Predators at Senators
All but one of the Ottawa Senators' eight games thus far this month have been one-goal decisions, with five being victories. Ottawa's lone multi-goal decision in that span came against the Nashville Predators, who continue their three-game road trip Thursday in Canada's capital.
The Senators suffered a 3-1 loss at Nashville on Nov. 8, a contest that was the sixth during the team's current 10-game streak of being limited to fewer than three goals prior to a shootout. Captain Erik Karlsson, who is one of only two Senators with double-digit point totals, enters Thursday with a three-game streak during which he has recorded four assists. Nashville had its three-game winning streak snapped Tuesday as it began its trek with a 6-2 setback in Toronto. James Neal has been red-hot for the Predators, scoring six of his team-leading seven goals during the career high-tying five-game streak he brings into the contest in Ottawa.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), TSN5, RDS (Ottawa)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (6-6-3): Pekka Rinne could be back in net against the Senators as he returned to practice on Wednesday after sitting out the loss to the Maple Leafs with a lower-body injury. "I think he's feeling better, and it's good to have him out there," captain Mike Fisher told the team's website. "He brings the level of practice up with the way he works." Another sign of Rinne's return to the crease came Wednesday, as the Predators assigned goaltender Juuse Saros to Milwaukee of the American Hockey League.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (10-5-1): Ottawa's impressive record can, in part, be attributed to its penalty kill, which entered Wednesday tied for fourth in the league with an 87.5 percent success rate. The Senators have extinguished 27 consecutive penalties over their last 11 games after going a perfect 4-for-4 in Tuesday's shootout victory over Philadelphia. Kyle Turris has scored in two straight games to increase his team-leading total to eight, which is five shy of the amount he registered in 57 contests last season.
OVERTIME
1. Karlsson is one point away from becoming the 12th active defenseman with 400 in his career.
2. Nashville LW Filip Forsberg, who scored a team-high 33 goals last campaign, ended his season-opening 13-game drought Saturday against Anaheim but was kept off the scoresheet again versus Toronto.
3. Ottawa RW Mark Stone has netted only three tallies in 15 games this season, with two coming in his last three contests.