Nashville Predators vs. Buffalo Sabres Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 4/1/2022

Time: 7 p.m. ET

Venue: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY

Where to watch: BSSO, MSG-B

DraftKings: Predators -190, Sabres +160

BetMGM: Predators -185, Sabres +150

Caesars: Predators -200, Sabres +170

Predators: 39-24-4

Sabres: 24-33-11

This is Roman Josi’s world and we are all just paying rent and possibly paying for ramen to eat on most nights, because Josi is eating everyone alive as the best defenseman in the world right now.

 

There are plenty of factors that contribute to the Nashville Predators currently occupying the top wild-card position in the Western Conference, but it’s Josi that’s gotten the most buzz out of all of this. He’s on pace to be a 100-point player from the blue line, something that is absolutely unheard of in today’s NHL. Even in a year where Cale Makar might cross the 30-goal mark as a defenseman, Josi is putting that on the backburner.

 

But even Josi, who won the Norris Trophy a couple of years ago and is on pace to do it again, would gladly take getting his Nashville Predators back to the playoffs and build off what was a surprisingly successful bubble season. Nashville took Carolina to six games in the first round.

 

Josi, at 81 points, will look to continue his hot run and keep playoff hopes alive for Nashville when the captain leads his team to Buffalo to take on the Buffalo Sabres on Friday in KeyBank Center.

 

It’s been a rough go for Nashville as of late, but the easy schedule in front of them has helped a bit. After consecutive 6-1 losses to the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville answered with wins over the Philadelphia Flyers (5-4) and Ottawa Senators (4-1) on home ice.

 

Michael McCarron had two goals, and Mattias Ekholm had three assists for Nashville to pulling within one victory of its 40th of the season.

 

“I think our goaltender played fantastic,” Predators coach John Hynes said of Juuse Saros after his 36-save performance. “I think our goaltender was a big difference in the game tonight. We fought and found a way to win. I don’t think it was a recipe to give yourself a chance to win every night. But I thought there were certain components of the game that were good enough, and certain players in the game that were good enough, to give us a chance to win.”

 

Finding a way to win against a lowly, banged-up Ottawa team does not help the process, but it does help inching closer to being a playoff team. For Nashville, that’s the only way you can build off last season and keep things going.

 

But so long as Josi continues at this kind of pace, things will work for them. His 13-game point streak ended against Ottawa, finishing three games from tying J.P. Dumont for the Nashville record.

 

And yet despite the Predators being the much better team on paper, the Sabres have this tendency to be a trap game for most. It wouldn’t shock me in the least to see the Sabres, on home ice, come out and give Nashville a rough go on the road.

 

Buffalo is coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, days removed from a thrilling 6-5 come-from-behind win against the Chicago Blackhawks. Zemgus Girgensons scored both goals for Buffalo, and Kyle Okposo finished with two assists. Craig Anderson had 25 saves in another strong effort from the veteran goalie.

 

“We generated a lot of chances,” Girgensons said after putting up 37 shots on Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck. “Sometimes goalies make big stops. Especially in OT there, we had a golden opportunity and the goalie just came up big for them.”

 

Buffalo’s forwards right now are in a state of inconsistency. It’ll be up to the likes of Alex Tuch and Girgensons to keep things afloat. I’d tend to think being home after two strong efforts will get that on the right foot.

I’m favoring toward the underdog here and think that the Sabres will get a win over a Nashville squad that needs to prove it can win on the road right now. Those losses to L.A. and Vegas were against much better teams, but getting run out of the building like that with a floodgate of goals was not expected. They need to play better in Buffalo, but somehow I don’t see that happening. Sabres win 3-2

The Predators are 28-11 the past three seasons when playing with two days rest.

The Predators are 12-1 this season after two straight non-conference games.

The Sabres are 13-16 this season in non-conference games.

The Sabres are 15-9 the past three seasons off a home loss by one goal.

Predators:

Filip Forsberg -- Ryan Johansen -- Matt Duchene

Eeli Tolvanen -- Mikael Granlund -- Luke Kunin

Yakov Trenin -- Colton Sissons -- Tanner Jeannot

Nick Cousins -- Michael McCarron -- Philip Tomasino

Roman Josi -- Alexandre Carrier

Mattias Ekholm -- Jeremy Lauzon

Jeremy Davies -- Matt Tennyson

Juuse Saros

Sabres:

Jeff Skinner -- Tage Thompson -- Alex Tuch

Peyton Krebs -- Dylan Cozens -- Vinnie Hinostroza

Rasmus Asplund -- Casey Mittelstadt -- Victor Olofsson

Zemgus Girgensons -- Cody Eakin -- Kyle Okposo

Rasmus Dahlin -- Henri Jokiharju

Jacob Bryson -- Casey Fitzgerald

Will Butcher -- Mark Pysyk

Craig Anderson

Points: Roman Josi -- 81

Goals: Filip Forsberg -- 37

Assists: Roman Josi -- 63

Goalie: Juuse Saros -- 33-20-3, 2.55 GAA, .921 SV%

Points: Tage Thompson -- 51

Goals: Tage Thompson -- 28

Assists: Rasmus Dahlin -- 34

Goalie: Craig Anderson -- 12-9-2, 3.07 GAA, .902 SV%