SAN JOSE -- The last time the Sharks faced the Predators, they rallied from a two-goal second-period deficit to win. Behind an offensive push kick-started by defenseman Brenden Dillon’s short-handed goal, Team Teal posted three unanswered tallies to defeat Nashville 5-4 last month.
That forward-to-back effort is something for which the Predators themselves are known. Beating them at their own game will be a must for the Sharks as they host the Western Conference-leading Preds on Tuesday night at SAP Center.
“They’re one of the best teams in the league for a reason,” Dillon said after Tuesday’s morning skate. “They’re a team that’s tough from top to bottom. Really deep up front. They’re kind of like us where they like to create offense from the back end.”
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Logan Couture agreed.
“They play a similar style to us," said the forward, whose playing status will be a game-time decision because of a lower body injury. "They’ve got some skill up front, and their D-men are active and skilled.”
There’s no denying the Sharks and Predators play similarly. Heck, San Jose’s acquisition of Erik Karlsson has been compared to Nashville’s 2016 acquisition of P.K. Subban since the start of the season. But while the Sharks got away from playing an all-around defensive game during last week’s road back-to-back, the Predators have excelled and jumped out to a 8-0-1 road record.
Nashville's Ryan Johansen-led top line is physical and difficult to contain, its Roman Josi-led blue line knows how to find the back of the net, and starting netminder Pekka Rinne leads the NHL with a 1.47 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage.
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Getting an early jump on the Preds, who will be playing on the tail end of a back-to-back Tuesday, will be key to the Sharks defeating them a second time, Dillon pointed out.
“It’s a big test,” he said. “When we were going into Nashville, we noted that was a big game for us, and I’m sure they’re looking to return the favor.”
The Sharks enter this matchup with more confidence, however, after their Sunday win over the Calgary Flames. From getting a more physical game out of both the forwards and the blue line, to Martin Jones have a solid night between the pipes, San Jose’s depth was on display. Having that team-wide defensive effort is exactly what's needed as the Sharks continue their homestand against the best in the West.
“This is a big homestand for us that we want to put emphasis on,” Dillon said. “For us, from top to bottom, if we can keep this train rolling, we can create more confidence for ourselves.”
