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| NASHVILLE PREDATORS |
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20-17-6 (46 points; .535%) ROSTER / SCHEDULE |
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8:00 P.M. – TUESDAY, JANUARY 17 BRIDGESTONE ARENA NASHVILLE, TN |
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TELEVISION: Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ (Out of Market) |
On the heels of a home loss, the Columbus Blue Jackets play their third game in four nights Tuesday when they face the Nashville Predators.
The game, which was originally scheduled to be played in November, is also the Preds third in four nights. The two teams had limited dates available to reschedule the meeting, which was postponed as a result of a water main break near Nashville's Bridgestone Arena.
The Blue Jackets lost 3-1 Monday night to the New York Rangers, but the game didn't feel that close. Columbus had been outshot 26-11 through two periods, and their lone goal came early in the final period but could not get any closer.
Nashville, meanwhile, is coming off a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames. Monday's win ended a three-game losing streak (all in regulation) and gave the Predators a much-needed win.
Here's what to know when the former Central Division rivals meet for the second and final time this season:
| CBJ | SEASON STATS | NSH |
|---|---|---|
| 2.53 | GOALS FOR | 2.74 |
| 3.93 | GOALS AGAINST | 2.93 |
| -1.40 | GOAL DIFFERENTIAL | -0.19 |
| 14.8% | POWER PLAY | 16.7% |
| 76.2% | PENALTY KILL | 79.6% |
| 28.6 | SHOTS FOR | 31.2 |
| 35.3 | SHOTS AGAINST | 34.3 |
| 45.4% | CF% (EVEN) | 48.4% |
| 47.8% | FACE-OFF % | 52.4% |
| PROJECTIONS | ||
| ODDS OF CBJ WIN PER MONEYPUCK | 30% | |
| ODDS OF CBJ WIN PER THE 538 | 32% | |
| CAESAR'S SPORTSBOOK BETTING | NSH -220 | |
| PREDS: LAST THREE GAMES | ||
| THU, 1/12 | @ Canadiens | L, 4-3 |
| SAT, 1/14 | vs. Sabres | L, 5-3 |
| MON, 11/16 | vs. Flames | W, 2-1 |
| PREDS: TEAM LEADERS | ||
| Goals | Filip Forsberg | 18 |
| Assists | Roman Josi | 23 |
| Points | Filip Forsberg | 38 |
TALKING POINTS: PREDS
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Believe it or not, the picture at the top was in the moments after Nashville made it 2-0 in the first period of their eventual 2-1 win over Calgary. The win stopped a three-game losing streak in which all games were close, regulation losses.
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Two former Blue Jackets, Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen, continue to be staples of the Nashville offense. Duchene is second on the team with 21 assists, and Johansen is one of four forwards (along with Duchene) to be in double-digits in both goals and assists.
- At 14.8%, the Blue Jackets own the worst power play in the league — but the Predators aren't far behind. Over their last six games, Nashville has converted just one of their 18 power play chances. The skid has dropped the Preds' conversion percentage to a 28th-ranked 16.7% percent.
CBJ STORYLINES
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ELVIS...BACK IN THE BUILDING?
Despite allowing three goals in Monday's loss and three more in Saturday's win, the last two starts by Elvis Merzlikins has been one of (if not the) best back-to-back outings of the season. The goals against remains remarkably high (4.52) and is still last amongst all goalies with 10+ games under their belt this year, but it's trending heavily in the right direction, as is the save percentage (.867).
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STRUGGLING SPECIAL TEAMS
Columbus has come up empty on their last 11 power play opportunities. The season may not amount to much, but finding the right man-advantage group this year could pay off in large dividends next season.
PROJECTED LINES
Updated: 3:05 p.m. // Subject to Change
| LW | C | RW | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Johnny Gaudreau | 96 | Jack Roslovic | 29 | Patrik Laine |
| 91 | Kent Johnson | 38 | Boone Jenner | 14 | Gus Nyquist |
| 50 | Eric Robinson | 7 | Sean Kuraly | 24 | Mathieu Olivier |
| 86 | Kirill Marchenko | 34 | Cole Sillinger | 52 | Emil Bemstrom |
| LD | RD | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Vladislav Gavrikov | 27 | Adam Boqvist |
| 75 | Tim Berni | 44 | Eric Gudbranson |
| 77 | Nick Blankenburg | 2 | Andrew Peeke |
| Starting Goalie | Backup | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | Daniil Tarasov | 90 | Elvis Merzlikins |
