The Golden Knights lost for the sixth time in seven games when they squandered a first-period 2-0 lead and lost to the Nashville Predators 4-2 on Wednesday.

Two Western Conference squads hit the ice when the fifth-place Vegas Golden Knights (17-9-11) host the 11th-place Nashville Predators (17-17-4) at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET. Nashville won on the road in its most recent game on Dec. 29, 4-3 over the Utah Mammoth.

After not playing for five consecutive days, it would have been easy for the Utah Mammoth to have a slow start against the Nashville Predators on Monday, but an early power play goal from JJ Peterka showed that they were rust-free.

The Seattle Kraken will start the new year by wrapping up a three-game homestand on Thursday, January 1, against the Nashville Predators.

Vegas may have lost defenseman Brayden McNabb who suffered an upper-body injury in the second period and did not return Wednesday.

Annunen will defend the road net against the Golden Knights on Wednesday, Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site reports. Annunen is coming off a 16-save performance in a 2-1 win over the Rangers on Dec. 21. He has posted a 2-5-1 record this season ...