Game Day: Red Wings vs. Preds Preview

The Predators returned home after two weeks away to shut out the Red Wings on Tuesday night, and they'll try for a two-game sweep of Detroit tonight at Bridgestone Arena. This evening's contest is the sixth of eight meetings between the two this season; the Preds now hold a 3-2-0 edge over the Wings thus far.
Predators goaltender Juuse Saros continued his excellent play as of late by stopping all 31 Detroit shots on Tuesday night for his first shutout of the season, and the team in front of him showed more of the same relentless, hardworking play that has allowed Nashville to go 4-1-0 in their last five outings.
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"The biggest thing with the team in the 5-on-5 play really comes to the commitment level that we're playing with," Preds Head Coach John Hynes said following Tuesday's win. "We have guys playing the right way. If you take our forward group, there's relentless forecheck pressure, there's back pressure, they're staying on D, they recover pucks, they turn pucks over, like there's no cheat, there's just a real strong work ethic by this group of forwards right now and they're getting rewarded with offensive-zone time. They're getting rewarded with opportunities to be able to score… They've really committed to it, and that's the big difference. We haven't changed the system or the tactics of what we want to do, it's just much more consistent, much more buy-in, and I think the guys see the results. That's how you have to play in this League to win."

Preds Captain Roman Josi returned to the lineup on Tuesday after missing the previous seven games with an upper-body injury. The defenseman assisted on Nashville's first goal, a puck that was tipped in by forward Mikael Granlund, who returned after missing Sunday's game with an upper-body injury.
The Predators did not practice on Wednesday, and forwards Matt Duchene, Luke Kunin and Brad Richardson, as well as defensemen Ryan Ellis, Mark Borowiecki and Luca Sbisa remain out due to injury.

The Good Guys:
In addition to Granlund's goal, Mathieu Olivier also found the back of the net on Tuesday, as Saros earned his 12th career shutout. The goaltender is 2-1-0 in his last three starts, stopping 118 of 120 shots for a .983 save percentage and 0.67 goals-against average. In his last six appearances (dating back to Feb. 27), Saros is 4-1-0 with a 1.13 goals-against average and .968 save percentage.
Filip Forsberg paces the Preds with 11 goals and 28 points on the season, followed by Josi with 17 points (2g-15a) and the NHL's reigning First Star of the Week Calle Jarnkrok with 15 points (9g-6a). Eeli Tolvanen has seven goals on the season, and Granlund has found the back of the net on six occasions. Saros is now 7-6-0 in net for Nashville; Pekka Rinne is 8-11-1.
The Opposition:
The Red Wings have been shut out in back-to-back games after a 2-0 loss to the Preds on Tuesday and a 3-0 result against Dallas on Saturday. Filip Hronek leads the team in scoring with 18 points (1g-17a), followed by Dylan Larkin with 16 points (6g-10a), and then Robby Fabbri (9g-6a) and Anthony Mantha (8g-7a) with 15 points each. Jonathan Bernier is 8-6-0 in net for the Wings this season; Thomas Greiss is 2-13-4.
All-Time Meetings:
The Predators are 39-51-(4)-10 all-time against the Red Wings, including a 23-24-(2)-3 record at Bridgestone Arena. This will be the 105th meeting between the two teams, Nashville's third-most games played against a single opponent behind St. Louis (118) and Chicago (119).
Nashville has won four of its last six games against Detroit, including a 3-2-0 record (2-1-0 at home) this season. The Predators are 2-3-0 in their last five home games versus the Red Wings; their 3-2 win on Feb. 11 was the team's first home victory over Detroit since Dec. 30, 2013.
Notables Versus Detroit:
Filip Forsberg posted a six-game point streak versus Detroit from Feb. 12, 2019 to Feb. 23, 2021, tallying four goals and 10 points, including a multi-point effort in three of his last six contests.
Following his shutout on Tuesday, Juuse Saros moved to 2-2-0 in his career against the Red Wings with a 2.11 goals-against average and .932 save percentage.
Ryan Johansen has five points (1g-4a) in his last seven games versus Detroit, and Dante Fabbro has three points (1g-2a) in his last five meetings against the Red Wings.
Watch & Listen:
Coverage for tonight's 7 p.m. CT puck drop from Nashville begins on FOX Sports Tennessee at 6:30 p.m. CT with the Predators Live! pregame show hosted by Lyndsay Rowley and Terry Crisp. Willy Daunic, Chris Mason and Kara Hammer 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 6 p.m. For broadcast information and channel locations throughout the country,
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Streaming Info:
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