Predators at Senators preview

PREDATORS (22-10-1) at SENATORS (14-16-4)
7:30 p.m. ET; RDS2, TSN5, FS-TN, NHL.TV

The Predators are 5-2-0 and have allowed two or fewer goals four times in their past seven games.
Goalie Pekka Rinne will start for Nashville. He is 8-3-0 with a 2.34 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in his past 12 games (11 starts).
Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki will play for the first time since breaking his hand Nov. 21.
Goalie Craig Anderson will start for Ottawa. He is 2-1-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .940 save percentage in his past three games.

Players to watch

Predators forward Colton Sissons has six points (three goals, three assists) in his past five games.
Senators forward Mark Stone has nine points (five goals, four assists) in his past eight games.

They said it

"The results are just. I don't think that we've outplayed teams or that we've earned road wins, and I think that's usually what you have to do when you go into somebody else's building. You have to earn the wins by the energy you play with and the execution and detail to your game." -- Coach Peter Laviolette on Nashville's six-game road losing streak (0-5-1)
"The past couple games, I think I've had two or three Grade-A chances per game. … I know it's going to come. It's just one of those things. Everyone goes through it." -- Senators forward Brady Tkachuk, who has one assist in his past nine games

Predators projected lineup

Ryan Hartman -- Ryan Johansen -- Kevin Fiala
Calle Jarnkrok -- Kyle Turris -- Craig Smith
Colton Sissons -- Nick Bonino -- Austin Watson
Miikka Salomaki -- Frederick Gaudreau -- Rocco Grimaldi
Roman Josi -- Ryan Ellis
Dan Hamhuis -- Mattias Ekholm
Matt Irwin -- Yannick Weber
Pekka Rinne
Juuse Saros
Scratched:Anthony Bitetto, Zac Rinaldo
Injured:Filip Forsberg (upper body), P.K. Subban (upper body), Viktor Arvidsson (broken thumb)

Senators projected lineup

Brady Tkachuk -- Colin White -- Mark Stone
Mikkel Boedker -- Chris Tierney -- Bobby Ryan
Ryan Dzingel -- Zack Smith -- Magnus Paajarvi
Tom Pyatt -- Drake Batherson
Thomas Chabot -- Ben Harpur
Max Lajoie -- Cody Ceci
Mark Borowiecki -- Christian Jaros
Justin Falk
Craig Anderson
Mike McKenna
Scratched: Nicholas Paul
Injured:Jean-Gabriel Pageau (Achilles), Matt Duchene (groin), Dylan DeMelo (lower body)

Status report

Arvidsson and Subban both took part in the morning skate but will not play. ... Dzingel is questionable after taking a hit during the morning skate. … Duchene practiced with the Senators for the first time since injuring his groin Dec. 6. ... Ottawa coach Guy Boucher said he hopes to have Duchene and DeMelo back in the lineup against the New Jersey Devils on Friday.

Stat pack

Ekholm (four assists) is on a four-game point streak. … The Senators are 2-4-1 and have scored two goals or fewer six times in their past seven games.