(SportsNetwork.com) – The Los Angeles Kings failed in a comeback bid to secure
just their second victory on the road this season. They’ll get another crack
at a road win on Tuesday night as they visit the Nashville Predators.
The Kings opened up a three-game road trip with a 5-4 loss in Dallas. They
trailed 3-0 after the first period and 4-0 just 3:57 into the middle frame
before making a game out of it thanks to a pair of goals by Justin Williams
and one each from Tanner Pearson and Mike Richards.
Still, Los Angeles fell to 1-4-3 on the road this season and had a three-game
winning streak snapped.
Kyle Clifford and Jarret Stoll had two assists each and Jonathan Quick was
charged with all five goals on 23 shots in a rare poor outing.
“They buried their chances in the first then got some big goals later,” said
Stoll. “We battled, and that’s always a good thing, but we just couldn’t get
that last one.”
Los Angeles will wrap its swing on Wednesday in Minnesota, so Quick and backup
Martin Jones could split the starts. Quick is 2-6-2 with a 2.76 goals against
average and .888 save percentage in his career versus the Predators, while
Jones has never faced them.
The Predators will be a tough challenge on their home ice, where they are
7-1-1 this season. Nashville has won all three of its games on home ice this
month, though it nearly blew a chance at two points in Saturday’s 3-2 shootout
decision over the Florida Panthers.
Pekka Rinne and the Preds were less than a minute away from a shutout, but the
Panthers scored twice in the final 43 seconds of the third period.
Filip Forsberg, though, bailed his club out and secured a sixth victory in
eight games by netting the lone goal of the shootout.
“I was excited to have the shutout going and I wanted to hang on to that,”
said Rinne, who ended with 28 saves. “They got those two quick, though, and I
haven’t seen that too often. Glad I was able to hold on and help us get the
two points.”
Colin Wilson and Matt Cullen both scored in Nashville’s opener of a four-game
homestand.
Rinne is 7-6-1 with a 2.72 GAA and .897 save percentage in his career versus
the Kings.
The Preds split two meetings in Nashville with the Kings last season and have
won four of the past six encounters overall.
