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Preview: Nashville Predators @ Winnipeg Jets

Nov 23, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Winnipeg Jets center Gabriel Vilardi (13) skates with the puck against the Nashville Predators during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Winnipeg Jets (26-10-1) are currently on a three game winning streak, which just happens to be the longest hot streak the team has had since their epic 15-1-0 start to the season ended on Nov 12th. The Nashville Predators (11-18-7) have continued to struggle in 2024-25 after being named the “winners of the off-season”, but have gone 3-1-1 over their past 5 matches.

The two Central Division franchises will meet tonight at 6:30 pm Central for their second meeting of the campaign, with the Preds coming away with a 4-1 victory when the squads squared off on Nov 23rd. The Jets have been very good at the Canada Life Centre this year (13-3-1), while the Predators have been pretty awful away from Tennessee (3-11-4).

Winnipeg is sitting in a tie with the Vegas Golden Knights for the top spot in the National Hockey League, while Nashville is only 3 points away from the bottom of the standings and holding onto the 30th best record. That trend continues when you look at the goals scored category, with the Jets scoring the most goals (137) in the NHL and the Preds tied for 31st with 88 goals for. Defensively, Winnipeg has allowed 91 goals this year (2nd) while Nashville sits in the 18th spot with 114 goals allowed.

With the Jets still missing a couple of defenders due to injury, Dylan Samberg & Haydn Fleury, this is how PuckPedia is predicting Winnipeg & Nashville to line up their players this evening:

The Winnipeg Jets have two players with more than 40 points – Kyle Connor (49) & Mark Scheifele (44), three skaters with at least 30 points – Josh Morrissey (34Gabriel Vilardi (32), & Nikolaj Ehlers (30), and three players with at least 20 points – Neal Pionk (26), Cole Perfetti (23), & Adam Lowry (21). A couple more forwards are looking to join the group above, as Vladislav Namestnikov & Nino Niederreiter are sitting with 19 points on the season.

The Nashville Predators are being led by their star Filip Forsberg (30 pts), with Jonathan Marchessault (26), Roman Josi (24), Steven Stamkos (22), & Ryan O’Reilly (21) chipping in.

Since the Jets are playing back-to-back games in their next two contests, I would expect both Connor Hellebuyck & Eric Comrie to split the workload and since the Colorado Avalanche represent a bigger challenge, I think we will see Winnipeg’s backup in the net today. The Predators are in the same situation with the Jets & Wild on tap for Monday & Tuesday, so they are also likely to split the time between their two goalies.

Below is how the two franchises compare head-to-head based on this season’s stats, as well as ESPN’s look at the masked men:

With the red-hot Colorado Avalanche on tap tomorrow and the Winnipeg Jets 0-3-0 record in back-to-back games this year, it might behoove the True Northers to play well tonight. I have a feeling the Jets will do their best to make the fans happy with the outcome.

Well, now we all should have enough information to try to correctly predict how today’s clash between the Jets & Predators will go….so lets hear your thoughts in the comment section below. Have a great day!!

Go Winnipeg!!!!!

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