Game Day #22: Kings @ Predators

Los Angeles Kings v Nashville Predators (Bridgestone Arena)

Time: 5.00 PM

TV: Fox Sports West, SNE, SNO

Kings projected lineup:

Predators projected lineup:

Game notes:

• The Kings haven’t had a proper full team morning skate in a few days, due to the current road trip, so I decided to just put in the lines like I would do them! Yayyy!! Look how pretty it is. It could be much prettier if the Kings can capitalize on this alleged significant interest in Jordan Nolan. (Don’t read the responses to that tweet. They are bad and will make you sad.)
• I’m also not sure about the defence pairings. Darryl Sutter recently broke up the top pairing to sprinkle some, uhh, competence throughout the blueline, but who knows what he’ll throw out tonight. The personnel won’t change, though – Alec Martinez is already back on the ice after his surgery, but isn’t skating with the team yet.
• Remember when the Washington Capitals decided that trading Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat would be a good idea? ABOUT THAT. I know they had a number of young offensive players they wanted to get in the lineup, but after being lucky enough to snag Forsberg after he dropped a bit in the draft, letting him go for a player who could have been had for almost nothing is frankly embarrassing.
• Forsberg has accumulated his impressive point total playing on the top line with Mike Ribeiro and James Neal, two guys who I totally forgot even played for the Predators. I hope very fervently that he is taking only hockey tips and not hair-washing tips from them. Anyway, this new Predators strategy of acquiring forwards who sort of got chased out of town has been pretty solid because they’re putting up points at an impressive pace.
• This is a game note about how “Calle Jarnkrok” is fun to say.
• Prediction: Kings win 4-2 because I don’t know – that seems right?