Nashville Predators Face Tampa Bay Lightning in Homestand Finale

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The Nashville Predators wrap up a five-game homestand tonight as they host the Tampa Bay Lightning at Bridgestone Arena. The puck drops at 6:45 p.m. CT, a special start time due to all 32 NHL teams playing tonight.

The Predators enter this matchup after a weekend split, winning against the Los Angeles Kings in a shootout before losing to the Dallas Stars 3-2 on Sunday. Nashville is looking to finish their homestand with three wins, having earned two victories and two losses so far.

Predators Head Coach Andrew Brunette expressed confidence in his team’s performance, stating, “I like the vibe, I like the feeling with the group. They’ve been really positive… so, you feel good where we are, and we’re still building.” Brunette noted improvements that still need to be made regarding their overall game.

Several players were scratched in the last contest, including Fedor Svechkov and Nick Blankenburg. Additionally, team captain Roman Josi is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Despite not practicing on Monday, the team is set for a morning skate today.

In their last game, Nashville’s Jonathan Marchessault scored a goal, while Spencer Stastney netted his first of the season in the loss to Dallas. Goaltender Justus Annunen made 25 saves during the game. Ryan O'Reilly leads the team with five goals and nine points, followed by Filip Forsberg with seven points.

The Lightning defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime on Sunday, marking their first two consecutive wins of the season after a rough start. Tampa Bay now sits with a record of 3-4-2, led by Jake Guentzel with 10 points. However, Steven Stamkos is looking to boost his scoring after only one goal so far this season.

Historically, the Predators hold a 19-18-2 record against the Lightning and are 2-5-3 in their last ten encounters. Tonight marks the first of two matchups between the teams this season; they will meet again in March.

Coverage for tonight’s game will begin at 6:30 p.m. CT with the pregame show on FanDuel Sports Network South. Radio coverage is available on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network.