The set-up: The 16-14-7 Nashville Predators and the 19-16-4 Tampa Bay Lightning meet tonight. Both teams were expected to be among the league's elite this season but as the calendar has turned to 2017, both sit on the outside looking in on the playoff picture. If there's been a common theme that has kept both teams from enjoying a better season up to this point it's been the lack of any consistency.

Nashville: "The whole season, consistency has been a problem," Nashville defenseman Roman Josi said. "We have a good game, then the next one is not good enough to win. We have to find that consistency and play the same way." The Predators are still missing All-Star defenseman P.K. Subban (back), who expects to remain out for at least another two-to-three more weeks. The Predators have won consecutive games only once since the end of November and have been unable to find the kind of consistency that made them one of the toughest teams in the Western Conference over the past two seasons.

Tampa Bay: The Lightning have won more than two consecutive games only once since winning four straight from Nov. 14 to 19. "There's been games where we give up nine or 10 scoring chances and then there are games we are giving up double that," Lightning associate coach Rick Bowness said Wednesday, a day after Tampa Bay was handled by Winnipeg. "So where is the consistency, that's the biggest issue." Tampa Bay had won four of six and picked up points in seven of its previous nine games but on Tuesday, Winnipeg jumped to a three-goal lead in the second period and held on for a 6-4 victory.

The pick: Tampa Bay has been without captain Steven Stamkos (knee) for seven weeks and the team just doesn't look right. For all of the Predators' inconsistencies, Nashville has won three straight on the road, after a 3-9-2 start to the season away from home. Nashville's allowed just three goals during its three-game road winning streak and the Under is an 8* play tonight.