Ah, the Oilers and the Predators, a matchup that smells like stale popcorn and a fresh ice rink. So if we're looking at those goalkeepers, Edmonton rides with Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. Skinner, fresh on the scene, has shown a respectable save percentage of 84.5%, while Pickard, that seasoned pro, boasted a save percentage of 90.7% last season. Now that's the kind of tendy who eats pucks for breakfast.
Sliding on over to Nashville, we have Juuse Saros and Scott Wedgewood between the pipes. Saros has been a virtual wall with a save percentage of 90.6% last season, while Wedgewood earned a 90% save percentage in the last season. I sense a veritable brick wall offense from Nashville today.
On the player front for Edmonton, we got Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Jeff Skinner topping the game. McDavid managed four assists this season - feels like he's here for the social aspect rather than scoring, eh? And Draisaitl? Ninety minutes inside the rink and all he got was a measly couple of goals and an assist.
When it comes to Nashville, keep that peeper out for Filip Forsberg, Jonathan Marchessault, and Tommy Novak. Forsberg appears to have found his Scandinavian zen with 1 goal and 3 assists this season. Novak, that lethally quiet player, popped in a couple while nobody was looking.
Looking back at past meet-ups, there's been a decent amount of give and take. Nashville got a one-sided thumping last January with Edmonton winning 4-1, but then the Oilers returned the favor with a 5-2 loss to the Predators in November. It's tit for tat; very gentlemanly of them, I must say.
Considering recent outings, Edmonton's had a mixed bag of results. They managed to squeeze out a win against Philadelphia, but took a solid pounding from Winnipeg. On the flip side, Nashville's been taking it on the chin with losses piling up like weeks-old pizza boxes in a frat house. They got knocked around by Seattle, and Detroit shut them out entirely.
So when push comes to shove, after taking in the rink atmosphere, smelling the Zamboni exhaust, and analyzing these stats, it seems like it's going to be a fun - if not frosty - night. Puck drops, crowd cheers, you're on the edge of your seat, and the winning team is...
Albert’s Prediction: Edmonton Oilers by 2