It’s Game Night in Smashville as the Vegas Golden Knights make their first and only visit to Music City for the 18/19 season and NBCSN will be covering the matchup of the last two Western Conference champs. Vegas just got back to the .500 level with an OT win over Ottawa on Sunday, the Predators were just beaten by the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, bringing their home record to a pedestrian 3-3. While Nashville is leading the conference, there is a little concern over their home record as this is a team that has been dominant inside the friendly confines of Bridgestone Arena.
The Golden Knights are led by Jonathan Marchessault ho has six goals, Cody Eakin, William Karlsson and Ryan Reeves each have three. The Knights are looking for William Karlsson to get back on the scoring pace they are paying him for as a 40 goal scorer and also hoping for Max Pachioretty to get on track and complete his adjustment to his new team. This team is missing defenseman Nate Schmidt who is serving a suspension for PED use and Paul Stastny is on IR.
The Predators are all about the JoFA line right now. Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson have been dominant. The line has combined for 19 goals and 19 assists… that’s 38 points in 11 games while posting a +25… 16 of those points coming in the last four games. Offensively, the Predators are waiting for Kevin Fiala to break through… 1 goal and 2 assists simply isn’t going to cut it on the second line. The young sniper has been bounced to the third and fourth line at times in an attempt to wake up the forward.
In net tonight? Of course it will be Marc-Andre Fluery for Vegas. Fleury has been a little up and down, when he has been up… he has been spectacular. IN the backup slot for Vegas is PK Subban’s brother Malcolm. For the Predators? We will find out more at day of game skate in a few hours. Pekka Rinne is still on IR as I write this but he has been practicing and different quotes in the media indicate he is close to return. Juuse Saros (who shut out Vegas last season) has passed another test in his transition to NHL starter, he has been solid in net while regularly starting. Saros currently has a 5-2-0 record with a .912 Save % and a GAA of 2.73.
It’s a big week for Nashville, three consecutive games against excellent competition, by Saturday night we will have a good read on where this team is after games against Vegas, at Tampa and back home against Boston. Game time tonight is 7pm, and there will be trick-or-treating on the main concourse. The first 5000 kids get an LED candy bucket, everyone gets an LED rally towel and there will be a costume contest… should be a great time as Smashville always celebrates Halloween in fine fashion. Game coverage on 102.5 the Game begins with pregame live from the Barrel House at 6pm, the Voice of the Predators, Pete Weber and Hal Gill have the call. TV coverage on NBCSN.
See you tonight at the Bridge.
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Random Notes
- The Predators have three or more goals in 10 of their 11 games this season.
- No word on timeframe for return on Dan Hamhuis yet.
- Toronto’s first missed game and the Leafs lose… queue the freak out. Calgary took down the Eastern Conference leader 3-1.
- The NHL announced a deal yesterday naming MGM Resorts their “official sports wagering partner.… This follows the NBA into this territory after the league announced their own deal back in August.
- Somebody break up the Canucks! After last night’s 5-2 win over Minnesota, the Canucks are now ties for first in the Pacific with 14 points. -----------------------------------
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