The Nashville Predators are looking for a win tonight against Central Division foe, the St. Louis Blues. A win tonight would help end a losing streak.
The Nashville Predators have seemed to be a streaky team as of late. The Predators have lost three straight games after winning three straight on the road. It would be nice to see the Predators get back in the win column tonight against the Blues, as they can gain a point on them with a win. The next three games for the Predators come against Central Division teams, so wins in those games would help the Predators gain some separation in the standings.
The Predators are 2nd right now in the Central Division with 47 points, as they are only one point behind the Blues. A win tonight for the Predators in regulation would put the Predators at 1st in the division.
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues have been streaky lately as well. They are 1st in the division but are 2-3 in their last five games. The Blues have a record of 23-13-2 on the year.
The Predators have to keep eye on Brayden Schenn of the Blues. He leads the Blues in points, goals, and assists. Schenn has 40 points on the year, as he has 17 goals and 23 assists.
The Blues are deep with talent as Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz have over 30 points on the year. Paul Stastny, Alex Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko have over 20 points so far this season. Jake Allen has struggled as of recently. Although he won his last game against the Vancouver Canucks, he lost his previous four starts before then. Below is the projected lineup tonight for the Blues.
#stlblues lines:
— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) December 27, 2017
Steen-Stastny-Thompson
Berglund-Schenn-Tarasenko
Sobotka-Sundqvist-Paajarvi
Upshall-Brodziak-Jaskin
D Pairs:
Edmundson-Pietrangelo
Gunnarsson-Parayko
Dunn-Bortuzzo
Allen in starter's net
Lineup Changes
The Predators have switched around the lineup just a little bit for tonight’s game. The JoFA line was together for the game against the Stars, but will be split up tonight. The Fiala-Turris-Smith is staying together as they have played great hockey as of recently. Forsberg has been moved down to the 3rd line, as he was put with the other Swedes, Jarnkrok and Aberg.
Apparent forward lines:
— Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) December 27, 2017
Hartnell-Johansen-Arvidsson
Fiala-Turris-Smith
Forsberg-Jarnkrok-Aberg
Bonino-Sissons-Watson
There has been no update yet on who is in goal for the Predators tonight.
What to Expect
I wouldn’t necessarily say this game is a must win for the Predators, but it would be a big win if the Predators can get it done tonight. They have struggled recently so it would be nice to see them get a win, especially against the Blues, a Central Division foe. I would expect this game to be a tough battle, as both teams are trying to get out of a little slump. It would be nice to see the Predators control this game early so they don’t have to work from behind. A win tonight would help try and kick start a good ending to 2017.
Follow the Game
The game will be televised on Fox Sports South. The puck will drop around 7:00 PM. The game will also be aired on 102.5 The Game.