Predators at Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets would love to enter their upcoming five-day break with a three-game winning streak, and they can do so with a victory over the visiting Nashville Predators on Sunday. Columbus is coming off an important 2-1 overtime triumph over Pittsburgh on Friday - a win that improved it to 3-2-0 on its seven-game homestand.
Brandon Dubinsky is riding a four-game point streak after scoring the winning goal for the Blue Jackets, who trail the Penguins by one point for second place in the Metropolitan Division. Nashville was flat in its return from a five-day break, dropping a 5-2 decision at Minnesota on Saturday in the opener of a back-to-back set. Colin Wilson scored one goal and set up the other as the Predators suffered their third consecutive road loss and third in four overall contests. Ryan Johansen, who leads Nashville with 40 points, pays his first visit to Nationwide Arena since being traded by the Blue Jackets on Jan. 6, 2016.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), FSN Ohio (Columbus)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (27-22-8): Johansen has gone six games without a goal and remains four away from 100 for his career. The 24-year-old center, who tops the team in both assists (31) and power-play points (17), was a season-worst minus-4 in Saturday's loss. Craig Smith has been kept off the scoresheet in each of his last eight contests, leaving him three points shy of 200 in the NHL.
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (37-15-5): Dubinsky, who notched an assist in the previous meeting with Nashville, has recorded two goals and three assists during his streak and is three points shy of 400 for his career. Dubinsky, as well as Matt Calvert, needs one goal to become the 10th member of the Blue Jackets to reach double digits this season. Scott Hartnell is expected to return to the lineup after missing the previous two games with knee and calf injuries.
OVERTIME
1. Blue Jackets C Lukas Sedlak left Friday's game with a lower-body injury and is day-to-day.
2. Nashville LW Kevin Fiala was recalled from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League but was a healthy scratch on Saturday.
3. Columbus D David Savard's next point will be the 100th of his career.