Thanks to a strong homestand, the Nashville Predators return from the Christmas break playing perhaps their best hockey of a dismal season.
Meanwhile, the St. Louis Blues will try to post back-to-back victories for the first time in more than three weeks.
Riding a four-game point streak, the Predators will look for rare road success when they visit the Blues on Friday night.
With 29 points, Nashville resides near the bottom of the Western Conference standings but just completed a 3-0-1 home stretch.
Jonathan Marchessault scored two goals and set up another, Filip Forsberg added three assists and Steven Stamkos scored a goal for the third time in five games during Nashville’s 5-2 victory over Carolina on Monday.
“We’ve been playing some better hockey, and it’s good,” said Marchessault, who has scored five times during a four-game goal streak. “I think we push hard … Come back (from the break) with a lot of energy.”
Nashville is 8-7-3 at home this season but only 3-10-4 on the road. The Predators will open a six-game stretch away from home beginning Friday.
“We’re not satisfied,” said Stamkos, who has three goals with four assists during the last seven games. “We have to carry that (into the new year).”
The Blues are in a 2-6-1 rut at home but should have some momentum Friday, even with the downtime, after they capped a 1-1-1 road stretch with Monday’s 4-0 victory at Detroit.
Dylan Holloway recorded his first NHL hat trick and Jordan Binnington stopped all 19 shots he faced for St. Louis, which was held to a single goal in each game during its previous 0-2-1 slide.
“Just a very complete game (Monday), and commitment to playing for each other,” said Binnington, who allowed at least three goals six times during his previous seven starts. “We need the points right now.”
St. Louis is 3-4-2 since winning consecutive contests Dec. 3 and 5.
Holloway, in his third NHL season and first with the Blues, already has set a career high with 13 goals. He snapped a six-game point drought Monday.
“It’s definitely good for the confidence,” Holloway said. “We got a lot of hockey to play … Just staying focused.”
With two assists against the Red Wings, St. Louis’ Robert Thomas has 12 with 16 points during the last 11 games.
Meanwhile, Nashville star Forsberg has gone 13 consecutive games without a goal. However, he’s recorded 12 assists in the last seven contests. Forsberg has 20 goals and 23 assists in 38 career games when facing the Blues, and he posted eight points while the Predators won all three meetings against them in 2023-24.
Teammate Juuse Saros has a 2.32 goals-against average in his last three starts — all at home. However, he’s mired in an 0-5-1 road stretch and allowed three goals apiece in the last five of that span.
Entering the first meeting of the season between these Central Division foes, Nashville has won four straight games in the series, including the last two at St. Louis.
–Field Level Media
