Coyotes at Predators
After finally putting an end to a four-game slide, the Nashville Predators will play their final home contest of the regular season when they host the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night. The Predators, who already are locked into the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference, have split two meetings with Arizona this season.
Although Nashville has had nothing for which to play, it picked up a confidence-building win Tuesday with a 4-3 victory that eliminated visiting Colorado for playoff contention. "We still have a little ways to go in how we want to play, but it's just nice to be back on the winning side of things," Predators forward Ryan Johansen said. With a likely matchup against Anaheim or Los Angeles in the playoffs, Nashville takes a 12-3-5 mark against Pacific Division foes into Thursday's game. Arizona has been pounded by St. Louis and Chicago by a combined 11-4 margin on the first two legs of its season-ending four-game road trip.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, FSN Tennessee (Nashville)
ABOUT THE COYOTES (35-38-7): Rookie Louis Domingue, who earned his second career shutout in a 4-0 victory over Nashville on Jan. 9, has left the club due to family reasons, according to the team. In his absence, coach Dave Tippett said the start will go to veteran Mike Smith, who has been tormented by the Predators, losing six consecutive decisions (0-5-1) while surrendering at least three goals in each one. Forward Martin Hanzal, who was riding a four-game point streak, will miss his fourth consecutive game due to an upper-body injury.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (40-26-14): Nashville leading scorer Filip Forsberg scored a highlight-reel goal against the Avalanche to move within one tally of tying the franchise's single-season record of 33 set by Jason Arnott in 2008-09. "Obviously, it would be awesome, but it's nothing that I would cry myself to sleep (about) if I don't do it, but for sure it'd be pretty cool if it happened," Forsberg said after Wednesday's practice. Forward James Neal, who scored 10 times last month and has 18 goals since the All-Star break to give him 31, has a shot at the record.
OVERTIME
1. Johansen has one goal and five assists during a four-game point streak.
2. Coyotes captain Shane Doan has scored only seven of his 27 goals away from home.
3. Nashville set a franchise mark with an NHL-best 199 points from its defensemen.