Kings, winners of 3 straight in OT, host struggling Predators
The Los Angeles Kings have made a habit of collecting wins after regulation recently. The Nashville Predators know all too well what it's like to be on the losing end of such a contest when facing the Kings.
Seeking their fourth straight win, the Kings welcome the struggling Predators to Staples Center on Thursday night.
After opening the season with three consecutive losses, the Kings (3-3-0) have bounced back to win three in a row -- all after the score was knotted at the end of regulation. They began their run by winning 4-3 at Dallas in overtime on Thursday, then returned home to top Vancouver by the same score in a shootout on Saturday.
Los Angeles continued its winning ways after regulation Tuesday. Alec Martinez scored 74 seconds in overtime to lift the Kings to a 3-2 victory over Columbus.
The Kings went 2-1-0 vs. the Predators in 2015-16 with both wins secured in overtime.
Jeff Carter scored with 18 seconds to play in the extra session in a 4-3 victory at Staples Center on Oct. 31. Tanner Pearson lit the lamp 1:18 into OT to give the Kings a 2-1 on Feb. 20 in Nashville.
Pearson, a left wing, leads the Kings this season with four goals and six points, with all of his points recorded during a career-best four-game points streak. His lone goal and assist vs. the Predators have come in the last two matchups.
A completely unexpected key to Los Angeles' resurgence has been veteran goaltender Peter Budaj, who was again expected to see the bulk of his playing time this season in the American Hockey League.
But Jonathan Quick, the team's all-time wins leader, suffered a lower-body injury in the season opener and is expected to miss up to three months. Backup Jeff Zatkoff strained a groin hours before the win over the Canucks, opening the door for the Budaj, who's surrendered eight goals on 75 shots over the last three contests.
"Winning is fun," the 34-year-old Budaj told the Kings' official website after practice on Wednesday. "When you win the games, you're very excited, very happy. Everything comes easier. You work hard easier because your mind is a little looser because you're winning, but you cannot focus on what happened yesterday ... Yesterday was yesterday."
Budaj is 7-5-0 with 2.31 goals-against average and one shutout in 12 career games against Nashville. However, he's not faced the Predators since Montreal posted a 2-1 win -- in overtime -- on Nov. 12, 2011.
The Kings signed former Predators goaltender Anders Lindback on Wednesday and assigned him to Ontario of the AHL. Lindback has also played for Tampa Bay, Dallas, Buffalo and Arizona, posting a 45-58-8 record with a 2.87 GAA.
Nashville dropped to 0-3-0 on the road after being drubbed 6-1 by Anaheim on Wednesday night in the opener of a five-game road trip. Colin Wilson's goal with just over 12 minutes left was the Predators' NHL-high 10th of the season.
Lack of any offensive punch from their top two threats last season has a hand in why Nashville is tied with Winnipeg for last in the Central Division. Filip Forsberg, a team-best 33-goal scorer last season, has yet to tally one in 2016-17. James Neal, who was second on the club with 31 goals, also has yet to score.
The Predators' top two defensemen, P.K. Subban (two goals, team high-tying five points) and Roman Josi (three assists and four points) have been trying to fill the offensive gap, but Nashville's goaltenders were shaky while surrendering five special-teams goals -- two of them short-handed -- against the Ducks.
Pekka Rinne, playing in his first game after missing one due to food poisoning, was lifted late in the second period after stopping only 13 of 17 shots. Marek Mazanec, appearing in just his third NHL game going back to January 2015, turned aside seven of nine shots.
"We've got to do a better job of just being harder to play against, defending our goaltender better and defending our end better," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said.
However, Rinne is 2-0-1 in his last three appearances in Los Angeles despite posting a 3.57 GAA in that span. Mazanec defeated the Kings in his only start against them in December 2013 in Nashville.
The Predators are 3-0-1 in their last four games at Staples Center, all one-goal decisions.
