Preds Prey: Weekly Preview 12/24/17-12/30/17

The Nashville Predators will look to put some distance between themselves and the competition this week since all three of their games are against Central Division opponents.

The Predators will take on the St. Louis Blues tonight with just one point separating the two teams for the top spot in the Central. On Friday and Saturday, the Preds will play a home-and-home series with the Minnesota Wild. The teams will be in Minnesota on Friday night and Nashville on Saturday night. There should be some good hockey played between the divisional rivals.

The Preds will need to keep an eye on Brayden Schenn, who leads the Blues in goals, assists and points this season. Nashville will need to get good goaltending from whichever goalie starts tonight's game. The Predators need to be very good while at even strength since the Blues have scored 73 even strength goals on the season to Nashville's 64. The Preds should try to have the lead entering the third period since they have only forced overtime twice in the nine times they have been trailing after the second period this year. Nashville needs to get off to a good start and play a solid 60 minute defensive road game.

The Blues will need to get their power play going since it is ranked 24th and a clear weakness on this team. St. Louis needs to be aware of where the Preds defensemen are on the ice since they like to join the play in the offensive zone or make the long stretch pass to start a breakout of their own zone. The Blues should also keep an eye on Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson because both players have speed and can finish a play. St. Louis will need to get some stellar goaltending tonight since the Preds know how to put the puck in the opposition's net. The Blues will need to get the first goal of the game and come out playing with some energy.

On Friday night, the Predators will play the first of a home-and-home series with the Minnesota Wild. The Preds will need to use their speed in transition to get behind the Wild defensemen. Nashville will need to have their skating legs so they can draw penalties. The Predators need to get shots on goal and have someone in front of the net for second chance opportunities. Nashville need to have a better finish to games since that has been the one area where they have really struggled this year. They have been outscored 41-31in the final period of games, and that needs to change. The Preds will also need to find a way to contain Jason Zucker and Eric Staal, who lead the team in points and goals.

The Wild will need to play really well at even strength since they have given up more goals at even strength than they've scored this year. Minnesota need to keep an eye on Kevin Fiala and Kyle Turris, who have played well together since the trade to acquire Turris. The Wild should try to get pucks on net and bury the chances that they get throughout the game. Minnesota will need to get plenty of traffic in front of the net, and get good goaltending of their own for this game.

On Saturday night, the venue changes but the opponents are the same as the Wild visit the Preds. Nashville needs to take advantage of a weak road penalty kill of the Wild and put some pucks in the net when on the man advantage. The Preds need to be good on the forecheck and force some turnovers. The Predators will need to have good energy from the start of the game to the end of the game since this will be the back end of a back-to-back series with the Wild. Nasvhille needs to have good goaltending again, and play with discipline, which may be hard to do since they are the most penalized team in the League.

The Wild need to stay out of the penalty box since the Preds have a solid power play. Minnesota needs to get the first goal of the game to take the home crowd out of the game a little. The Wild should try to have the lead entering the final frame since they only have one regulation win and an overtime loss when trailing after two periods. Minnesota needs another good game from its goaltender, whether it is Devan Dubnyk or Alex Stalock. The Wild need to have a good start to the first half of the first period.

Sabres Slashes: Weekly Preview 11/19/17-11/25/17

The Buffalo Sabres look to string some wins together while playing four games in six days. The Sabres will look to get things going with yet another lineup change. this time it's Jack Eichel moving down in the lineup. When are the Sabres not tinkering with their struggling lineup?

The Sabres playing host to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild and Edmonton Oilers. On Saturday, they will be in Montreal to face the Canadiens. The Sabres have a chance to gain some points this week as they face two teams that are struggling in the Oilers and Habs.

The Sabres will need to get a ton of traffic in front of Sergei Bobrovsky for deflections and second chances. They will need to avoid turnovers and play a smart, defensive game overall. Buffalo will also need to have a good showing from the goalie because the Blue Jackets can put some pucks in the net. The Sabres need to get off to a good start and be a lot better at even strength than they have been so far this year. Buffalo will need to take advantage of a weak road penalty kill of Columbus. The Sabres will need to pay attention when Zach Werenski, Seth Jones and Artemi Panarin are on the ice for the Blue Jackets because those three can put up some numbers in the offensive zone.

The Blue Jackets need to get their power play going and this game would be a perfect time to start since the Sabres have one of the worse penalty kills in the League. Columbus will need to have a solid 60 minute effort. The Blue Jackets will need to stay out of the penalty box because the Sabres may be struggling on the power play right now, but they still have some guys that can put the puck in the net. They will  just need to shoot the puck since the defense and goaltending hasn't been spectacular this year for Buffalo. Columbis is going to need to find a way to keep Evander Kane off the score sheet since he is first in goals and points on the Sabres.

The Wild come to town on Tuesday night, and this won't be an easy game for the Sabres. Buffalo will need to find a way to solve goaltender, Devan Dubnyk, should he start. The Sabres will need to get off to a better start since they have been outscored in the first period of games this year. Buffalo will need to play a disciplined game because the Wild have a decent power play with plenty of fire power on it. Buffalo will need to get some sustained offensive zone pressure by getting in on the forecheck, winning board battles and cycling the puck.

Minnesota needs to get the first goal of the game to take the crowd out of the game and the Sabres have only won two games when the opposition has scored first. The Wild will need to have the lead entering the third period since they only have one third period win when trailing after two periods. Minnesota will need to play a 60 minute game meaning they need to find a way to be better in the second period of games. The Wild need to attack the Sabres defense and have speed entering the offensive zone.

Buffalo will face Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Friday. The Sabres will need to know where McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are at all times when they are on the ice. Buffalo needs to stay out of the penalty box, and play team defense. The Sabres will need to have the lead entering the final period. Buffalo will want to get more offense from the defense, which has been difficult to do this year. They need to make sure they are crisp with their passes and have easy exits out of their own zone. They also need to get some production out of the bottom six forwards, who have a combined 24 points.

The Oilers need to get their secondary scoring going and in a hurry. It has been McDavid leading this team in every offensive scoring category. They need to get more production from guys like Milan Lucic, Ryan Strome, Leon Draisaitl and company. The bottom six of the Oilers only have 20 combined points on the season. The Oilers need to get the first goal of the game and just keep attacking the Sabres. The goalie is going to need to come up big and they will also need a max effort from everyone on the ice for a full 60 minutes.

The Sabres will need to contain Jonathan Drouin and Brendan Gallagher when they take on the Habs on Saturday. Buffalo will need to get the first goal of the game to take the crowd out of the game. The Sabres need to get the power play going and have a big game from whichever goalie should make the start. Buffalo needs to be better at even strength and just attack the Habs.

The Canadiens will need to have a solid effort in this game and put the work in to win a game. They need to get off to a better start and stay out of the penalty box. The Habs will need to be good at even strength and really apply some pressure since the Sabres do allow goals and in bunches. Montreal will need to have a solid game from the goalie, and may even need the goaltender to steal them this game. The Canadiens will need to find a way to contain Jack Eichel and Evander Kane.

3 Things to Watch For: Predators @ Wild- 11/16/17

The Nashville Predators will look to stay hot as they travel to Minnesota to take on the Wild in a Central Division matchup.

Here are three things to watch for in the game:

1.) ROAD POWER PLAY GOING- PREDATORS

The Nashville Predators have struggled to score on the man advantage on the road, and it won't be easy to do tonight since the Wild are fifth in the League at killing penalties. The Preds will need to gain the zone with speed and then get set up from there. Nashville will need to have quick player and puck movement since the Wild like to get in shooting lanes and block shots. The Predators will also need to make sure that they outnumber the Wild in board battles along the wall. Nashville will also need to get a bunch of traffic in front of goalie Devin Dubnyk, who has been a brick wall the past three games, to get deflections and second chance opportunities.

2.) DEVAN DUBNYK- WILD

The Preds will need to find a way to solve Devan Dubnky, who has been stopping everything thrown his way the past three games. He hasn't allowed a goal since the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 8, where he allowed three goals against. Dubnyk has been known to get on hot streaks and carry his team to some wins. The goalie has stopped the last 103 shots that he has faced including 41 on November 9 against the Montreal Canadiens. The Predators will need to get plenty of traffic, shots and deflections on net because that seems like the only way they will have a chance at beating the goalie.

3) FILIP FORSBERG VS. JASON ZUCKER- PREDATORS & WILD

Minnesota will need to find a way to keep Filip Forsberg off the score sheet since he is the leading goal scorer and point producer for the Preds. Forsberg has one goal, three assists and four points in his last five games played. The Wild will need to be aware of his speed, and not let him get behind the defense for a breakaway. Nashville will need to find a way to stop the red hot Jason Zucker. Zucker is also the leading goal scorer and point producer for the Wild. He has seven goals, one assist and eight points in his last five games. It is safe to say that the Predators need to know where Zucker is on the ice at all times since he has the hot stick right now.