Predators  5    Blue Jackets  3

Nashville Predators (18-11-3) at Columbus Blue Jackets (14-12-6), 7 p.m.

Sports Network | December 14, 2009

(Sports Network) - While the Predators and Blue Jackets will meet for the second time in less than a week, at least the venue is a little more favorable for Columbus.

The Blue Jackets will try for a fourth straight home win over Nashville this evening at Nationwide Arena.

These two clubs just squared off last Thursday, with the Predators posting their second 4-3 shootout win at home over the Blue Jackets this season. That most recent victory was Nashville's 13th straight over Columbus at home.

The series now shifts to Columbus, where the Jackets won all three of their meetings with Nashville last year. Overall, Columbus will be looking to snap a three-game series losing streak to the Predators.

The Blue Jackets will also be trying to get their season back on track, as they have lost five of their last six (1-3-2) and are just 2-6-4 in their last 12 games. Their most recent setback came on Saturday, a 3-1 loss to the Ducks.

R.J. Umberger had the lone goal and Steve Mason, coming off his first shutout of the season, stopped 22-of-25 shots in defeat.

Columbus failed to score despite having almost a minute of 5-on-3 power play time early in the third period, something Columbus head coach Ken Hitchcock said was the turning point of the game.

"We've scored on them all year and I don't even know that we got a quality look," Hitchcock said. "We stumbled around. We had shots blocked and cross-ice passes picked off."

While the Blue Jackets welcomed back to the lineup former two-time 30-goal scorer Fredrik Modin, who made his season debut after suffering a knee injury in the preseason, forward Derek Dorsett suffered a broken hand in a fight during Saturday's loss.

The Predators come into this test four points back of the first-place Blackhawks in the Central Division and having lost their last outing, 3-2, in overtime to Detroit on Saturday.

Pekka Rinne, who was beaten by the Red Wings' Todd Bertuzzi just 24 seconds into overtime, ended with 26 saves, David Legwand had a goal and Ryan Jones picked up his first points of the season with a goal and an assist. Jones, skating in his 13th game of the season, earned his second career multi-point game and first since October 15 of last season.

"I thought [Jones] was one of our best guys out there," said Preds head coach Barry Trotz. "He was really on the puck. He was hard and he went to the net, got a goal. There's lots of good things about Jonsey. It was a real good game for him."

Nashville, which was coming off a 2-1-1 homestand, plays four of its next five on the road and has notched a point in four straight as the guest (3-0-1).

The Preds could be without Jordin Tootoo tonight after he was hit by a slap shot from teammate Shea Weber in the opening frame. Tootoo did not return to the game due to a lower-body ailment.