Kings 4, Predators 3 (OT)
By Dennis Bernstein, The Sports Xchange
LOS ANGELES -- Center Jeff Carter scored at 4:42 of overtime to give the Los Angeles Kings a 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday afternoon.
The Kings ran their winning streak to seven games after Carter took a long lead pass from Drew Doughty. Carter waited for goaltender Pekka Rinne to move and beat him high with a wrist shot.
Goaltender Jonathan Quick stopped 31 shots for the Kings and improved to 6-3-0.
Nashvillle defenseman Ryan Ellis set the stage for overtime when his unscreened slap shot beat Quick to the short side at 13:57 after the Kings rallied to take a third period lead.
The Kings took a 3-2 lead with goals inside a span of 3:02 of the final frame.
Center Andy Andreoff scored his first goal of the season by converting a rebound of a shot by defenseman Jake Muzzin at 15:08 after right winger Tyler Toffoli's second goal of the game at7:06?drew Los Angeles even.
The Predators took a 2-1 lead after two periods on the strength of two power play goals. Defenseman Shea Weber's blast from 60 feet Quick cleanly to his stick side at 16:15 for his second goal of the season.
Nashville knotted the game at 1-1 on left winger James Neal's power play goal at 12:53 of the middle frame. Neal beat Quick to his stick side for his seventh goal of the season after his initial shot was blocked by Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin.
The Kings opened the scoring on Toffoli's eighth goal of the season on a power play at 4:28 of the second period. Toffoli took a quick pass from defenseman Christian Ehrhoff beat Rinne with a hard backhand shot.
Rinne stopped 25 Los Angeles shots dropping his record to 6-2-1.
NOTES: The Predators scratched D Anthony Bitetto, RW Miikka Salomaki and D Victor Bartley. ... The Predators conclude their early season road trip at the Anaheim Ducks Sunday and at the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. The early trip is an annual affair as the Country Music Association Awards take over the Bridgestone Arena. ... Nashville is the only NHL club not to have surrendered an opening period goal this season. ... The Los Angeles Kings did not dress C Jordan Weal. ... The Kings sent D Derek Forbort to their AHL affiliate in Ontario. Forbort was Los Angeles' 1st round pick in the 2010 draft and continues to struggle to find a place on the Kings' 23 man roster. ... The standoff continues between the representatives for Kings C Anze Kopitar and general manager Dean Lombardi on a contract extension. Kopitar has played his entire career in Los Angeles and is reportedly looking for an eight-year deal with an annual average salary over $10 million and will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1 if no deal is reached.