The Nashville Predators are rolling into the middle stretch of their road trip with momentum and a growing sense that this run could tell the story of their season. Six straight wins have pushed them to second in the Central Division, and they’ve already banked one victory on the trip after Juuse Saros delivered a shutout and the team followed that up by beating the Anaheim Ducks on the second night of a back-to-back.
That win over Anaheim came with a few notable layers. Nashville had not had much success against the Ducks lately, going 3-7 over the last 10 meetings with a minus-six goal differential, according to Statmuse.
None of that showed up Wednesday night. Justus Annunen stopped 27 of 29 shots, and Shane Wright put together his first three-point game to help Nashville get past a Ducks team described as “mighty.”
Now the schedule turns to Vegas, where the Golden Knights present a very different kind of test. Nashville has gone 5-5 in its last 10, though the Predators have been outscored by five goals in that stretch.
The Golden Knights, sitting second in the Pacific, bring star power with Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel, and they figure to be a difficult team to quiet down. Nic Hague has also recently been a healthy scratch, so there’s a chance he could spend his homecoming in the press box.
After that comes a November 15 matchup with San Jose. The Sharks have one of the league’s best young talents in Macklin Celebrini, who has six points in five career games against Nashville.
Yaroslov Askarov is now in goal for San Jose after being moved from the Predators by former general manager Barry Trotz, and Keifer Sherwood is another familiar name in the mix as the Sharks try to climb out of an 8-11-1 start. San Jose was close to the playoffs last season but has opened this year in rough shape by comparison.
The trip closes against Minnesota, and that one carries real weight in the standings. The Wild are first in the Central and already seven points ahead of Nashville.
Michael McCarron, whom the Predators traded last season, is another former face waiting on the other side. The recent history between the teams has been tight, with Nashville going 4-2-4 in the last 10 against Minnesota, so the finale should bring the kind of close, competitive game that often defines this matchup.
General Manager Chris MacFarland will be watching all of it closely as Nashville tries to keep the streak alive. A strong trip could change the conversation about what this roster needs and what kind of trades might be available.
A stumble could leave the Predators chasing the Dallas Stars and Utah Mammoth. For now, they’ve got one win on the board and are looking for another tonight.
In Other News...
Predators' New Line Is Giving This Winning Streak Real Meaning
The Predators kept rolling on their West Coast trip, beating the Ducks for their sixth straight win and getting another strong night from the new mix that has helped turn this run into something more than a hot stretch. Justus Annunen continued to settle in as the backbone of the surge, while the line of Nils Hoglander, Shane Wright and Filip Forsberg again gave Nashville a look that has been driving play and creating chances in recent games.
Wrights night stood out for more than just the scoreboard, because it marked a meaningful step in his early work with Nashville and added another layer to a streak that is starting to feel sustainable. Hoglander has already become a major factor in the climb, and with Forsberg alongside him, the Predators suddenly have a combination that is making the rest of the league take notice as this trip continues. [Read more 🡒]
Predators Still Waiting On A Key Return They Clearly Need
The injury ripple across the league kept growing this week, and for Nashville it still circles back to Jonathan Marchessault. The Predators winger remains out with a lower-body injury, leaving a noticeable hole in a lineup that could use his finishing touch and veteran presence as the schedule keeps moving.
Marchessault has not played since Halloween, and the club is still managing him on a day-to-day basis as it looks for a path to get him back in the mix. With Nashville trying to stay afloat through a stretch where other teams are also juggling key absences, his return remains one of the more important items on the teams immediate to-do list. [Read more 🡒]