Red Wings at Predators
THE STORY: The Nashville Predators will look to make up ground on Detroit on Saturday when they welcome the Red Wings to the Music City. It’s an important game – and potentially a preview of a first round playoff series - as the Red Wings sit in fourth with 91 points and the Predators fifth with 85 in the Western Conference. This is the fifth of six meetings between the clubs, with Detroit holding a 3-1 lead.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS-Detroit, FS-Tennessee
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (44-21-3): Detroit will have to wait a little longer for the returns of captain Nicklas Lidstrom and All-Star Pavel Datsyuk. The two – who headline a laundry-list of injured Red Wings - hope to return next week when the Red Wings embark on a three-game road trip. “It’s still day by day, and hopefully it will get better,” Lidstrom said of his ankle. “It’s getting better every day. My motion is getting better on the movements in the foot. That’s encouraging.” Datsyuk, who had arthroscopic knee surgery on Feb. 21, has resumed skating with his team. “Every day I’m closer but I don’t know for sure. I’ll go with them on the West Coast and we’ll see,” Datsyuk said.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (39-21-7): Nashville is gearing up for a push toward the Stanley Cup. Regardless if they make it or not, there could be plenty of hardware for the Predators to celebrate when the season concludes. D Ryan Suter is making a strong case for the Norris Trophy with seven goals and 34 assists and is just four points shy of his career-best 45 (2008-09). G Pekka Rinne is certainly in contention for the Vezina Trophy as he set a franchise-record with his league-leading 37th win on Thursday. Rounding out the group is Mike Fisher, who could earn himself a Selke Trophy as best defensive-forward.
OVERTIME:
1. Nashville is 13-0-3 when Fisher scores a goal.
2. The Predators are 18-3-2 in their last 23 home games and have just one regulation loss at Bridgestone Arena since Jan. 5.
3. Henrik Zetterberg and Valtteri Filppula both collected three points in helping Detroit rally to a 4-3 home win on Friday over the Los Angeles Kings.