The Nashville Predators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes to Bridgestone Arena for a Central-Atlantic showdown that underscores the Preds’ desperation to climb from the division basement against a Canes team gunning for the Presidents’ Trophy. Nashville (10-13-4) enters on a two-game skid, their offense sputtering (2.41 GF/GP, 27th) despite Steven Stamkos’ veteran leadership, while Carolina (16-8-2) rides a five-game win streak, blending suffocating defense (2.33 GA/GP, 2nd) with opportunistic scoring. This matchup evokes playoff intensity early: the Hurricanes’ forecheck vs. Nashville’s counterattack, with Frederik Andersen’s crease mastery (.926 SV%) testing Juuse Saros’ rebound woes. A Canes win extends their dominance; for the Preds, it’s a must to halt freefall.
Venue and Game Details
Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN (501 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203). The Predators’ country-music haven seats 17,159 for hockey and roars with “Smashville” energy, though Nashville’s home record (6-6-3) has been shaky, allowing 3.1 goals/game there.
Puckdrop: 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT).
Broadcast: ESPN+ (national stream), Bally Sports South (Nashville), Bally Sports SE (Carolina), Sportsnet (Canada). Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Tickets: Available via Ticketmaster or secondary markets like Vivid Seats, starting around $95 (including fees).
Team Records and Standings
Carolina commands the Metropolitan Division’s second spot with a +28 goal differential, elite across metrics (top-3 in xGF/60 at 3.32 and PK at 86.1%). Nashville languishes in the Central’s seventh place, propped by strong faceoffs (52.8%, 4th) but hemorrhaging chances (29th in CF% at 48.7%).
| Team | Record (W-L-OTL) | Points | GF/GP | GA/GP | Home | Away | Streak |
| Nashville Predators | 10-13-4 | 24 | 2.41 | 3.07 | 6-6-3 | 4-7-1 | L2 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 16-8-2 | 34 | 3.30 | 2.33 | 8-4-1 | 8-4-1 | W5 |
The Preds rank 25th in shots allowed (32.4/GP), while Carolina leads the league in takeaways (15.2/GP) and blocked shots (16.8/GP).
Recent Team Forms
Nashville’s slide deepened with back-to-back losses, scoring just 3 goals total while facing 70 shots. They’re 3-6-1 in their last 10, with special teams dragging (79.2% PK). Stamkos’ line has carried the load, but depth scoring (bottom-5 in 5v5 GF) remains elusive.
Carolina is a machine: 12 goals in their last three wins, outshooting foes 110-72 during the streak. The Canes are 9-1-0 in their prior 10, with Andersen’s .926 SV% and Sebastian Aho’s 25 points fueling a +1.5 goal differential per game.
| Predators Last 5 Games | Result | Score | Key Notes |
| Dec 4 vs FLA | L | 1-3 | Stamkos G; Saros .885 SV%, offense asleep (20 SOG). |
| Dec 2 @ NSH (wait, home vs VAN) | L | 2-4 | O’Reilly A; power play 0/4, defensive breakdowns. |
| Nov 29 @ DAL | W | 4-3 | Forsberg 2G; high-event road win. |
| Nov 27 vs COL | L | 2-5 | Early collapse; 0 goals after first period. |
| Nov 24 @ MIN | W | 3-2 (SO) | Shootout drama; Saros 31 saves. |
| Hurricanes Last 5 Games | Result | Score | Key Notes |
| Dec 4 @ WSH | W | 4-1 | Aho 2G; Andersen 22 saves, shut down third. |
| Dec 2 vs PIT | W | 3-2 | Guentzel GWG; PK kills 4/4, low shots (25). |
| Nov 29 @ NYR | W | 5-3 | Necas 3A; offensive clinic, 42 SOG. |
| Nov 27 vs BOS | W | 4-2 | Slavin 2A; forecheck dominates. |
| Nov 24 @ NJD | W | 3-1 | Kochetkov backup win; controlled edges. |
Injury Report
Nashville’s blue line is depleted, exacerbating road struggles, while Carolina’s absences are minor, preserving their depth.
| Team | Player | Position | Status | Est. Return | Notes |
| NSH | Roman Josi | D | IR (Out) | Dec 16 | Lower body; 10G-18A in 20GP, offensive engine. |
| NSH | Alexandre Carrier | D | Out | Dec 10 | Concussion; 4 pts in 22GP, pairing partner. |
| NSH | Tommy Novak | C | Day-to-Day | Dec 6? | Upper body; practiced, 8 pts in 19GP. |
| NSH | Yaroslav Askarov | G | Available | Dec 6 | Backup returns; Saros starts (6-10-3, .895 SV%). |
| CAR | Jesper Fast | RW | IR (Out) | Dec 22 | Neck; 5 pts in 15GP, checking-line staple. |
| CAR | Jack Roslovic | C | Out | Dec 13 | Knee; 7 pts in 18GP, third-line pivot. |
| CAR | Pyotr Kochetkov | G | Day-to-Day | Dec 6? | Illness; Andersen starts (11-4-1, .926 SV%). |
Juuse Saros for Nashville; Frederik Andersen for Carolina.
Key Player Matchups
Carolina’s pressure defense will target Nashville’s transitions, but the Preds’ vets could exploit bottom-pair gaps.
Steven Stamkos (NSH, 11G-12A) vs. Jaccob Slavin (CAR): Stamkos’ power-play prowess (5 PPG) tests Slavin’s poise (4.2 defensive shares). Stamkos has 6 pts in last 5; Slavin limits elite snipers to 1.8 xGA/60.
Filip Forsberg (NSH, 14G-9A) vs. Brent Burns (CAR): Forsberg’s wrister (team-high 18 goals) meets Burns’ veteran stick (15 pts). Forsberg 5G in 7 vs. CAR; Burns excels on rush D (52.3% CF).
Sebastian Aho (CAR, 12G-13A) vs. Dante Fabbro (NSH): Aho’s two-way flair (25 pts) exploits Fabbro’s inconsistencies (48% CF). Aho 7 pts in streak; Fabbro must avoid turnovers (NSH 29th in giveaways).
Ryan O’Reilly (NSH, 6G-14A) vs. Jordan Staal (CAR): O’Reilly’s faceoff edge (54.1%) battles Staal’s shutdown (55.8% draws). O’Reilly 8 pts in 10; Staal anchors PK (CAR 86.1%).
Frederik Andersen (CAR) vs. Preds’ Top Line: Andersen’s angles (.926 SV%) vs. Stamkos-Forsberg-Novak (37 combined pts). Andersen 3 shutouts this year; NSH 10.2 HD chances/GP.
Watch Andrei Svechnikov (CAR, sniper) in even-strength tilts.
Series History
These teams have met 62 times (regular season), with Carolina edging a 32-25-5 record (55.2% win rate). The Canes have won 5 of the last 7, including a 3-2 road victory on November 21 (Aho GWG). Nashville is 4-6 in their last 10 at home vs. CAR, often outworked in takeaways (Canes +12 avg.). Playoff history: Carolina’s 2002 ECF win over Nashville.
| Last 5 Meetings | Date | Result (NSH Home unless noted) | Score | Key Stat |
| Nov 21, 2025 | @ CAR | W (CAR) | 3-2 | Andersen 29 saves; low-scoring duel. |
| Mar 12, 2025 | NSH Home | L (CAR) | 2-4 | Svechnikov 2G; Canes outshoot 34-26. |
| Jan 5, 2025 | @ CAR | W (CAR) | 5-3 | Aho hat trick; offensive surge. |
| Nov 18, 2024 | NSH Home | W (NSH) | 3-1 | Saros 25 saves; trap success. |
| Apr 9, 2024 | @ NSH | W (CAR) | 4-3 (OT) | Burns GWG; high-event thriller. |
Carolina wins 75% when allowing <25 shots (NSH avg: 30.1).
Betting Trends
Moneyline Trends: Hurricanes 8-4 as road favorites; Predators 6-6 as home dogs. 65% bets on CAR ML.
Puck Line: CAR -1.5 (+120) covers in 58% of road wins; NSH +1.5 (-145) hits 68% at home.
Total Trends: Under 5.5 in 8 of CAR’s last 10; Over in 6 of NSH’s last 9 homes. League avg: 6.0 goals/game.
Game Odds
Nashville Predators 5.5
Carolina Hurricanes – 235
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, December 5, 2025
