The Nashville Predators (5-10-0) continue their five-game homestand as they host the Chicago Blackhawks (5-9-0) for Hockey Fights Cancer Night on Saturday at Bridgestone Arena.
Puck drop is at 1 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast on Bally Sports South, 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’s game vs. Anaheim:
Forsberg - O’Reilly - Nyquist
Sherwood - Glass - Evangelista
Trenin - Pärssinen - Sissons
Foudy - McCarron - Smith
Josi - Fabbro
Lauzon - Carrier
Del Gaizo - Barrie
Saros
Lankinen
Scratches: Tomasino, Stastney, McDonagh
IR: Schenn, Novak
LAST TIME OUT
Nashville moved to 3-4-0 at Bridgestone Arena in 2023-24 with Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. The Predators outshot the Ducks, 30-20, including by a 11-5 margin in the first period.
Filip Forsberg scored to give him five goals in his last three games, and Roman Josi tallied his second power-play goal of the season. Ryan O’Reilly assisted on both Nashville goals, and Jeremy Lauzon and Michael McCarron recorded fighting majors.
ALL-TIME MEETINGS
The Predators are 65-51-(4)-12 all-time against the Blackhawks, including a 36-23-(3)-3 record at Bridgestone Arena. This is the first of four matchups between Nashville and Anaheim in 2023-24 and the first of two at home.
Nashville went 2-1-0 against Chicago last season, with both of its victories coming at the United Center. The Predators earned a 4-2 win on Dec. 21, 2022, which saw Josi pass David Legwand for the most points in franchise history. This will be the 133rd time the Predators and Blackhawks clash in the regular season, Nashville’s most games played against a single opponent.
NOTABLES VS. CHICAGO
- Juuse Saros is 10-3-2 with a 2.06 goals-against average, .932 save percentage and one shutout in 16 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 (April 6, 2019) and Tommy Novak (Dec. 17, 2021) both scored their first career NHL goals against Chicago.
- Defenseman Spencer Stastney is a product of the Chicago Mission youth hockey program.
- Predators prospect Ryan Ufko won the USHL’s Clark Cup with the Chicago Steel in 2020-21.
- 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).
- Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi played in 35 games with the Predators from 2019-21.
THE GOOD GUYS
Filthy Forsberg: Forsberg leads Nashville in points with 18 (7g-11a) after scoring on Tuesday vs. Anaheim. He’s recorded multiple goals in two of his last three games and has points in seven of his last eight contests (6g-7a). His 18 points are the most through the first 15 games of a season in team history. Forsberg is also fifth among all NHL skaters in shot attempts (130) and 10th in shots on goal (62).
Out for Vange-ance: Luke Evangelista has nine points (1g-8a) in his last 11 games, including two multi-point efforts. He’s tied for fifth among NHL rookies in points with nine (1g-8a).
Captain Clutch: Josi has points in nine of his last 12 games (3g-8a), including a four-game point streak from Oct. 28-Nov. 4 (2g-3a). He scored his first goal of the season, the OT winner, on Oct. 28 vs. Toronto, and added his first power-play goal of the campaign on Nov. 2 at Seattle. Per NHL EDGE, Josi has skated the second-longest total distance among NHL defensemen on the power play this season (11.01 miles).
Factor 1,000: O’Reilly recorded his fifth career NHL hat trick on Nov. 4 at Edmonton in a four-point effort (3g-1a). He now has 10 points (6g-4a) in his last eight games after posting two assists on Tuesday vs. Anaheim. His eight goals from the high-danger zone are tied for the second-most in the NHL per NHL EDGE.
The Gus Bus: Gustav Nyquist is currently on a three-game point streak (4a).
Juiced Up: Per NHL EDGE, Saros is tied for third in the NHL in saves from the mid-range area (100). He’s tied for second in games played (13) and starts (13) among NHL goaltenders; he’s tied for fourth in total saves (322).
On the Attack: Through 15 games, the Predators are seventh in the NHL in expected goal percentage (5-on-5) at 53.7 percent and are eighth in expected goal differential (5-on-5) at 4.16 per MoneyPuck.com. Nashville is also tied for fifth in the NHL in high-danger shots for (37).
Power Play: The Predators are tied for 11th in the NHL in power-play goals with 13.
Heavy Hitters: The Predators are 10th in the NHL in hits (297) and 13th in blocked shots (249). They are third in hits per 60 minutes (19.8) and 10th in blocked shots per 60 minutes (16.6).
THE OTHER GUYS
The Blackhawks are tied with the Preds for the fewest points in the Central Division (10). They have lost three of their last four, most recently dropping a 4-2 decision to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.
Connor Bedard, the No. 1 overall pick at the 2023 NHL Draft held this summer at Bridgestone Arena, leads the Blackhawks in both points (13) and goals (nine). He also sits in first place among all NHL rookies in both categories. Jones and Nick Foligno have each dished out a team-leading six assists.
HOCKEY FIGHTS CANCER
The Nashville Predators Foundation empowered by SmileDirectClub will host their first Hockey Fights Cancer Night of the season on Saturday. The Preds Foundation looks to build off the support seen during their Hockey Fights Cancer efforts last season, which raised over $250,000 for the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund presented by Twice Daily.
To help make a bigger difference, the Foundation is calling on Smashville to support Hockey Fights Cancer, the 365 Fund and the imperative cancer research taking place at Monroe Carell. For more info on how to get involved and show support, click here.
WATCH & LISTEN
Coverage for Saturday’s game begins at 12:30 p.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on Bally Sports South, hosted by Lyndsay Rowley alongside analyst 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.)
