The Nashville Predators will look to collect the first win of their three-game road trip on Thursday when they take on the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena.
In the City of Angels, the Predators will face a Kings team desperate to turn the ship around after dropping nine of their last 10 outings.
Utilizing two days between games with a day of rest on Tuesday and a team practice on Wednesday, Nashville should enter Thursday’s contest energized and ready for the task at hand.
“These are going to be playoff-type games,” Predators Head Coach Andrew Brunette said on Wednesday. “I really liked our last three games. I like our energy and I like the pace we're playing at. I like our desperation and our relentlessness, and we're going to need that again on Thursday against a desperate team in LA.”
Puck drop is at 9 p.m. CT with the game set to broadcast on ESPN+/Hulu, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio. Here’s everything you need to know:
LAST TIME OUT
On Monday, the Predators felt the result - a 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights - was not wholly representative of their efforts.
“Throughout the whole game, I didn't feel like we were ever out of it,” Predators forward Luke Evangelista said on Wednesday. “[Vegas] made a good push in the second, but I thought we had our chances and played some good hockey. It's not a game that I think we should feel too disappointed in, and I think that we could have won that game.”
Evangelista’s goal in the middle frame was his second in as many games and the fifth in his last eight outings.
The Predators recorded a season-high 48 hits against the Golden Knights on Monday; their previous season high (34) was recorded on Dec. 2 vs. the New York Rangers. Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon led the Predators with a season-high 12 hits against Vegas.
With an assist on Evangelista’s second-period goal, Roman Josi extended his point streak to four games (6a). Alexandre Carrier picked up his 10th assist of the season and the third point in his last four games (2g-1a).
Juuse Saros made 25 saves in the loss and moved to 17-16-1 as a result, while Nashville moved to 24-19-1.
THE GOOD GUYS
Filip Forsberg leads the Predators in points (48) and goals (22); he is additionally tied for 13th among all NHL skaters in goals and tied for 14th in points. Josi leads the Predators in assists with 29; he is additionally sixth among League blueliners in helpers and fifth in points (37).
After 34 games, Saros has recorded a 3.02 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage; he is additionally tied for fifth among NHL goaltenders in wins (13) since Nov. 20. Kevin Lankinen is 6-3-0 after 13 games, with a 3.12 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage.
The Predators lead the NHL in hits (1,008) and hits per 60 minutes (22.77); Lauzon leads all players in hits with 174.
Nashville is fourth in the Central Division with 49 points and an 11-8-1 record on the road.
THE OTHER GUYS
The Kings return to Crypto.com Arena on Thursday eager to get back on track after going 1-3-2 on a six-game road trip.
Anze Kopitar leads the Kings in points with 39, Trevor Moore leads in goals with 20 and former Predators forward Kevin Fiala leads in assists with 27.
Former Predators goaltender David Rittich, who's been serving as backup for Cam Talbot since Pheonix Copley was placed on LTIR on Dec. 17, will get the start against Nashville on Thursday. Rittich is 3-0-1 through five games with the Kings this season, with a 1.61 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage.
Los Angeles is third in the Pacific Division with 50 points and a 7-7-5 record at Crypto.com Arena.
ALL-TIME MEETINGS
The Predators are 41-28-(3)-9 all-time against the Kings, including a 23-13-(0)-6 record on the road. This is the first of three matchups between Nashville and Los Angeles in 2023-24; it is the first of two at Crypto.com Arena.
The Predators are 3-1-1 in their last five games against the Kings; they are 7-2-1 in their last 10; and 3-2-0 in their last five on the road. The Predators went 2-0-1 against the Kings last season, winning their most recent meeting, 2-1 in a shootout, on March 11, 2023 in Los Angeles. Nashville also earned two points in a 5-3 win at home on Jan. 21, 2023 and picked up one point in a SOL on Oct. 18, 2022.
Overall, the Predators have lost only three times in regulation to the Kings in their last 26 meetings (16-3-7), with Nashville having won 11 of 14.
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 25 points (5g-20a) in 30 career games vs. the Kings, including 14 points (1g-13a) in his last 11 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 12 contests against Los Angeles, and 12 points (4g-8a) in 23 career games vs. the Kings. He matched his career high for shots in a game for the third time with nine on Oct. 12, 2019 at Los Angeles.
- Tommy Novak made his NHL debut on Oct. 19, 2021 vs. Los Angeles.
- 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.
LINE ‘EM UP
Forsberg - O'Reilly - Nyquist
Trenin - Sissons - Gurianov
Smith - Novak - Evangelista
Pärssinen - McCarron - Tomasino
Josi - Fabbro
McDonagh - Schenn
Lauzon - Carrier
Saros
Lankinen
Scratches: Barrie (upper body, day-to-day), Glass, Sherwood
MILESTONE WATCH
- Josi (166) is one goal from passing Shea Weber (166) for the most by a defenseman and the third-most among all skaters in Predators history.
- Forsberg is two assists from 300 in his NHL career.
- Tyson Barrie is two games from 800 in his NHL career.
- Luke Schenn is five points from 200 in his NHL career.
WATCH & LISTEN
Thursday’s game will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+/Hulu, with play-by-play announcer Bob Wischusen, analyst Ray Ferraro and rinkside reporter Leah Hextall on the call.
Pete Weber and Hal Gill 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.)
