Last Time Out:
Mattias Ekholm scored the lone goal for the Preds on Friday night in Chicago, while Rinne took the OT loss in net. Roman Josi leads the Preds in scoring with 57 points, followed by Filip Forsberg with 40 points and Matt Duchene with 38. Forsberg has 18 goals on the season; Nick Bonino and Craig Smith have 17 goals apiece.
The Opposition:
The Blue Jackets have lost seven-straight games, including a 4-3 defeat in overtime to the Flyers on Thursday night. Columbus has also been bitten by the injury bug with Josh Anderson, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Alexander Wennberg, Seth Jones, Ryan Murray and Joonas Korpisalo among those on Injured Reserve.
Pierre-Luc Dubois leads the team with 44 points, followed by Gustav Nyquist with 37 points and Zach Werenski with 36 points (Bjorkstrand and Jones are also in the team's Top Five in scoring). Werenski has 18 goals on the season, and Dubois has 17 to his name. Elvis Merzlikins took over in net for the Jackets and is 12-9-7 in 28 starts.
All-Time Meetings:
The Predators are 58-20-(1)-7 all-time against the Blue Jackets, including a 34-6-(1)-3 record at Bridgestone Arena. Nashville has won five of its last seven against Columbus and seven of the last 10 overall.
Nashville posted a 17-game home winning streak against Columbus that spanned five seasons from 2006 to 2011. In the Preds' 44 home games against the Blue Jackets, they've only lost six times in regulation, with two of those losses coming in the first three matchups between the two teams.
Notables Versus Columbus:
Filip Forsberg notched his fifth career hat trick on April 7, 2018, at Bridgestone Arena versus Columbus. He has seven points (4g-3a) in 11 career meetings with the Blue Jackets. Roman Josi has points (7a) in five of his last nine games versus the Blue Jackets.
When You Go:
Bridgestone Arena doors open at 5:30 ahead of tonight's 7 p.m. CT puck drop.
For the second time this season, the Predators will host Hockey Fights Cancer Night in the mission of the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund presented by Twice Daily.
As the Predators face the Blue Jackets, special guests from the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt will visit Bridgestone Arena for an extra-special, one-of-a-kind experience. The young hockey fans will enjoy Zamboni rides, visit with that night's referees thanks to Zebras Care, high five the team as they take the ice, catch the game from Pekka Rinne or Matt Duchene's suite and more.
To support the 365 Fund and Hockey Fights Cancer, fans are invited to visit the Foundation area (outside of Section 106/107) to purchase wristbands, magnets, mystery pucks or a brand-new Project 615 "Nashville Fights Cancer" T-shirt. Additionally, a selection of signed Hockey Fights Cancer jerseys, which were worn during warm-ups of the Nov. 2 Hockey Fights Cancer game, will be up for auction. All proceeds will benefit the 365 Fund.
Fox Sports Tennessee's Saturday Night in Smashville pregame show will bring the excitement of live television to the heart of downtown Nashville and kickstart the Saturday party on Broadway. Join Preds broadcasters Terry Crisp and Lyndsay Rowley as they go live from the Bridgestone Arena Plaza and feature country music artist Tyler Farr.
Watch and Listen:
Coverage for tonight's contest begins with Smashville Live on Fox Sports Tennessee at 6:30 p.m. with Lyndsay Rowley and Terry Crisp. Willy Daunic, Chris Mason and Kara Hammer have the call on the television side, while Pete Weber and Hal Gill will broadcast on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network. Pregame coverage on the radio side begins at 6 p.m. CT with Darren McFarland. For broadcast information and channel locations throughout the country,
click here
.
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
clicking here
.
Streaming Info:
Listen to a Live Radio Feed
(only active during the game broadcast window).
Watch a Live Stream of the game
on the Fox Sports Go App or
Watch on NHL.TV
