Oilers at Predators preview

OILERS (26-29-6) at PREDATORS (36-23-5)
8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, SNW, FS-TN, NHL.TV

The Predators are 3-4-1 in their past eight games, including a 5-0 home loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. They trail the Winnipeg Jets by one point for first in the division.
The Oilers are seeking their third straight win. Edmonton is eight points out of the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. Center Connor McDavid will serve the second game of a two-game suspension for a hit to the head of New York Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy.

Players to watch

Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl has four goals and four assists during a six-game point streak.
Predators defenseman Roman Josi has 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in his past 12 games.

They said it

"I think we've been confident in the way we've been playing lately. It needs to continue. We need to take another step up, especially when you're facing an opponent like this. It's a great test for us tonight." -- Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse
"I've always felt good about the group, and our guys have always felt good about the group, too. This is part of the business. This day happens every year. It's not like we had meetings prior saying, 'Hang on to your hat.' So it was business as usual. Our guys know that. We go from day to day trying to win hockey games, and tonight is no different. We need to be better than we were. We just came off of a game that was pretty disappointing and the result is disappointing, and we need to fix that." -- Predators coach Peter Laviolette on the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline

Oilers projected lineup

Tobias Rieder -- Leon Draisaitl -- Alex Chiasson
Sam Gagner
-- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Zack Kassian
Milan Lucic -- Colby Cave --
Josh Currie
Ty Rattie -- Kyle Brodziak --
Brad Malone
Oscar Klefbom -- Adam Larsson
Darnell Nurse -- Kris Russell
Andrej Sekera -- Matt Benning
Mikko Koskinen
Anthony Stolarz
Scratched:Kevin Gravel, Alexander Petrovic
Injured:Jujhar Khaira (lower body), Jesse Puljujarvi (lower body)
Suspended:Connor McDavid

Predators projected lineup

Filip Forsberg -- Ryan Johansen -- Viktor Arvidsson
Frederick Gaudreau -- Kyle Turris -- Calle Jarnkrok
Brian Boyle -- Nick Bonino -- Rocco Grimaldi
Cody McLeod -- Colton Sissons
Roman Josi -- Ryan Ellis
Mattias Ekholm -- P.K. Subban
Matt Irwin -- Yannick Weber
Matt Donovan
Pekka Rinne
Juuse Saros
Scratched:None
Injured:Dan Hamhuis (lower body), Zac Rinaldo (shoulder), Craig Smith (lower body)
Suspension:Austin Watson

Status report

Koskinen was the first goalie off of the ice at the morning skate. … Subban did not participate in the morning skate. ... The Predators recalled Donovan from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on Monday and placed Hamhuis on injured reserve. Donovan hasn't played in the NHL since 2014-15.

Stat pack

Nugent-Hopkins has nine points (three goals, six assists) in his past 10 games. … Johansen is scoreless in his past four games after getting nine points (two goals, seven assists) in his previous six.