Predators at Lightning
The Nashville Predators attempt to remain perfect on the road when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night for a battle between the top teams in each conference. The Predators are 5-0-0 away from home - including three one-goal victories - and play six of the next seven games on the road after knocking off Vegas 4-1 in Nashville on Tuesday.
The Predators also could get a boost in net this week with reigning Vezina Trophy winner Pekka Rinne being activated Wednesday after sitting out five games with an undisclosed injury, while backup Juuse Saros went 3-2-0 with a .917 save percentage. Nashville has won its last two games at Tampa Bay, including a 4-1 triumph in April as Saros made 29 saves, but the Lightning are off to a 5-1-0 start at home in 2018-19. Tampa Bay battled back from an early two-goal deficit to score an 8-3 rout of New Jersey on Tuesday after suffering a 7-1 setback in the finale of a five-game trip Saturday at Arizona. Right wing Nikita Kucherov has at least a point in eight of his last nine games for the Lightning and center Brayden Point collected a career-high five of his team-best 14 points in the victory over New Jersey.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET. FS Tennessee (Nashville), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (9-3-0): Right wing Ryan Hartman snapped a six-game point drought with a pair of goals Tuesday and left wing Kevin Fiala added a pair of assists for his second multi-point effort of the campaign. Filip Forsberg (five goals in the last four games) leads the team with 14 points while linemates Ryan Johansen (13, including six assists in the past four contests) and Viktor Arvidsson (12, including five goals in the last five games) are close behind. Nashville has yet to get on track in the special teams department despite its strong start, ranking 22nd on the penalty kill (75 percent) and 27th on the power play (13.3) entering Wednesday.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (8-2-1): Point centered a line that included Yanni Gourde and Tyler Johnson on Tuesday, and the unit played against New Jersey’s top trio most of the night while totaling 10 points in the contest. “The Point line, they were on (Tuesday),” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper told reporters. “It’s a big assignment, they had to go against those guys and the MVP of the league (Taylor Hall). Every team you play has some big dynamic line, you have to shut them down to give yourself a chance to win. That line did that (Tuesday).” Reigning Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman (upper-body) and left wing Ondrej Palat (lower-body) are not expected to play.
OVERTIME
1. Lightning F Tyler Johnson, who has two goals and four points in the last three contests, is slated to play his 400th NHL game Thursday.
2. Nashville D P.K. Subban (two goals, 10 points) has recorded four assists in his last three games.
3. Tampa Bay leads the league in penalty killing (93.2 percent) and is sixth on the power play (29.3).