This is the second of three meetings between the Kings and Predators this season. Despite being outshot by a two-to-one margin in regulation and 24-14 overall, Nashville won 2-1 in a shootout at Staples Center on January 31. After tonight, the two teams will conclude the season series on Monday, March 4 in Los Angeles.
Lots more after the jump…
Though both goaltenders were Vezina Trophy candidates a season ago, neither Jonathan Quick nor Pekka Rinne have experienced a great deal of success in the teams’ head-to-head matchups. Quick has one win in seven career starts against the Predators, going 1-4-2 with a 2.83 goals against average and an .891 save percentage. Rinne is 6-5-0 lifetime against the Kings with a 2.91 GAA and .891 Sv%. Jonathan Bernier isn’t expected to start tonight, though he has a 6-1-0 career record against Nashville with a 2.00 GAA and .930 Sv%, along with one shutout.
Nashville is tied with Chicago for the fewest home games played in the NHL with two. This is the Predators’ first home game since opening the season with a pair of shootout losses to Columbus and St. Louis at Bridgestone Arena. Following tonight, they’ll travel to Minnesota for one game before returning home to face Chicago, San Jose, Phoenix and Anaheim.
The Predators recently returned from a seven-game, 16-day road trip that equaled the longest trip in franchise history. Following a 1-2-1 start to the trip, they eked out shootout wins in Los Angeles and San Jose before erupting for six goals in a 6-1 win at St. Louis in which four players recorded multiple points.
First line right wing Martin Erat, who has either led or tied for the team lead in scoring in each of the last two seasons, has been a phenomenal model of consistency in his NHL career. Selected by Nashville in the seventh round of the 1999 NHL Draft, Erat has finished with between 49 and 58 points in every season since 2003-04 and has amassed 695 regular season games in a Predators uniform. He currently leads the team with seven points (3-4=7) in eight games.
Defenseman Shea Weber, on the other hand, remains without a point nine games into the season after signing a 14-year, 110 million dollar contract extension over the summer. Leading 2011-12 goal scorer Patric Hornqvist, who has seven goals in 14 career games against the Kings, remains sidelined with a knee injury suffered on January 26 in Anaheim when he got tangled up with Ryan Getzlaf in a corner battle. He is progressing and may be on the verge of being classified as “day-to-day.”
The Predators are likely to utilize 11 forwards and seven defensemen after finding success with the approach late in the road trip. That means Long Beach-born and Rancho Santa Margarita-raised Jonathon Blum – who skated with Ontario Reign forward and Irvine native C.J. Stretch on the 2004-05 California Wave Midget AAA team – is likely to draw in for the third consecutive game. Blum had two assists in the win over St. Louis Tuesday night.
Los Angeles was 3-1-0 against Nashville in 2011-12 and outscored the Predators 14-11 in a season matchup that went against the two teams’ defensive tendencies. Justin Williams led the Kings in scoring with five points (2-3=5), while Dustin Penner (1-3=4) and Trevor Lewis (1-3=4) finished with four points in the head to head matchup.
Goals/Game: LAK – 21st / 2.38; NAS – 29th / 2.00
Goals Against/Game: LAK – 21st / 3.00; NAS – t-2nd / 2.00
Power Play: LAK – 25th / 12.5%; NAS – 17th / 17.2%
Penalty Kill: LAK – 15th / 81.1%; NAS – 16th / 80.0%
Shots/Game: LAK – t-16th / 28.6; NAS – 30th / 21.8
Shots Against/Game: LAK – 4th / 25.9; NAS – 10th / 27.9
Faceoffs: LAK – 21st / 48.6%; NAS – 13th / 50.8%
Projected Lines – Los Angeles
Dustin Brown – Anze Kopitar – Justin Williams
Simon Gagne – Mike Richards – Jeff Carter
Dwight King – Jarret Stoll – Trevor Lewis
Kyle Clifford – Colin Fraser – Jordan Nolan
Rob Scuderi – Drew Doughty
Slava Voynov – Alec Martinez
Davis Drewiske – Jake Muzzin
Jonathan Quick
Jonathan Bernier
Notes: The above lines represent the same lines used in Tuesday’s win over Columbus. Drew Doughty ranks second in the league in ice time, averaging 28:20. Jordan Nolan, a plus-4 in his first four games, is a minus-4 in his last two games. As always, lineup projections are educated assessments and not certain alignments.
Projected Lines – Nashville
Sergei Kostitsyn – Mike Fisher – Martin Erat
Gabriel Bourque – David Legwand – Colin Wilson
Brandon Yip – Nick Spaling – Craig Smith
Rich Clune – Paul Gaustad
Scott Hannan – Shea Weber
Roman Josi – Kevin Klein
Hal Gill – Ryan Ellis
Jonathon Blum
Pekka Rinne
Chris Mason
Notes: Former King Rich Clune scored his first career goal in Nashville’s 6-1 win over St. Louis on Tuesday. Former Wisconsin Badger Craig Smith, who had 36 points in his 72-game rookie season a year ago and was a point-a-game player in Finland’s SM-liiga during the lockout, has been held without a point through the first nine games of the season. As always, lineup projections are educated assessments and not certain alignments.
Quotes:
Colin Fraser, on playing against Nashville:
“I felt we played a good game against them last time, but we need to create more offensively. They’re a stingy team that doesn’t give up much, and they’ve obviously got a good goaltender. I think keeping it simple and getting more pucks to the net with more traffic [is important]. [Pekka Rinne is] a big guy, so we’ve got to get more guys in front of him.”
Barry Trotz, on whether the Predators will use seven defensemen:
“Yes, probably, but I can’t tell you that.”
Mike Fisher, on whether the team is trying to reduce the number of minor penalties it takes:
“Yeah. Especially against those teams like L.A. tonight that can really move the puck around. We don’t want to give them too many opportunities. We can improve our PK for sure. I think we’re getting better. There’s still room for improvement.”
Fisher, on the first game back after a long road trip:
“Sometimes it can be tough coming home. I think we’ve got to make sure we’re feeding on some of the energy of our own building. I think the danger is [that] you’re trying to do a little too much and be too pretty at home. We’ve just got to keep it simple, like we did on the road, and if we do that, we’ll be fine.”
I hope I’m wrong on this one, but it appears the “honeymoon” with DS is losing steam real fast among players, especially with this Mitchell situation. He looked okay two weeks ago at TSC and appeared ready to play in a couple days.
I can now see how DS can really frustrate you as a player….maybe too strict!! After one game-THE FIRST game of the season, he already bench Gagne. Wonder if, now, Penner and Clifford is upset at their situation.
I’m not a big fan of awarding and benching people for their effort or the lack thereof. Maybe, if it’s prolonged but then, how can an athlete get out of the funk if you keep benching him? Justin Williams was in a 14 game funk last season but managed to get out of it. He would’ve fell deeper in the whole if he were bench loosing confidence and more detrimental, loosing his touch of the game.
I like clifford and played really well and is hungry BUT does it justify putting him in a “scoring line,” and putting a scorer in the FOURTH line??!! How do you prove yourself as a scorer in the fourth line??
Hope Mitchy will be back soon and doesn’t have a grudge on DS.
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Real 7 Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 2:42 pm
@rogiesbackup, Oh, you worry too much…
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xeropoint Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 2:52 pm
@rogiesbackup, It’s really quite simple. If you’re a part of the leadership group, you’re going to play no matter what. Success or failure for the team won’t depend on a Gagne or Penner (although it doesn’t hurt *nudge nudge *wink wink). The top guys, the core guys are and have always been, the fuel that powers the engine.
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Gustavo Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:01 pm
@rogiesbackup,
Grudges are emotions NO ONE in this team has the luxury of indulging in a shortened season like this. Best leave it to the media geniuses to invent non-existent ‘grudge controversies’ (Goalies in Vancouver, for instance)
Did it ever occur to you that DS may move players sometimes based on match-up considerations, injuries, set plays, etc? Coaching a profession team of any kind is a tad more complex than just just rewards or demotions? With that said, Cliffy did earned his promotion and Gagne & Penner definitely earned their demotions.
And definitely NO, I believe the DS/players honeymoon is still raging. Just because we do not know what is really going on with Mitchell, it’s no reason to start pointing fingers at the coach, the player, the GM or the equipment crew.
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kissmyblarneystones Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 5:08 pm
@Gustavo,
A very astute observation on your part. A coaches job is to motivate his players to produce results. there are many ways to do it, and a good coach knows what buttons to push.
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KC23 Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:07 pm
@rogiesbackup, Quote: ” … Justin Williams was in a 14 game funk last season but managed to get out of it. He would’ve fell deeper in the whole if he were bench loosing confidence and more detrimental, loosing his touch of the game … ”
That is pure speculation IMHO. One could just as easily speculate that had Williams been benched after 5 games of his 14 game “funk” that he would of come back from his funk a good week or two sooner. Not to mention giving the scratch players work, which may be critical should someone get injured and we need someone ready to go immediately, not weeks after they get their game legs back.
OTOH, you could be right.
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linny Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:25 pm
@rogiesbackup, I don’t think its that serious…YET. But If this is his truer coaching style, shuffling guys in and out all the time, which we may not have seen completely last year (because the guys went on a tear), then u could very well b right.
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neil Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:30 pm
@linny, after winning the cup you will never hear me comment about line changes and benchings
..that is Neiling
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linny Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 4:51 pm
@neil, LMAO…Priceless! Obviously all coaches do a certain amount of benching n shuffling…I just hope it doesn’t get to what TM was doing, shuffling lines several times during the the game, cuz then he would b “S(p)uttering
Kenny44 Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 4:25 pm
@linny,
In the modern era, all coaches have a shelf life. In most cases, the coach loses the locker room, and you can’t fire all the players so . . . TM had to go. In a few cases, the coach leaves on his own terms because he loses the fire (Scottie Bowman). The exceptions have great flexibility, either in how they coach or how the team is managed. They can adapt their team’s style of play to the roster (Bylsma, Bowman) no matter how the team is managed or management allows them to do things their way without imposing too many outside expectations or restrictions (Trotz).
DS showed some of the former attribute last year, and by winning the Cup he might have gained the latter with the organization. But that doesn’t mean he won’t hit his shelf life with this team eventually.
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Deke'r Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 4:06 pm
@rogiesbackup, …..oh yeah….I can see why coach doesn’t want Willie back in the lineup…..???…
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now having my pre-game snack, guacamole ‘n chips con cerveza….home grown avos, of course…mmmm
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Munchrat Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:28 pm
@Real 7, Osso Bucco is almost ready
Cavalotto Langhr Nebbiolo 2007 is the alcohol delivery system of choice tonight.
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Munchrat Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:29 pm
@Munchrat, *Langhe
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Nice to see Gagne playing with Carter and Richards! you sure can tell they have chemistry
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NASH is 4-2-3=11 pts.
GOALS PER GAME
2.0 28th Overall
GOALS AGAINST
2.0 2nd Overall
POWER PLAY PCT
17.2 17th Overall
PENALTY KILL PCT
80.0 16th
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Kenny44 Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 4:27 pm
@Real 7, smells like OT again.
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Clifford totally deserved his “promotion” and I think everyone across the board appreciates the kid and what he brings. That said, the fourth line and the team in general REALLY missed his presence with Fraser and Nolan. When things aren’t working with the top six, they usually come out and change the complexion of the game and give a much needed shot in the arm to the rest of the team.
Now if only we can get a little healthier on the back end…
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harty Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:10 pm
@xeropoint, I continue to make this buisness point on the blog…………..
-Kyle Clifford will not be on a scoring line till he is making more money
-those that make decisions cannot allow a someone making $800k out preform anyone who is making millions per year, it only tells owners they have made poor management decisions
-its okay as Cliffy has done really well for himself and now the Kings will have to reward his efforts because he will continue to play hard and fast and learn
-new contract coming likely, Kings cannot waive him because the following teams would take him in a moment….Toronto, Montreal to name two, then there is Edmonton can you imagine there mix with a big strong forward to compliment the speed and high skilled guys there……
-so the great start cannot be tolerated for management to prove their worth in the eyes of the ownership
(too much money to Penner, Stoll, Gagne, etc)
So I agree with you xeropoint, Kyle deserved the promotion but upper management cannot allow it to continue,
DS hands are tied at times.
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HockeyNerd Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:36 pm
@harty, This makes no sense to me whatsoever. DS is being told by management he can’t put Clifford in a top 6 role because Penner and Gagne make the big $$$ BUT at the same time DS is benching Gagne and Penner (or putting them on the fourth line) as often as he likes? I think a coach is a coach and a GM is a GM. DS will decide who plays, when they play, where they play and he will make that decision according to what is best for the team, not what management tells him to do. Take off your rose colored glasses and realize that Clifford is simply NOT a top 6 forward.
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Michael J. Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 4:28 pm
@HockeyNerd,
Ya think!?
Duncanz Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:37 pm
@harty, ‘Neiling’
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neil Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:45 pm
@Duncanz, hey!!!!!
Gustavo Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:48 pm
@harty,
That’s a nonsense conspiracy theory. The other angle is more realistic:
“Hey, owners..look what a diamond we’ve managed to develop for just $800K…aren’t we great at what we do?”
Look at Adam Henrique of NJD for instance. He was a rookie, last year.
Skinner in Carolina a couple seasons ago.
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HockeyNerd Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:51 pm
@Gustavo, Exactly!
I guess Andrew Campbell didnt make a good enough impression to the bitter beer face in practice because he’s not in the lineup.
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Michael J. Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:24 pm
@puck73,
I wouldn’t play him either. The same six d-men held Nashville to 11 or 12 shots in regulation. They will be fine.
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Munchrat Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:32 pm
@Michael J., Agreed. Remember when DS called up King and Nolan? He got to see them play before he called them up. DS wants to see how bad he wants into the lineup.
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neil Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:33 pm
@Michael J., not really rated that high ..
..
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Kingsfanone Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:33 pm
@puck73,
But Lombardi must see something in Campbell, cuz now he’ll have to clear waivers if he’s sent back down. He’s here for the duration now.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:38 pm
The Mayor John Hoven (@mayorNHL) tweeted at 3:24 PM on Thu, Feb 07, 2013:
Why calling up Andrew Campbell may have been a risky move for the LA Kings http://t.co/rJscJjAa #LAKings #CBA #hockey
(https://twitter.com/mayorNHL/status/299659895588913152)
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KC23 Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:44 pm
@Kingsfanone, That’s not true … is it? If it is, then there is a trade coming very soon involving one of our defensemen.
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KC23 Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:57 pm
@KC23, Hey Jon, can you clarify waiver status of Campbell. I’m wondering if he can still play a set number of games before he enters waiver status or how it works?
Kingsfanone Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 4:04 pm
@KC23,
According to the Mayor in this article from his website.
http://mayorsmanor.com/2013/02/10-tidbits-on-new-kings-defenseman-andrew-campbell/
Kingsfanone Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 4:16 pm
@KC23,
Well, I posted 2 links separately and they both await moderation. So…..
But the Mayor has posted on Twitter an article that he says Campbell must clear waivers should he be sent back down.
Thanks.
xeropoint Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 4:38 pm
@KC23, One would think there had to be a deal in the works… I couldn’t understand why else Lombardi would risk losing so many players on waivers, especially defensemen. There’s virtually no way Campbell will stick with the big club. Would seem to be a precursor to a deal?
xeropoint Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 4:30 pm
@Kingsfanone, If I’m reading it right… Cap Geek has him not exempt anymore.
http://www.capgeek.com/waiver-calculator/?player_id=1378&eleven_games_radio=0&eleven_games_year=-1&NHL_games=0&first_season=2008&Calculate=
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KC23 Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:43 pm
@puck73, I think DS knows he’ll get more mileage just from having Campbell’s face there for DD2 and Muzzin to look over their shoulder at. Not to mention letting Campbell get a feel for what its like traveling for the big team.
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jordan Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 4:23 pm
@KC23, i believe campbell/bodnarchuck/muzzin can play in 10 nhl games or be on the roster for 30 days before they have to go through the waiver process again, although i could be wrong
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I think that we need to warned Predators that we don’t do a Boarding hit from best players on the kings and no slashing sticks and face on LA Kings best players and now grease play on Quick will be a Minor of 8 Minutes Power Play
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Kings need to start stronger against Nashville..
Last game we had a case of the Yips!
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Munchrat Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:37 pm
@Duncanz, we need to get in Rinne’s face early and often.
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xeropoint Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 4:42 pm
@Duncanz, One would hope they don’t get bit by any eRats.
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Is JQ capable of a shutout?
he looked much more like the old JQ towards the end of the last game.
His back surgery has been pretty well played down.
We need him to come up bigger than rinne tonight.
Which brings me to my last stupid question:
If JQ is fully healthy and returning to last years form,
is our D cabable of getting him a shutout?
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KC23 Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:58 pm
@Munchrat, Possible, not that likely with the way some of our defense has been playing lately.
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Bradapiller Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 4:04 pm
@Munchrat, It’s definitely all about the D. Quick is miraculous when he’s on his game but without Green and Mitchell cleaning out the front shutouts are going to be scarce.
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Mike Fisher said it:
“We’ll be fine”.
Yep. Just step on the ice, keep it simple, and it will all fall into place. Nooooo problem.
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Animals can’t talk?
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Lake Forest Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 3:51 pm
@DesertKing, well, my wife calls me a pig and me talk good
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Robert R Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 4:11 pm
@DesertKing, I tap my paw on the floor and my interpreter takes it from there
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Kingsfanone Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 4:18 pm
@DesertKing,
Surely you jest.
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Duncanz Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 4:29 pm
@DessertKing, Jim FOX? CHICK Hearn?
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…hey…how bout them Ducks leading the division and all….
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Kings need to Slash the Nash!!!
(obscure reference for some of youse post new waver Canadians)
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Can we score first tonight? last years playoff success had so much to do with scoring first. Putting a lot of pressure and making teams pay for mistakes and turnovers. We been playing behind I think in every game except the Phx game.
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xeropoint Reply:
February 7th, 2013 at 4:47 pm
@Pesus, Kings scored first 3 times, with a 1-1-1 record.
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Please NO quicksand Hockey…
I slept well last night and don’t need to be
Lulled to sleep this afternoon…
We have to outskate them at least..
GKG…
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There is only one thing that needs to be on this site. Regardless, of all the fancy tabs, APPS all of it and it’s the answer as to why the Kings losing so badly?
Was it simply a fluke last season and is this who they really are? If it’s uncharacteritic then is what is characteristic?
Millions are paid to these players and coaches. In all those millions paid, what is the reason? If they’re practing on Saturday on the victor’s rink that killed them 3-0 what are they practing?
Perhaps, visualzing themselves in the playoff’s last year. That hunger, that magic to win is the truly what they need to practice. Oh, and one more thing WAKE UP no one going to screw up so that you win because Nashiville had the hunger and you guys just look gassy from too much fine food.
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ps. pardon my grammar- too upset to care.
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I think other site proprietors should take this website as an model, very clean and great user genial style and design, as well as the content. You’re an expert in this topic!
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