Keys to Watch

Struggles on the Road

Tonight from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, two of the best teams in the Western Conference this season will battle it out as the Nashville Predators take on the St. Louis Blues. The Blues currently sit with the best record in the Western Conference (16-5-1) and are winners of three straight. The Predators will be facing a team that can match their speed, intensity, and emotion on any given night. Nashville has struggled on the road this season (5-5-1) but have played exceptionally well over the past ten games. The Predators will need to come out early and get a jump on the Blues to settle down the raucous crowd that is in St. Louis.

Blues Looking for Revenge

The contest tonight will be the first time since last season’s Western Conference semifinal match-up where the Predators moved on to the Western Conference Finals. The Nashville Predators will have to contend with a team that scored eight goals against the Edmonton Oilers in their last outing, as well as winners of seven in their last ten contests. The Blues have not lost to a team within the division this year (3-0-0) and are one of the best offensive teams in the NHL – 3rd in the league with 76 goals. Nashville better be careful or their winning streak could come to an end in St. Louis.

Special Teams Struggle

One of the most significant weaknesses of the St. Louis Blues is their ineptitude on special teams. With a team that has such high-level talent, they tend to struggle significantly. On the power play, the Blues are 24th in the NHL with a  conversion rate of 16.7%. Nashville is considerably better statistically with a conversion rate when they have a man-advantage of 25.3%. When it comes to the penalty kill, the Predators are exponentially better, ranking 8th with a 83.7% kill rate. The Blues are in the bottom of the league when they are down a skater with a kill rate of 78.6%. Keep an eye on the special teams tonight. If the Predators stay out of the box and land some opportunities with an extra skater, it could be a great night for the boys in gold!

The Nashville Predators will be looking to continue their phenomenal streak in the month of November. Be sure to catch all of the action on Fox Sports-Tennessee or you can listen live on 102.5 The Game. Puck drops at 7:00 pm!

Brandon Eldridge

Brandon was born and raised in Lebanon, Tennessee but eventually moved to McMinnville, Tennessee after marrying his wife, Lindsey. He is a graduate of Cumberland University (GO BULLDOGS) with a Master of Arts in Education. Growing up in Middle Tennessee, hockey was not an interest early in life. He is a hockey convert. His introduction to hockey was through free tickets from his grandmother for a game between the Predators and the Dallas Stars. After this initial introduction, it has truly been an obsession. Along with his wife and son, Brandon goes to as many games as he can. From statistics to player interactions, he has become the ultimate hockey fan. He is a proud father, teacher, history nerd, music-lover, and true sports fanatic!