Game Day: Coyotes vs. Preds Preview

After returning home from a season-long, six game road trip, the Nashville Predators are set to host the Arizona Coyotes on Hockey Fights Cancer night this evening at Bridgestone Arena. Tonight's contest marks the first meeting between the Preds and Yotes as Central Division foes; Arizona moved over after Seattle entered the League and took their place in the Pacific Division.
Not only are the Preds back in Nashville, but they packed nine out of a possible 12 points with them from their six-game trip, just the third time in franchise history the club has claimed at least nine points on a road trip of six or more games.

"We don't ever get too low and we never get too high, we just have fun playing," Predators forward Matt Duchene said Thursday after scoring the OT winner in a 4-3 victory in St. Louis to finish the trip. "It's a very different vibe than the last two years where… guys would have their] heads down holding their stick tight and just felt like the weight of the world was on us. And this year it's a different vibe. We're just having a ton of fun, and you can see nothing bothers us, and that's pretty dangerous to have that vibe in the locker room."
Now, the Preds will look to add to that point total against an Arizona team that has won just once in 14 tries on the season after a 2-1 loss in Chicago last night.
Predators forwards Filip Forsberg and Nick Cousins remain on Injured Reserve with upper-body injuries, and forward Michael McCarron, who was recalled earlier in the week, left Thursday's game after blocking a shot and did not return. Defenseman Alexandre Carrier also missed Thursday's game after he blocked a shot on Wednesday night in Dallas; the Preds said Carrier would be evaluated further once the team returned to Nashville.
The Predators did not practice on Friday after their back-to-back wins in Dallas and St. Louis, but they are scheduled to hold a morning skate ahead of tonight's game.
Update:
[The Preds have recalled
forward Cole Smith from Milwaukee (AHL). Additionally, the team has assigned forward Rocco Grimaldi to Milwaukee (AHL).

The Good Guys:

Duchene scored twice, Mikael Granlund added four assists and goaltender David Rittich made 33 saves in his first start as a member of the Predators to help Nashville to their 4-3 win against the Blues in overtime. Luke Kunin and Yakov Trenin also scored in regulation as the Predators posted a 4-1-1 record on their six-game trip.
Granlund now leads the team in scoring with 15 points (2g-13a), followed by Duchene with 14 points (8g-6a) and Roman Josi with 12 points (4g-8a). Ryan Johansen and Tanner Jeannot each have five goals apiece for Nashville, while Philip Tomasino has three. Juuse Saros is 6-4-1 in net for the Preds with a .925 save percentage.

The Opposition:

Arizona fell on Friday night in Chicago to move their record to 1-12-1 on the season. Shane Gostisbehere leads the team with 11 points (2g-9a), followed by Lawson Crouse with seven points (4g-3a) and Clayton Keller (3g-3a) with six points. Goaltender Scott Wedgewood took the loss last night and is 1-1-0 in three appearances; Karel Vejmelka is 0-8-1 with a .902 save percentage.

All-Time Meetings:

The Predators are 38-29-(2)-6 all-time against the Coyotes, including a 24-11-(2)-1 record at Bridgestone Arena. Nashville and Arizona last met in the regular season on Dec. 23, 2019 at Bridgestone Arena, a 3-2 victory for the home team that featured Roman Josi scoring the game-winning goal.
Overall, the Preds have won 12 of their last 19 games vs. the Coyotes (12-5-2), including a six-game win streak from Nov. 25, 2013 to Dec. 1, 2015. Nashville has a point in six of its last nine contests against Arizona (5-3-1). Nashville has won nine of its last 10 home games against Arizona and won seven in a row from Nov. 25, 2013-Jan. 18, 2018.

Notables Versus Arizona:

Matt Duchene owns 21 career points (11g-10a) against Arizona, the most among Predators skaters. Roman Josi has five points (2g-3a) in his last three games vs. the Coyotes, including a three-point effort (1g-2a) on Feb. 5, 2019.
Arizona goaltender Karel Vejmelka was selected by the Predators in the fifth round (145th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft.

When You Go:

A Plaza Party begins at 5 p.m. CT, and Bridgestone Arena doors open at 5:30 p.m. ahead of tonight's 7 p.m. puck drop on Hockey Fights Cancer night.
The Preds are proud to partner with the NHL and their league-wide initiative that will celebrate the fight against cancer, and all fans are encouraged to join in the celebration,
including making a donation to the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund
presented by Twice Daily.
Fans may purchase a lavender "I Fight For" foam puck in honor, or in memory, of someone fighting cancer. For $10, the buyer will receive one puck and one will be added to the Hockey Fights Cancer net at Bridgestone Arena, which represents all those we are fighting for in Smashville. Stop by the Foundation table (Section 106/107) during a Preds game to purchase.
Fans may bid on items in our silent auction by texting PREDS to 76278. The auction is currently live and features HFC jerseys worn by the Nashville Predators team, plates decorated by patients at Children's Hospital, player headshots drawn by Children's Hospital patients and much more.
HFC ticket packages are also available
, and purchasers will receive an exclusive HFC themed Preds Beanie, with $10 of every ticket purchased being donated to the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund presented by Twice Daily.
Click here for more information
on Hockey Fights Cancer and the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund.

Watch & Listen:

Coverage for this evening's 7 p.m. CT puck drop from Nashville begins at 6:30 p.m. CT with the Predators Live! pregame show on Bally Sports South hosted by 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 begins at 6 p.m. with Darren McFarland. For broadcast information and channel locations throughout the country,
click here
.