The Nashville Predators can establish the longest point streak in franchise history when they face the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday.
Puck drop is at 6:30 p.m. CT, with the game set to broadcast on ESPN+/Hulu, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio.
Here’s everything you need to know:
LAST TIME OUT
Four different Predators skaters recorded three-point performances and two more registered a pair each as Nashville defeated the San Jose Sharks, 8-2 at Bridgestone Arena, to extend their point streak to a franchise-high 15 games (13-0-2).
Roman Josi recorded his third three-point performance (1g-2a) in his last 10 outings and his third-straight multipoint game.
Ryan McDonagh matched a season-high three-game point streak with his 23rd assist of the season, then tacked on two more helpers to earn his second straight multi-point performance and his first three-point performance of the season. The defenseman additionally recorded a career-high +6 rating and matched the franchise high established by Josi on March 5, 2022 against San Jose.
With a goal and two assists, Filip Forsberg recorded his 23rd multi-point outing of the season to best a career high established during the 2021-22 campaign. The effort additionally gave Forsberg his seventh three-point outing of the season, his second straight multi-point outing and a four-game point streak (3g-5a).
Michael McCarron scored two goals and recorded his second multi-goal performance of the season and the fourth of his career, Jason Zucker scored in his Predators home debut, while Nashville’s third line of Luke Evangelista, Tommy Novak and Mark Jankowski each scored as well.
With three assists, Kiefer Sherwood recorded his second three-point performance of his career. With an assist on Forsberg’s goal, Gustav Nyquist hit the 60-point mark for the first time in his career.
Defenseman Marc Del Gaizo recorded two shots and three hits in 19:21 of ice time in his first NHL game since Nov. 14 vs. Anaheim.
The result stretched Nashville’s winning streak against San Jose to 10 games.
THE GOOD GUYS
Forsberg leads the Predators in points (74) and goals (36); he is tied for 12th among NHL skaters in goals.
Josi leads his club and is fifth among all NHL defensemen in assists (52); Nashville’s captain additionally leads all League blueliners in goals (18).
Saros is 30-21-4 after 55 appearances, with a 2.78 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage. Kevin Lankinen is 9-4-0 after 18 appearances, with a 3.09 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage.
The Predators 15-game point streak (13-0-2) is the longest active point streak in the NHL. Since Nov. 18, Nashville is tied for second in the NHL in points with 74.
Nashville is fourth in the Central Division and holds the Western Conference’s first Wild Card spot with 84 points. The Predators are tied for the second-most road wins in the NHL with 21 (21-10-3).
THE OTHER GUYS
The Panthers return from a four-day break looking to split a two-game homestand on Thursday, after falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning by a 5-3 decision on Saturday.
Sam Reinhart leads the Panthers in points (79) and goals (48); he has the second-most goals among all NHL skaters this season. Matthew Tkachuk leads his club in assists (54).
Sergei Bobrovsky is 32-14-2 after 49 appearances, with a 2.35 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. Anthony Stolarz is 13-5-2 after 21 appearances, with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.
The Panthers power play is tied for second in the League, with a 26.4 percent success rate; they share the League lead in power play goals (60).
Florida is second in the Atlantic Division with 94 points; they are tied for the second-most points in the NHL and share the League lead in wins with 45.
ALL-TIME MEETINGS
The Predators are 20-20-(3)-2 all-time against the Panthers, including a 10-10-(1)-1 record on the road. This is the second and final matchup between Nashville and Florida in 2023-24; it is the first and only at Amerant Bank Arena.
Nashville is 0-1-0 against Florida this season, dropping a 4-1 decision at Bridgestone Arena on Jan. 22. The Predators are 3-2-0 in their last five games against the Panthers; they are 5-5-0 in their last 10; and 3-2-0 in their last five on the road.
In front of a sell-out crowd of 17,298, the Predators played their first-ever NHL game vs. the Panthers on Oct. 10, 1998.
NOTABLES VS. FLORIDA
- Forsberg has 20 points (5g-15a) in 20 career games against Florida, with 10 of those points (3g-7a) coming in six contests in 2020-21. He recorded the first of his two career five-point games on Feb. 4, 2021 at Florida (2g-3a).
- Josi has 24 points (8g-16a) in 25 career games vs. Florida.
- Colton Sissons went 16-for-16 in faceoffs on Feb. 22, 2022 at Florida, becoming the fourth NHL player since 1997-98 to take at least 16 faceoffs in a game and win them all.
- Lankinen made his NHL debut on Jan. 19, 2021 against Florida.
- Predators Head Coach Andrew Brunette served as Florida’s interim head coach for 75 games during the 2021-22 season, going 51-18-6 and earning a second-place finish for the Jack Adams Award.
- Nashville Assistant Coach Derek MacKenzie played the final five seasons of his NHL career with Florida from 2014-19, tallying 54 points (20g-34a) in 304 games. He captained the Panthers from 2016-18.
- Florida forward Nick Cousins played 120 games for Nashville from 2020-22, tallying 40 points (14g-26a).
MILESTONE WATCH
- Sissons is one point from 200 in his NHL career.
- Luke Schenn is three points from 200 in his NHL career.
- Josi is four games from 900 and five assists from 500 in his NHL career.
- Nyquist is five assists from 300 in his NHL career.
WATCH & LISTEN
Thursday’s game will stream exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu with play-by-play announcer Bob Wischusen and analyst Kevin Weekes on the call.
Pete Weber and Hal Gill 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.)
