The Nashville Predators (1-3-0) will seek their first road win of the season as they face off against the New York Rangers (2-1-0) on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
Puck drop is at 6 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 Tuesday’s game vs. Edmonton:
Forsberg - O’Reilly - Pärssinen
Nyquist - Glass - Tomasino
Sherwood - Novak - Evangelista
Trenin - Sissons - Smith
Josi - Fabbro
McDonagh - Carrier
Lauzon - Barrie
Saros
Lankinen
Scratches: Fagemo, McCarron, Schenn*
*The Predators announced on Wednesday that Luke Schenn will miss 4-6 weeks with a lower-body injury.
LAST TIME OUT
The Predators moved to 1-3-0 on the season and 1-1-0 at home with Tuesday’s 6-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Nashville outshot Edmonton, 43-30, and Tommy Novak scored his second power-play goal of the season. Kevin Lankinen played the final two periods in his season debut, stopping 17 of 19 shots.
ALL-TIME MEETINGS
The Predators are 15-16-(1)-2 all-time against the Rangers, including a 9-8-(1)-0 record on the road. This is the first of two matchups between Nashville and New York in 2023-24 and the first and only at Madison Square Garden.
Nashville went 1-1-0 in two games against New York last season, picking up a 2-1 victory at Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 12.
NOTABLES VS. NY RANGERS
- Juuse Saros owns a 2.05 goals-against average, .933 save percentage and one shutout in nine career games against the Rangers.
- Roman Josi has 13 points (4g-9a) in 19 career games vs. the Rangers, including three multi-point efforts. He notched three points (2g-1a) against the Rangers on Dec. 16, 2019.
- Colton Sissons has four points (2g-2a) in his last eight games vs. the Rangers.
- Ryan McDonagh served as captain of the Rangers for parts of four seasons from 2014-18; he helped lead New York to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final.
- Philip Tomasino scored his first career NHL goal on Oct. 21, 2021 vs. theRangers (Igor Shesterkin).
- Juuso Pärssinen made his NHL debut and scored his first career NHL goal (Jaroslav Halak) on Nov. 12, 2022 against the Rangers.
- Rangers Head Coach Peter Laviolette spent parts of six seasons as head coach of the Predators from 2014-20, going 248-143-60 in 451 games. New York Assistant Coaches Phil Housley (2013-17) and Dan Muse (2017-20) also spent time in Nashville on Laviolette’s staff in the same positions.
- Rangers forward Nick Bonino played 219 games across three seasons for Nashville from 2017-20, tallying 95 points (47g-48a).
THE GOOD GUYS
On the Attack: Nashville leads the NHL in shots on goal (144) and is third in shots on goal per game (36.6). The Predators’ 144 SOG are the most through the first four games of an NHL season in franchise history. Filip Forsberg owns a share of the NHL lead in shot attempts with Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (40); Josi is tied for fifth (34).
Advanced Stats: Through four games, the Predators lead the NHL in expected goals for (9.18) and are fourth in expected goal percentage (5-on-5) at 58.1 percent, per MoneyPuck.com. Nashville is also tied for second in high-danger shots for (11) and is second in expected goals for per 60 minutes (3.09).
Sizzlin’ Hot: Sissons leads the Preds in goals this season with three. He scored a shorthanded tally in Nashville’s home opener against Seattle and followed it up with a two-goal performance in Boston; it was his fifth career multi-goal game and his first since Nov. 7, 2018 at Colorado (3g).
Mighty RO’R: Ryan O’Reilly assisted on Novak’s power-play goal vs. Edmonton on Tuesday to give him three points (1g-2a) in his first four games with the Predators.
THE OTHER GUYS
The Rangers are coming off a 2-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes in their home opener at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves in the win, including a penalty shot with less than five minutes remaining. Chris Kreider leads the Rangers with five points (4g-1a) and has scored goals in each of New York’s first three games.
WATCH & LISTEN
Coverage for Saturday’s game begins at 5:30 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.
Max Herz and Hal Gill will call the game on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network, with pregame, postgame and intermission coverage by Chase McCabe 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.)
