Time: 7:00 PM CST
Channel: TSN3
Radio: CJOB680
Whatever happened to Hometown Hockey? Was that a victim of COVID shutting down travel? Anyways, the Jets are playing the Nashville Predators in a game that isn’t as important as it used to be when the two teams played. The Jets are clearly the better team and kept on rolling when Rick Bowness returned last game. The Jets strong play has been after a slow start from a few players. They seemingly just needed some time to warm up to the season.
The Jets are still looking at Gabe Vilardi returning to the lineup soon. While some seem concerned about where he should play when he returns, others have made the case to return him right to the first line and allow the other lines to get a boost from players shifting back to the place where they are most successful. It isn’t that Alex Iafallo hasn’t been good in Vilardi’s absence, it is that both of them are more successful where they had been playing prior to Vilardi getting hurt.
The Predators have been struggling for a few seasons now. They are no longer the mysteriously, consistently good, boring team they used to be and it is odd to see. The Jets will be looking to take advantage of their previously long-standing division rival to build up their lead on the wild card teams. That is more important than winning the division in my opinion. They are doing a very good job of that by being near the top of the Central Division. Tonight’s game is important to build a lead on the Dallas Stars whom they play on Tuesday.
The Predators are a funny team as they seem to just be struggling to find their footing after having key losses and firings the past few years. It is almost like they have lost who they are at the core of them and it is hard to witness. Hopefully they get themselves out of the woods soon because at their best, the Jets/Preds games were appointment TV.
