Avalanche at Predators
Filip Forsberg made quite the impression during both the first half of his rookie campaign as well as in the All-Star Game on Sunday. The 20-year-old Swede and potential Calder Trophy candidate looks to continue his good fortune as the Central Division-leading Predators return to the ice to host the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. Forsberg, who shares the team lead in goals (15) with James Neal, also tallied twice to help Team Toews emerge victorious in the All-Star Game.
Forsberg recorded a goal and an assist in Nashville's 3-0 victory over Colorado on Dec. 9, but Pekka Rinne - who stopped all 26 shots he faced in that contest - is expected to be sidelined for perhaps another three weeks with a sprained knee. The Avalanche, who are last season's division winners, reside 15 points behind the Predators and have dropped 11 of 16 meetings (5-8-3) against Central rivals. Colorado finished strong before the break, however, posting a 2-1-1 mark as Jarome Iginla scored against his former team in a 3-2 shootout victory over Boston on Wednesday.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), FSN Tennessee (Nashville)
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (20-18-10): Colorado's lone All-Star representative Erik Johnson did not participate in Sunday's exhibition and was ruled out for the next three to eight weeks following a knee scope on Monday. Johnson, who logs a team-high 24:25 of ice time, has scored a career-high 12 goals - tying him for first in the league among defensemen. Iginla looks as though he's gotten acclimated to his new surroundings by scoring seven goals and setting up three others in his last 10 contests.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (30-10-5): Defenseman Shea Weber made the most of Zdeno Chara's absence in the Hardest Shot event at the NHL's Skills Competition by unleashing a 108.5 mph blast, easily besting the field on Saturday. "We will never know ... until next time," Weber said after being asked if he would have beaten the Boston blue-liner had the latter participated. As for the All-Star Game itself, Forsberg became the first player in franchise history to score in that contest when he netted the first of his two tallies.
OVERTIME
1. Nashville recalled G Marek Mazanec from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on Monday. The 23-year-old owns a 13-8-3 record and a 2.41 goals-against average with the Admirals.
2. Colorado has converted on just 3-of-32 power-play opportunities over its last 11 games and resides 28th in the league for the season at 13.7 percent.
3. Predators LW Gabriel Bourque recorded a goal and an assist in the teams' first meeting but has been held off the scoresheet in each of his last eight games.