Oilers at Predators
THE STORY: The cupboard was bare for the Edmonton Oilers on Monday. Two nights after scoring nine goals against Chicago - the club's most prolific effort in 15 years - the Oilers couldn't muster much of anything on the way to a 4-1 defeat in Dallas. The Oilers look to snap out of their season-long road woes Tuesday as they visit the Nashville Predators. The Oilers reach the quarter pole of the season second in the Northwest Division race, but have only three victories in 10 games away from Edmonton. Earning win No. 4 will be no easy task against a Predators team that is traditionally one of the toughest in its own building. Nashville lost only nine regulation home games last season - tied with Vancouver for the second-fewest in the NHL - and is a tidy 4-2-3 at Bridgestone Arena in 2011-12. This is the second meeting this season, with Edmonton prevailing 3-1 at Rexall Place just over a month ago.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Rogers Sportsnet West
ABOUT THE OILERS (10-8-2): Edmonton has to be happy with the play of rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins through the first quarter of the season. The 18-year-old has 20 points in 20 games, and his goal was the offense Monday. Nugent-Hopkins went through a bit of a lull to open the month but has erupted for a goal and five assists over his past two games to surge back into the lead among freshman scorers.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (10-5-4): Nashville played 45 solid minutes against Edmonton in their first encounter of the season, but the wheels fell off in short order as Taylor Hall and Ryan Smyth scored two minutes apart in the third period. The Predators managed a season-low 12 shots on goal in that one, but has shown improved offensive prowess in going 5-1-2 over its last eight games. Nashville has scored three or more goals in seven of those outings.
OVERTIME:
1. Edmonton has won three of the last four meetings after dropping four straight.
2. Nashville defenseman Shea Weber has been the best blue liner in the league over the past month, posting three goals, eight assists and an absurd plus-19 rating in his last 11 games.
3. The Oilers remain without four of their top six defenseman - Cam Barker (ankle), Ryan Whitney (knee), Andy Sutton (groin) and Corey Potter (ankle).