Predators at Canucks
The Nashville Predators have gone nearly six weeks without suffering back-to-back losses and will try to keep that streak intact when they visit the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night. It's the opener of a three-game road trip through Western Canada for the surging Predators, who have earned points in 15 of their last 17 games (13-2-2).
Nashville had its three-game winning streak halted with a 4-3 shootout loss to expansion Vegas on Friday night, dropping the team to 11-2-2 at Bridgestone Arena. One of those home losses was the Predators' only regulation defeat in the last 11 games -- a 5-3 setback to Vancouver on Nov. 30. The Canucks scored three unanswered goals in the third period in the last meeting, including a pair by rookie Brock Boeser, who has scored in each of the past three games. Vancouver needs to find offense from someone other than Boeser, however, notching only four goals during its current three-game losing streak.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), Sportsnet (Vancouver)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (18-7-4): Top-line center Ryan Johansen, sidelined the past three games due to an upper-body injury, practiced fully Monday and Tuesday and appears poised to return to the lineup on the Canadian trek. "I hope so," Johansen said Monday. "If the next couple days go well, then it should be good to go." Nashville did receive a scare at Monday's practice when center Kyle Turris, who has collected 13 points in 14 games since he was acquired from Ottawa, took a puck to the face but he was back on the ice Tuesday.
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (14-13-4): Vancouver's offense took another major hit when third-leading scorer Sven Baertschi suffered a fractured jaw after he was hit in the face by a puck Saturday night. Baertschi's injury came days after Bo Horvat, who is second on the team to Boeser with 10 goals and 20 points, fractured his ankle and also is looking at a lengthy absence. "Every team has injuries," forward Thomas Vanek said after Monday's 5-1 loss at Winnipeg. "When I have the scoring chances that I had tonight, I've got to put them away."
OVERTIME
1. Predators leading scorer Filip Forsberg has five goals in 11 games versus Vancouver.
2. Boeser has scored 11 of his 16 goals in the past 13 games.
3. Predators F Viktor Arvidsson needs two points to reach 100 for his NHL career.