Predators at Panthers
THE STORY: The Florida Panthers are coming off an embarrassing loss, and a return to their home ice offers no guarantee of turning things around. Florida looks to shrug off a 7-0 beating at Winnipeg when it hosts the Nashville Predators on Saturday. The Panthers have dropped four of their last five at home and are clinging to a two-point lead atop the Southeast Division. Florida has had success when Nashville comes to town, earning points in the last eight meetings (5-0-2 with a tie) in South Florida.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSTN, FSFL
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (37-20-7): Nashville faces an uphill climb to catch Detroit and St. Louis in the Central Division. Paul Gaustad, one of the key trade-deadline acquisitions, is expected to make his Predators debut Saturday. Andrei Kostitsyn played only 12 minutes in his first game for Nashville. G Pekka Rinne, the league leader in victories and starts, will be back in net after a four-day rest. Rinne is 4-0-1 in his last five games and has not allowed more than two goals in his last seven.
ABOUT THE WILD (30-21-12): Florida had won three straight before the slaughter in Winnipeg. “It’s a man’s game this time of year and we did not look prepared,” coach Kevin Dineen said. The Panthers are expected to be without leading scorer Kris Versteeg for a third straight game due to a lower-body injury. G Jose Theodore had started all but one game since Feb. 12, but he was yanked after allowing four goals to the Jets. Backup Scott Clemmensen is 2-1-2 with a 2.34 goal-against average lifetime against Nashville.
OVERTIME:
1. This is the only meeting between the teams this season. The home team has won seven of the last eight.
2. Florida continues to put itself in a hole, having allowed the first goal of a game 35 times, including nine of the last 13 games.