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Game Preview/Live Thread: Nashville Predators @ Pittsburgh Penguins 2/1/25

Dec 19, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) and Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly (90) face off during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

After a back-and-forth affair that saw the Nashville Predators claw back a lead, then give it up in a regulation loss, they head south to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins on their way home.

It’s been a rough year in the Steel City, with the losses significantly outnumbering the wins. The Penguins put Evgeni Malkin on IR last week, with injuries — stop me if you’ve heard this one before — once again taking out a key piece of their offense. The team mortgaged their future to pay for what’s now their past, and they’d probably make the same choice again, but all of their most significant offensive contributors are 30+, with no young talent making a regular impact of any real size at the NHL level.

Sidney Crosby is the team’s play-driver on offense, helping to generate most of their best looks and racking up a team-leading 39 assists in the process. He’s also chipped in 16 goals, putting him third in goalscoring, while Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust lead with 23 and 19 respectively. Defenders Erik Karlsson and Matt Grzelcyk follow Crosby in assists, with 28 and 26 — a significant dropoff.

The Penguins have combined bad shooting luck with bad goaltending, with Alex Nedeljcovic and Tristan Jarry both struggling with the shots they’ve seen and turning in sub-.900 performances on the season. Young Joel Blomqvist has turned in the best performance in net, but he’s struggled as well. A good power play and a profoundly average penalty kill round out the summary.

How to Watch

The game airs at 6 PM Central on FanDuel Sports Network South and 102.5 The Game.

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