TEAM SNAPSHOTS
BLUES Playing their first home game in 11 days, the St. Louis Blues fell 3-1 to the Edmonton Oilers at Enterprise Center on Wednesday night.
The Blues put 20 shots on goal in the second period alone, finally breaking through and tying the game with four seconds left in the period. Continuing the pressure into the third, the Blues totaled 38 shots on goal - the highest mark this season by 10 shots, surpassing 28 at Seattle.
They Blues will play three straight at home after Thursday's bout in Nashville, hosting the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings and New York Islanders for their longest home stand thus far.
The Blues continue to deal with injuries to key forwards, missing both Pavel Buchnevich and Brandon Saad for the second consecutive game. As a result, they've had trouble putting the puck in the net - scoring three goals in their last three games.
They'll head to Nashville with a 3-2-0 record, worth six points and fourth place in the Central Division.
PREDATORS The Nashville Predators will be more than well-rested when they host the Blues on Thursday, last seeing game action on Oct. 22 against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Nashville's offsesaon was highlighted by veterans, most namely an extension for forward Filip Forsberg - the franchise's all-time leading goal scorer - and an acquisition via trade of defenseman Ryan McDonagh from the Tampa Bay Lightning. McDonagh brings two Stanley Cups to a Predators' blue line that already features one of the game's best D-men in Roman Josi.
Though they'll have five days off between games, the Predators are coming off five straight losses, a streak already longer than any they faced last season.
Nashville's record is 2-4-1 on the season, worth five points and seventh place in the Central Division.
HEAD-TO-HEAD In four matchups with their Central Division rivals last year, the Blues went a strong 3-0-1 against the Predators. Thursday will be the first of four games vs. Nashville this season, next playing on Dec. 12 at Enterprise Center.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
BLUES Brayden Schenn, whose five assists lead the Blues. In 25 career games against the Predators, Schenn has eight goals and 13 assists.
PREDATORS Nino Niederreiter, who leads the Predators with four goals on the season. The 30-year-old forward signed a two-year, $8 million deal with Nashville after time in New York, Carolina and Minnesota.
BLUE NOTES
The Blues did not trail at any point through their first three games of the season for the second time in franchise history... With a 2-for-2 performance on the penalty kill Wednesday night, the Blues have now tied the franchise record for longest penalty kill streak to start a season - now 11-for-11 and counting... They have also extended their franchise-record start to five games without allowing a power-play goal this season... Thomas Greiss set a franchise record at Winnipeg for most saves in a Blues debut, stopping 39 shots on goal.
The slumping Nashville Predators will seek their first victory on North American soil this season when they host the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
The Predators are 0-4-1 since Oct. 7-8, when they won back-to-back games against the San Jose Sharks in Prague as part of the NHL's Global Series. They scored just nine goals over the losing streak.
"Our focus is continuing to get better," Nashville coach John Hynes said. "As I said, you have to take the situations for what they are. We haven't won here in five games. I think there's different reasons for that."
The Predators haven't played since last Saturday, when they lost to the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-1. They have used the scheduling break to regroup ahead of their game against the Blues at Bridgestone Arena.
"We have an opportunity now, an opportunity to reset, get away from it for a day, come back and have some good practices and refocus," Hynes said. "That's what our focus has to be, what we can control moving forward."
The Predators saw some positive signs in the Philadelphia loss.
"We really pointed to the identity markers that we want," Hynes said. "To win the territory game, to win the shot clock, to win the possession game, to win the scoring chance game, to spend less time in our defensive zone and win the penalty battle. Those are all things that if you do consistently and regularly, you're going to give yourself the best chance to win."
While the Predators will be well-rested, the Blues are coming off their second straight loss, 3-1 to the Edmonton Oilers at home Wednesday night.
The Blues have scored just three goals in their last three games, two on the power play and the other into an empty net.
"There's looks, there's chances, we're getting chances, but sometimes you go through spells like this and you've to just stick with it," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "You've got to simplify a little more maybe and I'll say again, get on the inside. That's where you're going to get your goals a lot of times."
Jordan Binnington started in goal against the Oilers, so the Blues are likely to come back with Thomas Greiss for this game. Greiss stopped 39 of 42 shots in his one start this season, a 4-0 loss at Winnipeg.
Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki remains sidelined after taking a heavy hit into the boards against the Flyers and leaving the ice on a stretcher.
The Blues will be missing key winger Pavel Buchnevich, who is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Winger Brandon Saad (upper-body injury) has also been sidelined on a day-to-day basis.
"We miss 'em for sure," Berube said. "They're both really good players... but, hey, that's the way it is in this league. You're going to have injuries and you have to move on. People have to step up and do the job."
The Blues signed free-agent forward Tyler Pitlick on Tuesday and gave him his first look on Wednesday on the third line. He has been with the team on a professional tryout.
