The Nashville Predators will continue the Western Canada portion of their five-game road trip when they visit the Calgary Flames for Thursday's encounter at the Saddledome.
The Predators began this swing on Tuesday with a 4-0 triumph in Dallas, but followed it with Thursday's 7-4 defeat in Vancouver.
Nashville has a 5-8-2 road record and has enough games left on this swing to get to .500 as the guest. After Friday's stop in Calgary, the Predators will stay in Alberta for Sunday's clash with the Edmonton Oilers and then move back across the border for Tuesday's finale in Columbus.
Nashville fell behind 3-1 in the first period against the Canucks on Thursday and were never able to draw even. The Predators eventually cut the score to 5-4 late in the third period, but Henrik Sedin pushed the lead back to two with 2:34 left and David Booth sealed the victory with an empty-netter.
Matt Halischuk had a goal and an assist in the loss while Mike Fisher, Nick Spaling and Gabriel Bourque each scored for the Predators, who have lost five of their last seven.
Pekka Rinne was pulled early in the second period after allowing four goals on just 12 shots while Chris Mason stopped 7-of-9 shots in relief.
The Predators played on Thursday without leading scorer Colin Wilson and fellow forwards Patric Hornqvist and Paul Gaustad, who all are sidelined with upper-body injuries.
The Flames, who are tied with Colorado for last in the West, ended a three- game losing streak their last time out, beating the visiting Detroit Red Wings going away. Lee Stempniak scored the go-ahead goal as the Calgary Flames used a huge third period to take the 5-2 win at the Saddledome.
The score was tied at 2-2 after 40 minutes, but Calgary scored all three goals in the third period, beginning with Stempniak's wrister at 5:37.
Stempniak and Curtis Glencross each posted a goal and an assist, while Jay Bouwmeester, Blake Comeau and Alex Tanguay all scored for the Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff posted 36 saves in the win.
"As a team, we've been doing a better job of developing chemistry and creating chances," said Stempniak.
The win was the third straight on home ice for the Flames, who are 7-5-2 in Calgary this season compared to a 3-6-2 record everywhere else.
Friday's contest is the first of three scheduled meetings between the Flames and Predators this season. Nashville won three of four in 2011-12, but Calgary has taken six of 10 overall in the series. The clubs have split the past six encounters at the Saddledome.
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