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(Sports Network) - The Nashville Predators will aim for their fourth consecutive victory when they visit the Detroit Red Wings in tonight's Central Division battle at Joe Louis Arena.

Nashville is coming off Thursday's win over visiting Los Angeles, giving the Predators their fourth victory in five games. Marcel Goc scored the eventual deciding goal early in the third period to lead the Preds to the 4-2 win at Bridgestone Arena.

J.P. Dumont, Jerred Smithson and Jason Arnott also scored for the Predators. Pekka Rinne stopped 20 shots as Nashville also took its sixth consecutive victory against the Kings.

"It was important for us to get a win," Goc said. "We have to get as many points as we can in a playoff race."

The Predators, who are 18-11-2 as the host this year. are currently seventh in the Western Conference with 75 points.

Meanwhile, the Red Wings are coming off a loss Wednesday evening against the visiting Vancouver Canucks.

After opening its post-Olympic break schedule with a win at Colorado on Monday, Detroit was pounded by the Canucks, 6-3. Ryan Kesler collected a pair of goals, while Daniel and Henrik Sedin each posted three assists for Vancouver.

Jason Williams, Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen tallied for the Red Wings. Jimmy Howard was tagged for four goals on 21 shots in defeat. Chris Osgood finished the game by yielding two goals on 12 shots.

"We were poor, we were poor in goal, poor in the back end, poor on the front line, poor work ethic. Bottom line, we didn't look like a team that's dying to be in the playoffs," said Red Wings coach Mike Babcock.

Detroit, which is 16-9-5 at the Joe this year, is barely clinging to a playoff spot in the West. The Red Wings, who haven't missed the postseason since 1989-90, are eighth in the conference standings -- five points behind Nashville and just one point ahead of Calgary and St. Louis.

The Red Wings have taken two of three from the Predators this season, but neither team has a big edge in the recent head-to-head series. Detroit has won six of the last 11 overall against the Predators, but Nashville has lost nine of its last 12 road games in this series.