Kings Vs Predators Game Preview: Kings Looking to Pull Ahead of the Predators for Final Wildcard Spot
The Kings play their second game in back-to-back nights after they defeated the St Louis Blues in overtime 2-1 to move into the last wildcard spot in the west. The Predators are on a 3-game losing streak and are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. With a win today, the Kings can be 3 points ahead of the Predators tonight.
Projected Kings Lines
Here are the projected lines for the Kings tonight:
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Artemi Panarin – Anze Kopitar – Adrian Kempe
Trevor Moore – Quinton Byfield – Alex Laferriere
Joel Armia – Scott Laughton – Jared Wright
Mathieu Joseph – Alex Turcotte – Taylor Ward
Brian Dumoulin – Drew Doughty
Joel Edmundson – Brandt Clarke
Mikey Anderson – Cody Ceci
Darcy Kuemper
Anton Forsberg
Projected Predators Lines
Here are the projected lines for the Predators tonight:
Zachary L’Heureux — Ryan O’Reilly – Steven Stamkos
Filip Forsberg – Matthew Wood – Jonathan Marchessault
Tyson Jost – Erik Haula – Luke Evangelista
Reid Schaefer – Fedor Svechkov – Joakim Kemell
Brady Skjei – Roman Josi
Nicolas Hague – Nick Perbix
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Adam Wilsby – Justin Barron
Juuse Saros
Justus Annunen
Line Changes and Injuries
The Kings are likely to start Darcy Kuemper after Anton Forsberg started last night in the 2-1 overtime win. For the Nashville Predators, Juuse Saros will likely get the start tonight, and that is likely the only change the Predators have made to their lineup. The Kings are also likely to keep the same starting lineup as last night.
Key Factors
The Kings and the Blues had a very low-scoring game last night, and it worked in the Kings’ favour, as they were able to avoid panic after the Blues tied it late in the 3rd. The Kings played a strong game across the board yesterday. The offence was the weakest point, but the duo of Panarin and Kempe helped the Kings get on the board, which is something to look out for in tonight’s game.
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The Kings’ defence played a solid game yesterday, and if they play as they did against the Blues, they will find success against the Predators. The Kings need to play their game as they did in St. Louis, and if it is a low-scoring game, they can use their experience to their advantage and walk out with a win in a close matchup.
Overall, the Predators have more depth than the Blues, but if the Kings’ depth players can apply pressure, it will allow the entire team to build on that momentum. This is the biggest game of the season for the Kings, as it could create a gap between them and Nashville for the final wildcard spot.
My prediction for tonight’s matchup is a 4-2 Kings win.
