Music: {allcanada} PREDATORS (30-10-4) at CANADIENS (28-13-3)

Monday, January 19, 2015

{allcanada} PREDATORS (30-10-4) at CANADIENS (28-13-3)

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

7:30 PM ET

PREDATORS (30-10-4) at CANADIENS (28-13-3)

TV: FS-TN, RDS, SNE

Season series: The Nashville Predators went 1-0-1 in 2013-14, losing to the Montreal Canadiens in overtime at Bridgestone Arena on Dec. 13, 2013. Defenseman Shea Weber led Nashville with two goals and one assist. Right wing Brendan Gallagher and center Lars Eller led Montreal with two points each. Montreal goalie Carey Price made 66 saves on 71 shots (.930 save percentage).

Predators team scope: Nashville assigned wing Viktor Stalberg to Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on Monday. That indicates wing Eric Nystrom, who is on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, could return Tuesday. Nystrom, one of Nashville's regular penalty killers, has missed the past five games. Nystrom skated on the Predators fourth line at practice Monday and forward Olli Jokinen, who has not scored in the past seven games, was the extra, according to the Tennessean. Nashville is 12-8-3 on the road, 9-5-0 against the Eastern Conference and 4-3-0 against the Atlantic Division. Center Mike Fisher needs one point for 500 in his career. Fisher has points in six consecutive games (four goals, three assists). Defenseman Mattias Ekholm has four goals in his past eight games. Center Mike Ribeiro, the former Canadien, has 21 points in his past 22 games (four goals, 17 assists). Nashville has scored power-play goals in three consecutive games (4-for-13). The Predators lost in regulation for the first time in 11 games Saturday (8-2-1). The loss also ended a five-game winning streak.

Canadiens team scope: After missing the game Saturday, Price could return to the lineup after sustaining a minor upper-body injury. Price, whose is tied for fourth in the NHL in wins, practiced Monday and said if he wakes up feeling well, he would expect to play. Center Tomas Plekanec is coming off a four-point game and has nine points in his past seven games (three goals, six assists). He also has a three-game point streak. The Canadiens are 14-5-2 at the Bell Centre, 8-7-1 against the Western Conference and 5-4-0 against the Central Division. Center David Desharnais ended a four-game pointless streak with one goal and one assist Saturday. Left wing Max Pacioretty has a seven-game point streak (seven goals, three assists). Pacioretty had a six-game goal-scoring streak ended Saturday. That tied for the longest streak in the NHL this season.

Team Stats