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Predators aim to extend Oilers' skid to 7 straight

Jan 26, 2014 - 3:22 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Nashville Predators were unable to take advantage of Eric Nystrom's incredible individual effort in their most recent trip to the ice.

The Preds hope for better luck on Sunday against Edmonton as they try to deal the Oilers a season-worst seventh straight defeat.

Winners in four of their previous five games, the Predators got a career-high four goals from Eric Nystrom on Friday versus Calgary, but also saw the Flames score twice in the third period to tie the game before Nashville ultimately dropping a 5-4 decision in a shootout.

Defenseman Roman Josi scored as the second shooter in the third round to extend the tiebreaker, but Calgary's Sean Monahan beat Devan Dubnyk between the legs as the next skater and Ryan Ellis had his attempt stopped.

Nashville has now split the first two of a four-game road trip despite Nystrom notching the first four-goal game in franchise history. He upped his season goal total to 11 and had never before scored more than two goals in a game.

"It was just one of those nights. It's just frustrating that it was on the short end of the stick. It's a game we wish we could have back," said Nystrom, who was selected 10th overall by Calgary in the 2002 draft. "It's nice scoring goals, but not when it's on the losing side."

Dubnyk stopped 27 shots for the Predators and has allowed nine goals on 60 shots in two starts since being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers on Jan. 15 in exchange for forward Matt Hendricks.

Selected 14th overall by the Oilers in the 2004 draft, Dubnyk was 11-17-2 with a 3.36 goals against average in 32 games (29 starts) with Edmonton this season before the trade. It is unknown if he will face his former club tonight or if rookie backup Carter Hutton will get the call instead.

Hutton, who has never faced the Oilers, has won four straight starts, including all three since Dubnyk was acquired.

Edmonton is on its second six-game losing streak of the season and is hoping to avoid posting its longest skid since dropping 11 in a row from March 8-31, 2011. The club will try to build off its late effort in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes.

The Oilers allowed the Coyotes to score three times in a 4:02 span of the first period and trailed 4-0 at the three-minute mark of the second frame.

Hendricks, though, found the back of the net in the middle period for his first goal with the Oilers, then David Perron and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored six minutes apart in the third period in a spirited comeback attempt.

"We found a way to bring some energy and bring some life back to our game, but we got to try to do that for 60 minutes," said Nugent-Hopkins.

Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots in defeat. He is 10-6-3 with a 2.41 GAA in 20 career games versus the Predators. His first start with the Oilers came against the Preds on Nov. 28 and he recorded a 33-save shutout.

Ben Scrivens, acquired from Los Angeles the same day Dubnyk was traded to the Predators, has lost both of his previous games against Nashville.

Edmonton, which has won three of four and nine of its last 13 at home versus Nashville, is expected to be without defenseman Andrew Ference tonight after he left Friday's loss with a head injury.