Predators Jeremy Lauzon, Tommy Novak, Kevin Lankinen hope for happy birthday vs Canucks in Game 4

Game day Sunday also happens to be birthday day for the Nashville Predators.

That means more than 17,000 people will be in attendance for what Predators defenseman Jeremy Lauzon, forward Tommy Novak and goalie Kevin Lankinen hope is a big birthday party.

Their day happens to fall this year on the same day the Predators will face the Vancouver Canucks at Bridgestone Arena in Game 4 of their first-round NHL playoffs series.

Lauzon and Novak share an exact birthdate — April 28, 1997.

Lankinen is the oldest of the three by two years. He was born April 28, 1995.

Lauzon set the single-season record for hits his year with 383, one more than the New York Islanders' Matt Martin had in 2014-15. Lauzon had career-best six goals this season, to go with eight assists for a career-high 14 points.

"Hits happen," Lauzon told The Tennessean earlier this season. "Part of the game."

"I appreciate his game probably more than anyone," said Predators defenseman Luke Schenn, who led the league in hits last season with 318. "I know what it takes to play that way and it's not easy every single night.

Novak set career highs in goals (18), assists (27) and games played (71) this season.

Lankinen was 11-6-0 with a .908 save % and a 2.82 goals-against average.

The Predators are looking to tie the series 2-2 on Sunday at Bridgestone Arena.

Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at pskrbina@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina. Follow his work here.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Predators' Jeremy Lauzon, Tommy Novak, Kevin Lankinen celebrating birthday