NASHVILLE PREDATORS NOTES:
ALL-TIME vs. MINNESOTA
OVERALL (83 GP) 43-26-(5)-9
HOME (42 GP) 26-9-(2)-5
ROAD (41 GP) 17-17-(3)-4
LAST MEETING Nov. 15, 2022 at NSH (W, 2-1)
PLAYOFFS Never Met
− The Predators are 43-26-(5)-9 all-time against the Wild, including a 17-17-(3)-4 record on the road.
− This is the second of three matchups between Nashville and Minnesota in 2022-23; it is the first and only at the Xcel Energy Center.
− Nashville is 1-0-0 against Minnesota this season, earning a 2-1 home win on Nov. 15 with Matt Duchene scoring the game-winning goal on the power play.
− The Predators are 4-0-1 in their last five games against the Wild; they are 8-1-1 in their last 10; and 4-1-0 in their last five on the road.
− The Predators have won 11 of their last 13 games vs. the Wild, a stretch that included a seven-game win streak from March 27, 2018-Oct. 24, 2019. Nashville allowed two-or-fewer goals in six of those seven wins.
NOTABLES vs. MINNESOTA
− Roman Josi tallied 12 points (4g-8a) in four games against the Wild last season. Two of his four four-point efforts in 2021-22 came against Minnesota.
− Filip Forsberg scored his first career NHL goal on Oct. 8, 2013 vs. Minnesota. Forsberg’s 16 goals against the Wild are tied for the most he’s scored against a single opponent in his NHL career; he had 11 points (4g-7a) in four games against the Wild in 2021-22.
− Ryan Johansen has 28 points (11g-17a) in 33 career games vs. the Wild, including 18 points (9g-9a) in his last 16 meetings. He had six goals against Minnesota last season, including his first career hat trick on April 5, 2022.
− Matt Duchene has recorded 35 points (10g-25a) in 51 career games against the Wild.
− Mikael Granlund was acquired from Minnesota in February 2019; he played parts of seven seasons for the Wild from 2012-19 and posted 93 goals and 317 points.
− Nino Niederreiter spent parts of six seasons with the Wild from 2013-19.
− Ryan McDonagh was named Minnesota’s “Mr. Hockey” as the state’s best high school player in 2006-07.
− Assistant Coach Todd Richards served as head coach of the Wild for two seasons from 2009-11.
− Wild Head Coach Dean Evason served as head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals – Nashville’s AHL affiliate – from 2012-18.
− Minnesota forwards Frederick Gaudreau (2016-19) and Ryan Hartman (2018-19) were previous members of the Predators.
LAST TIME OUT
− Florida Panthers 3, Nashville Predators 7 – Feb. 18 (Bridgestone Arena)
− NSH goals: Novak (5), Duchene (17), Johansen – PP (12), Sissons – GWG (9), Josi (14), Novak – PP (6), Trenin – ENG (7)
− FLA goals: Cousins (6), Tkachuk (28), Reinhart – PP (21)
− Goaltenders: NSH – Lankinen (W, 30/33); FLA – Bobrovsky (L, 27:40, 7/11); Knight (30:43, 12/14)
− Power plays: NSH 2-3; FLA 1-2
− Notes: Nashville improved to 15-10-3 at home in 2022-23… The Predators scored a season-high seven goals… Nashville scored two power-play goals for the fifth time this season and first since Jan. 3 vs. Montreal… Nine different Predators skaters recorded a point, led by three each from Roman Josi (1g-2a) and Ryan McDonagh (3a)… It was McDonagh’s first multi-point game with the Predators… The McDonagh (+4) and Josi (+4) pairing was a combined +8 in the game… Kevin Lankinen won his sixth game of the season and first since Jan. 17 vs. Columbus… Tommy Novak picked up his first career multi-goal game (2g)… Philip Tomasino recorded an assist for his first point of the season.
INJURY REPORT
Player Designation Dates Missed Games Missed
Mark Borowiecki Upper body – IR Oct. 27-Feb. 18 46
Alexandre Carrier Upper body Jan. 26-Feb. 18 6
Filip Forsberg Upper body – day-to-day Feb. 13-18 3
Total man-games lost: 109
Individual man-games lost: Borowiecki – 47; McCarron – 20; Carrier – 11; McDonagh – 7; Smith – 6; Trenin – 5; Forsberg – 3; Glass – 3; Lauzon – 3; Jankowski – 2; Duchene – 1; Lankinen – 1
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
− Feb. 13: Recalled forward Philip Tomasino from Milwaukee (AHL).
− Feb. 8: Signed forward Tommy Novak to a one-year, $800,000 contract for 2023-24.
− Feb. 6: Signed forward Cole Smith to a one-year, $775,000 contract for 2023-24.
− Feb. 5: Recalled forward Tommy Novak and defenseman Kevin Gravel from Milwaukee (AHL).
MINNESOTA WILD NOTES:
SERIES NOTES
GAME BROADCASTS
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
All-Time Wild Record: 35-37-11 (21-15-5 at Xcel Energy Center, 14-22-6 at Nashville)
2022-23: Nashville earned a 2-1 victory at Bridgestone Arena in the series-opening game (11/15)…C Freddy Gaudreau (1-0=1) scored the Wild’s only goal, assisted by LW Kirill Kaprizov (0-1=1) and RW Mats Zuccarello (0-1=1)…G Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 23-of-25 shots faced for Minnesota…C Matt Duchene (1-1=2) and C Ryan Johansen (0-2=2) led the Predators with two points each…RW Nino Niedrreiter scored a goal (1-0=1) while D Roman Josi tallied an assist (0-1=1)…G Kevin Lankinen stopped 32-of-33 shots faced for Nashville.
WILD LEADERS: D Alex Goligoski leads Minnesota with 26 points (5-21=26) in 40 games vs. Nashville…D Jared Spurgeon owns 13 points (3-10=13) in 38 contests…Zuccarello owns 11 points (1-10=11) in 19 contests…D Matt Dumba has 10 points (6-4=10) in 24 matches.
WILD GOALIES: Fleury is 11-9-2 with a 2.30 GAA, a .916 SV% and three shutouts in 22 career games (21 starts) against the Predators…G Filip Gustavsson has not faced Nashville.
PREDATORS LEADERS: Duchene leads the Predators with 35 points (10-25=35) in 51 contests vs. Minnesota…Josi owns 31 points (13-18=31) in 39 games…LW Filip Forsberg has 29 points (16-13=29) in 30 games…C Ryan Johansen owns 28 points (11-17=26) in 33 matches.
PREDATORS GOALIES: Saros is 5-1-0 with a 1.32 GAA, a .960 SV% and two shutouts in six career starts against the Wild…G Kevin Lankinen is 0-1-1 with a 2.80 GAA and a .926 SV% in three games (two starts) against Minnesota.
FAST FACTS: The Wild is 8-7-2 against Nashville in the last 10 seasons (2013-23)…Minnesota is 5-3-1 in its last nine games at Xcel Energy Center.
HOME SWEET HOME
• Dating back to Nov. 19th, Minnesota is 15-5-1 at home for a .738 point percentage, the fifth-best rate in the NHL during that span.
• The Wild recorded an seven-game home win streak from Nov. 27 – Dec. 18, the fourth-longest home win streak in the NHL this season.
• Minnesota is tied for sixth in the NHL with 17 home victories this season.
• In home games since Nov. 19, the Wild is recording a 2.19 goals against average (GAA) and .921 save percentage (SV%). in that span, Minnesota ranks second in the NHL in home GAA and third in home SV%.
ON THE POWER PLAY
• The Wild have converted 29.9 percent (26 of 87) of power-play opportunities at home this season, third-best in the NHL.
• Since Jan. 19, Minnesota ranks tied for first in the NHL with 11 power-play goals. Minnesota is 11-for-38 (28.9%) with the man advantage during that span, scoring a power-play goal in 10 of 12 contests.
PENALTY KILLERS
• The Wild has killed 18 consecutive shorthanded situations and have not allowed a power-play goal in a season-high six consecutive games dating back to Feb. 8 at DAL.
• For the season, the Wild is tied for seventh in the NHL with a 81.5 penalty-kill percentage (150 for 185).
• Since Nov. 8, Minnesota is third in the NHL with a 83.3 penalty-kill percentage (125 for 150).
• Minnesota is sixth in the NHL with a 82.1 penalty-kill percentage (78 of 95) on the road this season.
