The Nashville Predators, coming off a sport they felt they let get away, wrap up a four-game highway journey Saturday night time after they face the Central Division rival Winnipeg Jets.
Nashville led 2-1 at Montreal on Thursday earlier than the Canadiens’ Cole Caufield tied it with 20 seconds remaining in regulation. Caufield added the winner with three seconds left within the additional session, leaving the Predators with a 3-2 loss and a 1-1-1 mark on their highway journey.
“We have to exit and win a sport (in Winnipeg) and make it a half-decent journey,” mentioned Steven Stamkos, who scored his first purpose of the season within the additional time loss.
Stamkos additionally famous {that a} disconcerting sample from final season is beginning to emerge this season for the Predators, who final season posted their first sub.-500 document since 2012-13. Nashville has simply 14 targets via the primary 5 contests, and that features back-to-back four-goal video games to start out the journey in a win at Ottawa (4-1) and loss at Toronto (7-4).
Two of the targets towards the Senators had been empty-netters. Stamkos is aware of the workforce might want to enhance scoring to be able to compete.
“It looks as if we’re looking for some offense, but it surely’s a bit of robust to return by,” he added.
Nashville goalie Juuse Saros made 27 saves on Thursday, and he has a .935 save proportion via 4 begins. He’s 8-8-4 in 20 profession video games towards the Jets, with a 2.50 goals-against common and a .921 save proportion.
The Finnish netminder went 2-2-0 towards the Jets final season, capped by a 2-1 residence win on Feb. 27, when he stopped 22 of 23 pictures.
Winnipeg returns residence to play the Predators after successful a pair on the East Coast, each by 5-2 scores, earlier this week. Towards the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, veteran heart Mark Scheifele scored twice to offer him 5 targets and eight factors, each of which lead the Jets via their first three video games.
These two factors gave Scheifele 812 for his profession, tying him for the franchise document together with his former teammate Blake Wheeler. His first likelihood to interrupt the document will come because the Jets go for his or her fourth straight win.
Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel famous that the Ontario native was the primary participant the Jets drafted after the workforce moved from Atlanta, and the seventh total decide within the 2011 draft has lived as much as expectations.
“He is an incredible participant on this league. I believe he is lastly, actually getting the popularity that he deserves,” Arniel mentioned.
Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck solely confronted 17 pictures within the Thursday win. He has given up simply 4 targets in his final two begins after surrendering 5 within the season-opening loss to the Dallas Stars.
The 2-time defending Vezina Trophy winner has confronted Nashville 29 occasions in his profession, amassing a 17-9-2 document with a 2.42 GAA and a .927 save proportion. He received each matchups towards the Predators final season, together with a 3-0 residence win on Dec. 30 during which he made 22 saves.
–Discipline Degree Media