The Vancouver Canucks' seemingly undying pursuit of mediocrity hit an unexpected speed bump. A six-game winning streak that ended Saturday night in Calgary with a 3-1 loss put them on the fringe of the Western Conference playoff race at midseason.
There they are joined by the Nashville Predators, whose October of high expectations morphed into a frustrating half-season of consistent inconsistency that's now being hampered by a spate of injuries to their top players.
The two meet Tuesday night at Bridgestone Arena, each attempting to coddiwomple in the direction of the postseason.
"If you dwell on stuff and wake up each morning worrying about the past, that's not going to do you any good," Nashville center Ryan Johansen said Sunday night after a 5-2 loss in Chicago.