Thu Nov 29 12:11:48 2007

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Senators try to get back on track against Preds

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(Sports Network) - The Ottawa Senators will try to end their longest losing streak of the season when they welcome the Nashville Predators for tonight's contest at Scotiabank Place.

The Senators began the campaign with an amazing 15-2-0 record, but have since dropped five of six games, including the current four-game skid. Ottawa still leads the Eastern Conference with 34 points.

Ottawa's latest setback came Wednesday night on Long Island, as the Islanders recorded a shootout victory. Mike Sillinger slipped a wrist shot over the shoulder of Ray Emery to end the lengthy shootout and lift New York past the Senators, 3-2, at Nassau Coliseum.

Sillinger, the sixth New York shooter, capped a back-and-forth affair that featured three shootout saves from Emery and three stops of Ottawa shooters by Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro.

Ottawa's Andrej Meszaros scored a pair of goals, including the overtime-forcer with under two minutes remaining in regulation. Emery stopped 20 shots, but could not prevent the Sens from falling to their fourth straight loss.

The Senators begin a two-game homestand tonight and are 10-3-1 as the host team this season.

The Predators have struggled a bit recently, having dropped three of their last four contests (1-2-1). Prior to the slide, Nashville had been 6-0-1 in its first seven tests of November. Overall, the Preds are 11-9-2 this season.

Nashville's latest setback came Saturday against the visiting Minnesota Wild. Branko Radivojevic's late third-period tally propelled the Wild to the 4-3 triumph at the Sommet Center .

Martin Erat, Vernon Fiddler and Martin Gelinas scored for Nashville, while Chris Mason made 21 saves in the loss.

The Predators, who are 4-6-1 as the visiting club this season, are kicking off a three-game road trip this evening.

Nashville has won three of the last five meetings with the Senators, but has dropped three in a row at Scotiabank Place.