Fisher's second goal of game leads Predators past Kings
Mike Fisher didn't let this tie last very long.
Fisher scored his second goal of the game with 26.4 seconds left — right after Los Angeles got even — to give the Nashville Predators a 3-2 victory over the Kings on Saturday night.
Fisher also assisted on Patrick Hornqvist's first-period goal for Nashville, which snapped a five-game losing streak. Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter scored for the Kings, who have lost two straight.
The teams combined for three goals in the final 3:18.
Fisher put Nashville ahead 2-1 with 3:18 left during a power play, scoring with a slap shot from the high slot that beat goalie Ben Scrivens low to the stick side.
Nashville has at least one man-advantage goal in seven of eight games.
Carter tied it with only 36.7 seconds to go after Scrivens was pulled for the extra attacker.
But Fisher put the Predators back in front 10 seconds later when his shot from the left side just made it over the goal line.
''Colin (Wilson) made a great play trying to take the puck to the net, and I was just trying to find a hole,'' Fisher said. ''He found me in a great spot, and it just trickled through the goalie.''
Fisher led Nashville's forwards with 21 minutes, 58 seconds of ice time.
Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter wasn't happy that his team allowed Fisher to get a shot off that close to the net.
''Bad coverage on our part,'' he said.
The goal was upheld by a video review.
''From where I was, I didn't think it completely crossed, but the video has a better vantage point, and they can zoom in,'' Scrivens said. ''A guy broke down the wall and threw it in front. They were able to get a stick on it and direct it on net.
''I got a large chunk, but not enough. It's an extremely frustrating way to lose a hockey game.''
Hornqvist had given the Predators a 1-0 lead with 5:18 left in the first.
Scrivens stopped Fisher's shot from the high slot, but Hornqvist — who was standing just outside the crease — backhanded in the rebound for his eighth goal.
Hornqvist hadn't scored a goal in six games.
Kopitar then tied it at 7:05 of the second.
With the Kings on a power play, Kopitar skated to the top of the right circle and beat goalie Marek Mazanec with a wrist shot that was tucked just inside the far post.
Los Angeles hadn't scored on the power play in its previous five games.
Mazanec finished with 26 saves and earned his first win since Nov. 27.
''He made some timely saves when we needed him to and he was calm back there,'' Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. ''From our standpoint, it was a combination of solid goaltending and a desperate competitive team going against a fresh, veteran team.''
Shea Weber led Nashville in ice time with 29:52 and posted an assist.
''This was a huge game for us,'' Weber said. ''We have been on a tough stretch this past year, but hopefully we can get it right now.''
NOTES: Kopitar has a three-game point streak. ... The Kings have allowed at least one power-play goal in three consecutive games. ... It was Fisher's first two-goal game of the season. ... Nashville rookie D Seth Jones had two assists for his first multipoint game in the NHL.
