Pittsburgh Penguins Vs. Nashville Predators Preview And Prediction
By Larry Snyder
The Pittsburgh Penguins (3-4-0, six points) seek to get back to the .500 mark tonight as they skate the Predators (6-1-0, 12 points) at center ice in Nashville.
Mike Johnston’s squad commences a stretch where they play six of their next seven contests on the road. The Pens are 0-2-0 against teams from the National Hockey League’s Central Division so far this season.
-= Good Read: Experience, Depth Are Key To Pitt’s 2015-16 Season =-
Marc-Andre Fleury is one of four goaltenders to participate in all of his team’s games so far this season. The other three are Ben Bishop of Tampa Bay, Ryan Miller of Vancouver, and Mike Smith of Arizona. The Sorel, Quebec native owns a 2.17 goals-against-average and a .917 save percentage.
The Predators enjoy the fruits of a solid start with a 6-1-0 mark and 12 points. Nashville is tied for first place in the NHL’s Central Division and the Western Conference with the Dallas Stars.
Peter Laviolette’s offense had no problem finding the back of the net at home Thursday as they defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-1.
Here is your Game Day roundup:
When: Saturday, Oct. 24
Puck Drop: 8:00 p.m. ET
Site: Bridgestone Arena
Television: ROOT Sports Television
Announcers: Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey
Radio Coverage: 105.9 FM – The X
Announcers: Mike Lange and Phil Bourque
Audio Stream: Penguins Radio 24/7
Live (Pay) Video Steam: NHL GameCenter LIVE
Sirius XM Satellite Radio: XM Internet 942
Penguins Social Media – Twitter/Facebook: @penguins / Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins Apps: iPhone/iPod Touch Users / Android / Blackberry
Odds: Penguins +1.5 as per the Bovada Online Sportsbook with the Over/Under at five. The total has gone under in eight of the Black and Gold’s last 10 match-ups.
My Prediction: The Pens capture a 3-2 victory on the road against the Preds this evening.
According to Michelle Crechiolo on the team’s website, this is how the lines looked at Friday’s practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Dupuis-Crosby-Hornqvist
Plotnikov-Malkin-Kessel
Kunitz-Bonino-Sprong
Farnham, Rust and Porter rotated with Perron and Cullen.
“Pittsburgh’s got a really good hockey team,” Laviolette said on the Nashville website. “They’re dangerous, they’re like Tampa Bay, [essentially] two first lines, good goaltending, they’ve got defensemen that can skate and move the puck and they’ve got some depth up front as well… We know what we’re up against, and it’s going to be a tough one.”
Up Next: The Black and Gold visit the Verizon Center in the District of Columbia Wednesday, Oct. 28 when they battle with the Washington Capitals. You can catch every puck drop starting at 8:00 p.m. on the NBC Sports Network.
From The Clipboard: Pittsburgh has tasted victory in five of their last six match-ups overall against Nashville…In his return against Dallas, Pascal Dupuis tied for the team lead with five shots against the Stars…Nashville seeks their first win against the Black and Gold at Bridgestone Arena since Jan. 8, 2009, when they downed the Penguins 5-3.
Next: Steelers: Previewing The Chiefs Match-Up