Nashville has been one of the hottest teams as of late. They have found a way to start clicking, and it has paid off in a huge way.
The Flames, on the other hand, have slowly fallen almost to rock bottom of the standings. Either way, The Preds will be in a tough one tonight as this is their second game of a back to back.
The Calgary Flames
The Flames are in a downward spiral as of late. They are 2-6-2 in their last ten games, and have no signs of turning things around anytime soon.
Tonight’s Opponent
Tonight’s Opponent
Take a moment and imagine the Flames without the likes of Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. They would probably be a little worse off. Johnny Hockey leads the team in goals, assists, and points (24, 39, 63). Giordano is having another solid season with 41 points. He is also on pace to score 20 goals as well. Unfortunately for the Flames, they can’t put all the burden on just these two guys.
Sean Monahan and T.J. Brodie have been solid contributors for Calgary as well. Monahan is second on the team with points (46), and Brodie isn’t too far behind him at fourth, with 34 points on the season. The Flames have also gotten some solid scoring depth this season as well. They have eight guys who have reached the double digit plateau for goals this season.
The scoring is there for the flames. They just can’t seem to put it all together for a string of games. In fact, they are second in the division in goals scored this season. Sadly for them, they are tied for second in the entire league for goals allowed this season.
Regardless of all of these stats, you can’t sleep on a team like Calgary. They have so much young talent, that they could explode with a bevy of goals on any given night.
The Nashville Predators
All has been well in Smashville as of late. The Predators are riding a franchise record 13 game point streak, and the players are out there having fun in the process.
No line has been having as much fun as the second line though. They have been on absolute fire during this points streak. If you don’t believe me, just look at this stat:
Craig Smith now has seven goals in 11 games. He, Filip Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro have combined for 45 points in 13 games.
— Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) March 9, 2016
Those numbers are ridiculously good. Not to mention this has all been done while the first line hasn’t been able to find the score sheet consistently. Granted, Ryan Johansen did score last night, and Neal has chipped in some tallies from time to time.
The Preds are in a good place right now. They just need to continue this excellent play and carry it into the playoffs. It’s been a long year and we’ve seen the struggles… but finally the Preds are definitely trending in the right direction.
Reasons To Watch
Plain and simple, that second line. Craig Smith, Filip Forsberg, and Mike Ribeiro have been lights out lately. It is almost a given that they are going to produce night in and night out. They have become very enjoyable to watch, and you should be watch because of them too. And if nothing else, Colin Wilson had some production next to Colton Sissons, and if that becomes our fourth line… so be it.
Sights And Sounds
FS-TN for television and 102.5 The Game for radio. We have a later puck drop tonight so be prepared. Puck drops at 8:30 pm CST.