The San Jose Sharks and the Nashville Predators square off at O2 Arena in Prague on Friday to open their seasons. The Predators won all three games between the teams last season, including a 1-0 (OT) victory in their final meeting in April, their fourth straight win against San Jose. Ryan Johansen scored Nashville’s only goal. Juuse Saros saved 25 shots to earn the shutout win.
FACING OFF:
San Jose averaged only 2.57 goals per game last season, 30th in the NHL, and they are taking on a Predators team that allowed 3.05 goals a game (17th). Meanwhile, Nashville found the net 3.20 times a game on average, 12th in the league, and the Sharks allowed opponents to score 3.18 goals per game (21st). The Sharks scored on 18.98% of their power play opportunities (22nd), while Nashville’s 79.23% penalty kill percentage ranked 18th. The Predators converted 24.42% of their power play chances (6th). San Jose’s PK% of 85.20 ranked No. 2.
LAST SEASON’S TOP PERFORMERS:
With 76 points last season, Timo Meier was the top skater for the Sharks. He had 35 goals and 41 assists in 77 games. James Reimer (19-17-10) is San Jose’s top returning goaltender. He had a 2.90 GAA and a .911% save percentage. Roman Josi led the Predators in scoring a season ago with 96 points. His 73 assists were the fifth-best total in the league. He also had 23 goals of his own. Saros (38-25-3) is the top returning goalie for Nashville with a goals against average of 2.64. He had a save percentage of .918%.
SportsTips’ NHL Pick:
Nashville Predators (-185)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
