Game Day: Preds vs. Avalanche Preview

The Nashville Predators (42-31-8) will close out the 2022-23 season as they host the Colorado Avalanche (50-24-7) Friday at Bridgestone Arena.
The puck drops at 7 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast on Bally Sports South, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio. Here's everything you need to know:

Line 'Em Up

Below are Nashville's lines from Thursday vs. Minnesota:
Sanford - Glass - Tomasino
Sherwood - Novak - Evangelista
Trenin - Sissons - Parssinen
Asplund - Jankowski - McCarron
McDonagh - Fabbro
Barrie - Livingstone
Stastney - Foote
Saros

Last Time Out

Nashville improved to 22-14-4 at home in 2022-23 with Thursday's overtime defeat of Minnesota. The Predators closed out their three-game, regular-season series against the Wild with a 2-1-0 record and moved to 13-8 in overtime/shootouts this season (7-6 in OT; 6-2 in shootout).
Juuso Parssinen scored his first career OT goal as part of a two-point game (1g-1a), while 11 different Predators skaters recorded a point. Mark Jankowski scored his third shorthanded goal of the season; he became the ninth player in Nashville history to score at least three shorthanded goals in a single season and the first since Austin Watson (4) and Viktor Arvidsson (3) in 2017-18. Tyson Barrie assisted on Jankowski's goal to give him 10 points (2g-8a) in his last 15 games.

All-Time Meetings

The Predators are 47-35-(5)-4 all-time against the Avalanche, including a 24-15-(3)-2 record at Bridgestone Arena. This is the fourth and final matchup between Nashville and Colorado in 2022-23 and the second of two at home.
Nashville is 0-2-1 against Colorado this season, earning a point in a 3-2 overtime loss in the last meeting on Dec. 23 at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators have won 15 of their last 23 regular-season games against Colorado, including an 11-game win streak from April 5, 2016-Nov. 7, 2018. During the win streak, Nashville posted 4.2 goals per game and held Colorado to two-or-fewer goals seven times.
Nashville and Colorado have met twice in the postseason, with the Predators earning a 4-2 series victory in the 2018 first round; Nashville was swept for the first time in franchise history in the 2022 first round.

Notables vs. Colorado

• Colton Sissons posted a career-high three assists on Dec. 16, 2021 vs. the Avs. He has 14 points (8g-6a) in 22 career regular-season games vs. Colorado.
• Barrie was drafted by Colorado in the third round (64th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft. He played the first 484 games of his career with the Avalanche from 2011-19, totaling 307 points (75g-232a).
• Kiefer Sherwood played in 27 games across two seasons (2020-22) for Colorado, posting five points (1g-4a).
• Predators Assistant Coach Dan Hinote won the 2001 Stanley Cup as a player for the Avalanche.
• Colorado defenseman Samuel Girard was selected by the Predators in the second round (47th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft. He skated in five games for Nashville in 2017-18, tallying three points (1g-2a).

The Good Guys

• Per Moneypuck.com, Juuse Saros leads all NHL goaltenders in goals saved above expected at 46.7. Saros is 30-17-6 with a 2.56 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in his last 53 games dating back to Nov. 12. His 30 wins in that time frame are tied for the third-most in the NHL, and he is fourth in save percentage since Nov. 12 (among goalies with at least 30 GP). Out of Saros' 33 wins this season, 18 have come in games decided by one goal.
• Luke Evangelista has 14 points (6g-8a) in his first 23 career NHL games after tallying an assist on Thursday vs. Minnesota.
• Tommy Novak has 42 points (17g-25a) in 49 games with Nashville since being recalled from Milwaukee (AHL) on Dec. 19. In a 28-game span since Feb. 18, Novak has posted 31 points (13g-18a), including eight multi-point efforts. Since his season debut, Novak has tallied the most points among Predators skaters.
• Since making his season debut on Feb. 13 vs. Arizona, Philip Tomasino has recorded 18 points (5g-13a) in 30 games.
• Cody Glass owns 32 points (13g-19a) in his last 55 games. He's also found the scoresheet in 20 of his last 40 games (10g-14a). He scored his first career overtime goal on April 4 vs. Vegas, and he has established career highs in goals (14), assists (21) and points (35) this season.
• Parssinen has 25 points (6g-19a) in his first 44 career NHL games. He is 12th among NHL rookies in assists (19) and tied for 16th in points. His 25 points since Nov. 12 - his NHL debut - are tied for the 11th-most among NHL rookies in that time span.

The Other Guys

The Avalanche are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games after a 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. They can clinch the top spot in the Central Division with a win on Friday.
Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avs in points with 107 (39g-68a), and his 68 assists are also a team high. Cale Makar ranks among the top-10 NHL blueliners in goals (17) and total points (66), and Alexandar Georgiev has a top-10 save percentage among NHL netminders (.919). Mikko Rantanen has scored a team-high 55 goals, including six in his last five games.

Watch & Listen

Coverage for Friday's game begins at 6:30 p.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on Bally Sports South, hosted by Lyndsay Rowley alongside analyst Hal Gill. Play-by-play announcer Willy Daunic and analyst Chris Mason 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.