Game Day: Preds at Lightning Preview

The final weekend of the 2021-22 regular season has arrived, and another back-to-back set for the Nashville Predators begins tonight in Tampa Bay against the Lightning. This evening's contest is the second and final meeting between the two this season; the Bolts prevailed over the Preds back in February at Nissan Stadium.
After a stretch of nine games in 15 days, the Preds have enjoyed a three-day period to rest and recover following Tuesday's 3-2 shootout win over Calgary. But now, the last push is finally here, and the Predators will play five times over the next seven days to finish out the campaign with a chance to clinch a spot in the postseason looming ahead.
Tonight's matchup against the Lightning will provide the first of five more tests, and with a spot in the Western Conference's first Wild Card, the Predators can't wait to try to add to their 93-point total.

"I love our spot right now," Preds defenseman Mattias Ekholm said following Friday's practice in Nashville. "It's all about us. We know we have two big opponents in Tampa and Minnesota, and it's going to be a big weekend, but at the same time, I really liked our game against Calgary here… It was huge just to feel confident in those games when it's a tight game and really haven't given up much. That was kind of what that game gave us, so for us, the [playoff] style was huge. We all feel good now about ourselves going into two big games."
"We've had a couple of days here where guys could rest and recover, have some good meetings, some good practice, and now we've got to be ready," Preds Head Coach John Hynes said Friday. "We've got one of the best teams in the League again tomorrow, and then a big game against Minnesota on Sunday. For us, it's one game at a time, and it's really getting ourselves prepared prior to the game to put the best game on the ice that gives us a chance to win. As the games go on, and we're in the games, it's really understanding how to deal with the pushes and the momentum swings that this type of hockey comes with."
The Predators reassigned forward Cody Glass to Milwaukee on Thursday, and center Michael McCarron, who has missed the last eight games due to injury, could be ready to return tonight in Tampa.

The Good Guys:

Matt Duchene became the first 40-goal scorer in franchise history, and Juuse Saros earned the win on his birthday as the Preds topped the Flames in a shootout on Tuesday. Filip Forsberg also tallied in regulation, and Mikael Granlund potted the winner in the shootout.
Preds Captain Roman Josi continues to lead his club - and all NHL defensemen - with 89 points (20g-69a). Duchene has 78 points (40g-38a), Forsberg has 76 points (39g-37a) and Ryan Johansen has 59 points (23g-36a) on the season. Granlund has 45 assists and 55 points for the Preds, and Tanner Jeannot leads all rookies with 24 goals. Saros is 38-24-3 on the season; David Rittich is 5-3-2 in net.

The Opposition:

The Lightning have won three of their last four outings, including an 8-1 victory over Toronto on Thursday. Steven Stamkos leads his club with 90 points (34g-56a), followed by Victor Hedman with 75 points (19g-56a) and Alex Killorn with 58 points (25g-33a). Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is 36-18-5 in net for the Bolts; Brian Elliott is 10-3-3.

All-Time Meetings:

The Predators are 18-15-(2)-4 all-time against the Lightning, including an 8-7-(2)-1 record on the road. The Preds are 2-3-0 in their last five games vs. the Lightning; they are 2-7-1 in their last 10; and 2-3-0 in their last five on the road.
Nashville went 2-6-0 vs. Tampa Bay in 2020-21, the first campaign with both teams in the Central Division. The Predators won two of the final three matchups, including a 7-2 victory on April 13, 2021, at Bridgestone Arena.
The Predators posted a 10-game point streak (7-0-3) against the Lightning from Feb. 7, 2008-Dec. 3, 2019. Nashville did not suffer a regulation loss to Tampa Bay from Feb. 27, 2014-Dec. 3, 2019, a 13-game span.

Notables Versus Tampa Bay:

Colton Sissons notched his first career regular-season hat trick on Jan. 5, 2017 vs. Tampa Bay and became the first player in NHL history to score at least three goals in a game with his second being an empty-netter and his third being scored on a goalie.
Ryan Johansen has 15 points (2g-13a) in his last 15 contests against Tampa Bay, a run that included a six-game point streak from Jan. 5, 2017-Oct. 26, 2019. Roman Josi has 17 points (4g-13a) in 21 career games against the Lightning, including eight points (2g-6a) in his last nine contests.
Matt Duchene owns 20 points (10g-10a) in 24 career contests vs. Tampa Bay; including the postseason, he is averaging nearly a point per game against the Lightning, posting 27 points (13g-14a) in 28 games.
Predators Assistant Coach Todd Richards won the 2020 Stanley Cup as a member of the Lightning, serving in the same role.

Watch & Listen:

Coverage for this evening's 6 p.m. CT start from Tampa begins at 5:30 p.m. CT with the Predators Live! pregame show on Bally Sports South. Willy Daunic, Chris Mason and Lyndsay Rowley 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 5 p.m. with Darren McFarland.