'NHL Network Showcase': 3 Storylines for Panthers vs. Predators

The Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators face off for the fourth of eight games in the Discover Central Division on Saturday (2 p.m. ET; NHLN, FS-TN, FS-F, NHL.TV) in the "NHL Network Showcase presented by SAP."

The Panthers (14-4-4) are 2-0-1 against the Predators, including a 5-4 win Thursday. They continue a five-game road trip and are 7-1-1 away from home this season. On the road this season, Florida is scoring 3.78 goals per game and allowing 2.67 per game, first and 11th in the NHL, respectively.
Four seasons removed from playing in the Stanley Cup Final, Nashville (10-13-0) is sixth in Central and could miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2013-14. The top four teams in each division qualify for the postseason.
Here are 3 storylines to keep an eye on:

Predators injuries

The Predators lost defenseman Ryan Ellis (upper body, out 4-6 weeks), and forwards Luke Kinin (lower body, out 2-4 weeks), Matt Duchene (lower-body, out 3-5 weeks) and Ryan Johansen (NHL COVID-19 protocol) this week. They've had to piece together a lineup including forward Tanner Jeannot and defensemen Alexandre Carrier and Ben Harpur. Forward Mathieu Olivier and defenseman Alexandre Carrier were recalled, and Jeannot reassigned, to the taxi squad.
Goalie Juuse Saros is day to day with an upper-body injury sustained in a 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes on Tuesday after a collision with Carolina forward Nino Niederreiter, so Pekka Rinne is expected to receive the majority of starts with Saros sidelined. The 38-year-old's production has declined since winning the 2017-18 Vezina Trophy voted as the best goalie in the NHL and is 5-8-0 with a 2.68 goals-against average, .908 save percentage and one shutout this season.

Panthers goalies

Chris Driedger has emerged as a nice surprise and has split starts with Sergei Bobrovsky. The third-round pick (No. 76) of the Ottawa Senators in the 2012 NHL Draft is 7-2-2 with a 2.25 GAA and .926 save percentage in 11 starts.
Bobrovsky made 31 saves in his 11th start Thursday. The 32-year-old is in his second season of a seven-year contract and 7-2-2 with a 3.11 GAA and .897 save percentage, but 2-0-1 with a .916 save percentage (98 saves on 107 shots) in his past three games.

Resilience

Before their win Thursday, the Panthers earned points (1-0-2) in three straight games trailing after two periods and are 2-4-2 this season when behind going into the third. They could use a fast start against a struggling opponent after allowing the first goal in five of their past six games (2-1-2 in those games) and not scoring in the first or second period in four of their past five games.