Los Angeles 2, Nashville 1
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, February 20, 2016
Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Referees:
Frederic L'Ecuyer, Chris Rooney
Linesmen:
Jonny Murray, Devin Berg
Attendance:
17369
By The Sports Xchange
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tanner Pearson struck again for the Los Angeles Kings.
The left winger scored on a wrist shot from close range with 3:42 left in overtime, lifting the Los Angeles Kings to a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.
Pearson also scored the winning goal in overtime against the New York Rangers eight days earlier.
Los Angeles (34-20-4) improved its overtime record to 9-2.
"I think just having puck possession is the key thing," Pearson said. "That opening faceoff is pretty big and keep possession as long as possible. Three-on-three it's easy to chase the puck around and create chances."
Pearson's eighth goal of the season ended the Kings' three-game skid. Their last win came when he beat the Rangers in New York.
Kings goalie Jonathan Quick made 33 saves in the win, improving his record to 29-15-3.
"I've said it lots and lots, Jonathan doesn't get enough credit for what he does," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "Pick a goalie in a big game, I'll take Jonathan Quick."
Los Angeles, first in the Pacific Division, killed five of six penalties during regulation.
"We've been taking too many penalties, especially early on in games, and giving teams momentum," Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin said. "And it's kind of dug us a little hole on this trip. We gave up one (power-play goal) in the first. Throughout the game we did a pretty good job on the penalty kill."
The Kings ended a season-long seven-game road trip. They return home Tuesday to face Calgary.
"We've had a long trip," Sutter said. "We used a lot of players when you look at it. We used three goalies, eight defensemen, 15 forwards. It's been a hard trip, give the guys credit."
Muzzin also scored for the Kings.
The Predators' overtime record fell to 1-10.
"It's unfortunate, they're trying to win, too," said defenseman Ryan Ellis, who scored Nashville's only goal. "It's not from a lack of effort. I think at times we are complacent and other times, I mean, the other teams are just making good shots."
Predators goalie Pekka Rinne made 28 saves in the loss.
Nashville (27-22-10), which entered the game fourth in the Central Division, has earned at least one point in each of the last five games.
"The points are important, but it's disappointing coming off of a loss," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. "Anytime you leave an overtime loss or a shootout loss it's difficult to be excited about a point. But we've got to keep collecting them."
Nashville dominated play early as Los Angeles left wings Kyle Clifford and Andy Andreoff both took roughing penalties.
The Predators took the game's first six shots, but the Kings scored first when Muzzin fired a wrist shot through traffic from inside the center of the blue line to give Los Angeles a 1-0 lead at 15:37 of the first period.
Muzzin's shot beat Rinne's glove side for his seventh goal of the season.
Ellis' power-play goal tied the game at 1 when he swatted a puck that slid through the crease into the right side of the net with 27 seconds left in the first period.
A too many men on the ice penalty gave the Predators the man advantage.
Los Angeles took three penalties in the first period, allowing Nashville to outshoot the Kings 12-4.
Predators defenseman Barret Jackman left the ice favoring his left arm after crashing into the end boards after a collision with Kings left winger Michael Mersch with 4:24 left in the second period.
Kings center Anze Kopitar was scratched after suffering a lower-body injury in the first period of Thursday's 2-1 overtime loss at St. Louis. He leads Los Angeles with 51 points.
NOTES: Los Angeles recalled LW Michael Mersch, 23, from Ontario of the American Hockey League. He led Ontario with 19 goals at the time of his call-up and posted one goal and two assists in 15 games with the Kings earlier in the season. ... Los Angeles played its final game of a season-long seven-game trip after going 2-3-1 in the previous six away from home. ... Nashville allowed only three goals in its previous three games, including two shutouts. ... Predators G Pekka Rinne, who posted his third shutout of the season in Thursday's 2-0 win over Boston, went 2-0-1 in his previous three starts against the Kings.
Top Game Performances
Los Angeles |
|
Nashville |
Jake Muzzin 1 |
Points |
Ryan Ellis 1 |
Jake Muzzin 1 |
Goals |
Ryan Ellis 1 |
Drew Doughty 1 |
Assists |
Mike Fisher 1 |
N/A |
Power Play Goals |
Ryan Ellis 1 |
N/A |
Short Handed Goals |
N/A |
Jonathan Quick .971 |
Save Percentage |
Pekka Rinne .933 |
Jonathan Quick 33 |
Saves |
Pekka Rinne 28 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
Los Angeles
|
30 |
2 |
0-2 |
5-6 |
12 |
27 |
Nashville
|
34 |
1 |
1-6 |
2-2 |
4 |
33 |
Upcoming Games
-
Nashville will play their next game on the road against Montreal. The Predators have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .562 after a loss.
-
Los Angeles will play their next game at home against Calgary. The Kings have a W/L % of .529 after a win and .667 after a loss.