The Nashville Predators look to snap their losing streak at four when they take on the red-hot Ottawa Senators Monday at Bridgestone Arena.
Predators Injury Updates
Predators forward Mark Jankowski (week-to-week, upper-body) skated with the team Monday morning but confirmed that he will not be in the lineup against the Senators.
Forwards Fedor Svechkov and Luke Evangelista – both of whom briefly left in the second period of Saturday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins with apparent injuries, but returned before the end of the frame – were on the ice for Monday’s morning skate. Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said, however, that a few players are “banged up” and will be game-time decisions for Monday’s contest.
Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon (lower-body) remains on injured reserve and is not skating with the team.
On the Move
The Predators recalled defenseman Kevin Gravel from the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals Monday morning. Gravel participated in morning skate, but it is unclear whether he will be in the lineup against Ottawa.
Gravel had previously been recalled by the Predators last week but was reassigned to Milwaukee before appearing in a game. The reassignment was likely a paper transaction to clear space on the roster for goaltender Matt Murray, who was recalled to back up Justus Annunen in Friday’s loss to the Buffalo Sabres while Juuse Saros was day-to-day with an illness. Murray has since been reassigned to the Admirals, whom he is representing this week at the AHL All-Star Classic.
Predators Line Combinations
Monday’s morning skate featured multiple different line combinations, particularly among the top-six forward group, leading to speculation that there could be some changes Monday against Ottawa.
Brunette said he liked the bottom-six forward group of Tommy Novak, Fedor Svechkov, Zach L’Heureux, Michael McCarron, Cole Smith and Colton Sissons, but said the scoring had “dried up” in the top-six and suggested that changes to the top two line combinations in particular could be coming.
Brunette went on to say that it’s natural to feel “gun shy” about making changes to the lineup, referencing the early portion of Nashville’s season in which he admittedly changed up the forward lines too quickly and too often in order to spark the offense.
Still, between the pending “game-time decisions” and the Predators’ recent struggles to produce offense, a shakeup in the forward line combinations against Ottawa feels inevitable.
Between the Pipes
Brunette confirmed at Monday’s morning skate that Saros would get the start in net against the Senators. Anton Forsberg is expected to start for Ottawa.
Monday’s game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT, with an expected puck drop time of 6:45.
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