The Nashville Predators (3-4-0) will host the Toronto Maple Leafs (5-2-0) Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators are looking to end their three-game homestand on a high note after dropping their previous match 3-2 to the Vancouver Canucks.
The Maple Leafs are riding high following a 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars. They’re heading into Nashville on a three-game winning streak and are looking to make it four in a row. The Maple Leafs are 15-13-1-1 all-time against the Predators and won both matchups last season.
Ryan O’Reilly Faces Off Against Former Team
Oct. 28th will mark the first time Ryan O’Reilly squares up against the team that traded for him at the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline. The Maple Leafs forked over a king’s ransom to the St. Louis Blues for the 32-year-old’s talents, which paid off, as he helped get them over their infamous first-round hurdle. Despite the Maple Leafs falling in their second-round matchup against the Florida Panthers, O’Reilly quickly became a fan favorite in the blue and white.
It’s doubtful there is any bad blood between O’Reilly and the Maple Leafs. While leaving in free agency struck disappointment through many Maple Leafs fans, many assumed he was a pure rental as the organization took a run at the 2023 Stanley Cup. O’Reilly has four points through seven games with the Predators. He is tied for second in points on the team and leads all forwards in ice time with an average of 20:06 per game.
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Luke Schenn will be sidelined for a seventh straight contest after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Predators season opener, missing a chance to play against his former team.
Saros Gets Eighth Straight Start
Andrew Brunette confirmed Juuse Saros will get the nod in net for tonight’s game, making this his eighth straight start on the season. He is sporting a .910 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.58 goals-against average (GAA) through seven games. The Predators are rolling with their All-Star goaltender, letting backup Kevin Lankinen ride the pine once again. The Predators don’t play two consecutive games until Dec. 3rd when they visit the Buffalo Sabres on the second night of their first back-to-back. It’s improbable Saros will start every game until then, but one has to wonder how many games he will get in before December rolls around.
Ilya Samsonov is expected to start in net for the Maple Leafs. It’s been a slow start for the former first-round pick, posting a dismal .831 SV% and a 4.34 GAA through four games. Goaltender Joseph Woll started the last two games for the Maple Leafs, allowing just one goal in each contest. Predators fans should expect Samsonov to play on top of his game tonight, knowing his gig as the starting goalie for the Maple Leafs is slowly slipping due to Woll’s sensational play to start the season.
Players to Watch
Juuso Parssinen is a player to watch for the Predators. The forward has tallied just one assist in his last five games and only has three points on the season. Given he has spent most of his ice time on the Predators’ first line with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly, it feels inevitable his production will pick up soon. The trio has played 49:54 minutes together at five-on-five so far, the most of any forward line on the Predators, according to NaturalStatTrick. However, in a recent practice, Parssinen was skating with the extra forwards, meaning he may stop getting prime ice time if his production doesn’t pick up. Granted, in yesterday’s practice, he was practicing on the second power-play unit. Whether he plays a middle-six role or on the first line versus the Maple Leafs, expect him to be a force on the ice.
On the Maple Leafs’ end, rookie Matthew Knies’ production is finally starting to match his effort following going pointless in his first four games. He’s scored four points in his last three contests, including a two-goal outing against the Lightning on Oct 21st, helping spark a Maple Leafs comeback win.
Related: Predators’ Top 25 Players of All-Time: Pekka Rinne
The Predators host the Maple Leafs tonight at 6:00 PM central time, 7:00 PM eastern. They will look to snap the Maple Leafs’ three-game winning streak and get back in the win column.
