is a product of the Chicago Mission youth hockey program.
• Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones was drafted fourth overall by the Predators in 2013; he skated in 199 games for Nashville from 2013-16, tallying 63 points (15g-48a).
• Chicago forward Colin Blackwell made his NHL debut with Nashville in 2018-19 and skated in 33 total games with the Predators, recording 10 points (3g-7a).
• Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi played in 35 games with the Predators from 2019-21.

The Good Guys

• Saros is 23-12-5 with a 2.58 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in his last 40 games dating back to Nov. 12. His 23 wins in that time frame are tied for the third-most in the NHL, and he is third in save percentage since Nov. 12 (among goalies with at least 20 GP).
• Josi owns the Predators team lead in points with 56 (17g-39a). Recording two assists in his 823rd career NHL game on Sunday at Anaheim, he became the second-fastest active defenseman to reach the milestone behind San Jose's Erik Karlsson. He has 52 points (16g-36a) in his last 55 games following Sunday's game, and he has recorded at least one point in 22 of his last 32 contests. Since Oct. 27, Josi is tied for first among NHL blueliners in goals (17); tied for third in points (57); and tied for eighth in assists (40).
• Novak has 28 points (13g-15a) in 34 games with Nashville since being recalled from Milwaukee (AHL) on Dec. 19. He recorded his third three-point game of the season on Sunday at Anaheim (2g-1a), including his first career overtime goal. In a 13-game span since Feb. 18, Novak has posted 17 points (9g-8a) - tied for the 11th-most among NHL skaters - including five multi-point efforts.
• Sherwood has points in four of his last six games (2g-3a).
• Colton Sissons tallied an assist on Tuesday vs. Detroit to give him 14 points (5g-9a) in his last 24 outings. Sitting at 27 points (11g-16a), he is three from matching his career high of 30, set in 2018-19 (15g-15a).

The Other Guys

The Blackhawks are coming off a 6-3 upset of the first-place Boston Bruins on Tuesday. Taylor Raddysh notched his first career hat trick in the win, surpassing the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career.
Raddysh leads Chicago in total points with 31, and his 20 goals are also a team high. The Blackhawks are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games, averaging 2.7 goals, 4.5 assists, 3.4 penalties and eight penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

Watch & Listen

Thursday's game will be nationally televised and broadcast exclusively on ESPN+/Hulu. Mike Monaco, Brian Boucher and Dominic Moore 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. The game will also be broadcast in Spanish on El Jefe which airs on 96.7 FM, 105.3 FM and 810 AM.