The Nashville Predators return from the All-Star Break with points in five straight and a date in the Steel City (tonight at 6 p.m. CT on FS-TN).
The Preds (24-17-8) are 7-1-1 in their last nine contests and have gone from out of the playoff picture to third place in the Central Division during the hot stretch. The Penguins (30-13-5), who lost the first meeting between the two teams, 5-1, in Nashville in October, are likely to be without forwards Evgeni Malkin and Matt Cullen, but may see d-man Kris Letang return this evening.
Nashville held a full practice on Monday prior to their flight to Pittsburgh. Roman Josi (Injured Reserve; upper-body) and Petter Granberg (IR; lower-body) participated in the session, but did not skate with a defensive partner during line rushes. Josi also took to the ice on Tuesday in Pittsburgh.
Below is a projected lineup based on Tuesday's skate:
Projected Lineup: Predators at Penguins
Nashville Returns from All-Star Hiatus with Challenging Matchup in Steel City
