The view from Nashville

The Nashville Predators are probably glad to be done with the Kings for a while. The Predators have suffered only three regulation losses in their last 13 games, but two of those losses have come against the Kings. When the Predators win the special-teams battle, they almost always win the game, but last night Nashville got a power-play goal and the Kings didn’t, but the Kings got the two points. The Predators have also been a strong third-period team. They came into the game with a plus-9 margin in the third period — 74 goals scored, 65 goals allowed — and they had a 9-3-5 record in games that were tied after two periods, meaning they had failed to earn at least one point in only three of those 17 games. So, all in all, the Kings pulled the upset with their three-goal third period. The Predators, with 90 points, are just fine though, and figure to continue battling with Detroit for fourth place in the Western Conference. Here’s how The Tennessean covered last night’s game, followed by some additional postgame quotes from the Predators’ locker room…

Nashville Predators fall to Los Angeles Kings

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COACH BARRY TROTZ
(on the game…) “From the second period on, I thought we were coming on and they had security. They threw it up the front-side rim and it bounced over Kostitsyn’s stick and they executed on it. That’s where we’ve got to stabilize the game, though. Things are going to happen, a good play, a mistake here and there. You just have to hold it at that and then see if you can get the next one and get it tied up. We didn’t do a good job. We turned the puck over in the neutral zone.’’

(on the return of Kevin Klein…) “He was OK. He looked a little sluggish in the first and that’s what happens when you miss a couple games. You need a period to get your feet under you and I thought he was fine after that.’’

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MARTIN ERAT
(on the Kings…) “They play tight defensively. It’s very hard to play against them.’’

(on the return of Kevin Klein…) “It’s good to see him back there. He’s a big part of this team and it’s very nice to have him back there.’’

(on Nashville’s remaining games…) “Very important, especially for the teams on the bubble and for us. We’re just trying to get to the postseason.’’

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