Jets, Predators get ready to rumble in Music City

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This article was published 19/12/2017 (2825 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NASHVILLE — Two Central Division heavyweights clash tonight at Bridgestone Arena and it should be a tantalizing example of how NHL teams play at the highest level.

The Nashville Predators, who own a share of top spot in the division with a 21-7-4 record, meet the Winnipeg Jets, third in the Central with a 19-10-5 mark, at 7 p.m. (TSN3, TSN 1290). The teams have some striking similarities.

“I think both teams are pretty big, pretty heavy,” Preds centre Ryan Johansen said Tuesday morning following the team’s high-tempo morning skate. “We always prepare ourselves for a hard game with these guys. And we feel like we’re a hard team to play against, too. I think they’ve got some big forwards who really make you work, and the same with us, with Fil (Forsberg) and guys like that. They’ve got a lotta ways they can beat you, though. They have all sorts of different players and we have the same. I guess we’re pretty similar teams.”

Jets head coach Paul Maurice admits the similarities stand out.

“I think that’s fair,” he said. “Dynamic back ends involved in the rush. Some physicality to it. Some really good high-end skill there, making plays. So not a dump-and-chase, but smart teams, and they get a chance to make a play, they’re gonna make a play, too. Both teams are on the puck, so aggressive in the offensive zone. We would like to play that game nighty.”

Connor Hellebuyck will get the start in net for the Jets, while veteran Pekka Rinne will get the call for the Predators. Hellebuyck is 17-4-4 with a 2.45 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.

Nashville is coming off two straight shutouts while outscoring the opposition 13-1 during a recent Western Canada road trip (all three games were Nashville victories) and Rinne, in the midst of a Vezina Trophy-calibre season, got one of those shutouts.

Renne is 18-4-3 with a 2.25 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage.

“The road trip wasn’t perfect,” Nashville head coach Peter Laviolette said. “We were really good in the first game, but I didn’t think we were good at all in the second game. We did enough to win in the second period but relied too heavily on our goaltending. There’s things we can do better and we discussed those things as a team to try to get better.”

Nashville has won six of seven games in December. The only loss was a 4-3 shootout loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Dec. 8. The Jets, meanwhile, are coming off a 4-0 win over the St. Louis Blues Sunday, but have struggled lately on the road, going 0-4-2 in their last six away from Bell MTS Place.

The Jets are 6-3-1 against the Central Division, including three wins over the Minnesota Wild, two over the Dallas Stars and one over the Blues. Winnipeg dropped a 5-3 decision in Nashville Nov. 20, the only previous meeting between the teams this season.

“They’re rolling, for sure,” Maurice said, referring to the Predators. “They’re really good in a couple of areas. They’re really good getting second-chance rebounds and getting second-chance opportunities. They stay on the puck in the offensive zone and they’re really good at not giving a lot up.

“You look at Pekka Rinne’s five-on-five numbers, right? He’s leading the league in most of them. They just don’t give you a lot. They’re really hard on you down low and anything that goes low to high to our blue line, it’s tough sledding to get to the net. They get a lot of body contact.”

Veteran defenceman Tyler Myers was the lone Winnipeg player not to participate in the morning skate but Maurice said he would be in the lineup, expected to be the same as the one he iced Sunday night.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14