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 20TH 2024
Brandon Montour had a goal and an assist and Joey Daccord made 24 saves for his first shutout of the season as the Seattle Kraken defeated the visiting Nashville Predators 3-0 on Wednesday.
Daniel Sprong scored his first goal in his second stint with the Kraken, and Yanni Gourde tallied on an empty-netter. Chandler Stephenson had three assists and Jaden Schwartz added two helpers.
The Kraken completed a 5-1-0 homestand. Daccord posted all five victories, and he didn't play in a 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday.
Juuse Saros stopped 33 of the 35 shots he faced as the Predators wrapped up their road trip with a 1-2-2 mark.
It was Seattle's second victory against the Predators this season, as the Kraken also won 7-3 on Oct. 15 in Nashville.
The Kraken outshot Nashville 10-6 in the first period and 17-8 in the second but were able to only get one puck past Saros during that span.
Sprong opened the scoring at 15:55 of the second period.
Montour kept the puck in the zone at the left point and backhanded a pass that split a pair of Nashville defenders and found Stephenson alone in front of the net. Stephenson deked both ways before sliding the puck to Sprong for a tap-in at the left post.
Sprong scored 21 goals for Seattle in 2022-23, when the Kraken reached Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. He was reacquired in a Nov. 8 trade with the Vancouver Canucks.
The Kraken doubled their advantage just 23 seconds into the third period. Stephenson carried the puck over the blue line on the left wing and got to the faceoff dot before sliding a pass across the slot to Montour, who had joined the rush. The defenseman stretched to redirect the puck past Saros as the goalie went from post to post.
Nashville's Tommy Novak appeared to score at 10:38 of the third, but a video review determined he put the puck in the net with a distinct kicking motion and the goal was disallowed.
Gourde sealed the victory with his goal at 17:17.
Kraken forward Shane Wright, the No. 4 overall selection in the 2022 draft, was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game. Wright has not recorded a point since Oct. 17.