Game Preview: Sharks At Predators

By JACK CASSIDY
STATS Writer

(AP) -- With an elite goaltender and some consistent scoring, the Nashville Predators have been hockey's best team this season.

The additions of defenseman Cody Franson and forward Mike Santorelli could make them even better.

The Predators get their first chance to show off their new acquisitions Tuesday night against the visiting San Jose Sharks.

Nashville (38-12-6) acquired Franson and Santorelli from Toronto on Sunday in exchange for forward Olli Jokinen, minor leaguer Brendan Leipsic and its first-round pick in June's draft.

Franson ranks among the top 20 defensemen in the league with 32 points, and Santorelli has scored 11 goals - his most since 2010-11. They'll also be heading somewhere familiar. Both players were drafted by Nashville and played with the Predators for two seasons.

"It's exciting, two guys that were here, it seems like forever ago now, but we know both of them and we're excited to have them," captain Shea Weber said. "Talking to all the guys, we're excited and looking forward to getting the stretch run going here."

They join a team on a five-game winning streak during which it's scored exactly three times in each game. The Predators have put up three goals or more in 23 of their last 27 games, a two-month stretch in which they lead the league (3.33 per game).

Nashville also ranks near the top of the NHL with 2.27 goals allowed per game on the season, and has surrendered a total of eight during the winning streak. Pekka Rinne has been in net for four of those victories, bumping his save percentage in that stretch to .950 after stopping 21 shots in Saturday's 3-1 win over New Jersey.

"Rinne has been great," center Craig Smith told the Predators' official website. "He's great every night. He's going to make the big saves. He's a big guy back there making plays."

Smith and Colin Wilson scored in the third period Saturday as Nashville upped its average in the final 20 minutes to 1.18 goals - among the top four third-period averages in the NHL.

The Predators couldn't get anything going for 60 minutes in a 2-0 loss to San Jose (29-21-9) on Dec. 13, but the Sharks have struggled defensively of late.

San Jose has dropped four of five with Antti Niemi posting a 3.60 goals-against average. He allowed four goals Sunday in a 5-2 loss to Tampa Bay.

"This is frustrating. The mistakes we make are things we work on, we practice on and watch video on," center Logan Couture said. "These are things that should have been fixed in week 2 of the season. Our attention to details is not where it should be."

Couture scored Sunday, giving him a six-game point streak during which he's posted three goals and five assists. He's gone eight straight against the Predators without a goal, and the Sharks have gone nine in a row in this series without scoring more than twice.

San Jose has lost its past four in Nashville.

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