Nashville @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 12, 2019 ) Nashville 4, Los Angeles 7

The Nashville Predators make a quick trip to southern California for a back-to-back set beginning Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings. Nashville tries to recover from a disappointing 4-2 loss to Dallas on Wednesday in the NHL Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl that extended its losing streak to three games as it sits five points out of playoff position in the Western Conference.

“You’re involved in a game like this and you want a different outcome so that you can really take the day in for what it’s worth,” Predators coach Peter Laviolette told reporters after watching his club let a 2-0 lead slip away. “So we sit here on the wrong side of it, makes it a little more difficult for us.” Los Angeles has won two of its last three games after a 5-3 victory over Philadelphia on Tuesday as the league's fourth-worst power play went 3-for-3. "I thought yesterday's practice showed up in the game,'' Kings coach Todd McLellan told the media. "They are picking things up and putting it into play the following day." Alex Iafallo scored the go-ahead goal in the final minute as Los Angeles defeated Nashville 7-4 on Oct. 12 at Staples Center to snap a six-game series slide.

TIME: 10:30 p.m. ET. TV: FS Tennessee, FS West

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (18-15-6): Captain Roman Josi (team-high 41 points) has seven of his 14 goals - tied with Filip Forsberg for the club lead - and eight assists during an eight-game point streak. Ryan Ellis left Wednesday's game after taking an illegal hit to the head from Dallas' Corey Perry and is not expected to play Saturday. Forsberg, Ellis and Matt Duchene are second on the team with 28 points apiece with Duchene recording a goal and three assists in his last two contests.

ABOUT THE KINGS (17-21-4): Anze Kopitar (team-high 37 points) recorded two assists Tuesday, moving past team president Luc Robitaille and into fourth place in club history with 598 assists, telling told reporters: "Well, I'm going to let Luc know about it. It's gonna make me feel even better." Iafallo, who is set to play his 200th NHL game Saturday, scored Tuesday and has two goals and four assists during a season-high five-game point streak. Drew Doughty (493 career points) had an assist against Philadelphia and is one point shy of tying Rob Blake for most in club history among defensemen.

OVERTIME

1. Josi also leads the team in plus-minus rating (plus-17), shots (140) and ice time (25 minutes, 35 seconds per game).

2. Los Angeles RW Dustin Brown returned to practice Thursday after recovering from a bout with pneumonia, but will miss his fourth straight game Saturday.

3. The Kings were 1-for-13 on the power play in the five games prior to Tuesday while the Predators are 3-for-6 with the man advantage in the last two contests but an eye-popping 2-for-7 on the penalty kill.

PREDICTION: Predators 3, Kings 2