Game Day: Preds vs. Golden Knights Preview

The Nashville Predators (24-18-6) will return to action Tuesday night as they host the Vegas Golden Knights (29-18-4) at Bridgestone Arena.
The puck drops at 7 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast on Bally Sports South, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio. Here's everything you need to know:

Line 'Em Up

Below are Nashville's lines from Jan. 26 vs. New Jersey:
Forsberg - Glass - Duchene
Niederreiter - Johansen - Granlund
Smith - Parssinen - Sissons
Trenin - Novak - Jeannot
McDonagh - Josi
Ekholm - Lauzon
Gravel - Fabbro
Saros

The Good Guys

• Goaltender Juuse Saros represented the Predators at the 2023 NHL All-Star Game on Saturday, his second career appearance at the event. Saros is 16-7-4 with a 2.49 goals-against average and .928 save percentage in his last 27 games dating back to Nov. 12. His 16 wins in that time frame are tied for the third-most in the NHL. Additionally, Saros owns a 21.20 goals saved above average (GSAA) since Nov. 12, the best mark in the League (per Natural Stat Trick).
• Filip Forsberg leads all Predators skaters with 19 goals. He has 37 points (16g-21a) in his last 41 games dating back to Oct. 22 vs. Philadelphia. He has 10 goals and 15 points in his last 16 games, including goals in three straight games from Jan. 9-12 (3g).
• Roman Josi (12g-29a) is tied with Forsberg (19g-22a) for the team lead in points with 41. He has 37 points (11g-26a) in his last 39 games after tallying an assist on Jan. 26 vs. New Jersey. Josi has recorded at least one point in 12 of his last 15 contests; he posted a four-game point streak (2g-2a) from Jan. 12-17. His +5 rating against the Devils on Jan. 26 was the second-best mark in a game in his career (+6 on March 5, 2022 at San Jose).
• Juuso Parssinen, who made his NHL debut on Nov. 12 vs. the Rangers, has 21 points (5g-16a) in his first 34 career NHL games. He tallied his sixth career multi-point game on Jan. 26 vs. New Jersey (2a). He recorded his 20th career point in his 34th career NHL game against the Devils. Among players to debut with the Predators, only three rookies have recorded their first 20 NHL points in fewer games: Craig Smith (25 GP), Alexander Radulov (29 GP) and Filip Forsberg (32 GP). Parssinen's 21 points since Nov. 12 - his NHL debut - are tied for the second-most among NHL rookies in that time span.
• Matt Duchene has 17 points (8g-9a) in his last 20 games, including his first multi-goal game of the season on Jan. 24 vs. Los Angeles. He's recorded multiple points in two of his last three games (3g-1a).
• After opening the season with three points (1g-2a) in his first 16 appearances (Oct. 7-Dec. 12), Cody Glass owns 15 points (6g-9a) in his last 22 games, including goals in each of his last two contests (2g). His 14 points since Dec. 13 are the fourth-most among Predators forwards in that time span. Since being held pointless for three games from Jan. 6-11, Glass has found the scoresheet in six of his last eight contests, posting seven points (3g-4a). Glass has established career highs in goals (7), assists (11) and points (18) this season.

The Other Guys

The Golden Knights are in third place in the Pacific Division with 62 points. They are looking to get back in the win column after riding a four-game losing streak into the All-Star break.
Chandler Stephenson leads the Golden Knights with 44 points (11g-33a), while Reilly Smith has a team-high 18 goals. Goaltender Logan Thompson has a goals-against average of 2.69 and a .913 save percentage.

All-Time Meetings

The Predators are 5-5-3 all-time against the Golden Knights, including a 2-2-2 record at Bridgestone Arena. This is the second of three matchups between Nashville and Vegas in 2022-23 and the first of two at home.
Nashville is 0-0-1 against Vegas this season, dropping a 5-4 game in overtime at T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 31. Forsberg recorded his eighth career regular-season hat trick in the contest, with his third goal tying the game at 4-4 with five seconds remaining in regulation.

Notables vs. Vegas

• Saros is 4-3-1 with a 2.87 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and one shutout vs. Vegas in his career. Saros made a then career-high 47 saves in Nashville's 2-1 victory at Vegas on Jan. 23, 2019. He also recorded a 43-save shutout against Vegas on Jan. 16, 2018, becoming the first Predators goaltender to record multiple 40-plus save shutouts in the same season.
• Forsberg's nine career goals against the Golden Knights are tied for the fifth-most against the franchise in its history. He is currently on a four-game point streak vs. Vegas (8g), scoring at least two goals in three of those games.
• Mikael Granlund owns six points (2g-4a) in 12 career meetings with the Golden Knights.
• Josi has eight points (8a) in 13 career games against Vegas.
• Jeremy Lauzon scored his first career NHL goal on Nov. 11, 2018 vs. Vegas (Malcolm Subban).
• Glass was selected by Vegas in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft; he was the Golden Knights' first-ever draft pick. He played in 66 games for Vegas from 2019-21, tallying 22 points (9g-13a). Glass was acquired by Nashville from Vegas for forward Nolan Patrick on July 17, 2021.

Last Time Out

Nashville improved to 14-7-3 at home in 2022-23 with a win over the New Jersey Devils prior to the All-Star break. The Predators, who have won five of their last six games, closed out their two-game regular-season series against the Devils with a 2-0-0 record.
Nashville has won eight straight games vs. New Jersey dating back to Oct. 25, 2018, the team's second-longest active win streak (NY Islanders - nine). Head Coach John Hynes improved to 5-0-0 against his former team, and Nashville hit the 40-shot mark for the eighth time this season. Eleven Predators skaters tallied a point, led by two each from Duchene (1g-1a), Parssinen (2a) and Colton Sissons (2a). Josi recorded an assist and a +5 rating.

Watch & Listen

Coverage for Tuesday's game begins at 6:30 p.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on Bally Sports South, hosted by Lyndsay Rowley alongside analyst Hal Gill. Play-by-play announcer Willy Daunic and analyst Chris Mason will have the call on the television side.
Pete Weber and Jay More will call the game on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network. The game will also be broadcast in Spanish on El Jefe which airs on 96.7 FM, 105.3 FM and 810 AM.