GAME DAY: Rangers vs. Preds, December 17

The Predators are back in Nashville to begin a four-game homestand tonight when the New York Rangers come to town for a 7 p.m. CT start at Bridgestone Arena. This evening’s contest is the first of two meetings between the clubs this season; the Preds will travel to Manhattan in March.

After dropping eight in a row, the Preds got back in the win column last Thursday in Dallas. They followed that up with a 5-2 loss to the Avalanche in Colorado on Saturday, but that final score wasn’t necessarily reflective of how the Predators played as they attempted to sweep the two-game trip.

Now, as they return home, the Predators will look to take the good from their last two games - of which there was plenty - and apply it against the Rangers.

"I'd say we've fired a lot of shots on net all year, but I think we were much more connected,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said of Saturday’s effort in Colorado. “And I think it started in the offensive zone. I thought we're closer together. I thought we reloaded above the puck, hard on the puck, allowed our D to stand up, and we kind of played a territorial game. I think when we're at our best and when we’re…playing to our identity, that's kind of what it looks like. So, I thought the two games [in Dallas and Colorado] where it looked really good, we got rewarded in one game and we didn’t in the other. But if we bring that kind of effort, that kind of style of play…you’ll leave the game feeling pretty good about yourself.”

Predators Captain Roman Josi (lower body, day-to-day) and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon (lower body, IR) participated in Saturday’s morning skate, but neither player practiced with the Preds on Monday in Nashville. Forwards Fedor Svechkov and Juuso Parssinen were scratched in Colorado on Saturday.

Update: The Preds have reassigned Fedor Svechkov to Milwaukee (AHL).

"I think it was kind of the plan to give him a good taste [of the NHL]," Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said of Svechkov. "He was playing really well down down there, and he's going to be a really good player in this League for probably a long time, but it's good to get him going if he's not going to get in here. Let's get him back going, and we'll see him again. Get him PP, PK, just keep developing him [in Milwaukee]. And he was really good to see at this level, good to see him score some goals and feel pretty good going back down."

Last Time Out:

Steven Stamkos and Luke Evangelista found the back of the net for Nashville in their 5-2 loss in Colorado, while Juuse Saros made 29 saves in net. Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault collected assists on the Stamkos goal, a trio that continues to find chemistry as Nashville’s top line.

The Good Guys:

Josi continues to lead the Preds in scoring (7g-16a) with 23 points, followed by Forsberg (9g-11a) with 20 points and Marchessault (7g-11a) with 18 points. Stamkos now has eight goals on the season; Ryan O’Reilly has seven tallies and Gustav Nyquist has six. Saros is 6-14-5 in net with a .908 save percentage; Justus Annunen is 1-1-0 in two starts with the Preds with a .953 save percentage in that time.

The Opposition:

The Rangers have dropped 10 of their last 13 games, including a 3-2 loss in St. Louis on Sunday night. Artemi Panarin leads the team with 15 goals and 36 points on the season, followed by Adam Fox (1g-24a) with 25 points and Will Cuylle (11g-12a) with 23 points. Igor Shesterkin is 10-11-1 in net for the Rangers; Jonathan Quick is 5-3-0.

All-Time Meetings:

The Predators are 16-17-(1)-2 all-time against the Rangers, including a 6-9-(0)-2 record at Bridgestone Arena.

The Predators are 3-2-0 in their last five games against the Rangers; they are 5-5-0 in their last 10; and 1-4-0 in their last five at home.

Notables Versus New York:

Brady Skjei was drafted by the New York Rangers in the first round (28th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft. He played his first four seasons in the NHL with New York, posting 112 points (25g-87a) in 307 games.

Jonathan Marchessault has posted 16 points (9g-7a) in 18 career games against the Rangers. He has recorded eight points (7g-1a) in his last five games against the Rangers, including a hat trick performance in his last appearance vs. New York.

Steven Stamkos has recorded 41 points (19g-22a) in 42 games against the Rangers in his career. He has points (8g-8a-16pts) in 10 of his last 14 matchups with the Rangers.

Juuse Saros owns a 1.94 goals-against average, .935 save percentage and one shutout in 10 career games against the Rangers.

Roman Josi has 15 points (5g-10a) in 21 career games vs. the Rangers, including three multi-point efforts. He notched three points (2g-1a) against the Rangers on Dec. 16, 2019.

Rangers Head Coach Peter Laviolette spent parts of six seasons as head coach of the Predators from 2014-20, going 248-143-60 in 451 games. New York Assistant Coaches Phil Housley (2013-17) and Dan Muse (2017-20) also spent time in Nashville on Laviolette’s staff in the same positions.

Milestone Watch:

Ryan O’Reilly is one assist from 500 in his NHL career.

Luke Schenn is one point from 200 in his NHL career.

Filip Forsberg is three power-play goals (78) from passing Shea Weber (80) for the most in Predators history and is four goals from 300 in his NHL career.

Watch & Listen:

Coverage for tonight’s contest begins at 6:30 p.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on FanDuel Sports Network South, hosted by Lyndsay Rowley and Hal Gill. Play-by-play announcer Willy Daunic, analyst Chris Mason and rinkside reporter Kara Hammer will have the call on the television side.

Voice of the Predators 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 Chase McCabe 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.)