The visiting Nashville Predators and the Washington Capitals will attempt to snap losing streaks when they face off on Saturday night in the second game of back-to-back sets for both teams.
Nashville carries a three-game losing streak (0-2-1) into the contest but secured one point in a 5-4 overtime setback at Detroit on Friday. Washington, meanwhile, dropped its third game in a row (0-2-1) with a 5-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Friday.
Despite losing for the fourth time in five games (1-3-1), Nashville still sits in a top wild-card spot in the Western Conference. However, after blowing a 3-2 lead in the third period Friday, the Predators left Motown disappointed.
“Obviously, this is a game we felt like we should have won,” said center Gustav Nyquist, who collected two goals and an assist.
Lucas Raymond scored at 2:13 of overtime to win it for the Red Wings.
“Got to find a way to close that one out in the third,” Nyquist said. “It’s too bad we couldn’t get the win. … We have to (move on). We should be a very hungry group coming into Washington here. We’ll get on the plane, get some sleep, and get ready for battle.”
Filip Forsberg also had two goals and an assist in the loss for Nashville. It was the 38th multi-goal game of his career, tying Mika Zibanejad of the New York Rangers for the most among active Swedish-born players.
“It’s a positive that we aren’t going home empty-handed, but that’s a very winnable game for us,” Forsberg said. “We’ve just got to find a way to close that one out in the third.”
Washington gave up the first five goals of the game to the Islanders, with Nicolas Aube-Kubel breaking up the bid for the shutout with just 18 seconds left in the third period. It marked the third straight game the Capitals scored just one goal.
“The chances that we do have are definitely not going in,” defenseman John Carlson said. “There’s a combination of everything. … Certainly tonight, people weren’t making the same reads. We just felt disconnected.”
“We have to bounce back,” said Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, who has just one goal in his last 18 games. “They won the game, and it’s mentally important for us to bounce back and play the right way and get the two points.”
Washington lost both starting goalie Charlie Lindgren and defenseman Martin Fehervary early in the first period on Friday with upper-body injuries. Lindgren stopped all three shots he saw before being replaced by Darcy Kuemper, who finished with 24 saves.
“Definitely put us in a hole right away,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “(Losing) goaltenders is always a unique one, but you sort of feel like you can get out of that. Losing a defenseman is tough because you go down to five early, the second shift of the game. And then you get some guys that are taxed really early in the game.”
Carbery said he wasn’t sure of the severity of the injuries, but “both will be out for the foreseeable future.”
This will be the second meeting between the Capitals and Predators this season. Juuse Saros made 21 saves to lift the Predators to a 3-1 win on Dec. 16 at Nashville.
-FLM
