Senators at Predators
The Nashville Predators attempt to bounce back from their first shutout loss of the season when they continue their five-game homestand against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. Nashville began its stretch of contests at Bridgestone Arena in disappointing fashion, suffering a 4-0 setback against Central Division rival St. Louis on Saturday despite registering 45 shots.
It was the first regulation loss at home this season for the Predators, who had gone 4-0-1 in their first five contests in Music City. Ottawa is hoping to avoid a fourth consecutive game that requires extra time as it wraps up a brief two-game road trip. The Senators are coming off a busy week that saw them edge Montreal in overtime and defeat Winnipeg in a shootout before falling at Carolina in 2 minutes, 51 seconds of additional play on Saturday. Nashville posted a 4-3 shootout victory in Ottawa on Oct. 17 after each team registered a 3-2 triumph at home last season.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TSN5, RDS (Ottawa), FSN Tennessee (Nashville)
ABOUT THE SENATORS (7-4-3): Ottawa has fared well on the road thus far this season, winning its first three contests and going 5-1-1 overall. Defenseman Chris Wideman turned in a solid performance Saturday, scoring his first goal in his fourth career game while blocking a shot and registering a pair of hits. The 25-year-old, who was a fourth-round pick in the 2009 draft, has posted a plus-1 rating in three contests and was even in his other game.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (8-3-2): Paul Gaustad and Cody Hodgson were the only players not to register at least one shot on Saturday for the Predators, who fell two shy of their season high of 47 - recorded on Oct. 15 against the New York Islanders. Craig Smith (seven), Filip Forsberg and James Neal (six apiece) led the way, and the latter hopes to have just as many chances versus Ottawa after scoring a pair of goals in their first meeting this campaign. Coach Peter Laviolette was pleased with his team's effort Saturday, if not the outcome. "It wasn't from a lack of trying," he told the team's website. "Attempts, opportunities, quality scoring chances, they're all heavily stacked, and (St. Louis' Jake Allen) played a good game in net. We hit the post six times, couldn't get it to bounce."
OVERTIME
1. Half of Ottawa's 14 games this season have gone past regulation, with the club posting a 1-1 record in overtime and a 3-2 mark in shootouts.
2. Neal has scored a team-high seven goals and shares the club lead in points (10) with D Roman Josi.
3. Ottawa RW Mark Stone returned from a two-game suspension Saturday and notched an assist to extend his point streak to five contests.