Nashville Predators vs. Seattle Kraken Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 20th 2024
Preview and Prediction
Steven Stamkos revitalized the Nashville Predators' power play on Sunday.
Stamkos netted two goals on the man advantage as the Predators ended a three-game losing streak with a 5-3 win in Vancouver.
The Predators will conclude their five-game road trip on Wednesday against the Seattle Kraken.
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This victory marked the first time this season that the Predators scored more than three goals in a road game. It came after a disappointing 0-1-2 start to their Western swing, including a 2-0 loss on Friday in Calgary.
"We definitely needed a response, especially after our last game," Stamkos said. "We know we have the talent, it's just been a combination of things not going our way so far this year. Sometimes you just need a game where you can score four or five goals and build some confidence."
Stamkos' first power-play goal was the 218th of his career, moving him past Mike Gartner and Jaromir Jagr for 11th in NHL history.
"Hearing those names, it's pretty cool as a hockey fan to surpass Hall of Fame-caliber players," Stamkos said.
Roman Josi contributed a goal and an assist, while Filip Forsberg had two assists and Zachary L'Heureux scored his first NHL goal for the Predators. Goaltender Juuse Saros made 24 saves.
"It's unreal," L'Heureux said of his milestone goal, which came in his 14th NHL game. "I've been working hard for a long time and it's been almost a month since I've been here, so I'm really happy to finally get it and keep moving forward."
The Kraken's four-game winning streak was snapped with a 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday. They were unable to solve goaltender Jonathan Quick.
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Wednesday's game will conclude a six-game homestand for Seattle.
"It was a tough game against a good Rangers team, but we played them tough for most of the game," Kraken coach Dan Bylsma said. "They had some chances and we fought back, but their goalie made some great saves. After their second goal, there was a bit of a dip in our play."
This was the fourth time this season that the Kraken have been shut out, with three of those games coming in the second half of back-to-back games.
"You can play well as a line every night, but if you're not contributing on the scoresheet, it's a bit of a waste," Kraken forward Chandler Stephenson said. "We need to start finding the back of the net."
Forward Shane Wright, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 draft, was a healthy scratch on Sunday after going pointless since October 17th.
"As the games have gone on, Shane's performance has been trending in the wrong direction," Bylsma explained. "We talked to him about his strong training camp and how well he was playing. He was showcasing his skills, skating ability, and puck-handling. It was very evident during training camp.
"Our message to him is to take a step back, watch the game (on Sunday) - which he did - and refocus on playing the way he's capable of playing, the way he played earlier in the season."
Nashville Predators vs. Seattle Kraken Recap NOV 8TH 2022
Jordan Eberle scored twice, and Andre Burakovsky had a goal and two assists as the Seattle Kraken extended their franchise-record winning streak to five games with a 5-1 victory against the visiting Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.
Will Borgen and Brandon Tanev also scored for Seattle and goaltender Martin Jones made 24 saves.
Filip Forsberg tallied for Nashville, which dropped to 2-2-0 on its five-game Western swing. The Predators will wrap up their trip Thursday in Denver against the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.
The Kraken scored four times in the opening 16:25, the first time they've netted four goals in a period in their one-plus seasons in the NHL.
Eberle scored just 38 seconds into the game on a slap shot from the top of the right faceoff circle that beat Nashville goalie Juuse Saros to the short side.
Borgen made it 2-0 at 7:29 with a high wrist shot past a screened Saros.
The next two Kraken goals came after Nashville turnovers in its own end.
Burakovsky, who assisted on the first two goals, made it 3-0 at 15:16 after Alex Wennberg picked up the loose puck. He passed to Burakovsky, who patiently waited for Saros to make a move and then tucked the puck into an open net.
Eberle scored his second marker at 16:25 on an unassisted wrist shot, prompting Predators coach John Hynes to pull Saros after he allowed four goals on six shots.
Kevin Lankinen replaced Saros and stopped all 13 shots he faced.
Forsberg spoiled Jones' shutout bid, tallying on a breakaway at 10:25 of the second period after Borgen's shot from the point was blocked.
Tanev capped the victory with an empty-net goal with 1:11 remaining as the Kraken improved to 3-3-1 at home.
The Kraken's penalty kill stifled Nashville on two power plays, as Seattle's PK improved to 13-for-13 during its five-game run.