Predators at Avalanche preview

PREDATORS (41-14-9) at AVALANCHE (35-24-5)
3 p.m. ET; SN, ALT, FS-TN, NHL.TV

The Game

The Nashville Predators will try for their eighth consecutive win, which would match their longest winning streak, when they play the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center on Sunday. They won eight straight from Oct. 5-25, 2005.
Goalie Pekka Rinne is expected to start for the Predators, who lead the Vegas Golden Knights by four points for first place in the Western Conference, and the Winnipeg Jets by six points for first place in the Central Division.
The Avalanche could move into the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference with a win. They are one point behind the Anaheim Ducks, who hold the second wild card, and four points behind the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild for third place in the Central Division.
Goalie Semyon Varlamov will make his eighth consecutive start for Colorado, which has won three straight games and is 13-1-0 in the past 14 at home.

Players to watch

Predators defenseman Roman Josi has 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) in his past six games.
Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in a four-game point streak. He has 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in his past six games.

They said it

"Everybody's getting a boost from it. Everybody's excited Mike's back. He was such a big part of our team. Our team was doing well, but to add him back, I think just strengthens the room, strengthens the depth, strengthens our play on the ice." -- Predators coach Peter Laviolette, on the return of forward Mike Fisher
"Nashville, it's always a challenge. They're one of the best teams in the League and they're playing real well right now. They have a lot of weapons, they're a real deep team, so it's going to be another challenge for us." -- Avalanche coach Jared Bednar

Predators projected lineup

Filip Forsberg -- Ryan Johansen -- Ryan Hartman
Kevin Fiala -- Kyle Turris -- Craig Smith
Scott Hartnell -- Nick Bonino -- Calle Jarnkrok
Austin Watson -- Mike Fisher -- Colton Sissons
Roman Josi -- Ryan Ellis
Mattias Ekholm -- P.K. Subban
Alexei Emelin -- Yannick Weber
Pekka Rinne
Juuse Saros
Scratched:Viktor Arvidsson, Anthony Bitetto, Matt Irwin, Miikka Salomaki
Injured: None

Avalanche projected lineup

Gabriel Landeskog -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Mikko Rantanen
Tyson Jost -- Alex Kerfoot -- J.T. Compher
Matt Nieto -- Carl Soderberg -- Blake Comeau
Gabriel Bourque -- Dominic Toninato -- Nail Yakupov
Nikita Zadorov -- Tyson Barrie
Patrik Nemeth -- Samuel Girard
Duncan Siemens -- Anton Lindholm
Semyon Varlamov
Spencer Martin
Scratched: Mark Alt
Injured: Sven Andrighetto (lower body), Mark Barberio (upper body), Jonathan Bernier (concussion), Andrew Hammond (concussion), Erik Johnson (upper body), Vladislav Kamenev (fractured arm), Colin Wilson (concussion)

Status report

Bernier practiced Saturday and might play as early as Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Stat pack

Fisher scored and won 11 of 13 face-offs (85 percent) in his season debut Friday against the Vancouver Canucks. ... Rantanen has seven points (two goals, five assists) in a three-game point streak.