The Nashville Predators will finish a back-to-back set tonight as they host the Buffalo Sabres tonight at Bridgestone Arena for a 7 p.m. CT puck drop. This evening’s contest is the second and final meeting between the two clubs this season and the last game for the Preds before the NHL break and the 4 Nations Face-Off brings a two-week stretch between contests.
The Predators will be hoping to get back into the win column before the break after dropping 6-2 decision to the Blackhawks last night in Chicago. Nashville has dropped their last six outings overall, and they have one more chance to get back on track tonight before their two-week hiatus.
“We talked about it tonight before the game - we have two games left, let’s play our style of game and get into the break with a good feeling, and we didn't do that tonight,” Preds Captain Roman Josi said following Friday’s loss. “So, we have another chance [tonight]. It’s one more game before the break, and we’ve got to find our identity, find our game, and we’ve got to do it [tonight].”
Preds forward Joakim Kemell made his NHL debut on Friday night and led the team with seven shots on goal in 11:44 of ice time.
Winger Zach L’Heureux left the game in the second period and did not return. Defenseman Adam Wilsby did not play Friday and is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Forward Luke Evangelista and Mark Jankowski also remained out due to their respective injuries as well.
The Good Guys:
Colton Sissons and Tommy Novak scored on Friday night against the Blackhawks, while Juuse Saros took the loss in net.
Filip Forsberg continues to lead the Preds with 19 goals and 51 points, followed by Jonathan Marchessault with 40 points (16g-24a) and Josi (9g-27a) with 36 points. Steven Stamkos has 17 goals and 33 points, while Ryan O’Reilly has 14 goals and 30 points on the season. Saros is now 11-23-6 in net; Justus Annunen is 12-7-0.
The Opposition:
The Sabres have won each of their last four outings, including a victory over the Preds just over a week ago in Buffalo. Tage Thompson leads the club with 26 goals and 48 points, followed by JJ Peterka (15g-26a) with 41 points. Jason Zucker and Alex Tuch have identical 18-goal, 40-point stat lines, and Rasmus Dahlin has 40 points from the blue line. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is 18-15-4 in net for the Sabres; James Reimer is 2-6-1.
All-Time Meetings:
The Predators are 20-13-(1)-2 all-time against the Sabres, including a 7-9-(0)-2 record at Bridgestone Arena.
The Predators are 3-2-0 in their last five games against the Sabres; they are 5-5-0 in their last 10; and 3-2-0 in their last five at Bridgestone Arena.
Notables Versus Buffalo:
Steven Stamkos has posted 48 points (23g-25a) in 53 career games vs. Buffalo. He has a point in eight of his last 10 contests (5g-7a) against the Sabres. Stamkos scored his first career NHL goal against Buffalo on Oct. 30, 2008 (Ryan Miller).
Filip Forsberg recorded his ninth career hat trick against the Sabres on March 7, 2024.
Ryan O’Reilly spent three seasons with the Sabres from 2015-18, tallying 176 points (65g-111a) in 224 games.
Milestone Watch:
Steven Stamkos (572) is two goals from passing Mike Bossy (573) for the 23rd-most in NHL history and two assists from 600 in his career.
Ryan O’Reilly is four goals from 300 in his NHL career.
Watch & Listen:
Coverage for Saturday night in Smashville begins at 6:30 p.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on FanDuel Sports Network South, hosted by Lyndsay Rowley and Hal Gill. Play-by-play announcer Willy Daunic, analyst Chris Mason and rinkside reporter Kara Hammer will have the call on the television side.
Voice of the Predators 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 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.)
