Preview: Predators at Avalanche

PREDATORS (2-5-1) at AVALANCHE (4-3-0)
9 p.m. ET; ALT, FS-TN, NHL.TV

Predators team scope

The Nashville Predators are expected to activate left wing Cody Bass from injured reserve, and he likely will replace Kevin Fiala on a line with center Colton Sisson and right wing Austin Watson. Bass has missed four games after sustaining an upper-body injury Oct. 21 against the Detroit Red Wings. The Predators were outscored 13-4 in losing the first three games of a five-game road trip and have gone 1-5-1 since a season-opening 3-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks. They are coming off a 4-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. The Predators had an optional morning skate Tuesday after a full practice Monday. "You can't just focus on one thing," coach Peter Laviolette said. "You can't just focus on getting the first goal or playing a good first period. We have to play a good 60 minutes, we need to play a complete game, be physically sharp, be mentally sharp. It comes from a good start, it comes from a good finish and the middle's got to be equally as good." Nashville has allowed a power-play goal in each of its first three games of the trip, and in five of seven games overall.

Avalanche team scope

Colorado Avalanche rookie right wing Mikko Rantanen is still seeking his first NHL point. Rantanen, 20, was Colorado's first-round pick (No. 10) in the 2015 NHL Draft. He played in nine games in 2015-16 and will play his third this season after beginning the season with San Antonio of the American Hockey League. "He's been skating, he's creating chances," coach Jared Bednar said. "I'm not really worried about him scoring that goal. He's creating opportunities, he's part of our attack all the time. It'll come." The Avalanche are coming off a 3-2 road win Saturday against the Arizona Coyotes. They killed all four Arizona power plays and have killed 15-of-16 penalties in a four-game stretch after allowing two power-play goals in each of the first three games. "Faceoffs were an issue early, our clears," Bednar said. "They're digging in more and understand that it can help us have success." Goalie Semyon Varlamov will start for the fifth time in the past six games.

Predators projected lineup

Filip Forsberg -- Ryan Johansen -- James Neal
Viktor Arvidsson -- Mike Fisher -- Calle Jarnkrok
Colin Wilson -- Mike Ribeiro -- Craig Smith
Cody Bass -- Colton Sissons -- Austin Watson
Mattias Ekholm -- P.K. Subban
Roman Josi -- Ryan Ellis
Matt Irwin -- Yannick Weber
Pekka Rinne
Marek Mazanec
Scratched: Matt Carle, Kevin Fiala, Harry Zolnierczyk
Injured: Anthony Bitetto (upper body), Miikka Salomaki (upper body)

Avalanche projected lineup

Gabriel Landeskog -- Matt Duchene -- Jarome Iginla
Mikhail Grigorenko -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Mikko Rantanen
Rene Bourque -- Carl Soderberg -- Blake Comeau
Andreas Martinsen -- John Mitchell -- Joe Colborne
Nikita Zadorov -- Erik Johnson
Patrick Wiercioch -- Tyson Barrie
Francois Beauchemin -- Eric Gelinas
Semyon Varlamov
Calvin Pickard
Scratched:Cody McLeod
Injured: Fedor Tyutin (groin)

Status report

Rinne is expected to make his fourth consecutive start. ... Tyutin will miss his fourth consecutive game but skated for the second day in a row and is close to returning.

Who's hot

Arvidsson has one goal and one assist in the past two games. ... Duchene has five goals and two assists in the past four games