Predators at Oilers
The Nashville Predators have begun the month with a five-game point streak (4-0-1) and look to extend it when they continue their three-game trek through Western Canada on Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers. Nashville opened the road trip Wednesday with a 7-1 triumph in Vancouver, avenging its most recent regulation loss - a 5-3 home setback against the Canucks.
That loss has marked the only time the Predators have failed to earn at least one point in their last 12 games. Nashville got even Wednesday as defenseman P.K. Subban scored twice while Craig Smith recorded a tally and two assists, with the latter matching the amount of goals (12) he totaled in 78 games last season. Edmonton returns home from a 2-1-0 road trip that concluded Tuesday with a 7-2 victory in Columbus. Connor McDavid led the charge with a goal and three assists, giving him nine points in his last six games and raising his team-leading total to 39.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), Sportsnet West, TVA (Edmonton)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (19-7-4): Filip Forsberg continued his offensive onslaught in the win over Vancouver, recording a goal and an assist to increase his team lead to 31 points and give him at least one in 13 of his last 15 games. The 23-year-old Swede, who has collected seven of his club-high 15 goals and 10 assists in that span, set a career high Wednesday with his ninth power-play tally of the season. Subban's two-goal effort was a welcome sight as the veteran blue-liner had gone seven straight games without a point and 13 in a row without a tally.
ABOUT THE OILERS (13-16-2): Anton Slepyshev returned to the lineup Tuesday after being scratched for four contests and notched an assist, giving the 23-year-old Russian three points in 14 games this season. Defenseman Adam Larsson has missed six straight games with an upper-body injury but has been working toward returning to the lineup soon. "He skated today, he skated when we were on the road, so things are improving," coach Todd McLellan told the team's website Wednesday. "We're probably back to that day-to-day scenario, but with his injury, he could wake up tomorrow and it could be back to where it was before. So we've got to get completely through it and make sure that he's fine."
OVERTIME
1. Predators C Ryan Johansen (upper body) and RW Scott Hartnell (lower body) were activated from injured reserve and returned to the lineup Wednesday, with the former recording two assists.
2. Edmonton C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has notched a point in four of his last five games and shares the team lead in goals (12) with McDavid.
3. Nashville assigned C Frederick Gaudreau, who has registered three assists in 17 contests, to Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.