Wild at Predators
The Minnesota Wild aim to defeat the Nashville Predators for the fourth time in 2017-18 and second in the last four days on Tuesday when the Central Division rivals conclude their five-game season series at Bridgestone Arena. The Wild continued their strong showing versus the Predators with a 4-1 triumph on Saturday as part of their 11-4-2 mark in their last 17 games.
"We're playing against really good teams right now and we're managing to get points, but it sure would have been nice to get that other one," Zach Parise said after Sunday's 2-1 overtime loss to Boston. The 33-year-old set up captain Mikko Koivu's goal midway into the third period versus the Bruins to give him points in 11 of his last 15 games, a stretch that includes his 13th goal and 20th point in his 26th career meeting with Nashville. The Predators dropped that contest and three straight overall following their franchise-best 15-game point streak, with Sunday's 5-4 shootout setback to Winnipeg capping a quick two-game road trip. Filip Forsberg increased his point total to 13 (four goals, nine assists) in his last 13 games after setting up a goal for the second straight contest heading into a tilt with Minnesota, against which has three assists in as many meetings this season.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), FS Tennessee (Nashville)
ABOUT THE WILD (42-24-9): Eric Staal (39 goals), who saw his four-game point streak end versus the Bruins, will attempt to become the second player in NHL history to bookend 40-goal seasons around an absence of at least nine years (Gordie Howe, 1956-77, 1968-69). The 33-year-old Staal has gashed Nashville for five points (one goal, four assists) in 2017-18, trumped only by Mikael Granlund's six-point effort that is highlighted by his second career hat trick in Minnesota's 4-2 win on Dec. 29. Devan Dubnyk has benefited from the offense to sport a 3-0-0 mark with a .925 save percentage this season versus the Predators.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (48-16-11): Ryan Johansen scored Nashville's lone goal in the last meeting with Minnesota, giving him five points (two goals, three assists) in the season series. Defenseman P.K. Subban has the same totals against the Predators in 2017-18 and has an assist in three straight and four of his last five games overall, raising his team-leading total to 39. Viktor Arvidsson has club bests in goals (28) and points (58), with two and three, respectively, coming against Minnesota this season.
OVERTIME
1. Nashville G Pekka Rinne, who sports an NHL second-best 40 wins this season, owns an 0-3-0 mark with a 3.73 goals-against average and .891 save percentage against Minnesota.
2. The Wild signed 2018 U.S. Olympian Jordan Greenway to a three-year, entry-level contract on Monday and reassigned fellow F Zack Mitchell to Iowa of the American Hockey League.
3. The Predators are 2-for-13 on the power play versus Minnesota this season and 2-for-32 in their last 10 games overall.