A rough 2nd period from Carter Hutton and the Preds defense was the downfall against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night. After giving up three goals in the second period, the Nashville Predators tried to fight back against the Senators, but to no avail and lost 3-2. The Preds look to get back on track when they face the Florida Panthers tonight at Bridgestone Arena. This will be the first of two games this season between these two clubs.
The Florida Panthers (7-5-5) are currently in seventh out of eight place in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. In their last outing, the Florida Panthers were able to take down the San Jose Sharks in a shootout 3-2. Nick Bjugstad was stellar for the Panthers scoring two goals in regulation and the game-winner during the shootout. The Panthers are currently being lead in points by Jussi Jokinen (12). Nick Bjugstad leads the team in goals (6).
Keys to watch
Home again.
Recently, the Nashville Predators have spent a lot of time away from Bridgestone Arena. For the rest of the month of November, the Nashville Predators will stay at home. During this time, the Preds will have four games, starting tonight against the Florida Panthers. They will also take on the Los Angeles Kings, the Edmonton Oilers, and the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Predators have shown that they are a strong team at home this year. Look for the Preds to remain a strong group as they take this four game homestand and look for optimum performance from the squad.
Nick Bjugstad on Fire!!
Bjugstad has been on fire recently for the Florida Panthers. In the last three games, Bjugstad has gotten seven points and is currently leading the team offensively. With four goals and three assists, he will need to be wrangled in by the Preds defense. The Preds need to focus on him that way Bjugstad does not hurt the defense on the offensive end of the ice. The Preds have shown that they can neutralize a #1 player for the opposite team. No one man has dominated the Preds, so far this season. Look for the Preds to take Bjugstad and neutralize his recent offensive production.
Volchenkov’s Big Hits
After coming back from suspension, Anton Volchenkov has been playing excellent on defense. His big hits have been crucial with the team when they are forechecking. With a +5 rating, Volchenkov is showing to be an integral pick up during the off-season. Besides the suspension, he is been a great addition to the Nashville Predators and a much needed improvement with a young defense core. Defensively, Volchenkov has shown to be a strong pickup to build a veteran presence.
The Nashville Predators look to stay hot at Bridgestone Arena. The game will NOT be covered by FS-TN, so in order to catch the Preds in action you will have to listen live on 102.5 The Game or get out to Bridgestone Arena. Puck drops at 7:00 pm!
