Arizona @ Nashville preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 17, 2019 ) Nashville 2, Arizona 5

Captain Roman Josi and the Nashville Predators hope to remain hot when they return home Monday night after a satisfying road trip to take on the improved Arizona Coyotes. The Predators went 3-0-1 on their trek after a 4-3 overtime victory Saturday in Boston as Josi scored twice to extend his goal-scoring streak to a career-high four games and tied Washington’s John Carlson for the most tallies by a defenseman (13).

“It was a huge road trip for us,” Josi told reporters after increasing his team-high total to 33 points. “I think nobody on this team was happy with the way we were playing and the position we were in. We’re still not happy where we are in the standings, so we got to keep pushing.” The Coyotes, who took the first of three meetings against Nashville 5-2 on Oct. 17 at home and have won three of the past four, have alternated wins over the last eight games after rolling past Detroit 5-2 on Sunday. Former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall on Sunday scored his first goal since being acquired from New Jersey and has three points in his first three games with Arizona, which sits atop the tight Pacific Division race despite failing to win back-to-back contests since Dec. 3 and 5. Coyotes goalie Antti Raanta (6-5-2) made 28 saves in his first start since Darcy Kuemper (15-8-2) went down with a lower-body injury and was deemed week-to-week, while Adin Hill was recalled from AHL Tuscon to back him up.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Arizona Plus, FS Tennessee (Nashville)

ABOUT THE COYOTES (21-13-4): Nick Schmaltz recorded a pair of assists Saturday to lead the team with 29 points and fellow forward Clayton Keller (28) scored twice to become the third player with double-figure goals with 10. Conor Garland, who tops the team with 12 goals, returned to the lineup after missing one game with an upper-body injury while fellow forward Carl Soderberg (11) scored for the second time in three contests. All-Star defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson boasts two goals and five points, along with a plus-6 rating and nine shots, in the last three games after helping to set up three goals Sunday.

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (17-12-6): Defenseman Ryan Ellis had the winning goal in overtime Saturday and sits second on the team with 28 points - seven during his four-game streak - behind Josi, who is slated to play his 599th NHL game Monday. Nashville on Saturday welcomed the return of speedy Viktor Arvidsson (lower body) from a 12-game absence and fellow forward Mikael Granlund (lower body) after he missed four contests. Forward Filip Forsberg scored twice in the last three games and is tied with Josi along with center Nick Bonino for the team lead in goals (13) - one more than forward Calle Jarnkrok.

OVERTIME

1. Arizona D Jordan Gross, an undrafted former Notre Dame standout, had an assist and a plus-3 rating in his NHL debut Sunday

2. Nashville C Ryan Johansen has two goals and four assists during his three-game point streak.

3. The Coyotes have killed off all 12 power plays they faced in the past four games and are in the top third of the league.

PREDICTION: Predators 4, Coyotes 2