Alright folks, the Nashville Predators have been a model of consistency dating back to the end of November to fuel their playoff push, but a three-game losing streak looms if they can't take care of business against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.
The Senators in the Eastern Conference are in a similar situation as the Predators are in for the Western Conference in terms of the wildcard race, so expect both teams to come out with a little extra desperation.
The Predators handled the Senators in a tight game in Ottawa all the way back in the early goings of the regular season on October 13. It took a couple empty net goals by Jonathan Marchessault and Cole Smith to make the final score look more lopsided than it the game actually was.
The last time out for the Senators was Tuesday in a 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets with goals from two of their stay players, Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle.
As for the Predators, they're currently on a two-game skid after winning their best game of the season in regulation on the road against the Colorado Avalanche. The loss to the Vegas Golden Knights was understandable in a difficult scenario on a back-to-back, the opening first period against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday was inexecusable and downright disgraceful, despite the comeback attempt that came up just short.
So now we really get to see what this Predators team is made of. I've been saying for weeks now that this team is a four-game losing streak away from going back to square 1. Maybe that's a little over-dramatic on my part, but they certainly need to get back on track at home versus the Senators.
Roman Josi prepares for 1,000th NHL game
The main spotlight for the Predators will be on their Captain, Roman Josi, playing in his 1,000th NHL game. He's joining fellow teammates Steven Stamkos and Ryan O'Reilly as members of the 1,000 club.
The Senators have three current players in the 1,000 club; Claude Giroux, David Perron and Lars Eller.
As for Josi, he's quietly having a great season after the offseason scare and his health being called into question. He also missed some extensive time this current season that was unrelated to his POTS syndrome diagnosed over the offseason.
Josi had a four-game streak going with 10 points over that span coming into the Buffalo game, but was held off the scoresheet on Tuesday. He sits at 28 points in 37 games this season.
Juuse Saros needs a strong start tonight after getting chased on four goals surrendered on 19 shots faced on Tuesday
No one is going to pretend that the onslaught by Buffao for four goals was completely on Saros on Tuesday. But when it gets that ugly, you have to make the switch, and to Justus Annunen's credit, he made all 13 saves he was up against as the Predators flipped off the snooze button and finally woke up to play some hockey.
Saros' GAA ticked above 3.00 after getting chased versus Buffalo, and obviously the Predators can't survive with Saros falling into a slump in crunch time of the regular season.
First and foremost, the team has to be so much better in their own defensive zone. The Senators score 3.27 goals per game, which is right at the edge of the top-10 in the NHL. They have the 7th-ranked power play as well, so needless to say the Predators need to be discliplined if the want to do Saros any favors tonight.
Can Jonathan Marchessault finally look more comfortable and make an impact on Preds offense?
Marchessault has been back for two games now after missing an entire month due to injury, but has yet to find the scoresheet or make a noticeable impact. I'm looking for that to change against Ottawa.
Shockingly, Marchessault has just two shots on net through his first two games back. A player at the offensive skill level of Marchessault can't be held to that low of a shot total in two games, and if he can get going offensively, it will provide a massive boost to the Predators.
Here's a stat that really jumps off the page for the Marchessault and the Predators to exploit tonight; the Senators have the NHL's worst team save percentage at a repulsive .867 percent.
As of the time of this writing, Ottawa's starting goalie hasn't been confirmed by Daily Faceoff, but it's expected to be the veteran James Reimer who has made only two starts all season.
If there is a matchup for the Predators and some of the cold shooters to find their grooves, tonight is the night against the Senators. And that goes for Marchessault, who is all over the trade speculations for a Nashville team that is still expected to be sellers.
Puck drop at Bridgestone Arena scheduled for 7 PM CT and will wrap up the season series between Nashville and Ottawa. The Predators hold an edge in the all-time head-to-head series with Ottawa with a record of 20-13-5 with zero ties and a point percentage of .592.