The Nashville Predators have lost their last two games, both late and both against divisional opponents: the Colorado Avalanche, who scored two unanswered goals to tie the game before winning in overtime, and the Dallas Stars, who scored the game-winning goal with less than a minute left in regulation. “The full 60 minutes” is often a cliché, but the Preds will need to play at least that this evening if they’re hoping for a win.
The Anaheim Ducks are still struggling this season, with their losses by far outnumbering their wins (they have a 10-22-4 record) and only a single multi-goal win (5-2 over the Montreal Canadiens, on December 15th). Only three of their wins have come in regulation, with another three relying on the gimmick of the shootout. It has been a rough year in Anaheim.
There are bright signs for their future. Their three leading scorers—Troy Terry (12G/19A), Trevor Zegras (10G/17A), and Mason McTavish (6G/14A)—are all part of their young core. 22-year-old Lucas Dostal is proving himself best able to handle the Ducks’ porous defense.
John Gibson, meanwhile, is struggling with another season’s enormous workload. That’s one piece of bad news for Ducks fans. Another is that the Ducks’ power play, penalty kill, and offense aren’t doing much to make up for their much-burdened goalie’s struggles. The defense and penalty kill are especially egregious, which might give the Preds’ floundering offense a boost.
How to Watch
The game airs at 4PM Central/3PM Eastern on Bally Sports South and 102.5 The Game.