After a satisfying win in St. Louis on Saturday, the Nashville Predators will try for another victory against the Blues this evening at Bridgestone Arena on Discover presents Hockey Day in America. The contest will conclude the season series between the Central Division rivals; Nashville has won all three games against the defending Stanley Cup champions thus far.
Saturday afternoon's 4-3 win at Enterprise Center was Nashville's second-consecutive triumph overall and their sixth in their last nine outings.
The most recent contest featured a playoff-like atmosphere, and despite giving up three goals in the second period, a strong start and solid finish led the Predators to their 28th win of the season and two more crucial points in the standings.
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Nashville Tries for Home-and-Home Sweep Against St. Louis on Hockey Day in America
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"It was a really big win for us," Preds forward Kyle Turris said. "We're battling in the standings and trying to make up ground, so to start the back-to-back off with [a win], this was really important. It's going to be a really important game [tonight] too."
"You're going to be in a lot of games like this down the stretch where teams are fighting for points," Preds Head Coach John Hynes said. "Games get more and more intense, particularly teams that are fighting for playoff spots. I like where we're headed in that direction, mentally, with the victory."
Juuse Saros started for the fifth time in Nashville's last six games, and the Predators stuck with the same collection of players on the ice as they had in their 5-0 win over the New York Islanders on Thursday.
Last Time Out:
Viktor Arvidsson, Matt Duchene, Kyle Turris and Mikael Granlund all scored for the Predators in the 4-3 win, while Saros made 23 saves in net. Turris recorded three points on the afternoon, and Granlund's goal came on the power play in the third period, his third game-winning tally in his last six outings.
Preds Captain Roman Josi assisted on Granlund's goal to extend his point streak to five games, and he leads his club with 57 points in 57 games. Filip Forsberg has 39 points on the season, Matt Duchene has 37 and Nick Bonino has 33. Forsberg's 18 goals pace the club, followed by Bonino with 17 and Craig Smith with 16.
The Opposition:
Saturday's defeat was the fourth-straight loss for the Blues, who have just one win in the month of February. Zach Sanford, Jaden Schwartz and Jordan Kyrou scored for St. Louis yesterday afternoon, and Jake Allen took the loss in net.
David Perron leads the Blues with 23 goals and 56 points, followed by Ryan O'Reilly with 51 points and Brayden Schenn with 47. Schenn has 20 goals on the season, while Schwartz has 18. The Preds are likely to see goaltender Jordan Binnington this evening; he's 24-20-7 on the season.
All-Time Meetings:
The Predators are 57-44-(4)-12 all-time against the Blues, including a 26-27-(1)-5 record at Bridgestone Arena. Nashville has won 10 of its last 15 games against St. Louis - including eight of its last 12 - and has scored at least four goals in seven of those wins.
Notables Versus St. Louis:
Filip Forsberg recorded a career-high four points (3g-1a) and tallied one of his six career hat tricks on Feb. 27, 2016, versus St. Louis. He has 27 points (13g-14a) in 28 career games against the Blues, including points in 11 of his last 14 contests against them.
Roman Josi has 23 points (5g-18a) in 39 career meetings with the Blues, and Ryan Johansen has points in five of his last seven games versus St. Louis, recording two goals and four assists.
Pekka Rinne has shut out the Blues four times in his career, tied for his third-most against a single team. He has a 2.02 goals-against average in 46 career contests versus St. Louis, his fourth-lowest against any opponent.
When You Go:
Today, the Predators will host NBC and USA Hockey's Discover presents Hockey Day in America. NBC and NBCSN's 10-hour broadcast, which kicks off Hockey Week Across America, will originate from the Bridgestone Arena plaza starting at 11 a.m. CT and will conclude with a postgame show following the Predators and Blues game at 5 p.m. CT. Throughout their full day of coverage, NBC and NBCSN will feature the diversity and growth of hockey in Nashville, and across the country, before airing the Predators home-ice tilt.
In observance of Black History Month, the Predators will host Willie O'Ree, the first-ever black player in the NHL, throughout the day. In conjunction with O'Ree's visit to Smashville, the Preds will host the NHL Black Hockey History Tour presented by American Legacy. Today, the uniquely-curated mobile museum celebrating black achievement in hockey will be located outside the Schermerhorn Symphony Center starting at 11 a.m. CT.
Fans are encouraged to show up loud, proud and Gold for the Hockey Day in America March to the Game today, which will feature the Franklin High DrumLine. Meet at 4th Avenue & Demonbreun at 4:20 p.m. CT to join in! Bring a sign or make one when you get to the plaza to show on NBC's Discover presents Hockey Day in America broadcast.
The Preds will sport their NHL Winter Classic jerseys for this evening's game. All fans in attendance will receive an LED rally towel. The Predators are celebrating 15-year Season-Ticket Citizens by projecting their names on the ice, offering celebratory gifts and capturing a group photo after the game.
Watch & Listen:
This evening's contest is being shown nationally on NBCSN. Fans may also tune in on ESPN 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network with Pete Weber and Hal Gill on the call. Pregame coverage on the radio side begins with Darren McFarland at 4 p.m. CT. For broadcast information and channel locations throughout the country,
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If the Predators are playing hockey, you can count on the game being on at Preds Approved Bars & Restaurants. Locations throughout Tennessee may be seen by
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Streaming Info:
Listen to a Live Radio Feed
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Watch a Live Stream of the game with NBCSports.com
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