After an extended break, the Nashville Predators will get back on the ice tonight at Bridgestone Arena.
The last time Nashville was on the ice, the Preds took on the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night. Nashville was able to get two goals from Roman Josi during the 2nd period. It looked as though Nashville was going to come away with a victory and get back in the “W” column, but Charlie Coyle was able to tie the game up in the third period.
It only took the Wild 22 seconds in overtime, as they went on to win by a score of 3-2 with a Matt Dumba goal.
Tonight, Nashville looks to rebound against the the NHL’s bottom team, the Buffalo Sabres.
Last night, the Buffalo Sabres took on the New Jersey Devils. The Devils were all over the Sabres as the final score was 3-1. The lone goal for Buffalo was by Matt Moulson, a PPG at 11:41 of the third period.
Tyler Ennis leads the struggling Buffalo team with 18 goals and 39 assists.
Mattias Ekholm following morning skate:
Head coach Peter Laviolette addressing the media following morning skate:
Keys to Watch
Stumbling….
The month of March has not been friendly to the Nashville Predators. The Preds have losses against the Rangers, Devils, Islanders, Jets, Sharks, Ducks, and Wild. With only two wins in the month of March, the Predators have seen their NHL league lead, and Central division lead, go away. They are now two points behind St. Louis and only two points ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks in Central division. This team has got to find a way to win.
A Bright Spot
With all of the recent losses for the Nashville Predators, one bright spot on this Nashville team has to be the play of the Roman Josi. Since February 24, Josi has four goals, five assists, and has stayed out of the penalty box with only two penalty minutes. The Nashville defense has been stabilized by the play of Josi. Weber gets the publicity for the big shot and his top end play, but you cannot deny the increased ability of Josi this season and has some of the best offensive numbers for a defenseman in the NHL.
Bottom of the Barrel
The 2014-15 season has been one of trials and tribulations for the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo is currently ranked last in most statistical categories within the NHL. On special teams, the Sabres are ranked 30th on both PP and PK. If the Preds are going to take advantage of any team and get back on track, this is the team. They have to win tonight to gain momentum towards their playoff run. If you can’t beat the worst team in the NHL, you have no reason you think that there will be success in the playoffs.
Nashville looks to take down the worst team in the NHL tonight at Bridgestone Arena. Look for a rebounding performance tonight to get Nashville to a total of 96 points on the season. Like usual, if you cannot make it out to the game, you can catch the game on FOX Sports Tennessee or you can listen live on 102.5 The Game.
