Central Division leader Carolina and Nashville square off
By The Associated PressMay 7, 2021 GMT
Carolina Hurricanes (36-10-8, first in the Central Division) vs. Nashville Predators (29-23-2, fourth in the Central Division)
Nashville, Tennessee; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Predators +100, Hurricanes -120
BOTTOM LINE: The Nashville Predators play the Central Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes.
The Predators are 29-23-2 against Central Division opponents. Nashville averages 9.2 penalty minutes per game, the ninth-most in the league. Mathieu Olivier leads the team serving 68 total minutes.
The Hurricanes are 36-10-8 against the rest of their division. Carolina ranks 10th in the NHL averaging 3.2 goals per game, led by Sebastian Aho with 24.
Central-leading Hurricanes visit Predators, seek to clinch division
Field Level Media
08 May 2021, 06:40 GMT+10
The Carolina Hurricanes are looking to fine-tune for the playoffs in two games against the Nashville Predators.
The Predators are looking to land in the playoffs and perhaps tune up for a first-round meeting with the Hurricanes.
The teams will play Saturday night and Monday night in Nashville to close the regular season. We have two more games, Carolina goalie Petr Mrazek said. We have to battle hard and get confidence on track for the playoffs.
The Hurricanes (36-10-8, 80 points) own a 13-game points streak, tying a franchise record. But they weren t pleased with their 2-1 overtime loss Thursday night to the Chicago Blackhawks in the home finale.
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First Period
Yakov Trenin provided the first offensive chance of the game for Nashville, poking the puck away from a Panther defender and finding himself on a breakaway. While the Russian forward failed to shoot on net, the opportunity was a symptom of the pressure Nashville was putting on the Cats early in the first period. This came to a pause when newly acquired center Sam Bennett rebounded a puck off of his skate and into the net for Florida, giving the Panthers the early lead.
Thankfully for Nashville, Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar would be called for interference on the subsequent Predators possession after the goal. With the Predators on the power play, Mikael Granlund made quick work of the man-advantage, putting a rebound past Dreidger less than 30 seconds into the power play to tie the game at one.