Winnipeg @ Nashville preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 23, 2019 ) Nashville 0, Winnipeg 5

Playing away from home and battling in close games has generated a winning formula so far for the Winnipeg Jets, who appear to have shaken off a sluggish start entering Tuesday’s contest at the Nashville Predators. The Jets have won the first two games of their current four-game road swing, a 4-3 victory Saturday at Tampa Bay pushing Winnipeg’s mark in road contests to 7-3-0 on the season and its record in one-goal games to 9-1-1.

But coach Paul Maurice mentioned an improved penalty kill - which has stopped 17 of the past 20 opposing power plays - as playing a role in the Jets going 6-2-1 in their past nine games, telling reporters postgame Saturday:“You go back just after the Anaheim game (on Oct. 29) and we’re actually a good penalty killing team right now. That’s a real confidence booster.” The Predators are trending in the opposite direction, losing four in a row and going 1-4-2 in their past seven games after a 7-2 home loss Saturday against Chicago. Nashville has surrendered five goals or more four times in seven contests, giving up the game’s first four goals Saturday in 31:39. “We’ve got to make sure we all defend together, we come back together, we battle it out together,” Nashville defenseman Roman Josi told reporters after scoring both Predators goals. “We didn’t do any of that (Saturday).”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), FS Tennessee (Nashville)

ABOUT THE JETS (12-8-1): Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck entered the week just one win off the NHL lead of 10 and tied for fourth in save percentage at .927, and this month is 4-1-1 with a 2.13 goals against average and .937 SP. Winnipeg is 6-1-1 in November in part because its penalty kill has moved from last in the NHL to 28th at 73.3 percent. Captain Blake Wheeler recorded two assists Saturday, giving him four in five games since moving from forward on the Jets top line to center on the second line.

ABOUT PREDATORS (9-7-3): Goaltender Pekka Rinne was chased for the second time in his past three starts after the fourth Chicago goal Saturday, and in his past five games has allowed 20 goals and posted a .821 save percentage. Josi has points in five of his past six games, totaling two goals and five assists in that span to give him the team lead in points with 20 (11 coming on the power play). Center Filip Forsberg’s goal-scoring streak ended at four games Saturday, but leads the club with nine after opening the season with a goal in four straight contests.

OVERTIME

1. Nashville recalled D Steven Santini and F Mathieu Olivier from Milwaukee of the AHL on Monday.

2. Jets F Nikolaj Ehlers (99 career goals) has scored in back-to-back games after going without a point in his previous five contests.

3. Winnipeg won three of four meetings with Nashville last season, outscoring the Predators 15-7 as F Kyle Connor scored four times in the season series.

PREDICTION: Jets 5, Predators 3