The Nashville Predators return to Bridgestone Arena one more time before the All-Star break for a Wednesday contest against the Los Angeles Kings.
Out of a playoff position for the first time since Dec. 6 and with only 31 games left to play when they return from the break, the Predators know they’ll need to play desperate hockey to collect an important two points on Wednesday.
“It's a big game,” Predators Captain Roman Josi said following Monday’s loss. “The Kings are right ahead of us, and everybody's winning in the League right now, all those teams around us. So, it’s probably the biggest game up to this point, and we need some points.”
“It's a pretty good team coming in, but we need that win to feel good about our game, and we have to get those two points,” forward Philip Tomasino said. “So, it's going to be a good test, but we know we're going to have to play desperate.”
Puck drop is at 6:30 p.m. CT, with the game set to broadcast on TNT, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio. Click here to get tickets and find out everything you need to know below:
LAST TIME OUT
Despite a three-goal showing in the first period courtesy of Michael McCarron (7), Tomasino (6) and Yakov Trenin (8), the Predators on Monday allowed the Ottawa Senators to net a trio of their own in the middle frame and force the game into overtime, where the home team would ultimately net the game-winner.
Tomasino (1g-1a) and Josi (2a) led the Predators with two points apiece, McCarron matched a career high in goals set during the 2021-22 campaign, Trenin scored his first goal in 16 games and Cody Glass tallied his second assist of the season and his first since Nov. 20 in the loss.
Juuse Saros' 31-save performance was six shy of matching a season high set on Dec. 12 against the Philadelphia Flyers; the loss moved the netminder to 19-18-2 on the season.
Nashville moved to 26-22-2 on the season and concluded their three-game road trip at 1-1-1.
THE GOOD GUYS
Filip Forsberg leads the Predators in points (50) and goals (23); he is tied for 10th in goals among all NHL skaters.
Josi leads his club and is fifth among League defensemen in assists with 34; the Predators captain is additionally fifth in points (44) and tied for eighth in goals (10) among NHL blueliners.
Saros is 19-18-2 after 39 appearances, with a 2.94 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage; the netminder is 3-3-1 with a .922 save percentage and 2.31 goals-against average in his last six starts.
Kevin Lankinen is 6-4-0 after 14 appearances, with a 3.12 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage.
The Predators lead the NHL in hits (1,158) and hits per 60 minutes (1,158); defenseman Jeremy Lauzon leads the League in hits with 199.
Nashville is fifth in the Central Division with 54 points and a 13-12-0 record at home.
THE OTHER GUYS
Since their last meeting with Nashville on Thursday, Jan. 18, the Kings have won once and dropped four consecutive outings. Wednesday’s game, the last of a three-game trip for Los Angeles, will give the Kings one final chance to bolster their first Wild Card position before the All-Star break.
Adrian Kempe leads the Kings in points with 43 (17g-26a), Trevor Moore leads in goals with 21 and former Preds forward Kevin Fiala leads in assists with 30.
Cam Talbot is 14-13-5 after 32 appearances, with a 2.59 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage. Former Predators netminder David Rittich is 4-1-3 overall and 0-1-0 against Nashville this season; he’s posted a 2.09 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage through 10 appearances.
Los Angeles is fourth in the Pacific Division with 54 points and a 14-6-4 record on the road.
ALL-TIME MEETINGS
The Predators are 42-28-(3)-9 all-time against the Kings, including an 18-15-(3)-3 record at Bridgestone Arena.
This is the second of three matchups between Nashville and Los Angeles in 2023-24; it is the first and only at home. Nashville is 1-0-0 against Los Angeles this season, earning a 2-1 win at Crypto.com Arena on Jan. 18.
The Predators are 3-1-1 in their last five games against the Kings; they are 7-2-1 in their last 10; and 4-0-1 in their last five at Bridgestone Arena. Overall, the Predators have lost only three times in regulation to the Kings in their last 27 meetings (17-3-7), with Nashville having won 12 of 15.
Nashville enters Wednesday’s contest on a six-game home point streak against Los Angeles (5-0-1). Predators TV Analyst Chris Mason made 33 saves in his first NHL shutout as Nashville and Los Angeles played to the first scoreless tie at Bridgestone Arena on Jan. 13, 2004.
NOTABLES VS. LOS ANGELES
- Josi has tallied 26 points (5g-21a) in 31 career games vs. the Kings, including 15 points (1g-14a) in his last 12 meetings against Los Angeles. He posted three assists in the Jan. 21, 2023 meeting between the two teams.
- Forsberg has eight points (3g-5a) in his last 13 contests against Los Angeles, and 12 points (4g-8a) in 24 career games vs. the Kings. He matched his career high for shots in a game with nine on Oct. 12, 2019 at Los Angeles.
- Tommy Novak made his NHL debut on Oct. 19, 2021 vs. Los Angeles.
- Luke Schenn played in 43 games for Los Angeles during the 2015-16 season, recording 11 points (2g-9a).
- Predators Defense Development Coach Rob Scuderi won the 2012 Stanley Cup as a member of the Kings.
- Kings forward Viktor Arvidsson played in 387 games for Nashville from 2014-21, tallying 241 points (128g-113a).
- Fiala recorded 97 points (45g-52a) in 204 games with the Predators from 2015-19.
- Rittich played in 17 games for Nashville in 2021-22, going 6-3-4.
MILESTONE WATCH
- Forsberg is one assist from 300 in his NHL career.
- McCarron is four games from 200 in his NHL career.
- Tyson Barrie is one game from 800 in his NHL career.
- Schenn is four points from 200 in his NHL career.
- Ryan McDonagh is three games from 900 in his NHL career.
WATCH & LISTEN
Wednesday’s game will be broadcast exclusively on TNT, with play-by-play announcer Kenny Albert, analyst Eddie Olczyk and ice-level analyst Brian Boucher getting the call on the television side.
Pete Weber and Jay More will call the game on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network, with pregame, postgame and intermission coverage by Max Herz beginning one hour before puck drop. The game will also be broadcast in Spanish on El Jefe which airs on 96.7 FM, 105.3 FM and 810 AM. (El partido también se transmite en español por El Jefe en 96.7 FM, 105.3 FM y 810 AM.)
