Red Wings at Predators
THE STORY: The Nashville Predators are on a roll, the likes of which they had not previously seen this season. The Predators became the 29th team in the NHL to post a three-game winning streak when they posted a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday. The Columbus Blue Jackets are now the lone team in the league not to have won three straight. Nashville, which had dropped seven of nine prior to the current surge, have received strong play out of its special teams and from goaltender Pekka Rinne. The Detroit Red Wings, who visit Nashville on Thursday, are riding their own three-game winning streak and are no strangers to success. The Red Wings have recorded three different streaks of at least four games already in the 2011-12 campaign and have outscored the opposition by a 16-4 margin during their current string.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSD (Detroit), FSTN (Nashville)
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (19-9-1): After taking advantage of the Phoenix Coyotes and Winnipeg Jets last week, Detroit took a step up in competition with a visit to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. The Red Wings did not let up, posting a 4-1 victory. Pavel Datsyuk has multiple points in three straight games and has at least one point in 11 of the last 13 contests. Danny Cleary scored a pair of goals in a three-goal third period for the Red Wings on Tuesday, marking his first multi-point game of the season.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (15-11-4): Nashville has converted 8 of 17 power-play opportunities in December, winning four of six games in the process. Colin Wilson has scored the game-winning goal in two of the last three games and has seven points in his last six contests to pace the offense. Rinne, who had dropped seven straight starts before the current streak, had one of his best games on Tuesday, stopping 35 shots.
OVERTIME:
1. The Red Wings have won back-to-back games in the series, including a 4-1 triumph at home on Nov. 26.
2. Datsyuk went without a point in the Nov. 26 meeting, but has 54 points in 53 career games against Nashville.
3. Rinne is 8-3-3 with a 2.25 goals-against average in his career against Detroit.