Game Day: Red Wings vs. Preds Preview

After getting back into the win column, the Nashville Predators will conclude a three-game homestand tonight when they welcome the Detroit Red Wings to Bridgestone Arena for a 7:30 p.m. CT start. This evening's contest is the second and final meeting between the two clubs this season; the Preds defeated the Wings in Detroit by a 5-2 count last month.
The Predators snapped a four-game skid on Thursday night when they beat Winnipeg - also by a 5-2 final - as Nashville got back to the things that have made them successful in the past, including their mental fortitude that never seemed to be lacking even after the losses.

"I really liked the mindset of the group," Preds Head Coach John Hynes said following Thursday's win. "There wasn't a lot of panic or finger pointing [during the losing streak]. We lost different games in different ways, but it was all about solutions and just staying focused and making sure that we understood what we needed to do better… But I think overall in general, the big lesson out of that was we weren't too low. We were losing some games, but I just liked the mindset of our group - just keep moving forward, let's find solutions and let's find a way to get out of it. And we did that tonight."
"As long as the game is there and the effort is there, we're going to win some games," Preds forward Mikael Granlund said. "Obviously, it's not always going to come in our way, but if we have the effort and consistency and the system we believe in, we're going to be fine... As long as we do that, good things will happen."
In addition to the win on Thursday, Predators Captain Roman Josi became the franchise's all-time leader in assists with 357 - and 358 - helpers in his career, all with Nashville.
Defenseman Mattias Ekholm returned to the Predators lineup on Thursday after missing three games on the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list. Defenseman Dante Fabbro (upper-body) was placed on Injured Reserve, and blueliner Matt Tennyson made his Nashville debut in Thursday's win.
The Predators did not practice on Friday, but they are expected to hold a morning skate ahead of tonight's meeting with Detroit.

The Good Guys:

Josi (13g-29a) continues to lead the Preds in scoring with 42 points, followed by Matt Duchene (17g-18a) and Mikael Granlund (6g-29a) with 35 points apiece. Ryan Johansen (12g-21a) has 33 points on the season, and Filip Forsberg has 19 goals and 30 points in 29 games. Tanner Jeannot leads all NHL rookies with 13 goals; Yakov Trenin has 10 goals and Luke Kunin has tallied on nine occasions. Goaltender Juuse Saros is 21-11-2 in net with a .924 save percentage.

The Opposition:

The Red Wings fell last night in overtime to the Dallas Stars by a 5-4 final. Dylan Larkin leads the team with 19 goals and 37 points, while Tyler Bertuzzi also has 19 goals with 35 points on the season. Detroit rookies Lucas Raymond (11g-22a-33pts) and Moritz Seider (3g-23a-26pts) are both in the Calder conversation along with Nashville's Jeannot. Alex Nedeljkovic was in net last night for Detroit, so the Preds could face Thomas Greiss tonight who is 6-7-1 on the season.

All-Time Meetings:

The Predators are 43-51-(4)-10 all-time against the Red Wings, including a 24-24-(2)-3 record at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators went 6-2-0 against the Red Wings last season, their most wins in a single season vs. their former Central Division rival. Nashville outscored Detroit 27-15 during the eight-game regular-season series, and both of the Predators' seven-goal games in 2020-21 came against the Red Wings.
Nashville has won eight of its last 10 games against Detroit, including five in a row. The Predators are 2-3-0 in their last five contests vs. the Red Wings at Bridgestone Arena. On Feb. 28, 2009, the Predators defeated the Red Wings, 8-0, at Bridgestone Arena. It remains the highest margin of victory in a game in franchise history.
This will be the 109th meeting between the two teams, Nashville's third-most games played against a single opponent behind Chicago (128) and St. Louis (120).

Notables Versus Detroit:

Roman Josi (11/26/11), Filip Forsberg (4/14/13) and Philippe Myers (2/17/19) all made their NHL debuts against the Red Wings. Forsberg has posted 15 points (6g-9a) in 19 career meetings with Detroit.
Juuse Saros is 5-2-0 in his career against the Red Wings with a 1.77 goals-against average, .937 save percentage and one shutout. Eeli Tolvanen posted a four-game point streak against the Red Wings (2g-2a) from Feb. 23-March 25, 2021.

Watch & Listen:

Coverage for tonight's 7:30 p.m. CT puck drop from Nashville begins at 7 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 6:30 p.m. with Darren McFarland. For broadcast information and channel locations throughout the country, click here.