The Nashville Predators look to get back on track in a Saturday night showdown with the host Ottawa Senators.
The Predators are mired in a season-long six-game skid (0-3-3) and will need more from their offense if they want any chance of righting the ship.
Nashville has failed to score more than two goals in any of the six contests and ranks at the bottom of the NHL with just 2.2 goals per game this season.
“I think it’s a different night, same result kind of thing,” Alexandre Carrier said following Thursday’s 3-0 road loss to the Montreal Canadiens. “We’re trying to produce more offense. We’re trying, but I think we’ve got to get a bit more greasy in front of their net.”
During their losing streak, prized offseason additions Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault have just one combined goal.
The Predators suited up without Ryan O’Reilly for the first time on Thursday and continue to be without their third-highest scorer, who is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
Saturday’s matchup will mark the end of a four-game trip for the Predators, who are last in the league with just two wins away from home (2-8-4).
Despite a 3-5-2 record over their past 10 games, the Senators enter the matchup with high hopes after earning two points against the Detroit Red Wings with a 2-1 home win on Thursday.
The game looked bound for overtime before Josh Norris’ wrist shot found the back of the net with 43 seconds left for his second goal of the game.
Ottawa coach Travis Green praised his team following the crucial victory.
“Every once in a while, you play a game in the middle of the season or whatever that you can tag as a big game,” Green said. “And you know it’s obviously a division rival, a team we’re behind, and a team you want to get two points against. I thought we deserved to win tonight and especially how the first two periods went.”
Ottawa saw their lead evaporate when former Senator Alex DeBrincat buried a four-on-three power-play goal just over six minutes into the third.
“We saw some important character there in the end when we had a lot of momentum most of the game, and then they tied it up,” Nick Jensen said.
“And we saw in the past where that kind of takes a lot of air out of our tires a little bit, but it didn’t really change how we played, and I think we got rewarded for that.”
The Senators will be playing the second game of a four-game homestand.
Special teams could play a huge factor in the contest as both teams have been leaking goals on the penalty kill. Despite their season-long 87.5 percent penalty-kill percentage, the Predators have allowed a power-play goal in four consecutive outings, while the Senators have given up a shorthanded goal in six straight games.
–Field Level Media
