After some frustrating late-night losses on the West Coast road trip, the Nashville Predators return home to face the Philadelphia Flyers. The teams’ previous meeting this season, earlier this month, ended in a last-minute regulation loss for the Preds in a game that was very emotional for Flyers fans—former captain Claude Giroux’s 1000th NHL game and his last with the team that drafted him.
Giroux has duly been traded, so at least the Flyers won’t have that motivation tonight. Other than that, the roster looks pretty similar. Cam Atkinson is a major producer for the team, with 23 goals and 26 assists for 49 points, while Travis Konecny is the assists leader with 30 and James van Riemsdyk’s 16 goals shift up to second on the team with Giroux gone.
Carter Hart is managing with a .909 sv%, while backup Martin Jones has a .903. They’re doing okay overall—more Hart than Jones—but could use some help on the Flyers’ struggling penalty kill. The power play, meanwhile, was already cold—lackluster offense and poor shooting luck combined—and Giroux was a major contributor there; they’ll have to adjust in his absence.
How to Watch
The game airs at 5PM Central on Bally Sports South and 102.5 The Game.