PREDATORS (11-20-7) at CANUCKS (18-11-8)

10 p.m. ET; SNE, SNO, SNP, FDSNSO

Welcome back to the ROG! The undefeated in '25 Nucks record is on the line.

Last night's tough win only cost the Nucks another Demko BC Faeries sailing. Supposedly a minor sea tour with back spasms. Sheesh. When does the team revert to the mean with no more mean injuries?

That scrappy win has given the Canucks and us a little, tiny bit of hope. Probably not enough to string together that elusive 2 game win streak, but still...

Don't know if the Nucks have enough left in the tank to win this game over 60 minutes. That can be such a long time in the ROG. But, if the Nucks and Lanky can put in a solid 40 against Lanky's old team, it's possible.

Or, more likely, Nucks struggle on the 2nd of a B-2-B - play down to a team languishing in the stinky bottom of the conference and lose at home to the Preds like they did in November.

LINEUPS

Predators projected lineup

Filip Forsberg -- Steven Stamkos -- Jonathan Marchessault

Gustav Nyquist -- Ryan O'Reilly -- Vinnie Hinostroza

Mark Jankowski -- Tommy Novak -- Luke Evangelista

Ozzy Wiesblatt -- Michael McCarron -- Colton Sissons

Roman Josi -- Justin Barron

Brady Skjei -- Nick Blankenburg

Spencer Stastney -- Luke Schenn

Juuse Saros

Justus Annunen

Scratched: Fedor Svechkov

Injured: Cole Smith (lower body), Jeremy Lauzon (lower body), Adam Wilsby (upper body)

Suspended: Zachary L’Heureux

Canucks projected lineup

Jake DeBrusk -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser

Nils Hoglander -- Pius Suter -- Conor Garland

Danton Heinen -- Teddy Blueger -- Kiefer Sherwood

Dakota Joshua -- Max Sasson -- Phillip Di Giuseppe

Guillaume Brisebois -- Tyler Myers

Carson Soucy -- Noah Juulsen

Derek Forbort -- Vincent Desharnais

Kevin Lankinen

Arturs Silovs

Scratched: Linus Karlsson, Erik Brannstrom

Injured: Thatcher Demko (back spasms), Elias Pettersson (upper body), Quinn Hughes (upper body), Filip Hronek (upper body)

Status report

Svechkov, a forward, was recalled from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on Friday but the Predators held an optional skate so it wasn’t clear if he will play. ... Stastny and Wiesblatt were called up from Milwaukee on Thursday after Lauzon, a defenseman, left a 5-3 loss at the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday and before L’Heureux, a forward, was suspended three games for slew-footing Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon. … Willsby, a defenseman who will miss his second straight game, was placed on injured reserve Friday but Coach Andrew Brunette said he and Lauzon each is day to day. … Silovs was recalled from Abbotsford of the AHL on Friday after Demko, a goalie, left the Canucks' 4-3 shootout win at the Seattle Kraken on Thursday with back spasms after getting spun around in a collision with Juulsen and falling hard to the ice.

GAME DAY CHATTER

Back in the ROG and Taco talking about playing the 'right' way. Taco knows what that is. We know what that is. So do the players. For at least 40 minutes a game. Sometimes. Also... has Taco aged prematurely since taking the Nucking gig?

GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN

Let's ease ourselves into this game.... let the Cowboy Junkies lull the Preds into a 59 minute nap. Could work.

Go Coconutters!