It will be a battle to avoid the league basement when the Nashville Predators play host to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.

The Predators (20 points) sit last in the 32-team NHL, two points back of the Flames. Calgary has played two more games heading into the clash of the cellar-dwellers, who are both looking to rebound from losses.

The Flames arrive after a 1-0 overtime defeat at the hands of the host Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, while Nashville is coming off a dispiriting 5-2 home setback to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.

The Predators trailed 3-0 past the midway point before making it a one-goal game. but watched their Central Division rivals pull away and saw their modest two-game winning streak snapped.

"It's frustrating," said forward Nick Blankenburg. "We're just trying to buil

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