Predators at Avalanche
The Nashville Predators look to rebound from a morale-sapping defeat when they kick off a five-game road trip with a visit to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday afternoon. The Predators had their five-game winning streak halted by New Jersey on Thursday night after allowing a tying goal in the final minute of regulation before falling in overtime.
"It's difficult to lose a game like that when you've got the lead late," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette acknowledged. Despite the loss, the Predators extended their point streak to 11 games (7-0-4) and hold a six-point edge over Minnesota and Colorado for seventh place in the Western Conference. The Avalanche opened a four-game homestand with a 3-2 victory over Florida to remain even on points with the Wild, who have a game in hand. Colorado has won the last three in the series, including both matchups this season against the Predators.
TV: 3 p.m. ET, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), Altitude (Colorado), NHL.TV
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (32-21-12): Forward Filip Forsberg, in line to be the hero by scoring the go-ahead goal with 2:04 left in regulation Thursday, is on a tear with 13 tallies and 19 points over his last 13 games. The goal, part of a three-point night, established a career high with 27 for Forsberg, who realizes the Predators have no room to let up. "We can't take anything for granted," Forsberg told the Tennessean. "There's only good teams in this league, so we've got to play our best game every single game basically for the rest of the year to make the playoffs here."
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (33-29-4): Calvin Pickard appears to have supplanted Semyon Varlamov as the starting netminder, clearly earning the confidence of Colorado coach Patrick Roy following a 38-save performance in Thursday's win over the Panthers. Pickard broke Roy's franchise record for saves in a period with 24 in the third to improve to 3-1-1 in his last five games. "The thing that I like about him is his swagger," Roy said. "He seems very confident right now in front of the net. ... I love that intensity that he's bringing, the compete level that he's bringing on the ice."
OVERTIME
1. Colorado has killed off 12 straight and 22-of-23 short-handed situations.
2. The Predators are a dismal 1-11 in games decided in overtime this season.
3. F Mikkel Boedker, acquired from Arizona on Monday, scored his first goal with the Avalanche in Thursday's win.