Update (2:07 p.m. ET, Thursday): The probable starting goalies for Thursday’s game between the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators have changed. Alex Nedeljkovic is now projected as San Jose’s probable starter, replacing Yaroslav Askarov, according to official data. Juuse Saros remains the probable starter for Nashville.
The San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators meet Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena in a Western Conference matchup between two teams still searching for consistency six games into the season. The Sharks arrive at 3-3-0 while the Predators sit at 2-2-2, and both clubs have lost their last two outings heading into the contest. With the goaltending matchup now set as Nedeljkovic against Saros, the biggest question is whether either defense can hold up long enough for its offense to find a rhythm.
San Jose Sharks Vs Nashville Predators Game Information
- Date: Thursday, Oct. 15
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Venue: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
- TV/Streaming: ESPN+, NBC Sports BA, Scripps Sports
- Season series: First of three meetings this season, with Nashville set to visit San Jose next month and make another trip out west in January, according to NHL.com
Can Nashville Turn Around A Rough Home Stretch?
The Predators are 1-2-0 at home this season and enter Thursday off a 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, which snapped a four-game point streak, according to FOX Sports. Nashville dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen against Vegas and used the same line rushes and defensive pairings in Wednesday’s practice, per NHL.com.
Juuse Saros is projected as the probable starting goalie for Nashville. He carries a career 15-2-1 record against San Jose with a .925 save percentage and a 2.12 goals-against average, according to NHL.com. Nashville is 9-1-0 in its last ten meetings with the Sharks and 4-1-0 in its last five games against them at Bridgestone Arena, part of an all-time home mark of 30-13-1-2 in the series.
What Does San Jose Need To Fix After Back-To-Back Losses?
San Jose has dropped three of its last four games, including a 6-3 loss to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, according to Bleacher Report. The Sharks carry a minus-7 scoring differential into Thursday, having scored 16 goals while allowing 23, and their .861 team save percentage trails Nashville’s .897 mark.
Alex Nedeljkovic is now projected as the probable starting goalie for San Jose, a change from Yaroslav Askarov. The Sharks are 1-1-0 on the road this season. Forward Macklin Celebrini leads the team with two goals, six assists and eight points, giving San Jose its most reliable offensive threat even as the club searches for defensive stability.
Who Is Banged Up Heading Into Thursday?
Nashville will be without goaltender Justus Annunen, who is out with an undisclosed issue, and defenseman William Trudeau, out with an upper-body injury, according to FOX Sports. Center Mavrik Bourque did not practice Wednesday and remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, per NHL.com.
San Jose’s injury list is longer. Center Cam Lund is out with an upper-body injury, winger Quentin Musty remains out with an upper-body injury, and forward Alex Barre-Boulet is out with an undisclosed ailment. Forward Barclay Goodrow is day-to-day with an illness.
Key Matchup: Goaltending Under Pressure
With the Sharks Predators Nedeljkovic starter change confirmed, both goalies will be tested behind defenses that have struggled to limit quality chances. Nashville has surrendered 175 shots against through its first six games while San Jose has given up 159, and the raw save totals tell the story: Saros and the Predators have stopped 157 shots for an .897 save percentage, while San Jose’s goaltenders have combined for 136 saves at an .861 clip. San Jose’s offense has generated 155 shots on goal this season compared to Nashville’s 136, so whichever goaltender turns away the higher volume of attempts figures to give his team the better chance to escape with the win. Nedeljkovic steps into a matchup history that favors Nashville, given Saros’ career 15-2-1 mark against the Sharks.
What To Watch
Neither club is more than a few points off a playoff spot this early, but both sit in the bottom half of their respective divisions, with Nashville at six points in the Central and San Jose at six points in the Pacific. A win Thursday would snap a two-game slide for whichever team pulls it off. Watch how Nedeljkovic performs in his first look at Nashville’s offense and whether Celebrini can find room against a Predators team that holds a commanding 9-1-0 record in its last ten games against San Jose.
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