The Nashville Predators (2-3-0) will host their first Saturday Night in Smashville of the season with a matchup against the San Jose Sharks (0-3-1) at Bridgestone Arena.
Puck drop is 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's game vs. New York:
Forsberg - O’Reilly - Pärssinen
Nyquist - Glass - Sissons
Sherwood - Novak - Evangelista
Trenin - McCarron - 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 earned their first road win of the season on Thursday with a 4-1 victory over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Nashville jumped out to a 4-0 lead, forcing New York to pull Igor Shesterkin at 13:51 of the second period.
The Predators scored twice on the power play for the first time this season. Seven different Preds skaters recorded a point, led by two each from Tyson Barrie (2a), Filip Forsberg (1g-1a) and Cole Smith (2g); Smith recorded his first career multi-goal game, while Forsberg tallied his first goal of the season. Luke Evangelista assisted on Ryan O’Reilly’s goal for his first point of 2023-24, and Michael McCarron assisted on Smith’s first goal in his season debut.
ALL-TIME MEETINGS
The Predators are 43-29-(2)-8 all-time against the Sharks, including a 26-12-(1)-2 record at Bridgestone Arena. This is the first of three matchups between Nashville and San Jose in 2023-24 and the first of two at home.
Nashville owns a 10-game point streak (9-0-1) against San Jose that dates back to March 16, 2019, in which the team has not allowed more than two goals against in a single contest. The Predators have not lost at home to the Sharks since Oct. 23, 2018.
Nashville went 3-0-0 in three games against San Jose last season. The Predators earned back-to-back wins vs. the Sharks on Oct. 7-8 at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czechia, as part of the 2022 NHL Global Series. The Predators defeated the Sharks, 8-0, on March 5, 2022, marking the largest margin of victory in a road game in franchise history.
NOTABLES VS. SAN JOSE
- Roman Josi has 25 points (6g-19a) in 31 career games against the Sharks, including four points (4g) on March 5, 2022.
- Forsberg is averaging a point per game vs. San Jose, posting 23 points (9g-14a) in 23 contests.
- O’Reilly leads current Predators skaters in career points against San Jose with 29 (10g-19a) in 40 games.
- Philip Tomasino recorded a career-high three points (3a) on March 5, 2022 at San Jose.
- Gustav Nyquist played in 19 games for San Jose in 2018-19, recording 11 points (6g-5a).
- San Jose’s Matt Benning (2020-22), Mikael Granlund (2019-23) and Luke Kunin (2020-22) are former Predators players.
- Sharks forward Thomas Bordeleau is the son of Predators Skills Coach Sebastien Bordeleau.
THE GOOD GUYS
On the Attack: Nashville is second in the NHL in shots on goal (171) and is fourth in shots on goal per game (34.6). The Predators’ 171 SOG are tied for their most through the first five games of an NHL season in franchise history (2010-11). Forsberg owns a share of the NHL lead in shot attempts with Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (48); Josi is fifth (39).
Advanced Stats: Through five games, the Predators lead the NHL in expected goals for (11.68) and are second in expected goal percentage (5-on-5) at 60 percent, per MoneyPuck.com. Nashville is also second in high-danger shots for (15) and is fourth in expected goals for per 60 minutes (2.94).
Big Filly Style: Forsberg’s power-play tally vs. New York was his first goal of the season on his 24th shot. He now leads the Predators with five points (1g-4a) through five games, and his four assists are also a team high.
Sizzlin’ Hot: Colton 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: O’Reilly scored on the power play vs. New York on Thursday to give him four points (2g-2a) in his first five games with the Predators. He is currently four games away from 1,000 in his NHL career.
THE OTHER GUYS
The Sharks are the only remaining NHL team still seeking their first win in 2023-24. Most recently, they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Boston Bruins on Thursday. Saturday’s matchup with Nashville will be San Jose’s first game away from home this season and the first of a five-game road trip. Tomas Hertl leads the Sharks with four points (4a) and Filip Zadina has scored a team-high two goals.
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, analyst 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.)
