Sharks at Predators Preview: San Jose Opens Series in Nashville
San Jose, 3-3-0 and listed first in the West, visits a Nashville team sitting at 2-2-2.
Alright, folks, pull up a chair. The San Jose Sharks head to Bridgestone Arena on Thursday to open the season series with the Nashville Predators. The Sharks are 3-3-0 overall and 1-1-0 on the road, and they're listed first in the Western Conference. The Predators come in at 2-2-2, with a 1-2-0 mark at home. It's early, and two teams with this many games played are still figuring out who they are. That makes every shift worth watching.
Storyline 1: Who's carrying the scoring
For San Jose, Macklin Celebrini leads the way with 6 points, and his 5 assists top the team. Tyler Toffoli leads the Sharks with 2 goals. That's a thin goal column for a team that wants to hold a lead, and it's something to keep an eye on.
Nashville has more of a top-heavy look. Steven Stamkos has 3 goals and 7 points, and Roman Josi has 5 assists. Here's what to watch: Nashville's scoring runs through those two, so the Sharks need to close passing lanes early and keep their sticks active. That's a teaching moment for any team.
Storyline 2: Recent form and the injury list
San Jose's last five games tell a bumpy story. They have two wins, both in overtime (5-4 over Los Angeles and 3-2 at St. Louis). The three losses were 5-0 at Dallas, 3-1 to Edmonton and 6-3 to Boston. Add it up and the Sharks gave up 20 goals while scoring 11 over those five games. Defensive structure is the fix, plain and simple.
The Sharks are also short-handed. Alex Barre-Boulet (undisclosed), Quentin Musty (upper body), Cam Lund (upper body) and goalie Kyle Keyser (upper body) are all on injured reserve. No Predators injuries are listed.
Nashville has been playing tight ones too: a 2-1 win over Dallas and a 5-2 win at Montreal, against an overtime loss at Toronto (5-4), a shootout loss at Ottawa (3-2) and a 5-2 loss to Vegas. Those one-goal games are decided by special teams and discipline, so stay out of the box.
How to watch
Thursday, Oct. 15, 8:00 p.m. ET at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Broadcast: ESPN+, NBC Sports BA and Scripps Sports.
Our take
This is opinion, so take it for what it's worth. Nashville is home, and healthier on the injury report. San Jose's late-game fight is real, but giving up goals the way they have been is a habit that tends to catch up with you. I'll lean Predators in a close one, with the Sharks needing a clean, disciplined road effort to prove me wrong.
