Blues at Predators
Martin Brodeur is expected to make his official return to the ice as the future Hall-of-Famer leads the St. Louis Blues into Music City to face the Nashville Predators on Thursday. Signed to a one-year contract on Tuesday, the four-time Vezina Trophy winner will make his first start since April 13 - although he won't be wearing a New Jersey Devils sweater for the first time in his career. Brodeur, who is the league's all-time leader in wins (688), games played (1,259) and shutouts (124), dressed as Jake Allen's backup as St. Louis dropped a 4-1 decision to Chicago on Wednesday.
Nashville saw its four-game winning streak come to a halt as Peter Laviolette's charges fell to one of his former teams in Carolina on Tuesday. Rookie Filip Forsberg was held off the scoresheet against the Hurricanes but collected a goal and an assist in the Predators' 2-1 win over St. Louis on Nov. 8 while scoring a goal and setting up two others in a 4-3 setback to the Blues five days later. Pekka Rinne was in net for both games against St. Louis and saw his six-game winning streak come to a halt after making 23 saves versus the Hurricanes.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), FSN Tennessee (Nashville)
ABOUT THE BLUES (16-7-2): Defenseman Ian Cole scored his second goal in four contests on Wednesday, but St. Louis saw its offense go limp and fell to 1-1-0 on its four-game road trip. Patrik Berglund notched an assist for the second straight contest after being held off the scoresheet in six straight games and 11 of the previous 12. Vladimir Tarasenko and Jori Lehtera each have recorded a goal and two assists in the first two meetings with Nashville.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (16-6-2): Mike Ribeiro has scored in back-to-back contests to move into third on his team in goals, as his seven trail only Forsberg (10) and James Neal (9). Speaking of Neal, the 27-year-old was held off the scoresheet for the seventh straight contest despite unleashing a team-high eight shots on Tuesday. Neal hopes a date with the Blues ignites his scoring touch as he collected a goal and an assist in the first meeting while setting up a tally in the second.
OVERTIME
1. Allen made three consecutive starts with St. Louis G Brian Elliott nursing a lower-body injury.
2. Nashville is 0-for-18 on the power play over its last five contests.
3. Blues C T.J. Oshie has scored just one goal since tallying in the last meeting with the Predators.