It’s Game Night in ‘Lumbus as the Nashville Predators conclude their traditional early November road trip with a game against the Blue Jackets. The Preds have a chance to post a 3-1 record on this trip and keep pace in what has become an incredibly competitive Central Division race.
How competitive? Well, as play begins today, there is a four-way tie for third with 16 points, only three points behind Winnipeg for 2nd and four points ahead of Minnesota for the basement. So, every point is critical as this division shows no signs of backing off.
Columbus is tied for the top of the Metro with New Jersey (no… that isn’t a typo) although NJ has two games in hand. The Jackets are coming off a loss to the resurgent NY Rangers last night and are trying to avoid a three game losing streak. Columbus is on the back end of a back-to-back after finishing a road trip that took them for two in Florida before finishing last night.
There has been some fireworks since the Preds took back to back games from Anaheim and LA… the acquisition of Kyle Turris has pundits labeling Nashville as a Stanley Cup favorite. Turris is working his way through the immigration process so it is unknown if he will be able to join the team in Columbus tonight.
In net tonight, I expect Pekka Rinne for the Predators and truly unsure about who is between the pipes for Columbus. Sergei Bobrovsky took the loss last night in New York so it wouldn’t surprise me to see Joonas Korpisalo in net for the Jackets.
Leading the way offensively for the Blue Jackets are a couple of familiar names to Pred Nation, former Blackhawk Artemi Panarin and former Predator Seth Jones share the scoring lead for the team with 12 points each. The goal scoring has been by committee, led by Josh Anderson’s 6 goals. Both Sonny Milano and Oliver Bjorkstrand have 5 each, Cam Atkinson and Zach Warenski has 4 apiece.
For Nashville, look for former Jackets Ryan Johansen and Scott Harnell to step up as they face their old team and I do expect the secondary scoring pop we have seen to continue. Nick Bonino continues to skate and appears close to a return but is still on IR as I write this.
Game time is 6pm central… pregame coverage begins at 5pm on 102.5 the Game, 5:30pm on Fox Sports Tennessee. Game coverage starts at 6pm on both media.
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Random Notes
- The two wins over the weekend evened the Predators road record at 4-4-1.
- Filip Forsberg’s next goal will be the 100th of his career.
- Touching moment in Dallas last night as Trevor Strader sang the National Anthem for the Stars Hockey Fights Cancer Night. He is the son of former Dallas play-by-play man Dave Strader who recently passed away.
- It should be fun to see the Avalanche and Senators play two this weekend as the NHL Global Series hits Stokholm.
- KHL Watch – Eeli Tolvanen’s Jokerit club is off until 11/15. Tolvanen has 14 goals on the season, combined with 11 assists he has 25 points in 27 games.
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