The bad news for the Nashville Predators: They have lost 10 straight games on the road Jimmy Howard Jersey , eight of them in regulation.The good news: Their first two games after the Christmas break are at Bridgestone Arena, including Thursday night’s visit from the Dallas Stars.The better news: Some desperately needed help might be on the way sooner instead of later.Article continues below ...It appears that All-Star defenseman P.K. Subban and right winger Viktor Arvidsson could be back after extended absences. Subban has missed the last 19 games with an upper-body injury and Arvidsson has been sidelined since a slash broke his thumb Nov. 10 in a 5-4 overtime win at Dallas.“We’re not in the position to rest guys,” Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said to the Tennessean last week when asked if the team would wait to bring injured players back until after Christmas. “Guys will play when they are ready. We can’t afford the luxury of resting guys.”With their depth stretched beyond its considerable max by a series of injuries that have also claimed Filip Forsberg and Colton Sissons, the Predators are 9-10-2 over their last 21 games. They went 0-3-1 on last week’s road trip, losing to three of the NHL’s worst teams in Ottawa, Chicago and Philadelphia along the way.Yet Nashville is still 22-13-2, good for second place in the Central Division and third in the Western Conference. It is only four points behind Winnipeg in the Central and only three points off the pace of last season, when it won the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time with 117 points.To a man, the Predators are hopeful the break results in a return to the win column.“Hopefully, we come back hungrier and rested, maybe a bit healthier than we are now and go from there,” defenseman Ryan Ellis said.The Stars (18-16-3) were in position to go into the holiday break with momentum Jonathan Ericsson Jersey , but couldn’t build on a 1-0 second period lead Sunday night and fell 3-1 to the New York Islanders at American Airlines Arena.Aiming to win consecutive games for the first time since early December, Dallas instead lost for the sixth time in eight games, all in regulation. First-year coach Jim Montgomery wasn’t quite willing to use playing on back-to-back nights as an excuse.“Guys were tired tonight, but a lot of other teams have similar schedules and they find ways to win hockey games,” he said. “It’s a mindset of pushing the envelope and wanting to make plays, wanting to be a difference-maker.”Their recent skid aside, the Stars remain in fourth place in the Central, tied for the Western’s last playoff spot with Edmonton. The problem lately has been an offense that was once explosive, but has slid to 24th in the league with 99 goals in 37 matches.Slow starts have also plagued Dallas. Its 18 goals in first periods rank last in the league.“As a group, we don’t prepare well enough,” Montgomery said. “I don’t have, obviously Womens Justin Abdelkader Jersey , my finger on it. I hope it would be better.” PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The biggest cheers from Flyers fans Monday night came when Gritty wrapped a blindfold around his googily eyes “Bird Box” style and kicked a Nerf football into the stands on a field-goal attempt as part of the “Cody Parkey Challenge.”This is how sad the season has become for Philadelphia — fans save their loudest cheers to rally around the local football team.Jordan Binnington became the latest goalie to stymie the Flyers. He stopped 25 shots for a shutout in his first NHL start to lead the St. Louis Blues past the Flyers 3-0 in a listless game between two of the worst teams in the league.Brayden Schenn, Vladimir Tarasenko and David Perron scored to make it an easy night for Binnington.“Guys are thrilled for him, happy for him,” Schenn said. “He’s worked hard to get to this point and he finally got rewarded.”The Blues’ win gave them 38 points and moved them past Los Angeles out of last place in the Western Conference. Only Ottawa has fewer points than the Flyers (36) in the East after Philadelphia’s seventh straight loss. Both teams fired their coaches this season.Binnington, a third-round pick in the 2011 draft, became the 35th goalie in NHL history to record a shutout in his first career start. The 25-year-old Binnington had played just two games in mop-up duty this season behind Jake Allen. He was sent to the minors in December to keep fresh and earned three wins with a shutout to earn AHL player of the week honors. He was called up — and got the call to start against the hapless Flyers.“I was definitely excited to finally get the call, and it was a long road,” Binnington said. “I’m happy where I’m at right now and I’m hoping to get some more action and be a part of the solution on the rise of the Blues.”Blues coach Craig Berube said Binnington showed no signs of nerves.“I thought he was solid all game,” Berube said. “Very confident, even coming out and playing the puck. He moved it really well and crisply. He looked really good.”Schenn scored his ninth goal of the season on a rebound off the Carter Hart’s pads 41 seconds into the second period for the 1-0 lead. Tarasenko scored midway through the third to become the 20th active player to score against 30 other teams while playing for one franchise. Perron scored an empty-netter in the final minutes.Binnington wasn’t challenged much in a half-empty Wells Fargo Center. Once among the NHL’s loudest and craziest buildings, the crowds have dwindled with each defeat and the few fans that showed on Monday mostly sat on their hands and booed.They used to root for Schenn when he starred for the Flyers for six seasons. He scored 59 points in 2015-16 and 55 points the next season before he was traded for the Blues. The Flyers had another reminder of better days on the Blues bench: Berube led the Flyers to the playoffs in 2014 and was fired the following the season. The Flyers fired his successor, Dave Hakstol Luke Glendening Jersey , last month and have failed to win a playoff series since 2012.The Flyers fell to 3-6-2 under interim coach Scott Gordon.“I think there’s been good communication, but we have to be better as players,” Flyers forward Scott Laughton said. “It’s not up to him. We have to be better as players in this locker room. We have to do a job and we’re not doing it right now.”The Flyers have scored only 12 goals over their seven-game losing streak, their longest losing streak since they went 0-5-5 over November-December last season.The biggest cheers came when Gritty trolled Parkey, the maligned Chicago Bears kicker. Fans burst into the “Fly! Eagles! Fly!” fight song when Parkey’s missed kick was shown on the video screen.The Flyers were booed by the die-hards that stuck around as they trudged off the ice, a familiar scene in Philly.“When we play at home, we’re having a tough time,” Flyers captain Claude Giroux said. “We’re trying to make the extra play, we’re trying to push it. It’s kind of coming back in our face.”NOTES: Blues F Alexander Steen left with an undisclosed injury. … Blues C Tyler Bozak missed the game with the flu.UP NEXTBlues: Host Dallas on Tuesday.Flyers: Play Tuesday at Washington._____