The Preds will look to not flip three consecutive early leads into three consecutive additional time losses tonight in Minnesota — hopefully by turning a lead right into a win as a substitute.
The Nashville Predators
It’s been a tough yr for the Preds. Regardless of including a number of high-profile goalscorers this offseason, and having a number of gifted offensive gamers already on the roster, they haven’t been in a position to flip these substances right into a completed product.
They only can’t rating objectives — their 56 whole are tied for final within the league with the Anaheim Geese, who’ve performed two fewer video games, and so they’re simply above lifeless final within the league within the standings, with solely the Chicago Blackhawks (who’ve additionally performed fewer video games) under them.
Juuse Saros has been making an attempt to provide them an opportunity to win each evening, however they simply haven’t taken him up on the provide. He’s handing over an above-average efficiency with a large workload, however until he’s planning on scoring some himself, it’s simply not sufficient.
The Minnesota Wild
Scoring received’t be simpler for the Preds tonight, because the Minnesota Wild are nonetheless a defensively elite workforce. They don’t rating a ton themselves, however they stifle their opponents’ offense and cease the pictures that do get by way of.
Marc-André Fleury, in his one final yr earlier than retirement, has been superb, however younger Filip Gustavsson appears to be like like an early Vezina frontrunner; he’s handing over an awesome efficiency even behind an awesome protection and has a league-leading .929 sv% to point out for it — numbers that counsel the better goaltending of final decade. The Wild additionally performed final evening, managing a clean win over the Hawks, and Fleury was in web for that, so the Preds can count on to see Gustavsson right now.
Kirill Kaprizov continues to dazzle. He’s the exception to the Wild’s completely satisfactory offense; he’s put up 36 factors, together with 22 assists, within the 22 video games he’s performed. Kaprizov (14G) and Matt Boldy (11G/13A), are the one Wild gamers at present in double digits there, and Marco Rossi (7G/11A) is the one different participant with double digits in assists.
Nonetheless, you solely want to attain sufficient objectives, and the Wild have completely been doing that. They’re second within the Central and third within the league — second, by factors share — behind simply the Winnipeg Jets. It’s going to be a troublesome recreation for the Preds, but it surely’ll be extraordinarily satisfying if they will make it a win.
The way to Watch
The sport airs at 7PM Central on FanDuel Sports activities Community South and 102.5 The Recreation, or you may courageous the wintry wilds (plural! it’s plural in fashionable utilization!) of St. Paul to look at the sport in particular person.
