Predators at Hurricanes
The Nashville Predators look to pick up where they left off last month when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. Nashville closed out a 10-3-0 month of November by sweeping a four-game homestand, concluding the stretch with a 2-1 triumph over Columbus on Saturday. Colin Wilson scored with 2:12 remaining in the third period to snap a tie and help the Predators improve to 11-3-2 in one-goal games this season.
Carolina is in the midst of a five-game homestand that began Saturday with a 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh in the back end of a home-and-home series. Rookie Victor Rask set up power-play goals by defenseman Justin Faulk and Elias Lindholm, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Hurricanes from suffering their third straight home defeat. The loss was the seventh in nine overall games for Carolina, which hasn't won at PNC Arena since topping Calgary on Nov. 10.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), FSN Carolinas
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (16-5-2): Filip Forsberg and Pekka Rinne played large roles in Nashville's tremendously successful month and were rewarded for their efforts by the league. Forsberg was named the Rookie of the Month while Rinne received Third Star honors for November. The 20-year-old Forsberg collected nine goals and six assists and Rinne posted a 10-1-0 record with one shutout.
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (7-13-3): Jordan Staal continues to recover from a fractured right fibula, which he suffered during the preseason. The 26-year-old initially was expected to miss three to four months but hopes to return earlier. "There are a couple of different timelines, but we'll just wait and see," coach Bill Peters said. "It's going good, and I think he's slightly ahead of schedule, whatever schedule that would be. I just know we have to be patient with it."
OVERTIME
1. Rinne has won six straight decisions and leads the NHL with 16 victories.
2. Hurricanes RW Alexander Semin remains in search of his first goal of the season and has gone six contests without an assist following a three-game streak.
3. Nashville's David Poile will reach the 2,400-game mark as a general manager in the NHL on Tuesday and is three wins away from tying Harry Sinden for second place on the all-time list for GMs.