Predators at Wild preview

PREDATORS (42-28-6) at WILD (35-32-9)
8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV

A win in any fashion would secure a playoff spot for the Predators, who have lost two in a row (0-1-1). Nashville is in second place in the Central Division, four points behind the Winnipeg Jets
The Wild have won two games in their past eight (2-5-1) and three in their past 11 (3-5-3) and can move into a tie for the second wild card from the Western Conference with a win. They trail the Colorado Avalanche by two points.

Players to watch

Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson leads Nashville with 31 goals and is one goal from an NHL career-high and 100 in the NHL.
Wild forward Ryan Donato has six points (two goals, four assists) in his past five games and has 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 16 games since being acquired in a trade with the Boston Bruins for forward Charlie Coyle on Feb. 20.

They said it

"There's a challenge every night. …There are never any easy ones and tonight will be no different. (Minnesota is) fighting for their lives, we're fighting for something, so it should be a pretty good hockey game" -- Predators coach Peter Laviolette
"It's a fun part of the year. You either embrace it and enjoy this and let it grab you and go for it or you get afraid of it. And if you get afraid of it, then you're in trouble anyway. We want guys to embrace this challenge and win the challenge." -- Wild coach Bruce Boudreau

Predators projected lineup

Filip Forsberg -- Ryan Johansen -- Viktor Arvidsson
Mikael Granlund -- Kyle Turris -- Craig Smith
Calle Jarnkrok -- Colton Sissons -- Wayne Simmonds
Rem Pitlick -- Nick Bonino -- Rocco Grimaldi
Roman Josi -- Ryan Ellis
Mattias Ekholm -- P.K. Subban
Matt Irwin -- Yannick Weber
Juuse Saros
Pekka Rinne
Scratched: Matt Donovan, Brian Boyle, Cody McLeod, Frederick Gaudreau
Injured: Zac Rinaldo (shoulder), Dan Hamhuis (lower body)

Wild projected lineup

Jason Zucker -- Eric Staal -- Kevin Fiala
Jordan Greenway -- Luke Kunin -- Ryan Donato
Marcus Foligno -- Victor Rask -- Pontus Aberg
Matt Read
-- Eric Fehr -- JT Brown
Ryan Suter -- Jared Spurgeon
Jonas Brodin -- Greg Pateryn
Nick Seeler -- Brad Hunt
Devan Dubnyk
Alex Stalock
Scratched: Anthony Bitetto
Injured: Mikko Koivu (knee), Mathew Dumba (ruptured right pectoral muscle), Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body), Zach Parise (lower body)

Status report

The Predators assigned forwards Austin Watson and Miikka Salomaki to Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on long-term injury loan Monday. ...Parise is nearing a return, possibly as soon as Thursday. …Eriksson Ek, who has missed six games, skated with the team for the first time.

Stat pack

Pitlick will make his NHL debut. … Johansen is without a goal in 19 straight games. Nashville has not won in regulation at Minnesota since Jan. 22, 2017. … Dubnyk is 8-5-1 with a 2.32 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage and one shutout in his past 14 starts.