Via NHL.com
The Rundown:
The Nashville Predators hope to strike a win against the lowly San Jose Sharks in San Jose tonight. The Sharks are slowly carrying along as they look to potentially move Timo Meier and/or Erik Karlsson with the upcoming trade deadline on March 3 vastly approaching. With the playoff race growing more intense in the West, the Predators need every win they can get to enter the playoff picture.
The Matchup
This season, the Predators hammered the Sharks when they met in the Global Series to start this year. The Predators have outscored the Sharks 7-3 in both appearances. The Predators are 6-4-0 in their past 10. Defenseman Roman Josi has six points (two goals, four assists) in his past three games, and at least one point in nine of his past 10 (three goals, 11 assists). They will have to deal with some adversity as center Ryan Johansen is going to miss 12 weeks due to a surgery he underwent after taking a skate blade to the leg. Despite the down season the Sharks have had, Erik Karlsson continues to lead defenseman in scoring with his 76 points for sixth place in the NHL standings.
Players To Watch
For the Predators, Roman Josi is the player to watch. He continues to be the engine of the office for the Nashville Predators. He leads the team in points with 50, and has five points in his last five games, with two multipoint performances in that span. He remains one of the best offensive defenseman in the game, and continues to be the best player not named Juuse Saros on the Predators.
For the Sharks, Timo Meier is the player to watch. Meier remains one of the best in the game in terms of goal scoring, with his 31 goals on the season. He’s an excellent young power forward that just about every team is looking to acquire this trade deadline. He remains the other shining star on the sharks, not named Karlsson. His skill set is going to get him a big payday soon, but for now, it looks like he’s looking to go on a deep playoff run with a new team soon.
Prediction: Predators 4, Sharks 2
The Predators just seem to have the sharks number this season, and it only makes sense for a team who continues to tank in the standings in San Jose.
Odds Presented By Betfred Sportsbook
Spread – Nashville Predators -1.5 (+195) / San Jose Sharks +1.5 (-250)
Moneyline – Nashville Predators (-120) / San Jose Sharks (+100)
Total – 6 – Over (-115) / Under (-105)
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