Scouting Report: Predators Come To Columbus With Two Old Friends and One New Face

Columbus Blue Jackets (9–5–1) vs. Nashville Predators (7–5–2)

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017, 7 p.m. (NATIONWIDE ARENA)

The good news? After a week on the road and a heartbreaking, frustrating loss last night in the Big Apple, the Columbus Blue Jackets return home tonight. The bad news? The Nashville Predators are there to welcome them home.

The defending Western Conference champions aren’t playing like the world-beaters they looked like in last year’s playoffs, but they are a strong squad that just got stronger with the addition of Kyle Turris.

Adding Turris was a coup for the Predators, who went into the offseason uncertain at center after Mike Fisher’s retirement, and now rock one of the league’s strongest groups down the middle. That group is headlined by former Jacket Ryan Johansen and they have Nick Bonino providing adequate depth. Calle Jarnkrok and Colton Sissons round out a group of centers that should make Jackets fans envious.

Of course, everyone knows about Nashville’s defensemen, too. When healthy, their top four is the league’s best group. Even without Ryan Ellis, it’s still a group with a lot of star power. P.K. Subban is the most well-known of the group, and Roman Josi went from best-kept secret to star pretty quickly. Mattias Ekholm is another stud on the blue line.

You Oughta Know: Filip Forsberg

So, the centers and defensemen are pretty damn good, but it’s Forsberg who’s been the team’s most productive player this season. He’s turned into one of the league’s premier young wingers, with 14 points in 14 games so far. That mark leads the team – plus his eight goals are by far the most on the Predators this season.

Forsberg is just 23, but he’s been a legit first-line left wing for a while now. He’s put up 199 points since the start of the 2014-15 season, in which he put up 63 points as a 20-year-old rookie. He was also one of the breakout stars of last year’s playoffs, with 16 points in 22 games for the Predators, skating alongside Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson to form one of the league’s most feared lines.

Fast Facts

• Speaking of old friends, tonight marks the first game back at Nationwide Arena for Scott Hartnell, who will skate on Johansen’s left wing. Hartnell’s off to an alright start for Nashville – the team that originally drafted him back in 2000 – with seven points in 14 games.
• It certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see Hartnell get the video tribute treatment in Nationwide Arena tonight. Funny enough, Johansen didn’t get a video tribute in his return last year, though, despite putting up 47 more points in a Blue Jackets sweater than Hartnell did.
• Not only did the Predators trade for a legit star in Turris the other night – without giving up a roster player, no less – they also inked him to a six-year, $36 million extension.

Previous Matchups

THIS YEAR: First matchup. Predators won both matchups last year by identical 4-3 finals. 
ALL TIME SERIES: Nashville leads 25-46-10 (plus one tie)

Keys to the Game

Shut down the playmakers: Nashville has playmakers at all positions – and they’ve got capable snipers waiting for those passes. The Jackets haven’t been great defensively lately – they’ve allowed 16 goals in their last four games – so they’ll need to get back to their game if they want to slow down the Predators.

Keep the offense rolling: As mentioned earlier, the Jackets have given up 16 goals over their last four games. The Predators have been even worse in that regard, though, allowing 19 goals over their last four. Artemi Panarin scored last night – ending the longest goalless drought of his career – while Josh Anderson and Oliver Bjorkstrand are on fire lately. If he plays, Joonas Korpisalo is going to need the support, so the Jackets had better make sure that cannon fires frequently tonight.

Predators Projected Lineup

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