This December is looking a lot like last December for the Nashville Predators, which is not a good thing.
A season ago, Nashville went 5-6-3 in December, kicking off a stretch of just over two months featuring inconsistent play and resulting in real doubts as to whether the Predators could make the playoffs.
This season, Nashville has lost four of its first five games in December, picking up just three points. That includes a 5-4 loss Dec. 3 to the New Jersey Devils in which the Predators coughed up a 4-1 third-period lead, and back-to-back losses on a brief road trip to Dallas and Arizona.
If the Predators (12-11-4) are to get back on course, a win Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues in Bridgestone Arena would be a good way to do it. It would, if nothing else, erase the taste of a 4-1 defeat against the lowly Coyotes on Saturday night.
"We've got to play faster and be better than what we were," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said after his team's second defeat to the Coyotes in just over a month.
Getting back home could help the Predators in that regard. They are 9-2-2 in Bridgestone, including a 3-1 win over St. Louis on Nov. 10. That game came during a stretch in which Nashville won six straight home games and went 9-3-2 in November.
Nashville might also get top-four defenseman Ryan Ellis back from an upper-body injury that caused him to miss the past eight games. Both Ellis and center Colton Sissons, out for seven games with an upper-body injury, practiced Monday.
"It stinks when you're sitting on the sidelines, whether you're winning or losing," Ellis said. "Either way, it's not fun when you're hurt or you're out. You always hope the team can pull through for you, but at times if they don't, if they do, it's tough either way."
The Blues (16-9-4) are a bit like Nashville in that they are world-beaters at home and something resembling mop water on the road. St. Louis is coming off a 3-1 loss Sunday in Minnesota, falling to 1-2-0 on its four-game road trip and 2-7-0 in its past nine away games.
Two quick second-period goals doomed the Blues against the Wild. St. Louis controlled play in the first period with an 11-6 advantage in shots on goal, but once the Blues had to chase the game against impenetrable Minnesota goalie Devan Dubnyk, they were in a position they couldn't escape.
"All these games are right there, but we're not getting a big enough push-back against these teams that really check hard," St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said. "They checked hard. We really checked them hard, but as the game wore on, they started to get a little bit control of it."
Jake Allen will get the start in net for the Blues. Allen stopped 22 of 24 shots Sunday but took the loss, falling to 14-5-3 with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .910- save percentage.
He probably will be opposed by Pekka Rinne (11-7-4, 2.45), who has given up 16 goals in four December starts after earning the NHL's First Star for November. Rinne still sports a .920 save percentage.
Blues • The Blues complete their four-game road trip in Nashville. They are 1-1 against the Predators this season, including a 3-1 win in St. Louis on Nov. 19 and a 3-1 loss in Nashville on Nov. 10. ... Defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, who has missed the past two games with a lower-body injury, practiced Monday but may not return to the lineup. ... Goaltender Jake Allen will stay in net, playing his fifth game in the last eight days.
Predators • Nashville is back at Bridgestone Arena after dropping both games of a two-game road trip, falling 5-2 in Dallas and 4-1 in Arizona. The Predators are 1-3-1 in their last five games. ... The Preds have been a bit like the Blues this season in that they’ve been much better at home (9-2-2) than on the road (3-9-2). ... The club could get injured defenseman Ryan Ellis and forward Colton Sissons back in the lineup soon, possibly Tuesday against the Blues.
Injuries • Blues — D Carl Gunnarsson (lower body), questionable; D Robert Bortuzzo (lower body), out. Predators — C Colton Sissons (upper body) and D Ryan Ellis (upper body), questionable; D Anthony Bitetto (broken hand) and RW Miika Salomaki (upper body), out.
Matchup
The Blues will look to finish the road trip .500 tonight as they've gone 1-2-0 thus far after losses in New York and Minnesota and a victory in New Jersey. The Blues and Predators have split the season series to this point with each earning a 3-1 win in their home building. Overall, St. Louis has won six of the last eight meetings and eight of the last 10 at Bridgestone Arena - though both road losses in that set have come in the last two trips. The Blues' special teams have played a big role in their success in Music City as the penalty kill has dispatched 33 of the Predators last 34 attempts over the last 10 meetings at Bridgestone.
What to Watch
David Perron will dress in his 600th career game tonight. Originally drafted 26th overall by the Blues in 2007, the Sherbrooke, Quebec, native is currently in his second stint as a Blue after brief stays in Edmonton, Pittsburgh and Anaheim. Also, continue to watch Vladimir Tarasenko, who extended his road point streak to seven games on Sunday in Minnesota and now shares second overall with 32 points this season (14 goals, 18 assists). In his career, Tarasenko has nine goals and 10 assists in 21 games against the Predators.
Milestones
Alexander Steen (221) is one assist shy of passing Pierre Turgeon (221) for 9th on the Blues' all-time assists list among forwards
Alex Pietrangelo (214) is one assist shy of passing Jeff Brown (214) for 4th on the Blues' all-time assist list among forwards
Alexander Steen - 2 shy of 300 career assists / 3 shy of 500 career points
Vladimir Tarasenko - 2 shy of 100 career PIM
Paul Stastny - 7 shy of 200 career goals
Jori Lehtera - 2 shy of 100 career PIM
Kyle Brodziak - 7 shy of 400 career PIM
Jaden Schwartz - 6 shy of 100 career assists
Quick Hits
Alex Pietrangelo (3:20) and Jay Bouwmeester (3:18) rank 8th and 9th overall, resepectively, in shorthanded ice time per game. The Blues' penalty kill ranks 3rd overall at 87.7% this season
Robby Fabbri has four multi-point games this season and three of them have come over his last six outings
Since losing to Columbus on Nov. 12, the Blues rank second overall with a 3.15 goals per game average
Brad Hunt has logged an assist in each of his first two games, giving him back-to-back games with a point for the first time in his NHL career
Blues Projected Forward lines
Robby Fabbri-Jaden Schwartz-Vladimir Tarasenko
Alexander Steen-Paul Stastny-David Perron
Jori Lehtera-Patrik Berglund-Nail Yakupov
Scottie Upshall-Kyle Brodiak-Ryan Reaves
This day in history:
1983 Bernie Federko sets Blues scoring record with 576th point on a PPG assisted by Ramage and Chouinard in 4-1 win over Blackhawks. He added an assist later in the game.
1989 D Jeff Brown acquired from the Quebec Nordiques G Greg Millen and F Tony Hrkac
1991 Vladimir Tarasenko's birthday!! Happy 25th!!!
2005 Curtis Sanford shutout the Penguins 3-0 on 21 saves the first night Sidney Crosby played in St Louis.
Blues lead 1-0!!!
