Predators at Panthers
Captain Ed Jovanovski will make his season debut when the Florida Panthers play their first game of 2014 against the visiting Nashville Predators on Saturday night. The 37-year-old Jovanovski has been sidelined since undergoing major hip surgery that threatened to end his career. “We are thrilled to have our captain back in the lineup,” Panthers general manager Dale Tallon said. "He is a true professional in every sense, who adds leadership, character and a veteran presence to our locker room.”
The Predators saw their bid for a three-game winning streak denied when they suffered a 3-2 overtime loss at Boston on Thursday in the opener of a three-game road trip. Nashville failed to take advantage of a home-heavy schedule in December, going 5-7-1 to fall back to the NHL's version of .500. One ongoing problem for the Predators has been an inability to generate offense on a consistent basis, as they are the only team in the Central Division that has yet to reach 100 goals (97).
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), FSN Florida
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (18-18-5): Mike Fisher's gaffe on defense led to the deciding goal against the Bruins but there is nothing wrong with the veteran forward's offensive game. Fisher assisted on both goals Thursday to give him eight points in his last three contests - more than he had amassed in his previous 23 games. Captain Shea Weber, the team's second-leading scorer, has been on a point-per-game pace since returning from a three-game injury absence early last month - he has three goals and eight assists in his last 10 contests.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (15-20-6): Jovanovski appeared in only six games last season before undergoing hip resurfacing surgery - a procedure that typically is career-ending. "The way he practices, he looks ready," Florida coach Peter Horachek told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "You're kind of working on (uncharted) ground that hasn't been worked on before with this surgery." The top overall pick of the Panthers in 1994, Jovanovski played his first 3 1/2 seasons with the team and signed a three-year deal with Florida prior to the 2011-12 campaign.
OVERTIME
1. Nashville has won five of the past six meetings, including a 4-3 victory at home on Oct. 15.
2. Panthers rookie C Aleksander Barkov has a goal and three assists during a four-game point streak.
3. The Predators are the only team in the league that has yet to surrender a short-handed goal.