Predators at Penguins preview

PREDATORS (43-28-6) at PENGUINS (42-24-11)
7 p.m. ET; NHLN, TVAS, ATTSN-PT, FS-TN, NHL.TV

The Predators, who clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Monday, are in second place in the Central, two points behind the Winnipeg Jets, two ahead of the St. Louis Blues and four ahead of the Dallas Stars. Nashville is 4-1-1 in its past six games after going 2-4-0 in their previous six.
The Penguins can tie the New York Islanders for second place in the Metropolitan Division with a win. Pittsburgh, which has won three straight and is 10-2-3 in its past 15 games, is two points behind New York and five behind the Washington Capitals.
Pittsburgh defeated Nashville 2-1 in a shootout at Bridgestone Arena on March 21.

Players to watch

Predators goalie Pekka Rinne is 7-4-1 with a 2.39 goals-against average, .919 save percentage and one shutout in his past 12 starts.
Penguins goalie Matt Murray is 3-0-2 with a 1.72 GAA and .948 save percentage in his past five starts.

They said it

"They just played us. They can go back and look at the same thing. For me, there's no real advantage to it." -- Predators coach Peter Laviolette on not watching video of Nashville's loss to Pittsburgh on March 21
"When you've watched how we've played of late, I think we've become harder to play against. I think there's more cooperative play." -- Penguins coach Mike Sullivan

Predators projected lineup

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

Penguins projected lineup

Jake Guentzel -- Sidney Crosby -- Bryan Rust
Jared McCann -- Teddy Blueger -- Phil Kessel
Dominik Simon -- Nick Bjugstad -- Patric Hornqvist
Adam Johnson -- Matt Cullen -- Garrett Wilson
Olli Maatta -- Brian Dumoulin
Jack Johnson -- Justin Schultz
Marcus Pettersson -- Erik Gudbranson
Matt Murray
Casey DeSmith
Scratched:Zach Trotman
Injured:Evgeni Malkin (upper body), Chad Ruhwedel (upper body), Zach Aston-Reese (lower body), Kris Letang (upper body)

Status report

Hamhuis could play after missing 13 games with a lower-body injury. ... With Saros out, Grosenick was recalled from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis on Friday and will back up Rinne. ... Maatta, who has missed 21 games with an upper-body injury, will be a game-time decision. ... Malkin and Letang each skated before Pittsburgh's morning skate Friday but will not play.

Stat pack

Arvidsson needs one goal to reach 100 in the NHL. He also needs one goal for 32 this season, which would set a League career high; he scored 31 in 2016-17. ... Guentzel, who will play in his 200th NHL game, is two goals from reaching 40 in a season for the first time. He has 15 points (nine goals, six assists) in his past 13 games.