The Nashville Predators will look to continue to build off of recent wins and tenacious play tonight as they return home to take on the Winnipeg Jets. Their last outing, an 8-3 thrashing of the St Louis Blues, brought day-after-Thanksgiving joy to many.
The Jets are having a successful season so far, with good even-strength play backed up by great shooting and adequate goaltending. Their special teams have been weaker, but the team as a whole is still a formidable threat.
Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele are tied for the lead in points with 22 each; Connor has scored 14 goals, while Scheifele has put up 15 assists, tying with defender Josh Morrissey for the assists lead. Cole Perfetti, Mason Appleton, and brief Pred Nino Niederreiter have also been regular offensive contributors; Alex Iafallo has generated a good bit of threat but not converted on as many of his chances as might be expected.
Connor Hellebuyck has put up a .908 sv% on the season, with backup Laurent Broissoit contributing a .875. The Jets have been a great defensive team in front of them, with Perfetti providing a particularly standout defensive performance; they’ve struggled more with offense, though Niederreiter has impressed on that front. Interestingly, Connor, Scheifele, and Iafallo have really struggled to drive play as a whole, giving up a lot more than they create.
The game airs at 7PM Central on Bally Sports South and 102.5 The Game.