Nashville @ Ottawa preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 11, 2018 ) Ottawa 1, Nashville 3

The Nashville Predators answered a fruitless trek through Western Canada by opening a three-game homestand with a 3-1 win versus the Ottawa Senators last week. After extending past regulation to emerge victorious in their next two outings, the Predators bid for their first road win in over one month as they open a four-game trek in Ottawa on Monday.

"It was important to get three wins after coming off the road and losing a couple," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette told reporters following Saturday's 2-1 shootout victory versus New Jersey. "... The road is something we've talked about. We have to do a better job. I don't think that we played the right way or been competitive enough on the road, so there's an opportunity coming up where we have a stretch of road games and a chance to fix that." Defenseman Mattias Ekholm set up Frederick Gaudreau's first-period goal to extend his assist streak to four games for the Predators, who are a perfect 10-0-0 against Eastern Conference representatives this season. Ottawa fell for the fifth time in seven outings (2-4-1) after yielding four third-period goals in Saturday's 5-2 setback in Montreal. Colin White scored in the first period to notch his sixth point (two goals, four assists) in six contests, although he was held in check in Tuesday's 3-1 loss in Nashville.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Tennessee (Nashville), RDS2, TSN5 (Ottawa)

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (22-10-1): Although Ryan Johansen leads injury-riddled Nashville in both assists (21) and points (26), the 26-year-old provided his best offensive contribution in quite some time by converting in the sixth round of the shootout against the Devils. "I've been struggling for a long time (in the shootout)," he told reporters. "I was hot there for a while early in my career, and (since) then I've been struggling big time." Johansen has two goals in his last 17 contests overall and just one - albeit with 10 assists - in 14 career encounters versus Ottawa.

ABOUT THE SENATORS (14-16-4): Mark Borowiecki appears poised to return to the lineup after Ottawa shuffled fellow defensemen Erik Burgdoerfer and Stefan Elliott to Belleville of the American Hockey League on Sunday. The 29-year-old Borowiecki has missed a total of 12 games after initially attempting to play through an upper-body injury for the Senators, who could also see top center Matt Duchene (groin) make an appearance against Nashville. Duchene, who needed assistance to get off the ice against the Canadiens on Dec. 6, will gauge his health after Monday's morning skate.

OVERTIME

1. Ottawa RW Mark Stone has 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in his last 11 games.

2. Predators G Pekka Rinne turned aside 25 shots on Tuesday to improve to 8-3-0 in 11 career encounters against the Senators.

3. Ottawa has lost eight of 11 games (3-6-2) versus Western Conference foes this season.

PREDICTION: Predators 3, Senators 1