With six wins in a row, the Nashville Predators find themselves second in the Central Division ahead of their third game on the road trip. After a shutout win for goalie Juuse Saros, the team won on the second night of a back-to-back against the high-flying offense of the Anaheim Ducks to continue their five-game trip.
The Predators had struggled against the Ducks in their last 10 matchups, with just three wins and seven losses and a negative six-goal differential, according to Statmuse. However, that didn't matter on Wednesday night, as Justus Annunen led the way with 27 saves on 29 shots, and Shane Wright had his breakout three-point game. They moved past this young team despite how "mighty" these Ducks are.
The Preds next find themselves in Vegas next to face the Golden Knights. With a more competitive record of 5-5 in their last ten, the Preds have still been outscored by five goals in that span. With offensive all-stars like Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel, holding this offense at bay will be a tough task. Vegas is second in the Pacific and is often a measuring-stick team for most organizations with playoff aspirations. With Nic Hague a healthy scratch recently, he may spend his homecoming in the press box.
On November 15, Nashville faces San Jose and one of the league's best, Macklin Celebrini, who has six points in five career games against the Preds. A friendly face has been guarding the net for the Sharks this season, Yaroslov Askarov, who was notably moved from the Preds by former General Manager Barry Trotz. The Sharks are a young team, and after falling just short of the playoffs last year, they have gotten off to a notably rough start comparatively. With a record of 8-11-1, veterans like Keifer Sherwood, another familiar face, will be looking to turn things around.
The road trip wraps up with a visit to the divisional rival, the Minnesota Wild. Another familiar face awaits them, Michael McCarron, a good penalty killer the Preds traded last season. This will be an important game for closing the gap in standings points, as the Wild are currently first in the Central Division and already seven points ahead of Nashville. With a 4-2-4 record in their last 10 against Minnesota, the games are often close and exciting battles to watch and will be an excellent end to the road trip.
General Manager Chris MacFarland will be intently watching the team on their road trip as they look to continue their win streak and the positive start to their trip. If this roster stays in contention, what kind of trades could he look to pull off to add? Or if this road trip goes poorly, could the Preds fall behind trailing rivals the Dallas Stars and Utah Mammoth? With one win so far, the team is gearing up to add another tonight.
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