Tonight the Nashville Predators play host to the Dallas Stars in the second game of their homestand. Previously, the Predators eked out a 6-5 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in one of the most wild regular season games in recent memory, right up there with their three-goal comeback against the Blues last December. They won Tuesday despite both Roman Josi and Colton Sissons being out of the lineup, as both are listed as day-to-day.
The Stars are also coming fresh off a win against a bad Detroit team, taking a 4-2 win at home. Tonight will be the Predators first game against another divisional rival. Considering how many pundits expect the Stars to be a powerhouse this season, it would behoove the Predators to pick up a win and two points in regulation tonight.
The Dallas Stars
Arguably the most improved team this off-season, the Stars also only won their first game of the season on Tuesday. However, unlike the Predators, they looked great in their two losses.
With Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and new acquisition Alexander Radulov, their forward core is oozing with talent. Furthermore, after years of it being an issue, they finally addressed their horrific goaltending and added Ben Bishop to the roster. Their defense, despite trading for Marc Methot, looks thin, but this Stars team is much more improved than last season.
The Nashville Predators
After raising their “Western Conference Champions” banner on Tuesday night, all of last season is thoroughly in the rear-view mirror. The Predators got to pick up their first win of the season in a sloppy 6-5 win that probably should not have been. They blew a 3-0 lead, giving up five straight goals to Philadelphia before scoring three more, including two in the last two minutes.
If the Predators want to be competitive, they cannot give up six goals to an offense like Philadelphia’s. The defense has not been good enough the first three games and, with arguably the most star-studded offense in the league playing the Predators tonight, they must be at their best. Many people picked the Dallas Stars to win the Central Division so, if the Predators want to make a statement, tonight would be as good a time as ever to do so.
Roman Josi and Colton Sissons both missed the last game, so hopefully we see them make a return. Josi’s absence Tuesday made way for Samuel Girard’s first NHL appearance. He performed admirably. Craig Smith continues to be snake-bitten, posting a miserable 44% corsi-for against Philadelphia despite finally scoring. The middle six looks like a mess; a great game from the second and third lines would be stellar.
Reasons to Watch
- Filip Forsberg has three goals in three games. Last season, it took him 28 games to reach three goals. He’s playing phenomenal hockey.
- You get to boo Alexander Radulov.
- Viktor Arvidsson will continue to hustle up and down the ice, bringing you unbound joy.
- Rookie defenseman Samuel Girard made his NHL debut on Tuesday and looked like he didn’t miss a beat. The Stars are a much better team than the Flyers, so this will be a much sterner test.
Sights and Sounds
Buy some tickets and head down to Bridgestone Arena to watch the game tonight! If you can’t make it, the game will be televised on Fox Sports South and broadcast via radio on 102.5 The Game.