Predators at Avalanche
The Nashville Predators are skating a fine line after surrendering the first goal in each of their first three playoff contests. While the Predators overcame early deficits in the first two, they were unable to do the same in the third and are in jeopardy of seeing their Western Conference first-round series knotted at two wins apiece should Game 4 at the Pepsi Center follow a similar path.
"We got what we deserved. We didn't really show up the first period," said Nashville captain Roman Josi, who joined fellow defenseman Ryan Ellis and forwards Kevin Fiala and Viktor Arvidsson in being saddled with a minus-3 rating in Monday's 5-3 setback. The Predators permitted three first-period goals and have been outscored 5-0 over the course of the opening 20 minutes of each game in the series. Potential Hart Trophy finalist Nathan MacKinnon scored twice to help Colorado snap a 12-game winless skid to Nashville while continuing his torrid play in Denver, as he has recorded 69 of his 102 points at Pepsi Center in the 2017-18 regular season and playoffs. "I think he thrives on the energy at the building. He gets up for it," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of the 22-year-old MacKinnon, who has scored four goals and set up three others during his five-game point streak.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVAS, FS Tennessee (Nashville), Altitude (Colorado)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS: P.K. Subban caused a stir by unleashing an open-ice shot to the back of the head of MacKinnon during Game 3, but the defenseman didn't pull any punches when asked about it. "Yeah, I'd do it again next game," the 28-year-old Subban told the Tennessean. Austin Watson has scored in four straight games dating back to the regular-season finale to join fellow forwards Ryan Johansen and Colton Sissons with a club-best four points in the series, with the latter two each having two goals and two assists.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE: While MacKinnon collected his fifth multi-point performance in nine career playoff contests, captain Gabriel Landeskog recorded a personal postseason best with three points (one goal, two assists) in Game 3 while linemate Mikko Rantanen notched his first multi-point playoff outing with a pair of assists. "I thought that whole line was great," Bednar said. "I thought (MacKinnon) was skating really well at the start of the game, dangerous, Landy was hard on pucks making all the right plays." Rantanen has three assists in the series after notching three points (one goal, two assists) in four regular-season tilts versus Nashville.
OVERTIME
1. Colorado LW Gabriel Bourque has scored in back-to-back games after netting just five in 58 regular-season contests.
2. Predators D Samuel Girard (upper body), who is a former member of the Avalanche, could be in line to return from a two-game absence on Wednesday.
3. Nashville has scored on the power play in all three games while limiting Colorado to just one tally in 13 opportunities with the man advantage.