Reilly
11-05-2005, 10:28 AM
Nashville Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) (8-2-2) at Los Angeles Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307) (9-5-0).
TIME: Saturday, 4 p.m. EST.
The Nashville Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) look to end a four-game losing streak as they face the Los Angeles Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307) at Staples Center.
Three of those four losses have come on the road for the Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326), who opened the season with eight straight victories before an overtime loss at Columbus on Oct. 26 triggered their current slide.
The Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) were successful playing beyond regulation in the early going, securing three shootout victories en route to becoming just the third NHL team to win eight straight to open a season. They have a pair of overtime losses during their recent skid.
Nashville lost 3-2 at San Jose Wednesday, when Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) center Alyn McCauley (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66815) scored a short-handed goal 1:44 into overtime while the Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) had a 4-on-3 advantage. A third-period penalty preceded San Jose's tying goal, and Nashville penalties in the final period have set up key power-play goals in three of the four defeats.
"The last two games penalties have just killed us," left wing Paul Kariya (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66910) said after the loss to the Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317). "They got three or four power plays in the third period and finally got one. Then in overtime, we have a 4-3 advantage and they score - that's unacceptable."
The Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326), who have scored just four goals in their last three games, play a Los Angeles team that posted a pair of 3-0 shutouts over Nashville in 2003-04. The Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307) have won six of their last seven games against the Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326), who have been blanked in three of the last five meetings.
The three goalies who shut out Nashville are no longer with the Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307), who have enjoyed early-season success with rookies Jason LaBarbera and Mathieu Garon (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/109970). LaBarbera won his first seven starts for the first-place Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307), yet it wasn't until last week that either of them made back-to-back starts.
Coach Andy Murray has played down any thoughts of a goalie controversy or a need to have a No. 1 man.
"It's a challenge every game to show that they can keep it going at this level," said Murray. "We're going to keep using both of them."
Both netminders have been pulled from a start in the last week, with LaBarbera lasting only two periods of Thursday's 4-0 loss to Phoenix.
The Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307), who will be without injured forwards Luc Robitaille (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66443) and Derek Armstrong (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/105515), have yet to lose consecutive games this season.
STANDINGS (through Nov. 4): Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - 18 points, 2nd place, 7 PB, Central Division. Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307) - 18 points, 1st place, Pacific Division.
TEAM LEADERS: Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - Steve Sullivan (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66409), Kariya and Yanic Perreault (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/343163), 5 goals; Sullivan, 8 assists and 13 points; Jeremy Stevenson (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/110044), 46 PIM. Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307) - Pavol Demitra (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/342205), 8 goals; Lubomir Visnovsky (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66523), 12 assists and 18 points; Sean Avery (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/109815), 36 PIM.
SPECIAL TEAMS (through Nov. 4): Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - Power play: 16.0 percent (12 for 75), 22nd in NHL. Penalty killing: 83.7 percent (67 for 80), 10th. Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307) - Power play: 17.2 percent (15 for 87), 18th. Penalty killing: 83.8 percent (78 for 93), 9th.
GOALTENDERS: Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - Tomas Vokoun (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66954) (7-2-1, 0 SO, 2.67 GAA); Chris Mason (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/110014) (1-0-1, 0, 3.31). Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307) - LaBarbera (7-2-0, 0, 2.21); Garon (2-3-0, 0, 3.24).
2003-04 SEASON SERIES: Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307), 3-0-1-0.
LAST MEETING: Feb. 23, 2004; Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307), 3-0. At Los Angeles, Ian Laperriere (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66515) scored a pair of goals and Cristobal Huet (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/105642) stopped 21 shots for his third shutout of the 2003-04 season.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - 3-1-2 on the road; Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307) - 6-3-0 at home.
TIME: Saturday, 4 p.m. EST.
The Nashville Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) look to end a four-game losing streak as they face the Los Angeles Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307) at Staples Center.
Three of those four losses have come on the road for the Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326), who opened the season with eight straight victories before an overtime loss at Columbus on Oct. 26 triggered their current slide.
The Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) were successful playing beyond regulation in the early going, securing three shootout victories en route to becoming just the third NHL team to win eight straight to open a season. They have a pair of overtime losses during their recent skid.
Nashville lost 3-2 at San Jose Wednesday, when Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317) center Alyn McCauley (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66815) scored a short-handed goal 1:44 into overtime while the Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) had a 4-on-3 advantage. A third-period penalty preceded San Jose's tying goal, and Nashville penalties in the final period have set up key power-play goals in three of the four defeats.
"The last two games penalties have just killed us," left wing Paul Kariya (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66910) said after the loss to the Sharks (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66317). "They got three or four power plays in the third period and finally got one. Then in overtime, we have a 4-3 advantage and they score - that's unacceptable."
The Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326), who have scored just four goals in their last three games, play a Los Angeles team that posted a pair of 3-0 shutouts over Nashville in 2003-04. The Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307) have won six of their last seven games against the Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326), who have been blanked in three of the last five meetings.
The three goalies who shut out Nashville are no longer with the Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307), who have enjoyed early-season success with rookies Jason LaBarbera and Mathieu Garon (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/109970). LaBarbera won his first seven starts for the first-place Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307), yet it wasn't until last week that either of them made back-to-back starts.
Coach Andy Murray has played down any thoughts of a goalie controversy or a need to have a No. 1 man.
"It's a challenge every game to show that they can keep it going at this level," said Murray. "We're going to keep using both of them."
Both netminders have been pulled from a start in the last week, with LaBarbera lasting only two periods of Thursday's 4-0 loss to Phoenix.
The Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307), who will be without injured forwards Luc Robitaille (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66443) and Derek Armstrong (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/105515), have yet to lose consecutive games this season.
STANDINGS (through Nov. 4): Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - 18 points, 2nd place, 7 PB, Central Division. Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307) - 18 points, 1st place, Pacific Division.
TEAM LEADERS: Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - Steve Sullivan (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66409), Kariya and Yanic Perreault (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/343163), 5 goals; Sullivan, 8 assists and 13 points; Jeremy Stevenson (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/110044), 46 PIM. Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307) - Pavol Demitra (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/342205), 8 goals; Lubomir Visnovsky (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66523), 12 assists and 18 points; Sean Avery (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/109815), 36 PIM.
SPECIAL TEAMS (through Nov. 4): Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - Power play: 16.0 percent (12 for 75), 22nd in NHL. Penalty killing: 83.7 percent (67 for 80), 10th. Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307) - Power play: 17.2 percent (15 for 87), 18th. Penalty killing: 83.8 percent (78 for 93), 9th.
GOALTENDERS: Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - Tomas Vokoun (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66954) (7-2-1, 0 SO, 2.67 GAA); Chris Mason (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/110014) (1-0-1, 0, 3.31). Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307) - LaBarbera (7-2-0, 0, 2.21); Garon (2-3-0, 0, 3.24).
2003-04 SEASON SERIES: Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307), 3-0-1-0.
LAST MEETING: Feb. 23, 2004; Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307), 3-0. At Los Angeles, Ian Laperriere (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/66515) scored a pair of goals and Cristobal Huet (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player/105642) stopped 21 shots for his third shutout of the 2003-04 season.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Predators (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66326) - 3-1-2 on the road; Kings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/team/66307) - 6-3-0 at home.