Predators at Jets
The Nashville Predators still have an outside shot at finishing third in the Central Division entering Saturday’s regular-season finale at the Winnipeg Jets, and appear to have busted out of a goal-scoring slump. Viktor Arvidsson and Craig Smith each scored twice in Nashville’s 7-3 victory Thursday at Dallas, as the Predators matched their goal output from the past five games.
“We have a great offensive team and we have guys that can score a lot of goals,” Arvidsson told reporters after the Predators pulled within one point of third-place St. Louis, which has two games remaining. Winnipeg extended its season-best winning streak to six with Thursday’s 5-4 victory at Columbus. Bryan Little posted a season-high four points while rookie goaltender Eric Comrie made 35 saves to win his NHL debut. “Once I got to the rink I just settled into my routine, everything just kind of clicked and it was another game for me,” Comrie told the media after the game.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), City (Winnipeg)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (41-28-12): Arvidsson’s two goals give him 31 on the season, tying Filip Forsberg for the team lead and giving Nashville a pair of 30-goal scorers for the third time in franchise history. Nashville scratched several key players Thursday, including Ryan Ellis, Mike Fisher and Colin Wilson with lower-body injuries. Despite the recent scoring troubles, Nashville is 9-4-1 in its past 14 games.
ABOUT THE JETS (39-35-7): Winnipeg surrendered the fourth-most goals in the NHL (254, 3.14 per game), but are holding opponents to 2.5 per game during its winning streak. Little finished with a goal and three assists Thursday, giving him eight points in his past three contests (seven assists), and Mark Scheifele added his 32nd goal of the year. The Jets finished 2-for-3 on the power play after not scoring a goal with the man advantage in their previous four contests.
OVERTIME
1. Comrie will not get a chance for a second consecutive victory as he was sent back to Manitoba of the American Hockey League on Friday.
2. Nashville F James Neal played Thursday after missing the past four games with an upper-body injury.
3. The Predators lead the season series 2-1-0, beating the Jets 5-4 in overtime at home in the last meeting March 13.