Predators at Rangers
The Nashville Predators have lost each of the first two contests on their five-game road trip 4-0 and it doesn't figure to get any easier when they visit Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers on Monday. New York has won 10 of its last 11 games and returns home following a 5-4 overtime victory over Florida on Saturday despite Lundqvist allowing a season high in goals, but that wasn't what irked the 10-time All-Star, who continues to bail out his undisciplined teammates from time to time.
"Nah I'm still annoyed,'' Lundqvist told reporters, still stewing over New York's 2-1 loss at Tampa Bay on Thursday on a shorthanded goal with 1:05 remaining. "... I think last game we found a way to lose a game, and we almost did it again (Saturday). So we need to learn from it, smarten up and we need to come back. ..." Rick Nash, who led the Rangers with 42 goals in 2014-15, had two in his first 17 games this season before completing a hat trick in overtime Saturday. "For sure, definitely (it’s a weight off my shoulders),” Nash told reporters. “But it’s one game, so I’m not getting ahead of myself. It’s been a tough start for me. Three goals don’t make it all right.” Nashville had won three of its previous four games - scoring 18 goals and seven twice during that span - before its offense went dark in Columbus and Minnesota.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), MSG Plus (New York), SNET (Canada)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (11-5-3): James Neal (team-leading nine goals) is coming off a rough night Saturday in which he fought, answering for a knee-to-knee hit against Minnesota's Zach Parise on Nov. 5 which caused the Wild star to miss the last seven games. Nashville's next-highest goal scorer is defenseman Shea Weber (six) while defenseman Roman Josi shares the team lead in assists (nine) with defenseman Seth Jones and forwards Mike Ribeiro and Filip Forsberg. Pekka Rinne (10-4-3, 2.27 goals against average, .913 save percentage) is coming off consecutive losses for the first time this season, which also marked Nashville's first back-to-back shutout losses since Nov. 8 and 10, 2013.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (15-3-2): While Nash continues to find his scoring touch, Mats Zuccarello is carrying the offense with team bests of 10 goals and 21 points after recording a goal and two assists Saturday - the third time in five games he's registered a goal and two assists. Derek Stepan (five goals, 11 assists), whose giveaway led to Thursday loss, redeemed himself with a strong game Saturday in which he provided an assist on Zuccarello's tally and registered six shots on goal, prompting him to tell reporters: “Funny how the game works, isn’t it?" Rookie Oscar Lindberg, who recorded four of his seven goals in his first three games, hasn't scored in seven contests and was demoted to the fourth line by coach Alain Vigneault.
OVERTIME
1. New York yields an NHL-least 1.85 goals per game and Lundqvist (11-3-2) leads the league with a .943 save percentage.
2. Nashville on Sunday claimed D Petter Granberg off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Granberg, who has yet to play this season as he recovers from a torn Achilles', helped Sweden win titles with two of his new teammates - F Calle Jarnkrok (2013 World Championship) and Forsberg (2012 World Juniors).
3. The teams split two meetings last season with each winning at home.