The Nashville Predators will return home tonight to face the defending Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning. This will be the toughest match-up of the season so far for the Predators, as the Bolts are 4-2-0 and looking a lot like last year's Stanley Cup runner-up.
The Preds will also be facing injury concern for the first time this season. Not only is Ryan Ellis day-to-day because of puck-to-knee-itis, but Austin Watson and Barret Jackman were also missing from Monday's practice. Supposedly they were only "maintenance days," which for Watson probably means he got some professional work done on that edgy upsweep.
