The Nashville Predators will look to complete a perfect back-to-back set and improve their record at home on Saturday as they face the New York Islanders at Bridgestone Arena.
Puck drop is at 7 p.m. CT with the game set to broadcast on Bally Sports South, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio. Here’s everything you need to know:
LAST TIME OUT
Six different Predators scored and Kevin Lankinen made 19 saves as Nashville defeated the Dallas Stars, 6-3, on Friday at American Airlines Center.
Roman Josi (3a) and Ryan O’Reilly (1g-2a) each netted three points on Friday against the Stars. Josi’s three-point effort earned the defenseman his seventh multi-point game of the season, while O’Reilly recorded his 10th.
Per NHL PR, Josi's three-assist outing was the 15th of his career and placed the blueliner sixth among active NHL defensemen behind Victor Hedman (26), Erik Karlsson (25), Kris Letang (19), Quinn Hughes (18) and Cale Makar (16). Josi additionally tied Brent Burns and Kris Letang (both with 32) for the third-most three-point games among active defensemen, behind Erik Karlsson (49) and Victor Hedman (39).
Filip Forsberg recorded his 10th multi-point game of the season as well after netting a goal and an assist against the Stars.
Jeremy Lauzon set a career high in goals after netting his fourth of the season during the second period.
Tommy Novak’s second-period tally earned the forward his 70th career NHL point. Per NHL PR, Novak required the third-fewest games (109) to reach the 70-point mark for Nashville, behind Filip Forsberg (102 GP) and Marek Zidlicky (107 GP).
Gustav Nyquist matched his career-high 10-game point streak recorded in 2013-14 after netting an empty-net goal in the third period. Per NHL PR, Nyquist became just the sixth player in franchise history to record a double-digit point streak. He is the first to do it since Josi (13 GP in 2021-22) and Matt Duchene (10 GP in 2021-22).
Juuso Pärssinen netted his seventh goal of the season with an empty-net tally in the third period.
Denis Gurianov notched his first assist with the Predators and his first career point against his former team. The helper was Gurianov’s second point in as many games; he scored his first goal with Nashville on Tuesday against Anaheim. The 26-year-old forward now has two points (1g-1a) in three games with the Predators.
The result moved Nashville to 23-18-1 overall and saw the team collect wins in both outings at American Airlines Center this season.
THE GOOD GUYS
Forsberg leads the Predators in points (47) and goals (22). Following his three-assist outing on Friday, Josi leads his team in helpers with 27.
With Lankinen getting the start on Friday, Juuse Saros is likely to receive the nod on Saturday. Saros is 16-15-1 after 32 games, with a 3.09 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage.
Lauzon leads the NHL in hits with 158.
Nashville is fourth in the Central Division with 47 points and a 12-11-0 record at Bridgestone Arena.
THE OTHER GUYS
The Islanders kick off a four-game road trip on Saturday in Nashville and will look to carry over momentum from a come-from-behind, overtime victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs in their last outing on Thursday.
Mathew Barzal leads the Isles in points with 45 (12g-33a), Brock Nelson leads in goals (19) and Noah Dobson in assists (36). Dobson is additionally third among League blueliners in points (42) and assists.
Ilya Sorokin is 13-8-8 after 29 games, with a 3.19 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage. On Tuesday, the Islanders placed netminder Semyon Varlamov on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Netminder Kenneth Appleby of the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders has been backing up Sorokin since Varlamov’s injury on Jan. 2.
The Islanders have the ninth-best power play in the League with a 25 percent success rate; they are fourth in the Metropolitan Division with 48 points and an 8-7-4 record on the road.
ALL-TIME MEETINGS
The Predators are 22-8-(0)-3 all-time against the Islanders, including a 12-4-(0)-1 record at Bridgestone Arena. This is the first of two matchups between Nashville and New York in 2023-24; it is the first and only at home.
The Predators are 5-0-0 in their last five games against the Islanders; they are 9-1-0 in their last 10; and 4-1-0 in their last five on home ice. The Predators went 2-0-0 against the Islanders last season, winning their most recent meeting, 4-1, on Dec. 2, 2022 on Long Island.
In a run that began on Feb. 5, 2018, Nashville has won nine games in a row against New York, its longest active win streak vs. a single opponent. The Predators have earned at least a point in 12 of their last 13 meetings with the Islanders (11-1-1), including wins in nine straight.
Nashville’s only 3-on-5 goal in franchise history came against the Islanders on Oct. 15, 2002 (Karlis Skrastins).
NOTABLES VS. NEW YORK
- Forsberg has 15 points (8g-7a) in 16 career games against the Islanders, including points in six of his last nine games (6g-4a).
- Josi has 10 points (2g-8a) in his last seven games vs. New York. He recorded his seventh career four-point outing on Nov. 17, 2022 against the Islanders, tallying four assists.
- Parssinen notched his first career three-point game on Nov. 17, 2022 vs. the Islanders (2g-1a).
- General Manager Barry Trotz served as head coach of the Islanders for four seasons from 2018-22, recording a 152-102-34 record and reaching at least the second round of the playoffs three times.
- Islanders Head Coach Lane Lambert was an assistant coach for Nashville under Trotz for three seasons (2011-14) and served as head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals – the Predators’ AHL affiliate – for four seasons (2007-11).
LINE ‘EM UP
Below are Nashville’s line combinations from Friday’s game against Dallas:
Forsberg - O'Reilly - Nyquist
Trenin - Sissons - Gurianov
Smith - Novak - Evangelista
Pärssinen - McCarron - Tomasino
Josi - Fabbro
Lauzon - Carrier
McDonagh - Schenn
Lankinen
Saros
Scratches: Barrie (upper body, day-to-day), Glass, Sherwood
MILESTONE WATCH
- Josi (166) is one goal from passing Shea Weber (166) for the most by a defenseman and the third-most among all skaters in Predators history.
- Tyson Barrie is two games from 800 in his NHL career.
- Forsberg is four assists from 300 in his NHL career.
- Luke Schenn is five points from 200 in his NHL career.
WATCH & LISTEN
Coverage for Saturday’s game begins at 6:30 p.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on Bally Sports South, hosted by Lyndsay Rowley and Hal Gill. Play-by-play announcer Willy Daunic, analysts Chris Mason and rinkside reporter Kara Hammer will have the call on the television side.
Pete Weber and Jay More will call the game on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network, with pregame, postgame and intermission coverage by Max Herz beginning one hour before puck drop. The game will also be broadcast in Spanish on El Jefe which airs on 96.7 FM, 105.3 FM and 810 AM. (El partido también se transmite en español por El Jefe en 96.7 FM, 105.3 FM y 810 AM.)
