Predators at Kings
The Nashville Predators finished February with a flourish with 19 goals during their four-game winning streak, only to see the offense take a step back in a three-game winless skid (0-2-1) to begin the month of March. The Predators look to get it together and bolster their postseason standing on Thursday when they continue their trek through the Golden State by paying the Los Angeles Kings a visit.
Nashville has scored just seven goals during its current losing streak and mustered only four in its previous tour of California, with a 3-2 overtime setback to Los Angeles on Oct. 27 accounting for its lone point of the trek. The Predators own a 3-0-2 mark in their last five trips to the Staples Center, but were left with a sour taste in their mouth after Jeff Carter scored in the extra session. The 32-year-old Carter (team-leading 30 goals, 56 points) also tallied in the Kings' 4-0 victory over Nashville on Dec. 22, giving him 27 points (16 goals, 11 assists) in 24 career encounters with the Predators. Unfortunately for Carter, the Kings have dropped nine of 13 (4-7-2) after Saturday's 4-3 loss to Vancouver and reside three points behind St. Louis for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN Tennessee (Nashville), SN360, SNO, FSN West (Los Angeles), NHL.TV
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (32-24-10): Captain Mike Fisher admits he's living a charmed life, both on the ice with his team and off with superstar wife Carrie Underwood and 2-year-old son Isaiah. The 36-year-old Fisher has eclipsed last season's totals in goals (16), assists (22) and points (38), leads the team in hits (135) and owns a 54.2 percent faceoff efficiency that is the best of his career. "I don't know if he's really changed too much this year, but I think he understands and appreciates his role," goaltender Pekka Rinne said of the content Fisher. "I think he really cares about everybody, which to me is one of the greatest qualities in him. ... Things like that make him a really good leader and captain."
ABOUT THE KINGS (31-28-6): Tanner Pearson is enjoying a career season by setting personal bests in both goals (22) and points (40), but the 24-year-old isn't too keen on discussing the business side of hockey at the moment - which has him becoming a restricted free agent on July 1. "(My agent and I) talked about it a bit for a couple weeks or a couple days, but it's not really up for question right now," Pearson said. "I think it's just about bearing down and helping the team win and getting in to those playoffs. That matters the most right now." Pearson, who is three assists shy of matching last season's career-high total (21), has scored three goals and set up three others in his last five games.
OVERTIME
1. Los Angeles captain Anze Kopitar has scored in back-to-back contests for the first time this season to extend his point streak to three games (two goals, one assist), with all three points being recorded on the power play.
2. Nashville C Calle Jarnkrok has 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in the past 19 games.
3. Kings G Jonathan Quick has been flustered by the Predators in his career, posting a 4-8-2 mark with an .894 save percentage.