2:00 PM CT – Nashville Predators (7-3-5) @ Colorado Avalanche (5-7-1)
TV: FS Tennessee
Radio: 102.5 The Game

Last time out:
NSH- The Predators wrapped up their four-game homestand with a 3-2 shootout loss at the hands of the red-hot Anaheim Ducks. The two teams traded goals in regulation before Corey Perry beat Pekka Rinne in the shootout. It was the Predators’ eighth overtime game of the young season, and they now hold a shootout record of 2-4.
COL- Today the Preds will be facing a frustrated Avalanche club after they blew a 4-1 lead in Edmonton on Saturday night. The Oilers, who took the lead with 1:34 remaining in regulation, scored five unanswered goals in the final 25 minutes to win 6-4. It was Colorado’s fourth loss in their last five games.

Players to watch:
NSH- Shea Weber
The Predators captain broke the ice Saturday with his first goal of the season. Will that goal open the flood gates for him? Weber does have 10 points in his last 12 games vs. Colorado.
COL- Matt Duchene
The 22-year-old Duchene has bounced back from a rough 2011-12 season. This season he has 14 points in 13 games, five points in the last three games.

Projected starting goaltenders:
NSH- Chris Mason (2012-13 stats: 1-0-1, 1.45 GAA)
COL- Semyon Varlamov (2012-13 stats: 3-7-1, 2.81 GAA)

Projected lineups from last game/practice:

*Lineups are subject to change

Injury report:
NSH- None
COL- Gabriel Landeskog (concussion, out), Erik Johnson (head, out), Steve Downie (knee, out), Ryan Wilson (ankle, out)

Keys to the game:
NSH- Keep it simple… In an odd matinee tilt against a reeling Avalanche team, it’s a perfect time for the Predators to play a simple road game. It’s cliché, but it works. The Preds can’t give the Avalanche any life or anything to build on, so minimizing mistakes, scoring chances against and establishing a forecheck is important today.
COL- First 20 minutes… It would serve Joe Sacco’s club well to put Saturday in the rear-view mirror, and a successful first period would do that. That will be tough, though, against a Predators team that has given up just one first-period goal in the last eight games. Colorado is being outscored 14-8 in the first 20 minutes this season; Nashville is outscoring the opposition 13-8 in the first period.

Numbers to know:
- 2011-12 season series vs. Colorado: 4-0 Predators
- The Preds are 4-2-2 on the road this season … Colorado is 3-2-1 at home.
- The Preds have won 9 straight contests against Colorado.
- The Preds are 11-6-1 in their last 18 trips to the Pepsi Center in Denver.
- The Preds are 22-7-8 all-time in matinee games.
- Last season the Preds were 8-3-0 on the front end of back-to-backs; this season they are 0-0-1. They will head home to face Detroit tomorrow night.
- Chris Mason is 6-7-0 with a 2.72 GAA and .912 save percentage in 13 career games vs. Colorado. His counterpart, Semyon Varlamov, is 1-2-0 with a 2.94 GAA and .888 save percentage in 3 career games vs. Nashville.
- Martin Erat has 11 points in his last 7 games vs. Colorado.
- Patric Hornqvist has 13 points in 13 career games vs. Colorado.
- Matt Halischuk has 7 points in 8 career games vs. Colorado.
- Power play: Nashville (14.6%, 23rd) … Colorado (11.6%, 29th)
- Penalty kill: Nashville (85.7%, 7th) … Colorado (78.3%, 22nd)

Remember when?
Last January the Predators fell behind 2-0 to Colorado in the first period. Like they did all season, the Preds came back. David Legwand scored two goals, including the overtime winner, to cap the 3-2 comeback win…

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