Nashville @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 14, 2019 ) Nashville 3, Los Angeles 1

The Los Angeles Kings have been extremely generous to start the season, with the 17 goals allowed over their first three games marking their most in that stretch since permitting 20 in 1985-86. The Kings look to shore up their back end on Saturday when they play their home opener against the Nashville Predators.

"Some of the players we've counted on, or we need to count on, have to play a lot better or they don't belong in the league. We'll have to look at some individuals," Los Angeles coach Todd McLellan said after seeing his team on the business end of Wednesday's 8-2 drubbing versus Vancouver. Franchise goaltender Jonathan Quick surrendered a career-high eight goals in that contest and has yielded 14 tallies on 56 shots in two starts this season. Quick's troubles might get even worse with Filip Forsberg visiting the Staples Center, as the 25-year-old Swede became the first player in Predators history to score a goal in four straight games to begin a season in Thursday's 6-5 win over Washington. Forsberg will attempt to become the first Nashville player to score in five consecutive contests since Kevin Fiala accomplished the feat from Dec. 13-21, 2017.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, FS Tennessee (Nashville), FS West (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (3-1-0): Offseason acquisition Matt Duchene paid early dividends on the seven-year, $56 million contract he signed in the summer by becoming the fifth player in franchise history to begin a season with an assist in four straight games. The 28-year-old, who has recorded multi-point performances in four of his last six encounters with the Kings, was quick to credit a Nashville offense that has featured a dozen different players with at least one goal. "You look at our forwards," Duchene said. "I mean, it doesn't matter what line you look at. Any line can be our best line any given night. Everyone has been coming in waves."

ABOUT THE KINGS (1-2-0): Los Angeles' second line was taken to task by the Canucks, with Adrian Kempe recording a minus-4 rating as he struggles to find his footing after signing a three-year, $6 million contract in the offseason. Linemate Jeff Carter didn't fare much better, as his minus-3 rating in that contest boosted his season total to a club high-tying minus-5. Ilya Kovalchuk also finished with a minus-3 rating on the heels of recording four points (one goal, three assists) in his first two games.

OVERTIME

1. Nashville G Pekka Rinne is 16-7-5 with two shutouts in 28 career meetings with Los Angeles.

2. Kings captain Anze Kopitar, who leads the team in assists (four) and points (five), scored and set up a goal in a 5-3 loss against the Predators on Nov. 17.

3. Twelve of Nashville's 19 goals scored have come in the third period.

PREDICTION: Predators 5, Kings 2