This extended road trip for the Nashville Predators has been one with highs and lows. With wins against Edmonton and Vancouver, losses against Winnipeg and Calgary, the Canadian swing of their 6-game trip has ended. The Predators, coming off a 3-1 loss to the Jets on Tuesday night, look to get back in the “W” column against the Dallas Stars tonight.
The Dallas Stars (4-4-4) have struggled in their last 5 games. The Stars were taken down by the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 on Tuesday night. Shawn Horcoff scored the lone goal and Kari Lehtonen allowed two goals in the third by Dustin Brown and Kyle Clifford in a losing effort for the Stars. On the year, Tyler Seguin is leading the team in points (15), goals (7), and shots (42).
On the injury report for the Stars, C Cody Eakin (undisclosed) is probable for tonight’s matchup with the Preds. D Sergei Gonchar (muscle strain) is questionable and D Patrik Nemeth (arm) is out.
Keys to watch:
The Stars are struggling
With a current winless streak up to 5 games, the Stars are hungry for a win. They have losses to the Islanders, in which they gave up 7 goals, two overtime losses on back-to-back games against the St. Louis Blues and the Anaheim Ducks, a 4-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild, and their recent downing by the Kings. This team wants a win in the worst way. They have talented forwards that can score in a moment’s notice. The Preds must be on alert with this team.
Filip Forsberg: An Emerging Star?
In recent games, the emergence of Filip Forsberg is becoming more apparent in his play as an offensive leader with this team. When the Preds are in need of a big offensive play, they seem to look to their first line and Forsberg for that spark. He leads the league in +/- rating and is being projected as a front-runner for the Calder Memorial Trophy.
The Nashville Predators need Pekka to keep being Pekka. He seems to back to his old, Vezina-nominated self, pre-injury. With a record on the year of 7-2-1, 1.87 GAA, .931 SV%, it seems as though he has shaken off the hip injury and is looking for another stellar year in net. If the Predators are going far this year, it will be on the coat tails of their All-World net-minder. Keep your eye on Pekka Rinne.
FS-TN is your location for tonight’s Central Division matchup. The Preds have a tough test and will be looking to continue success for the season. If you can’t catch the game on FS-TN, you can listen live on 102.5 The Game.
