Hurricanes vs. Preds, Round 1, Game 4: What You Need to Know

We've got ourselves a series now.
After a thrilling victory in double overtime during Friday's Game 3 at Bridgestone Arena, the Nashville Predators will look to give their home crowd something to cheer about once more this afternoon in a pivotal Game 4, which is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. CT.
The Preds and Hurricanes know what's at stake too - another Nashville win will turn the series into a best-of-three set, but a favorable result for Carolina will send things back to Raleigh with a chance for the Canes to end things on Tuesday night.The Predators would prefer the first option, of course, and after Matt Duchene ended Game 3 almost 95 minutes of game action after the first puck dropped - in the third-longest outing in Preds franchise history - Nashville took the day on Saturday to regroup once more and set their sights on tying things up.
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"We just enjoy tonight, we come in tomorrow and get back to work," Preds Associate Captain Ryan Ellis said following Game 3 on Friday night. "We'll talk about the things that we can do better, talk about the things we did well and come up with a game plan to continue to push in the series."
"It's a big one, especially here at home," Preds Head Coach John Hynes said of the win in Game 3. "It's special. I mean, you're in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and you see your team and your players go to battle the way that they went tonight for five periods. To be able to find a way to win a game with our backs against the wall, you're either going to take that game and go down 0-3, or you're going to put yourself right back in the series and we were able to do that. So, I'm really proud of the team. Guys played so hard, answered the bell and it's kind of what we've done down the stretch here when we've had to answer the bell in big games and important times. The response from the group has been great, regardless of who's been in the lineup, and that's why we're sitting here today after a win in the first round of the playoffs."
Preds forward Viktor Arvidsson missed Game 3 with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day, but forward Calle Jarnkrok returned to the lineup after missing Game 2 due to non-COVID illness.
Nick Cousins played his first game of the series for Nashville, and Ben Harpur also re-entered the lineup in place of Erik Gudbranson. Forwards Brad Richardson, Rem Pitlick, Rocco Grimaldi and Michael McCarron, defensemen Tyler Lewington, David Farrance, Jeremy Davies and Dante Fabbro, as well as goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo were also scratched in Game 3.
The Predators will not hold a morning skate on Sunday prior to Game 4's 1:30 p.m. CT start.

The Good Guys:
In addition to Duchene's second-career postseason overtime goal, Ellis, Filip Forsberg, Mikael Granlund and Ryan Johansen tallied in regulation for the Preds in Game 3. Goaltender Juuse Saros tied a postseason franchise record with 52 saves in his first-career playoff overtime win.
Forsberg (2g-1a) and Ellis (1g-2a) share the team lead in scoring through three games with three points apiece. Duchene, Johansen and Erik Haula each have identical stat lines with one goal and one assist each in the series. Saros has one win in three tries and improved his save percentage to .919 overall with Friday's result.
The Opposition:
Sebastian Aho, Jordan Staal, Vincent Trocheck and Brett Pesce all tallied for Carolina in Game 3, while Alex Nedeljkovic lost his first game of the series in net. Aho leads the Hurricanes with five points (3g-2a) in three games, followed by Pesce with four points (1g-3a) and then Staal (3g) and Andrei Svechnikov (1g-2a) with three points apiece. Nedeljkovic is 2-1 with a .936 save percentage in the series.

Game 3 Notables:
The attendance on Friday at Bridgestone Arena of 12,135 was the largest crowd in an NHL game this season. The Predators moved to 13-8 all-time in Game 3 (11-2 at Bridgestone Arena), and Nashville has now won Game 3 in each of the six previous series in which it lost the first two games.
Juuse Saros made 52 saves, his most in a game in his career (regular season or playoffs) and tied for the franchise record for the most in a playoff game with Dan Ellis (Game 5 of the 2008 Western Conference Quarterfinals versus Detroit).
Matt Duchene scored at 14:54 of the second overtime in Game 3 to end the third-longest game in Predators history (94:54).
Duchene became the eighth player in Predators history to score a playoff OT goal, joining Craig Smith, Kevin Fiala (twice), James Neal, Viktor Arvidsson, Mike Fisher, Halischuk and Jerred Smithson. Duchene joined Halischuk, Fisher (Game 4 of the 2016 Western Conference Second Round versus San Jose) and Fiala (Game 2 of the 2018 Western Conference Second Round versus Winnipeg) as the only players in team history to score the game-winning goal in a game which required multiple overtimes.
It was Duchene's second career playoff overtime goal; he scored the double OT winner in Game 2 of the 2019 Eastern Conference Second Round at Boston as a member of Columbus. Per NHL PR, he is the fourth active player with game-winning goals in two contests which required multiple overtimes, joining Patrice Bergeron, Patrick Kane and Corey Perry.
Nashville improved its all-time playoff overtime record to 9-10 (6-4 at home). The Preds are now 4-3 in postseason games that required multiple overtimes.

Preds Lights Pregame Show Continues at Bridgestone Arena:
Preds Lights, presented by Dr Pepper Zero Sugar, allows Preds fans to be a part of the show. Continuing tonight and through the playoffs, pregame hype in the arena will start with an all-inclusive light show, and you play a role.
This new technology sends ultrasonic audio waves straight to your phone and connects you with every fan in Smashville without having to be connected to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
When the pregame show starts, pull up your Preds Lights app and every fan's phone will sync straight to the FangVision video board and audio system to make your phone part of the pregame show action, while bringing you exclusive new content like never before.
Download the "Preds Lights" app (available for free on iOS and Android) in the app store and allow each permission. At your next Preds game you will be prompted to take out your Preds Lights app before the game starts. All you need to do is open up the app and become a part of the show!
When You Go:
Bridgestone Arena doors open at noon CT ahead of today's 1:30 p.m. start.
The pregame festivities begin at 10:30 a.m. CT this morning with a Bridgestone Arena Plaza Party. Fans can join GNASH and the Energy Team for live music, Preds Pride giveaways, ticket giveaways, food and beverage offerings, games and much more. Predators partners, including 102.5 The Game, Bridgestone, Hattie B's, Jack Daniels, RE/MAX, Tennessee Lottery will also be activated on the Plaza.
The ever-popular SMASH CAR, donated by PSC Metals and presented by Crushr, has also returned to the Bridgestone Arena Plaza for the 2021 playoffs. At watch parties prior to all home games, fans can try their hand at smashing the SMASH CAR, with all proceeds benefiting the Predators Foundation.
A Walk of Fame Preds Party in the Park is set to begin two hours before puck drop with fun for the whole family.
Protective masks are required to be worn appropriately over the nose and mouth at all times inside venues, unless actively eating or drinking in designated locations. (Face coverings must be worn in all areas and can only be removed while actively eating or drinking. Face coverings must be worn while standing, waiting or sitting in dining locations. When food is in hand and actively being consumed, the face covering may be removed. Guests holding beverages are asked to wear a facial covering between each sip.)

Bridgestone Arena has a no bag policy\. Small, clear bags 9" x 7" x 2" or smaller will be permitted following X-Ray screening. Guests attending events with approved bags may experience longer entry times, for expedited entry please leave bags at home.
\Medical bags and parenting bags will be permitted following X-Ray screening. Backpacks of any kind are not permitted.

Watch & Listen:
Coverage for Game 4 from Nashville begins at 1 p.m. CT with the Predators Live! pregame show on Bally Sports South 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 12:30 p.m.
This afternoon's game may also be seen nationally on NBCSN. For broadcast information and channel locations throughout the country,
click here
Streaming Info:
Listen to a Live Radio Feed
(only active during the game broadcast window).
Watch a Live Stream of the game
on the Bally Sports App or
Watch on NHL.TV