After a dramatic finish to their five-game trip, the Nashville Predators return home tonight for another massive matchup with the Seattle Kraken and a 7 p.m. CT puck drop at Bridgestone Arena. This evening’s contest is the third and final meeting between the two foes; the Preds defeated the Kraken last week in Seattle.
With only 15 games to go in the regular season for Nashville, the Predators sit just two points behind Seattle for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. That place in the standings is thanks in part to a 4-3 shootout victory in Winnipeg on Tuesday night that gave the Preds a much needed two points.
Suffice to say, tonight’s game against the Kraken carries significant weight in the postseason race, and the Predators would love nothing more than to return home and continue to keep pace.
“These are always tricky games after a long road trip,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said following Tuesday’s win. “It’s a little bit of a trap game. But hopefully we understand, and I believe we understand, the meaning of Thursday night's game against Seattle; a team that we're chasing. I think we'll be ready to go, but we’ve got to make sure our focus is sharp, because they are hard games to play.
“I'm proud of the group. I mean, it hasn't been easy. We've gone through all kinds of different things. It's been a little bit of a roller coaster ride in a lot of different ways, and we’ve stayed together. Credit to the veterans, they've hung in there, they've pushed the young kids, they've pushed each other, and they're hungry. I think they want to make a statement. And we're in this fight, and I expect us to continue to be in it.”
The Predators flew home from Winnipeg on Wednesday and did not practice. On Wednesday afternoon, the Preds announced a two-year, $1.75 million contract for winger Zach L’Heureux.
Nashville is also mourning the loss of longtime North American Amateur Scout David Westby. Click here to read more on a beloved member of the Preds family.
