Comments / New

Kings-Predators Game Preview: Kings Nation turns its lonely eyes to Jonathan Quick

The Kings battle the Predators for the second time in this young season, in the second stop on their Central Division road trip. The Kings are coming off of a convincing win against the lowly Blue Jackets, but will face a tougher challenge in the Predators, who just spanked the Blues 6-1, and came out on top with a 2-1 shootout win in a lacklustre game one of the season series a week ago. The Kings and Predators played some pretty entertaining hockey last season, so let’s hope for a return to form tonight.

Los Angeles Kings vs Nashville Predators, Bridgestone Arena

Time: 5:00 PM Pacific

TV: Fox Sports West (good guys), Fox Sports Tennessee (bad guys)

Enemy reading: On the Forecheck

Predators (projected) lineup:

Kostitsyn-Fisher-Erat
Bourque-Legwand-Wilson
Spaling-Gaustad-Yip
Clune-Smith-

Josi-Weber
Gill-Ellis
Hannan-Klein
Blum

Rinne

Scratches: McGrattan, Halischuk
Injured: Hornqvist

Kings (projected) lineup:

Brown-Kopitar-Williams
Gagne-Richards-Carter
King-Stoll-Lewis
Clifford-Richardson-Nolan

Scuderi-Doughty
Voynov-Martinez
Drewiske-Muzzin

Quick

Scratches: Campbell, Fraser, Penner
Injured: Greene (back), Mitchell (knee)

Game Notes

  • As Robert has shown in his post-game statistical breakdowns, the Kings have been a strong possession team. They are creating chances for and limiting chances against, and most of their scoreboard struggles have been as a result of bad luck and sub-standard goaltending. The worst EV SV% in the League, as a matter of fact. Although the Kings pulled out the win, Quick wasn’t exactly in Vezina form against the Blue Jackets last game. So the question heading into this game was, would Coach Sutter play Quick to continue to help him ride out this cold streak, or start notorious Nashville nemesis Bernier? Quick has been tabbed for the start tonight – we’ll know soon if that was the right choice.
  • It looks like $3.25 million man Dustin Penner will watch from the press box, again. Penner was messy when he was let back into the lineup versus the Ducks, and he got the hook again immediately afterwards. The Gagne-Richards-Carter line has been fairly effective at generating chances, so Penner stays in his suit.
  • Slava Voynov had a hell of a game against the Blue Jackets. Scuderi-Doughty have been shouldering a monstrous minutes load, but it was Voynov-Martinez who saw the most of the Jackets’ first line last game. It will be interesting to see if that trend continues.
  • Nashville is returning home after a strong three-win road trip, and is looking to continue to roll. The Predators started the season off slowly, and now appear to be picking up steam. The result of one game will only tell you what happened in that one game, but it’s hard not to think of this game as gauge for whether the Kings are going to start to round back into championship form, or continue to slump a little bit longer.
  • With Patric Hornqvist out, Coach Barry Trotz has been playing 11 forwards and 7 defencemen. It’s clearly working for the Predators, but it will be interesting to see how, and if, Coach Sutter tries to match the jumbled Predator lines.
  • Old friend Rich Clune, claimed by Nashville on waivers at the beginning of the season, scored his first NHL goal in the Predators’ last game, versus the Blues. Good job, Rich. Please don’t break anyone’s face with your fists tonight.
  • Go Kings Go

Los Angeles Kings Tickets

Talking Points