Behind Enemy Lines: Nashville Predators vs. Calgary Flames
By Nick Kieser
The Nashville Predators are in Calgary tonight for their second stop of a five-game road trip tonight.
After falling 7-4 in Edmonton on Tuesday the Predators are 1-6-1 after returning from Europe and following the game Kiefer Sherwood was placed on waivers. Today he cleared and will report to the Milwaukee Admirals.
The Predators announced 15 minutes after Freidman’s tweet that Mark Jankowski was recalled from the Milwaukee Admirals.
Jankowski has nine points with the Admirals and will be injected with the Predators forward group. He was originally selected 21st overall by the Flames in 2012.
Perhaps Jankowski will be alongside Ryan Johansen with Nino Niederreiter on the opposite wing when playing the Flames. The Predators did not hold a formal practice on Thursday.
The optimism for Philip Tomasino was there, but John Hynes provided an update this morning on Robby & Rexrode.
“Mentally you have to be on your game all the time,” Hynes said on 102.5 The Game. “We want to make sure that when you come in, we expect Philip Tomasino to be a top-six forward. We have to go through the development process. As quick or as long as that takes we want to make sure that’s the right decision when he comes back.”
Tonight’s Opposition
The Flames are coming off a 5-4 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday after allowing three goals in the third period.
Leading the way for Calgary’s forward group is Nazem Kadri. The most recent member of the Stanley Cup winning Colorado Avalanche Kadri leads the Flames with 10 points in eight games.
During the Flames’ eight-game homestand he’s been lighting it up offensively with Jonathan Huberdeau and Andrew Mangiapane. The top forward line has combined for 19 points to begin the regular season.
Calgary is 38-35-5 overall against the Predators with a consistent powerplay as well. On the man advantage, the Flames are 17.5% against Nashville. Similar to how the Oilers performed against the Predators earlier this week.
Physicality will be a factor in tonight’s contest. Garnet Hathaway leads all NHL skaters with 43 hits with Tanner Jeannot not far behind with 40. That could be a matchup to look out for in terms of a potential showdown dropping the gloves.
According to Stat Muse, the Predators have the second most hits in the NHL this season with 333 and six of Nashville’s skaters have 20+ hits through 10 games.
Huberdeau is an additional forward to keep eyes on after being acquired from the Florida Panthers for Matthew Tkachuk.
The former Panthers captain is still adjusting to his new team with five points so far and being a minus-one through eight games. He’s been held to no points in the last two games.
In between the pipes tonight Jacob Markstrom will go up against the Predators for the ninth time in his career. He’s posted a 3-3-2 record and a 3.13 goals-against average against Nashville.
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Markstrom is 4-1-0 this season with a 2.60 GAA and .903 save percentage. The Swedish netminder will aim to pick up his fourth win overall against the Predators tonight. Through his eight games against the Predators, he’s allowed three goals or more and allowed two goals once.
Projected Flames lineup via Pat Steinberg
Offense
Huberdeau – Kadri – Mangiapane
Lucic – Lindholm – Toffoli
Dube – Backlund – Coleman
Lewis – Rooney – Ritchie
Defense
Hanifin – Anderson
Zadorov – Weegar
Mackey – Stone