Nashville @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 21, 2019 ) Tampa Bay 4, Nashville 5

The Nashville Predators have shown some improvement on the defensive end of the ice the last two games and look to continue that when they visit the offensively gifted Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night. The Predators permitted 30 goals in the first eight games of the season, but have allowed one combined while knocking off Anaheim and Minnesota in the past two contests.

“We make adjustments during the game, and I think our coaches have done a great job on off days and practices of grabbing groups and correcting things,” Nashville forward Craig Smith told reporters after Thursday’s 4-0 victory over Minnesota. “It’s just to get it in your head. … I think our guys have done a good job of staying on it, but defense is won by energy and aggression.” The Predators won both matchups last season and have earned at least a point in 11 straight games (9-0-2) against the Lightning, who have won three of four overall after holding off Pittsburgh 3-2 on Wednesday. Andrei Vasilevskiy has been between the pipes for all of Tampa Bay’s victories this season and turned aside 37 shots against the Penguins, including a dazzling glove save as time expired. “(Vasilevskiy) with another highlight-reel save there,” Lightning captain Steven Stamkos told reporters. “It was nice to get a good break. I thought we deserved it (Wednesday). We played hard for the most part and we had to come from behind.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Tennessee (Nashville), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (6-3-1): Nashville has been without high-scoring forward Filip Forsberg (five goals) because of a lower-body injury the last four games while center Matt Duchene left Thursday’s contest with the same ailment and their status is uncertain. Duchene boasts 11 points, trailing only defenseman Ryan Ellis (one goal, 11 assists) for the team lead, and left wing Viktor Arvidsson scored twice in Tuesday’s 6-1 win over Anaheim to tie Forsberg for the top spot on the club. Pekka Rinne (6-0-1) earned his 56th career shutout with 26 saves Thursday and has given up five goals in his last four starts.

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (5-3-1): Defenseman Victor Hedman scored in each of the last two games, including the game-winner on the power play Wednesday, and is third on the team with eight points behind Stamkos (10) and Nikita Kucherov (nine). Center Cedric Paquette returned to the lineup Wednesday after missing the first eight contests with an upper-body injury and scored a goal while he and his linemates Luke Witkowski (nine) and Patrick Maroon (one) combined 15 hits. “(Paquette) is an extremely important player for us,” coach Jon Cooper told reporters. “For him to come back the way he did, he just brings an identity to his line.”

OVERTIME

1. Tampa Bay D Mikhail Sergachev boasts team highs of seven assists and a plus-8 rating.

2. Smith scored his first goal of 2019-20 and posted his first point since opening night Thursday, registering a season-high five shots.

3. Nashville and Tampa Bay entered Friday tied for 27th in the league in penalty killing at 71 percent (22-of-31).

PREDICTION: Lightning 4, Predators 2