Mea culpa; we all collectively spaced on the game preview being a thing for today, and I take primary responsibility. I’ve been both sick and busy this week, but that’s not really an excuse, and I do apologize.
The Predators play tonight against the Penguins at 7 PM Central—two hours from now—before heading onto the road to repeat the whole thing tomorrow in Pittsburgh at 6.
As usual, about three-quarters of the Penguins roster is seriously injured; they have not yet managed to get an effective cursebreaker in the Keystone State. Sidney Crosby, Patric Hornqvist, Brian Dumoulin, and Justin Schultz are among the injured, but other big names in Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are available, as is noted first-pairing defender Jack Johnson.
As we all know, the Penguins have the ability to outscore their nightmarish defense when they have a healthy roster; they might well be able to manage the same even now, especially if the Preds’ goalie struggles continue.
Players to Keep an Eye On:
- Roman Josi’s recent goal-scoring streak has been something to behold. Ryan Ellis is still doing the heavy lifting defensively for that pairing, but Josi has dazzled offensively.
- I’m pretty sure Jake Guentzel’s name is a familiar one. As our colleagues at Pensburgh point out, he’s had a particularly good season so far against the Western Conference (that’s not really a thing, but I’m not willing to suggest anyone not keep an eye on Guentzel as a result).
- Whether the Preds—or for that matter the Penguins—are able to get good goaltending will be a huge part of the game./
How to Watch
The game starts at 7 PM Central and will air on FS-TN. You can also listen to the radio call on 102.5 The Game.