The Pittsburgh Penguins rebounded beautifully from their disappointing defeat against the Buffalo Sabers, securing a 3-2 victory over a powerful Toronto Maple Leafs squad. The victory evened the Penguins' record to 10-10, keeping them within three points of a divisional playoff spot. Their next test comes against another 10-10 team, the Nashville Predators. Who will get the edge in this matchup of .500 teams? Here's what to watch for in this installment of Pens vs. Preds.
1. Jarry Dominates Nashville
Pittsburgh Penguins' starting goaltender Tristan Jarry has enjoyed great success when facing the Predators. While his career save percentage and goals against average (GAA) is a solid .914% and 2.63 respectively, those numbers skyrocket into elite status when facing Nashville. In four appearances, Jarry has a 1.72 GAA, a .938 save percentage, and a 3-0-1 record.
Coming off of an excellent outing that earned his team two points against Toronto, Jarry is aiming to continue dominating Nashville en route to another victory.
2. Preds Getting Veteran Lift
Nashville made several moves this offseason that left the league wondering what this team's main goal is. Highlighting their summer changes was the signing of veteran center Ryan O'Reilly. While most had the Predators pegged for a retooling season, management zagged and committed four years to the 32-year-old pivot.
The questionable decision has paid off so far for Nashville, with O'Reilly far exceeding offensive expectations through 20 games. Second on the team in goal and point scoring with 10 goals and 18 points, he's proving that he still has top-six capabilities in the Music City.
3. First Line Winger Battle?
When Bryan Rust went down with an injury a few games ago, Drew O'Connor bumped up the lineup to take his place on the first line. The huge opportunity has been met with two impressive games from the young forward. He looked particularly impressive against the Maple Leafs, making a wonderful play to Jake Guentzel for an easy tap-in goal. His speed has been especially noticeable skating with Guentzel and Sidney Crosby as well, making space and getting in on pucks in a very similar fashion to Rust.
Rust re-joined practice and his status sits as a game-time decision. He could return to the lineup in Nashville, but head coach Mike Sullivan hadn't confirmed anything prior to game day. With DOC's impressive play, can he warrant another game on the top line or will Rust return to the first line's right wing?
The Penguins and Predators face-off at 8:00pm at Bridgestone Arena.
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