Canucks & Predators Game Day

The Vancouver Canucks are in Music City, USA for their second meeting of the season with the Nashville Predators. In their previous meeting in Vancouver on Nov. 4, the Canucks shut-out the Predators 4-0. Kyle Wellwood had two goals while Daniel Sedin had a goal and an assist as Roberto Luongo turned aside 24 shots. Dan Ellis was in net for Nashville as he faced 39 shots in the loss.

The Canucks (15-10-3) will start Curtis Sanford in goal tonight. His last performance was a 6-5 loss to the Detroit Red Wings last Thursday, allowing all six against on 33 shots.

Sami Salo will not dress tonight in Nashville, nursing a groin injury. Rob Davison is likely going to take his spot on defence paired up beside Mattias Ohlund.

Darcy Hordichuk makes his return to Nashville for the first time since signing with the Canucks in the off-season. The line of Hordichuk (1g,1a), Jason Jaffray (1g,1a), and Jannik Hansen (2a) has combined for six points in back-to-back games.

Kevin Bieksa (2g,2a) and Daniel Sedin (1g,4a) are riding four-game point scoring streaks into tonight's action. Pavol Demitra has gone seven straight without a goal.

The Predators (14-11-2) are coming off a 6-3 loss on the road last night against the St. Louis Blues. J.P. Dumont leads Nashville in scoring with 27 points and has a five-game point scoring streak on the line (3g,3a). Shea Weber leads all NHL d-men in goals (11) and points (25). He has recorded at least a point in each of the Predators victories this year.

Nashville is likely to start Pekka Rinne in net. Despite letting in six last night against the Blues, he allowed only two goals in three starts last week. That was good enough to earn him NHL First Star honours.

Here are the likely match-ups for both teams tonight at the Sommet Center:

Canucks:

D. Sedin - H. Sedin - Pyatt
Demitra - Raymond - Wellwood
Burrows - Kesler - Bernier
Hordichuk - Jaffray - Hansen

Mitchell - Bieksa
O'Brien - Edler
Ohlund - Davison

Sanford
Schneider

Predators:

J.P. Dumont - Jason Arnott - Joel Ward
Antti Pihlstrom - David Legwand - Martin Erat
Jerred Smithson - Radek Bonk - Jordin Tootoo
Vern Fiddler - Scott Nichol - Wade Belak

Ryan Suter - Shea Weber
Dan Hamhuis - Greg Zanon
Greg DeVries - Kevin Klein

Pekka Rinne
Dan Ellis