Clash at Bridgestone Arena: Nashville Predators Face Columbus Blue Jackets
As the Nashville Predators gear up to host the Columbus Blue Jackets at Bridgestone Arena, fans are buzzing with anticipation. The Predators have shown a resilience that could spell trouble for the visiting team. With a recent victory against the Calgary Flames on January 17th, where they secured a 2-1 win, the Predators demonstrated their ability to maintain composure and come out on top in tight games.
The game against Calgary saw Nashville's goaltending shine with an impressive save percentage of 97 percent, stopping 38 out of 39 shots. This defensive prowess was complemented by an offense that capitalized on opportunities, boasting a shooting percentage of nearly 7 percent. The team's performance in faceoffs was also noteworthy, winning over 60 percent of them.
However, it wasn't all smooth sailing for Nashville. In their previous encounter with Buffalo Sabres on January 15th, they suffered a setback with a loss of 5-3. Despite putting up more shots than Buffalo and having better control in faceoffs with a win percentage of over half, their goaltending struggled with only an approximately 85 percent save rate.
The upcoming game presents an opportunity for redemption and to prove that their loss was merely a hiccup in what has been otherwise solid gameplay from NSH this season. The key will be maintaining strong defense while capitalizing on powerplay opportunities – areas where they've shown both strength and room for improvement.
Columbus Blue Jackets should not be underestimated though; any NHL team can be dangerous on any given night. But if NSH plays to their strengths as seen against Calgary – particularly in netminding and faceoff wins – they stand a good chance to delight home fans with another victory.
Looking ahead to January 18th at Bridgestone Arena scheduled for an evening puck drop at around eight o'clock local time (8 PM CST), fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+ nationally or tune into BSSO channel number six four six - one or BSOH channel number six six zero depending upon your location for television coverage.