Game Day: Kings vs. Preds

After a perfect back-to-back set in Philadelphia and New Jersey, the Nashville Predators return home to host the Los Angeles Kings at Bridgestone Arena tonight, the final game for the Preds before a four-day Christmas break. Nashville is coming off a 2-1 shootout win on Monday against the Flyers, followed by a 5-1 victory on Tuesday over the Devils.
It's the second of three meetings on the season between the Preds and Kings; Nashville suffered a 3-2 overtime defeat in Los Angeles back in October.
James Neal scored twice on Tuesday and Juuse Saros was stellar in net, as was his counterpart, Pekka Rinne, on Monday. After finding some much needed success on the road, the Preds will look for their 11th home victory and 16th overall on the season.

After recording a career-high three assists on Tuesday, Viktor Arvidsson is now tied for the Predators scoring lead with Ryan Johansen at 23 points apiece. Neal leads the club in goals with 14 and has 20 points, followed by Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro with 19 points each. Pekka Rinne carries a 13-8-4 record in net, while Saros is 2-2-1 with a .950 save percentage.
The Kings (16-13-3) are in the midst of a nine-game road trip, having gone 2-2-1 thus far, including a 3-2 shootout loss in Columbus on Tuesday. Jeff Carter paces the Kings with 16 goals and 26 points on the season, followed by Tyler Toffoli with eight goals and 20 points. Alec Martinez and Drew Doughty have 18 and 17 points from the blue line, respectively.

Morning Update:Defenseman P.K. Subban did not participate in Thursday's morning skate and remains listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Take a look at the
Predators projected lineup here
.
As the Preds go for their third win in a row before the holiday, here are three things to watch:

Oh What a Relief It Is:
It certainly wasn't for lack of trying, but Mattias Ekholm couldn't get one to go until Tuesday night. The Preds defenseman tallied his first of the season, the third goal of a 5-1 Nashville win over the Devils, a welcome sight for Ekholm.
"It was a big sense of relief, just to get it out of the way," Ekholm said after the game. "I'd had my looks and it just hadn't gone my way, so it's nice to see that one go in."
The last of the Preds top four defenseman to find the back of the net this season, Ekholm continues to do his thing night after night, no matter who he skates with. P.K. Subban has been Ekholm's partner most of the season, but with Subban missing the past two games with an upper-body injury, Matt Irwin has slid up alongside Ekholm, with the duo picking up the assists on Filip Forsberg's huge tally on Monday in Philadelphia.

Vintage Forsberg:
Preds broadcaster Willy Daunic was on point Tuesday night with his call on Filip Forsberg's power-play goal, stating the marker was "vintage Forsberg." Indeed it was - a perfectly placed wrister to give the Preds a 4-0 lead at the time, and the second in as many games for the Swede.
Just his fifth of the season, Forsberg now has three goals in his past five outings, a sign that No. 9 could be heating up. If that's the case, it's great news for the Preds as Forsberg is one of those relied upon most to tickle the twine.

I'll Be Home for Christmas:
With a number of players scheduled to make a quick stop home during the four-day Christmas break beginning on Friday, you can bet the Preds would like to do so having won their third straight. Two wins on the road in 48 hours is not only important for the confidence away from home, but simply in general, as the Preds continue to turn things around with a 3-4-2 record in December thus far. Currently, the Kings and Preds are tied for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Scoring the first goal of the game was big for the Preds on Tuesday, allowing them to play with the lead for the first time in a while. Getting off to another strong start would bode well against a Kings team that has only scored three times in their last three games.
When You Go:
Before puck drop, get your pregame skate in at the Smashville Outdoor Rink, presented by Nissan, right across the street from Bridgestone Arena at Walk of Fame Park, beginning at 4 p.m. CT. Arena doors open at 5 p.m. for the 7 p.m. start, and fans can also give blood before the game to benefit the Red Cross during their blood drive.
Take It In:
Tonight's contest can be seen on Fox Sports Tennessee beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT with Predators Live! pregame. Willy Daunic, Stu Grimson and Lyndsay Rowley handle television duties with Pete Weber and Brent Peterson on the call on 102.5 The Game.