Preview: Nashville at Edmonton
When: 10:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 23, 2016
Where: Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta
The Nashville Predators look to build off their second strong performance in three games when they visit the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. The Predators have fallen out of playoff position in the Western Conference after a rough stretch but knocked off Winnipeg 4-1 on Thursday to start a four-game road trip through Western Canada.
Nashville also blanked Minnesota 3-0 on Jan. 16 and is 2-1-1 in its past four contests as the Predators are getting a boost from center Ryan Johansen, who has nine points (three goals) in seven games since being acquired from Columbus. Pekka Rinne is expected back in net after snapping a five-game winless streak (0-4-1) for Nashville, which will play an Edmonton team that can empty the tank. The Oilers don’t play again until Feb. 2 with the All-Star break on the horizon. Taylor Hall, who will be Edmonton’s representative in the All-Star Game in Nashville on Jan. 31, has posted two goals and four assists during a four-game point streak.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, CBC; Sportsnet (Edmonton); FSN Tennessee (Nashville)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (21-18-8): James Neal has also lifted his game for Nashville, recording two goals and three assists along with a plus-3 rating in the past four games. Rinne’s numbers have dipped far below his career mark with a .903 save percentage and 2.54 goals-against average, but made 27 saves Thursday. “It feels funny how long things have gone kind of south,” Rinne told the Tennessean. “It’s not normal. A game like this, it feels good, and I try to take all the confidence I can get from this game to the next one.”
ABOUT THE OILERS (19-25-5): Goalie Cam Talbot has turned around his season this month with four wins and a .938 save percentage, allowing 12 goals over his last seven contests with one shutout to earn a contract extension. The Oilers expect to get rookie phenom Connor McDavid (broken clavicle) back after the break, but third-leading scorer Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (hand) is out 6-to-8 weeks. Center Leon Draisaitl (36 points) is second behind Hall (47) for the team lead in scoring, but is a minus-4 over the last two games – both losses.
OVERTIME
1. Nashville D Roman Josi, who played his 300th NHL game Thursday, leads the team with 33 points.
2. Edmonton D Brandon Davidson (lower body) is questionable after getting injured in the 3-2 loss at Dallas on Thursday.
3. The Predators have won the last four meetings, including a 31-save shutout from Rinne in a 2-0 triumph on Oct. 10.
PREDICTION: Predators 4, Oilers 2