Faceoff Factor

Red Wings vs. Predators Game 6 Preview

Justin Maffei | National Hockey League

Apr 20, 01:23 AM | Hype this story!

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Red Wings (1) vs. Predators (8) Game 6
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Series Score: Red Wings 3 – Predators 2
Game Time: 3:00 EST
Location: Sommet Center (Nashville)
Television: CBC,RDS,NBC (HD)

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Preview
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If the previous five games of the series are proof, the Predators will be victorious in Game Six. The home team has won every game in this series and Game Six is set to be played at the Sommet Center in Nashville. They would need the victory to stay alive in the series and to pull it into a 3-3 tie.

Detroit knows that they will be facing a difficult challenge. “They’re going to be tough in their place,” Franzen said, according to Ted Kuflan of The Detroit News. “The crowd is behind them. We know we have a tough game ahead of us. We just have to keep playing (the way they did Friday).” Johan Franzen continued his hot play against the Predators, scoring the overtime winner in Game Five.

Nashville hopes for another solid performance from Dan Ellis. The Predators’ goalie made 52 saves in Game Five. “The way Ellie played, there’s no words to describe it,” Predators forward J.P. Dumont said. “He was on top of his game and we didn’t play our best game. We scored a big goal to get it to overtime, but the game’s not over then. It would have been nice if we’d found a way to win for Ellie. The way he played, he deserved to win.”

The Predators know that this game could give them the momentum to win the series. “I think everyone knows how big it is,’‘ Predators center David Legwand said, according to The Nashville Tennessean. “The winner gets a big advantage in the series. It’s the best two out of three right now, so there’s a lot of pressure on (Friday’s) game.’‘

For a complete list of team leaders and statistics, click here.

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Injuries
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Detroit: Kopecky (Sprained MCL and Torn ACL; Out), Maltby (Hamstring; DTD)
Nashville: Ortmeyer (Right Knee; IR), Gelinas (Knee Sprain; IR), Sullivan (Back Surgery; IR), Nichol (Broken Finger; Out)