Another disappointing performance from the Nashville Predators offense was the result of the Preds vs Wild matchup from Saturday’s away performance.
The Predators gave up four goals to the Wild throughout the matchup to give the Preds another 4-0 loss, two goals were given up on the penalty kill.
Nashville will look to rebound as they travel to New York to take on the Rangers (15-3-2).
In their last outing, the Rangers defeated the Florida Panthers 5-4 in overtime with a Rick Nash hat trick.
Keys to Watch
Offense Struggles
4-0. Twice. One glaring statistic is the lack of offensive production for this team. Zero goals for a team that has the offensive firepower of James Neal, Filip Forsberg, and Mike Ribeiro is not acceptable. To beat it all, they will be going against the best defensive team in the NHL tonight. I wouldn’t look for lots of offensive production, if any. This offensive slump is affecting the defense and causing a free-fall of the team’s standing. The team must regroup, refocus and put forth a collected effort that they are able to produce. If not, it could be a very long road trip for the Nashville Predators.
Built on Defense
The New York Rangers team is built very similar to the Nashville Predators. Both teams are built on defensive superiority. Henrik Lundqvist has been arguably the best goaltender in the NHL up to this point. He currently leads all NHL goalies in wins with 11 and a save percentage of .943. The Rangers defensive corps is stacked from top to bottom with their captain, Ryan McDonagh, to Keith Yandle, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, and former Nashville fan favorite, Kevin Klein. This defensive unit is considered one of the best in the NHL. The Nashville offense has to pick up the pace or it could be another long night for the Nashville fanbase.
Who to watch for the Rangers?
The Rangers offensively have been steady this season. There is one player that has been noteworthy this season and that is Mats Zuccarello. Zuccarello has been outstanding over the last five games with nine points (three goals, six assists). The Oslo, Norway native has impressed as he has risen towards the top of the Eastern conference in various categories. He is fourth in goals with ten, third in points with 21, ninth with a rating of +10, and seventh with a shot percentage of 25%. The Nashville defensive corps has got to keep their eye on Zuccarello. Offensively, he is one of the best in the NHL thus far this season.
Tonight, the Preds look to come back together for a better effort against the Metropolitan division-leading New York Rangers. The game will start one hour early at 6:00 pm. Be sure to catch all of the action on Fox Sports-Tennessee or you can listen live on 102.5 The Game.
