The Nashville Predators close out their four-game road trip looking to extend their point streak to 14 games when they face the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday.
A Predators win would inch the team closer to a postseason berth and match the second-longest point streak in franchise history. In order to do it, they’ll need to come ready to play against a skilled and dangerous Kraken team.
“They're a really fast team, they're very skilled and they're really good at home,” Predators defenseman Jeremy Lauzon said. “We just need to bring our A-game and continue playing like we have been and like we did last game in Winnipeg, when we played a solid 60-minute game. That’s the key to winning tomorrow.”
Puck drop at Climate Pledge Arena is at 9 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
Four different Predators skaters scored and Juuse Saros made 27 saves as Nashville defeated the Winnipeg Jets, 4-2, at Canada Life Centre on Wednesday.
Netting the game’s opening goal and connecting on Filip Forsberg’s third-period goal, Gustav Nyquist recorded his 13th multi-point outing of the season and reached the 40-assist mark for the first time in his career.
Kiefer Sherwood scored his ninth goal of the season and established a career-high three-game point streak (2g-1a).
Forsberg scored his 34th goal and his ninth game-winner of the season, matching the franchise record he established during the 2016-17 season.
Jason Zucker scored his first goal as a Predator and his 10th of the season.
Recording the primary assist on Sherwood and Nyquist’s first-period goals, Roman Josi reached the 50-assist mark for the second time in his career and joined Paul Kariya as the only other player in franchise history to accomplish the feat. Josi additionally recorded his 100th career multi-assist game, becoming the first player in Predators history to reach the milestone.
Recording a game-high seven hits, defenseman and NHL checking leader Jeremy Lauzon reached 321 hits on the campaign and established a franchise record for the most hits in a single season.
The result extended Nashville’s point streak to 13 games (11-0-2), one shy of the second-longest point streak in franchise history, and moved the team to 20-10-3 on the road.
THE GOOD GUYS
Forsberg leads the Predators in points (69) and goals (34); he is tied for 12th among NHL skaters in goals.
Josi leads his club and is fifth among all NHL defensemen in assists (50); Nashville’s captain is additionally tied for second among League blueliners in goals (15).
Saros is 28-21-4 after 53 appearances, with a 2.83 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. Kevin Lankinen is 9-4-0 after 18 appearances, with a 3.09 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage.
The Predators are 18-4-3 away from home since Nov. 24, tied for the most road points in the NHL in that span (39) and have collected points in 10 of their last 11 road games (8-1-2).
Nashville is fourth in the Central Division and holds the Western Conference’s first Wild Card spot with 80 points.
THE OTHER GUYS
The Kraken enter Saturday’s contest looking for their first win of a five-game homestand.
Jared McCann leads the Kraken in points (53) and goals (27), while Vince Dunn leads his club in assists (34).
Joey Daccord is 17-14-10 after 42 appearances, with a 2.45 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. Philipp Grubauer is 10-10-2 overall and 1-1-0 against the Predators this season, with a 2.85 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage.
Seattle is sixth in the Pacific Division with 68 points and a 14-13-6 record at Climate Pledge Arena.
ALL-TIME MEETINGS
The Predators are 3-5-0 all-time against the Kraken, including a 1-3-0 record on the road. This is the third and final matchup between Nashville and Seattle in 2023-24; it is the second and final at Climate Pledge Arena.
Nashville is 1-1-0 against Seattle this season, most recently dropping a 4-2 decision on the road on Nov. 2. The Predators shut out the Kraken, 3-0, in the first meeting between the two teams this season on Oct. 12 at Bridgestone Arena. Bridgestone Arena hosted Seattle in the franchise’s first-ever NHL game on Oct. 14, 2021, a 4-3 loss for the Predators.
Seattle is the fifth franchise to join the NHL after Nashville’s inaugural season (1998-99), along with Atlanta/Winnipeg, Minnesota, Columbus and Vegas.
NOTABLES VS. SEATTLE
- Forsberg has six points (2g-4a) in six career games against Seattle, the most in franchise history.
- Tyson Barrie had three points (1g-2a) in two games vs. Seattle last season.
- Lauzon was acquired from Seattle for a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft (Jani Nyman) on March 20, 2022. He had six points (1g-5a) in 53 games with the Kraken in 2021-22.
- Seattle forward Eeli Tolvanen played 135 games for Nashville from 2018-22, tallying 51 points (25g-26a). He was selected by Nashville in the first round (30th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft. Tolvanen scored Nashville’s first-ever goal against Seattle on Oct. 14, 2021.
MILESTONE WATCH
- Mark Jankowski is two points from 100 in his NHL career.
- Colton Sissons is two points from 200 in his NHL career.
- Luke Schenn is three points from 200 in his NHL career.
WATCH & LISTEN
Coverage for Saturday’s game begins at 8:30 p.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on Bally Sports South, hosted by Lyndsay Rowley. Play-by-play announcer Willy Daunic and analyst Chris Mason will have the call on the television side.
Pete Weber and Hal Gill 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.)
