The NHL returns on Saturday, August 1st, with their qualifying round and round-robin play. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a restart that will feature 24 teams competing for the Stanley Cup. The top four teams in each conference are competing in round-robin play to finalize the top four seeds. The next eight teams are competing in five-game seeded play to earn a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Nashville Predators and Arizona Coyotes will face off in Edmonton starting Sunday. The Predators finished the abbreviated regular season with 78 points on a 35-26-8 record, which was good for the 6th seed. The Coyotes finished the abbreviated regular season with 74 points on a 33-29-8 record, which was good for the 11th seed.
The Predators shut out Dallas in their exhibition game, and we don’t have a clear answer on who will start in goal to open this series. Juuse Saros stopped 12 shots and then Pekka Rinne came on to stop 13 shots.
The Coyotes lost center Nick Schmaltz — who led the team in assists and points before season was suspended — to injury when he was elbowed in the head in the team’s 4-1 exhibition loss to Vegas. He is being evaluated, according to beat writer Richard Morin, and his status for Game 1 is unclear.
Below is a full rundown of the Predators-Coyotes series and how to watch it. The NBC games are all available at NBCSports.com/live.
Predators vs. Coyotes series info
Sunday, Aug. 2: Coyotes vs. Predators, 2 p.m. | USA, NHL.TV, SN360, FS-TN, FS-A
Tuesday, Aug. 4: Coyotes vs. Predators, 2:30 p.m. | NHLN, NHL.TV, SN1, SN360, FS-TN, FS-A+
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Predators vs. Coyotes, 2:30 p.m. | NHLN, NHL.TV, SN360, FS-A+, FS-TN
Friday, Aug. 7: Predators vs. Coyotes*, TBD
Sunday, Aug. 9: Coyotes vs. Predators*, TBD