The Winnipeg Jets begin a four-game road trip Saturday night against the Nashville Predators without their versatile All-Star Dustin Byfuglien.

You can listen to the game on TSN Radio 1290 Winnipeg starting at 5pm CT/6pm ET.

Fourth on the team with 42 points, Byfuglien has two assists against the Predators this season but will be sidelined two to four weeks because of an upper-body injury suffered as Winnipeg concluded a 2-1-1 homestand with Wednesday's 3-1 loss to Ottawa.

Coach Paul Maurice also said after practice Friday that center Bryan Little will miss at least the early part of Winnipeg's upcoming four-game road trip with an upper-body injury. The Jets have dropped two straight on the road and have allowed an average of 4.25 goals during a 1-5-2 stretch.

"We've got some tough games in front of us, but it also can be good for us," said forward Michael Frolik, who has three goals and two assists during a five-game point streak.

The Predators look to avoid a sixth straight defeat Saturday night.

Though Nashville (41-18-7) showed some resiliency by overcoming a two-goal, third-period deficit, Thursday's 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders was its fifth straight in regulation and season-worst third in a row at home. Trailing only Anaheim in the Western Conference, the Central Division-leading Predators last dropped six in a row during an 0-7-1 slide that included seven consecutive regulation losses in April 2013.

"I really think we have to look at this as a team, and we will get out of this together," coach Peter Laviolette told the Predators' official website. "Our guys have done an excellent job of staying tight as a group. ... I think it's important to stay together right now."

The Predators had only three regulation losses (26-3-1) in their first 30 home games.

Nashville's most recent defeat came hours after news surfaced that veteran Mike Ribeiro is being sued by a former nanny who accused him of assaulting her - and his wife of threatening her - in 2012. Tied for the team lead with 53 points, Ribeiro didn't seem too distracted while scoring his 13th goal Thursday.

"Mike has indicated that the charge is without merit and is prepared to vigorously defend himself," the organization said in a statement. "We will allow the legal process to move forward without further comment."

While the Predators' main concern is ending their skid, they need to improve their play early in games.

Nashville has allowed the first goal in each game of a 3-6-1 stretch and has been outscored 7-1 in the first period of the last five. It fell behind 2-0 for the second consecutive contest Thursday.

"We've just got to stop getting down in these games," said forward Colin Wilson, who increased his career-high goal total to 20. "We keep starting off behind and we keep having to battle back."

Since posting a 1.38 goals-against average during a five-game winning streak, Pekka Rinne's dropped five of seven and has a 3.67 GAA while losing four in a row.

The Predators haven't helped take the pressure off their netminder by going 2 for 27 on the power play over the last nine games.

Nashville went 0 for 18 in the previous four games against the Jets before scoring twice with the man advantage during its second straight home win over Winnipeg, 3-1 on Feb. 12 to improve to 3-1-0 on the season series. Rinne, who yielded two goals and recorded a shutout in three of those contests, is 7-0-0 with a 1.71 GAA as a starter against the Jets' franchise.

Ribeiro has a goal with two assists this season versus Winnipeg (32-21-12), which owns the final wild-card spot in the West.

Projected Lines

JETS

Forwards

Ladd-Lowry-Frolik

Stafford-Scheifele-Wheeler

Tlusty-Slater-Stempniak

Thorburn-O'Dell-Peluso

Defence

Enstrom-Myers

Stuart-Trouba

Pardy-Harrison

Goalies

Hutchinson

Pavelec

PREDATORS

Forwards

Forsberg-Ribeiro-Smith

Wilson-Fisher-Neal

Cullen-Jarnkrok-Santorelli

Bourque-Gaustad-Beck

Defence

Josi-Weber

Ekholm-Ellis

Jones-Franson

Goalies

Rinne

Hutton