The Nashville Predators look to continue a solid pre-season after defeating the Blue Jackets 5-3 in Columbus on Sunday.
The Nashville Predators’ last tilt against Columbus saw the re-emergence of Kevin Fiala as a potential superstar. Additionally, it reminded us all that the team will make some truly difficult roster decisions in the coming days. Oh yeah, and those away uniforms are sweet.
True NHL rosters
Columbus’ biggest threat in Sunday’s game was their depth at center. Alex Wennberg, Artemi Panarin, and John Mitchell all played extremely well, combining for 1 goal and 4 assists. In tonight’s game, Columbus’ lineup will feature Wennberg and Panarin once more. Nashville needs to play extremely well defensively if they hope to keep their opposition at bay.
That said, the Predators aren’t messing around either. Their top-4 defensemen are all set to make appearances during the matchup. What’s more, Ryan Johansen, Viktor Arvidsson, and Pekka Rinne will take the ice. Really, the notable absences are Yannick Weber and Nick Bonino, who is still recovering from offseason surgery.
Fighting for a spot
As with all preseason games, the emphasis is not on the final result. The performance of players who are battling for a roster spot offers the real drama. By my count, there are still three available spots in the Predators’ lineup. Matt Irwin, Anthony Bitetto, and Alexandre Carrier are fighting to play alongside Weber in the third defensive pairing. Irwin gets another chance to impress tonight
Two spots on the fourth line are also up for grabs. Vladislav Kamenev is in the running for one of those spots, and is set to play tonight. Kamenev has performed admirably so far, though he has managed only one assist in three games. He will surely put it all on the line tonight to draw attention from the coaching staff.
Follow the game
The puck drops in Bridgestone Arena at 7pm central. If you can’t make it downtown to catch it live, the Predators will offer a stream on their website to those in the regular viewing area. Additionally, 102.5 The Game will broadcast live starting with pregame at 6pm.
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With the no-nonsense rosters and regular season starting in under a week, tonight’s game will definitely be a blast.