The Nashville Predators conclude a back-to-back set with a visit to the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena on November 4. Coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks, Nashville aims to rebound against a divisional rival celebrating its 25th anniversary. The game marks the first of four meetings this season between the teams.
Nashville enters the contest with a 5-6-3 record after forcing overtime with two third-period goals in a 5-4 defeat to Vancouver on November 3. Forward Erik Haula emphasized the team's resilience post-game: “This schedule is grueling, and there's no time to look back. ... try to just recover and get ready to battle again tomorrow.” The Predators lead the scoring with Filip Forsberg at six goals and 11 points, followed by Ryan O’Reilly and Michael Bunting with nine points each. Juuse Saros holds a 5-4-3 record in net, while Justus Annunen is 0-2-0.
Injuries have impacted Nashville, with forward Cole Smith sidelined 3-6 weeks due to an upper-body issue and captain Roman Josi on injured reserve with a similar injury. Tyson Jost filled in on the fourth line against Vancouver, and the team recalled Zach L’Heureux from Milwaukee of the AHL on November 4.
The Minnesota Wild, holding a 4-6-3 mark, snapped a five-game skid with a 5-2 win over Vancouver on November 1. Kirill Kaprizov tops their stats with seven goals and 16 points, while Matt Boldy has five goals and 13 points. Marco Rossi and Marcus Johansson contribute 12 and 10 points, respectively. Filip Gustavsson is 3-6-1 in goal, backed by Jesper Wallstedt at 1-0-2.
Historically, Nashville leads 47-29-5-11 all-time against Minnesota, including 18-19-3-6 in St. Paul. The Preds are 5-3-2 in the last 10 meetings. Notable connections include Predators coach Andrew Brunette's extensive Wild history and Wild coach John Hynes' prior tenure in Nashville.
The game, set for 7:00 p.m. CT, features Wild alumni appearances and giveaways as part of their 25th anniversary celebration. Coverage airs on FanDuel Sports Network South for Nashville and FanDuel Sports North for Minnesota.