GAME DAY: Jets vs. Preds, November 29

After collecting a pair of wins on the road, the Nashville Predators return home to Bridgestone Arena tonight to host the Winnipeg Jets for a 6 p.m. CT puck drop. This evening’s contest is the second of three meetings between the division rivals this season and Nashville’s third game in four nights overall.

The Predators started their two-game road trip with a 6-3 victory in Detroit on Wednesday, and they followed it up with a 4-3 triumph in Chicago last night. Now, Nashville will try for a third-straight win for the first time this season, and they’re hoping this stretch will help them build some momentum as they look to inch back into the thick of the Western Conference standings.

“We're looking for something to grab onto,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said following Friday’s victory. “Winning hasn't been easy. I don't think we're what our record says we are completely, so these are nice to get two. We're kind of just looking at small increments and kind of three-game little stretches. We won two of the last three, and we want to move forward and play a big game again tomorrow night.”

Prior to Friday’s game, the Preds recalled forward Reid Schaefer from Milwaukee, and the rookie winger made his NHL debut in Chicago. The 6-foot-5 Schaefer recorded three hits and two blocked shots in 10:22 of ice time in his debut.

Nashville winger Jonathan Marchessault did not play Friday and is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Defensemen Justin Barron and Adam Wilsby were scratched against the Blackhawks.

The Good Guys:

Matthew Wood, Steven Stamkos, Luke Evangelista and Ryan O’Reilly all tallied last night in Chicago, and Juuse Saros collected the win in net. Stamkos, Evangelista and O’Reilly all recorded a goal and assist each, while Evangelista’s marker was his 100th NHL point. Stamkos is now just one point away from 1,200 in his career.

O’Reilly (8g-10a) now leads the Preds with 18 points, followed by Filip Forsberg (9g-8a) with 17 points and Evangelista (3g-12a) with 15 points. Michael Bunting (5g-8a) and Erik Haula (4g-9a) have 13 points apiece; Wood is third on the club with seven goals to his name. Saros is now 7-9-3 on the season; Justus Annunen collected his first win of the campaign on Wednesday in Detroit.

The Opposition:

Winnipeg began their back-to-back set with a 5-1 loss in Carolina last night. The Jets have now lost each of their last four outings and have given up 16 combined goals in those games. Mark Scheifele leads the Jets with 13 goals and 30 points, followed by Kyle Connor with 11 goals and 28 points. Josh Morrissey has 18 assists and 23 points from the backend. Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is out due to injury; netminder Thomas Milic made his NHL debut last night in Carolina, while Eric Comrie is 4-4-0 in net this season.

All-Time Meetings:

The Preds are 32-23-(1)-7 all-time against the Jets franchise, including a 20-9-(0)-2 record at home. Nashville is 4-5-1 in their last 10 outings versus Winnipeg but 3-0-2 in their last five at Bridgestone Arena.

Notables Versus Winnipeg:

Steven Stamkos has tallied 60 points (33g-27a) in his career against the Winnipeg Jets franchise. It is the third-most points he has recorded against a single franchise and the second-most goals (33).

Roman Josi tied the Predators franchise record for assists and points in a game with five on Feb. 27, 2018 at Winnipeg. He has 36 points (8g-28a) in 42 career games vs. the Jets. Josi has recorded a multi-point game in five of his last seven appearances against the Jets (4g-7a).

Filip Forsberg has picked up at least one point in 17 of his last 29 contests against the Jets and has posted 27 points (9g-18a) in 42 career games vs. Winnipeg.


Milestone Watch:

Steven Stamkos is one point from 1,200 in his career.

Filip Forsberg is two points from 700 in his NHL career.

Ryan O’Reilly is three power-play goals from 100 in his 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 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.)