Predators ready for showdown with Wings tonight

It is no secret that the Detroit Red Wings’ roster is loaded with finishers.

The Red Wings currently have seven players with at least 14 goals, led by Marian Hossa with 30, and Pavel Datsyuk and Johan Franzen with 22 each. By comparison, Jason Arnott leads the Nashville Predators with 20, and no one else has more than 14.

Still, it could be the start of play that determines the outcome when the Central Division rivals meet Tuesday (7 p.m., Sommet Center).

The Predators won this season’s first – and thus far only – game between these teams (3-2) back on Dec. 26. That night they won 60 percent of the game’s 57 faceoffs, led by Radek Bonk, who won 14 of 15.

The Red Wings thrive on puck possession, and the fact that Nashville began play with the puck on its sticks much more often than not likely was a factor in the outcome.

There will be ample opportunity to test that theory in the coming weeks. Tuesday’s contest will be the first of five between these teams, two of the NHL’s best in terms of faceoff success, between now and April 9.

Detroit started the week as the NHL’s top team in terms of faceoff success, having won 55.7 percent of all its draws this season. The Predators were tied with San Jose for second place at 53.3 percent.

Only three players in the league have won more than 60 percent of their draws – Bonk is second at 61.3 pecent and Detroit’s Kris Draper is third at 61.1 percent. Carolina’s Rod Brind’Amour is first at 62 percent.

The Red Wings have two others (Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg) among the top 20.

In Nashville’s victory earlier this season, though, Draper, Datsyuk and Zetterberg were a combined 18-for-44 in the faceoff circle.