Nashville Predators vs. St. Louis Blues Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 27th 2024
Preview and Prediction
Thanks to a solid home stretch, the Nashville Predators return from the holiday break playing arguably their best hockey of a lackluster season.
Meanwhile, the St. Louis Blues will attempt to secure consecutive wins for the first time in over three weeks.
On a four-game point streak, the Predators will strive for rare success on the road when they face the Blues on Friday night.
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Sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference standings with 29 points, Nashville just completed a 3-0-1 stretch at home.
Jonathan Marchessault tallied two goals and an assist, Filip Forsberg contributed three assists, and Steven Stamkos scored for the third time in five games as the Predators defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 on Monday.
"We've been playing better hockey, and that's a positive," said Marchessault, who has scored five goals in four consecutive games. "We're pushing hard ... We're coming back from the break with a lot of energy."
Nashville has a record of 8-7-3 at home this season, but a dismal 3-10-4 record on the road. The Predators will begin a six-game road trip on Friday.
"We're not satisfied," said Stamkos, who has seven points in the last seven games. "We need to carry that momentum into the new year."
The Blues have struggled at home with a 2-6-1 record, but they will have some momentum on Friday after a 1-1-1 road trip that ended with a 4-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Monday.
Dylan Holloway recorded his first NHL hat trick and Jordan Binnington made 19 saves for St. Louis, who had only scored one goal in each of their previous three games.
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"It was a complete game and we played for each other," said Binnington, who had allowed at least three goals in six of his last seven starts. "We need to keep collecting points right now."
The Blues have a record of 3-4-2 since winning back-to-back games on December 3rd and 5th.
Holloway, in his third NHL season and first with the Blues, has already set a career high with 13 goals. He ended a six-game point drought on Monday.
"It's definitely a confidence boost," Holloway said. "We have a lot of hockey left to play ... We just need to stay focused."
Robert Thomas of the Blues has recorded 12 assists and 16 points in the last 11 games.
Meanwhile, Nashville's Forsberg has gone 13 games without scoring a goal, but has tallied 12 assists in the last seven games. Forsberg has 20 goals and 23 assists in 38 career games against the Blues, and recorded eight points in three games against them in the 2023-24 season.
In goal, Juuse Saros has a 2.32 goals-against average in his last three starts, all at home. However, he has struggled on the road with an 0-5-1 record and has allowed three goals in each of his last five road games.
Nashville has won four consecutive games against the Blues, including their last two meetings in St. Louis.
Nashville Predators vs. St. Louis Blues Recap NOV 24TH 2023
Luke Evangelista and Filip Forsberg each scored two goals with an assist each as the visiting Nashville Predators scored four times in the second period and routed the St. Louis Blues 8-3 on Friday.
Kiefer Sherwood had a goal and two assists for the Predators, who won their fourth straight game. Ryan O'Reilly scored for Nashville in his return to St. Louis, while Yakov Trenin and Spencer Stastney also scored for the Predators, while Alexandre Carrier had two assists.
Kevin Lankinen made 36 saves for Nashville to earn the victory.
Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas had a goal and an assist and Jake Neighbours also scored for the Blues, who have allowed 24 goals in their last five games.
Blues goaltender Joel Hofer allowed four goals on 15 shots before giving way early in the second period to Jordan Binnington, who allowed four goals on 20 shots.
Nashville broke out to a 3-0 lead less than 14 minutes into the game.
Forsberg got it started with a tap-in goal after Gustav Nyquist's shot trickled past Hofer. Just 28 seconds later, Trenin converted a three-on-one break while moving in from left wing.
With the Blues reeling, Evangelista capitalized with an open-side goal when the puck caromed to him in the lower left circle.
The Blues cut their deficit to 3-1 in the first period when Buchnevich came down the middle to score off Marco Scandella's centering pass.
But Nashville scored three unanswered goals in the first six minutes of the second period to push the game out of reach at 6-1.
Stastney scored as the trailer amid a four-on-two rush, O'Reilly tapped in a five-on-three power-play goal off a back-door feed, and Evangelista banged in a rebound as Nashville's power play ended.
Thomas scored from the left circle for the Blues, but that did not change the game's momentum. Forsberg snapped a goal while stepping into the low slot to make it 7-2.
The Blues cut their deficit to 7-3 in the third period when Neighbours deflected in a Torey Krug shot with 14:37 left to play. But Sherwood's rebound conversion made it 8-3.