Carolina @ Nashville preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 29, 2019 ) Nashville 3, Carolina 0

The Nashville Predators are finally making inroads in their bid to advance to the postseason for the sixth consecutive season, winning three in a row for the first time since the end of October. The resurgent Predators seek to match a season-high four-game winning streak when they square off with the visiting Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night.

Nashville is sitting just three points out of the second wild card after completing a home-and-home sweep of reigning Stanley Cup champion St. Louis over the weekend. “You look where we’re at, I think these last three games have given us confidence and (we) see the light now,” netminder Pekka Rinne said after the Predators improved to 7-3-0 in their last 10 following Sunday's 2-1 victory. "It helps us for sure." Carolina is in a similar position to Nashville, sitting one point out of the final playoff slot and two out of the top wild card in the Eastern Conference. A 4-3 loser to Edmonton in overtime on Sunday, the Hurricanes had dominated the series of late, winning six in a row until the Predators halted the slide with a 3-0 victory at Carolina on Nov. 29.

TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: FS Carolina, FS Tennessee

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (33-21-4): Sebastian Aho has been lighting up the scoreboard since returning from the All-Star break, erupting for nine goals and six assists during a nine-game point streak after scoring twice and setting up a tally in Sunday's loss. Andrei Svechnikov, meanwhile, is riding a seven-game point streak (four goals, five assists) and has 54 points on the season -- two behind Aho and Teuvo Teravainen for the team lead. Petr Mrazek owns a stellar record versus Nashville with an 8-1-0 mark and 2.33 goals-against average.

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (29-22-7): After scoring only once in a 12-game span, Craig Smith in on a goal binge with six tallies over his last five games to boost his season total to 17 -- one behind Filip Forsberg for the team lead. Linemate Nick Bonino also has increased his offensive output with three goals and eight points in 11 games since the All-Star break after managing only one tally and three assists in the previous 14 contests. The power play continues to struggle for Nashville, converting on 3 of 23 opportunities in the last eight games.

OVERTIME

1. Forsberg, stuck in an eight-game goal drought, has three tallies and three assists in 10 games versus Carolina.

2. Hurricanes D Jaccob Slavin has seven points in eight games after collecting two assists Sunday.

3. Predators F Kyle Turris had two goals and four points in the weekend sweep of St. Louis.

PREDICTION: Predators 3, Hurricanes 2