Predators at Wild
Ryan Ellis has been wielding a hot stick of late, and the Nashville Predators hope the defenseman continues his offensive surge Sunday as they conclude their five-game road trip in search of their third straight win when they visit the Minnesota Wild. Ellis enters having scored three goals in two games for the first time in his career and added the decisive tally in the shootout of Nashville's 3-2 triumph in Edmonton on Friday.
The 26-year-old Ellis, who leads all Predators blue-liners with eight tallies, is seeking his first three-game goal-scoring streak in the NHL after converting in back-to-back contests for the fourth time in his career. Minnesota is seeking its third straight win and seventh in eight games as it concludes a four-game homestand after rallying from a two-goal deficit to post a 5-3 victory over Anaheim on Saturday. Jason Zucker started and ended the comeback for his first two-goal performance of the season, which gave him five tallies in his last six contests. The Western Conference-leading Wild are 19-2-2 overall since the beginning of December and have won 11 of their last 13 at home.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), FSN North Plus, FSN Wisconsin (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (22-17-7): Nashville also would like to see James Neal find his scoring touch, as the veteran right wing has recorded just one of his team-high 15 goals over his last nine contests. The 29-year-old, who has tallied in only two of his last 13 matches, will be playing in his 600th career game Sunday. Defenseman P.K. Subban was none the worse for wear in his return to the lineup Friday, logging nearly 23 minutes of ice time after missing 16 contests with an upper-body injury.
ABOUT THE WILD (30-10-5): Defenseman Ryan Suter was a key contributor during Saturday's third-period outburst that saw the club record three goals in 1 minutes, 59 seconds, as he set up Erik Haula's rally-opening tally before forging a tie 36 seconds later. The 32-year-old Suter has scored seven goals this season — one shy of his career high, which he registered for the third time last campaign. Haula matched Zucker by scoring a pair of goals against the Ducks and is one away from becoming the eighth member of the Wild to reach double digits this season.
OVERTIME
1. Predators C Ryan Johansen, who leads the team with 32 points, notched two assists Friday to double the point total from his previous seven games.
2. Wild RW Chris Stewart, who has scored three goals in his last five games, is three points shy of 300 for his career.
3. Minnesota won each of the previous two meetings this season — both in Nashville.