GAME DAY: Golden Knights, Predators battle before All-Star break

The Golden Knights play their final game before the All-Star break Wednesday when they meet the Nashville Predators at T-Mobile Arena.

Opening faceoff is 7 p.m., and the game will be televised on NBC Sports Network.

“I’m hoping (Wednesday) is going to be a great game,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “Nashville played a real spirited game the other day in Colorado, so we’re getting ready for a big game. It’s going to be the last one before the break. After you lose a game, you want to win the next one, so hopefully we’re going to be ready to bounce back and play a real good game against Nashville.”

The Knights (29-18-4, 62 points) lost 4-2 to Minnesota on Monday and have dropped three of their past five games. They will enter the All-Star break in third place in the Pacific Division regardless of the outcome against the Predators.

The Knights begin their bye week starting Sunday and do not play again until Feb. 1 at Carolina.

Center Paul Stastny has points in four straight games and 17 points in 18 games since he returned from injured reserve on Dec. 14.

Defenseman Colin Miller, who was activated from IR on Saturday after missing 13 games, has back-to-back multipoint games for the first time in his career (0-4-4).

The Knights lost 4-1 at Nashville on Oct. 30 and are 6-5-0 against the Central Division.

“They’re a great transition team, but the way you counteract that is to slow them down by getting into their body a little bit,” Knights right wing Ryan Reaves said. “And you have to use your speed. We’re one of the fastest teams in the league, too. So we have to make sure we’re quick on the transition too. When they turn the puck over, we’ve got to get going the other way with five guys.”

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury did not play in the first meeting with the Predators and went 1-1 with a 0.51 goals-against average, .982 save percentage and one shutout in two games against Nashville last season.

The Predators (29-18-4, 62 points) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory at Colorado on Monday. Coach Peter Laviolette earned his 600th career victory, becoming the 20th coach in NHL history to reach the mark and the second American to do so.

Center Ryan Johansen, Nashville’s leading scorer with 42 points, is set to return after he served a two-game suspension for high-sticking.

Viktor Arvidsson leads the Predators in goals (19), and Filip Forsberg has seven points in eight games since he was activated from IR (hand).

“I think we consider ourselves a measuring stick, too,” Reaves said. “They’re a team that has done really well for awhile now, especially in the regular season., They seem to dominate the regular season every year and they’re doing really well again this year and it’s because they frustrate teams with their speed. They’re fast. They’re skilled. It’s a team you definitely want to beat.”

Golden Knights projected lineup

Forwards

Jonathan Marchessault-William Karlsson-Brandon Pirri

Max Pacioretty-Paul Stastny-Alex Tuch

Oscar Lindberg-Cody Eakin-Ryan Carpenter

Tomas Nosek-Pierre-Edouard Bellemare-Ryan Reaves

Defensemen

Brayden McNabb-Nate Schmidt

Shea Theodore-Deryk Engelland

Nick Holden-Colin Miller

Goaltender

Marc-Andre Fleury