GDT: Predators @ Kings - 12/7/2006 - 9:30pm CST

PredDave · 12-07-2006, 08:18 AM

• Who: Predators at Los Angeles Kings
• Where: Staples Center
• When: 9:30 p.m.
• TV: Fox Sports Net
• Radio: 560-AM
• Season series: First meeting
• Predators storyline:
Nashville, which played in Anaheim on Wednesday, is 5-0-1 in the second half of back-to-back games.
Left wing Paul Kariya led the Predators with five points (four goals, one assist) in four games against the Kings last season.
Backup goalie Michael Leighton may make his first start as a Predator tonight. He went 8-6-1 in the American Hockey League this season.
• Kings storyline: Los Angeles has won three of its last five games, including Monday's 3-2 victory over Anaheim.
The Kings have beaten the Predators four straight times in Los Angeles, outscoring Nashville 15-6.
Los Angeles has had 174 power-play opportunities this season, tops in the league going into Wednesday night's games.
Left wing Alexander Frolov leads the Kings with 28 points (16 goals, 12 assists) and had four points against the Predators last season.
Center Anze Kopitar (six goals, 18 assists) is one of the NHL's top rookies.
• Predators injuries: RW Scottie Upshall (groin), C Jason Arnott (knee) and G Tomas Vokoun (thumb) are out, and C David Legwand (hand) is questionable.
• Kings injuries: G Mathieu Garon (groin) is doubtful, while D Brent Sopel (ankle, hand), D Oleg Tverdovsky (groin), D Richard Petiot (knee) and C Alyn McCauley (knee) are out.

LemaireisGOD · 12-07-2006, 08:26 AM

Watch out for Mike Cammalleri, Alexander Frolov (who's been red hot lately) and Anze Kopitar...that's really all you have to REALLY worry about. Also...Sean Avery has quieted down on the PIM's, but has been chippin' in the assists on the power play. Good luck! GO WILD!!!

PredDave · 12-07-2006, 09:06 AM

Nashville (17-7-3) at Los Angeles (10-15-4) : Yahoo! Preview

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/preview;...gid=2006120708

The loss of goaltender Tomas Vokoun to an injury may be starting to catch up with Chris Mason and the Central Division-leading Nashville Predators.

Nashville looks to avoid losing a season-high fourth straight game when it continues a four-game road trip at Staples Center against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

The Predators (17-7-3) have dropped four straight and eight of nine, including three shutouts, in Los Angeles since March 2001.

Vokoun, the franchise's all-time wins leader with 145, suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb during a 6-0 win over Vancouver on Nov. 23 and isn't expected to return until the end of the month.

With Mason in net, Nashville outscored its opponents 14-8 while winning three in a row. During the losing streak, however, Mason has surrendered 11 goals while the Predators have scored just five times.

Nashville was shut out for the third time this season -- all on the road -- after a 4-0 loss to Anaheim on Wednesday as Mason finished with 28 saves.

To give Mason a rest, Nashville coach Barry Trotz may start Michael Leighton in goal. Leighton, claimed off waivers from Anaheim on Nov. 27, hasn't played in the NHL since 2004 with Chicago and is 8-21 with 10 ties and a 2.96 goals-against average in his two-year career.

Paul Kariya's recent struggles also have mirrored the Predators' recent slide. Kariya, who spent his first nine seasons with the Ducks, was booed by Anaheim fans, didn't have a shot on goal and had a tripping penalty late in the game that led to Chris Kunitz's power-play goal.

"I think he presses a little bit when he plays them because he started his career here and he wants to do well against them," Trotz said of Kariya, who has one assist in his last three games. "I think everyone in the other room recognizes that Paul is a quality player and they try to shut him down."

One team that has struggled to shut Kariya down is Los Angeles (10-15-4). Kariya has four goals and an assist in a three-game points streak against the Kings. He's posted career-bests with 28 goals and 59 points in 51 games against them.

Despite the recent slide, Nashville still has a three-point lead over second-place Detroit in the Central Division.

PredDave · 12-08-2006, 08:19 AM

Whew! great effort in the 4-1 victory....

The Predators played with some heart and determination (unlike the previous few games). You could tell in the first few minutes of the game that they were not going to roll over and give this 2 points away.

This game was 1000 times more energetic and fun to watch than the dud against the Ducks the other night...

Lots of positives to the game: Team putting the puck on net instead of so many cutesy passes, Erat with 3 assists, and Radulov with another goal!
Way to go!

The only glaring negative -- another groin injury to Sullivan....

LemaireisGOD · 12-08-2006, 11:08 AM

The Ducks are a much better team than the Kings. The Ducks can take whatever you do well and counter it or throw it back in your face. The Kings can't; so you can get the jump on them. Plus Trash Can Dan Cloutier sucks. He's killing my wild.com fantasy team...and apart from that...this team is still one in transition. It has some decent pieces...but no super talent yet to anchor the offense. Kopitar is very good for a youngster...but not a gamebreaker like an Ovechkin, Crosby or Malkin. The Preds did play well last night...and I'm glad you enjoyed it. We certainly enjoyed our game against the Flames last night! GO WILD!!!

PredDave · 12-08-2006, 12:03 PM

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=187608&hubname=nhl

Predators beat Kings to snap out of skid

After getting thoroughly dominated by the top team in the NHL down the freeway in Anaheim, the Nashville Predators came to Staples Center and dominated one of the league's most inconsistent clubs.

Scott Hartnell celebrated his 400th NHL game with a power-play goal and the Nashville Predators beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 on Thursday night.

"It was a big win for us," coach Barry Trotz said. "We needed that to sort of getting back that feeling of winning again. We got contributions from all areas of our lineup."

Kimmo Timonen and rookie Alexander Radulov also scored on power plays and Martin Erat had a career-high three assists, helping the Central Division-leading Predators end a three-game losing streak. Teammate Jerred Smithson added a short-handed goal off a sloppy turnover by rookie defenceman Peter Harrold.

Goaltender Chris Mason, making his seventh consecutive start since Tomas Vokoun tore ligaments in his left thumb on Nov. 23, stopped 20 shots.

12-07-2006, 08:18 AM	#1 (permalink)
PredDave Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 832	GDT: Predators @ Kings - 12/7/2006 - 9:30pm CST • Who: Predators at Los Angeles Kings • Where: Staples Center • When: 9:30 p.m. • TV: Fox Sports Net • Radio: 560-AM • Season series: First meeting • Predators storyline: Nashville, which played in Anaheim on Wednesday, is 5-0-1 in the second half of back-to-back games. Left wing Paul Kariya led the Predators with five points (four goals, one assist) in four games against the Kings last season. Backup goalie Michael Leighton may make his first start as a Predator tonight. He went 8-6-1 in the American Hockey League this season. • Kings storyline: Los Angeles has won three of its last five games, including Monday's 3-2 victory over Anaheim. The Kings have beaten the Predators four straight times in Los Angeles, outscoring Nashville 15-6. Los Angeles has had 174 power-play opportunities this season, tops in the league going into Wednesday night's games. Left wing Alexander Frolov leads the Kings with 28 points (16 goals, 12 assists) and had four points against the Predators last season. Center Anze Kopitar (six goals, 18 assists) is one of the NHL's top rookies. • Predators injuries: RW Scottie Upshall (groin), C Jason Arnott (knee) and G Tomas Vokoun (thumb) are out, and C David Legwand (hand) is questionable. • Kings injuries: G Mathieu Garon (groin) is doubtful, while D Brent Sopel (ankle, hand), D Oleg Tverdovsky (groin), D Richard Petiot (knee) and C Alyn McCauley (knee) are out. Last edited by PredDave; 12-07-2006 at 08:36 AM.

12-07-2006, 08:26 AM	#2 (permalink)
LemaireisGOD Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 504	Watch out for Mike Cammalleri, Alexander Frolov (who's been red hot lately) and Anze Kopitar...that's really all you have to REALLY worry about. Also...Sean Avery has quieted down on the PIM's, but has been chippin' in the assists on the power play. Good luck! GO WILD!!! __________________ "Why mess around with PT Boats when you can have a Destroyer?" ~ Al Strachan (Hockey Night in Canada)

12-08-2006, 11:08 AM	#5 (permalink)
LemaireisGOD Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 504	The Ducks are a much better team than the Kings. The Ducks can take whatever you do well and counter it or throw it back in your face. The Kings can't; so you can get the jump on them. Plus Trash Can Dan Cloutier sucks. He's killing my wild.com fantasy team...and apart from that...this team is still one in transition. It has some decent pieces...but no super talent yet to anchor the offense. Kopitar is very good for a youngster...but not a gamebreaker like an Ovechkin, Crosby or Malkin. The Preds did play well last night...and I'm glad you enjoyed it. We certainly enjoyed our game against the Flames last night! GO WILD!!! __________________ "Why mess around with PT Boats when you can have a Destroyer?" ~ Al Strachan (Hockey Night in Canada)

12-07-2006, 09:06 AM	#3 (permalink)
PredDave Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 832	Nashville (17-7-3) at Los Angeles (10-15-4) : Yahoo! Preview http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/preview;...gid=2006120708 The loss of goaltender Tomas Vokoun to an injury may be starting to catch up with Chris Mason and the Central Division-leading Nashville Predators. Nashville looks to avoid losing a season-high fourth straight game when it continues a four-game road trip at Staples Center against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. The Predators (17-7-3) have dropped four straight and eight of nine, including three shutouts, in Los Angeles since March 2001. Vokoun, the franchise's all-time wins leader with 145, suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb during a 6-0 win over Vancouver on Nov. 23 and isn't expected to return until the end of the month. With Mason in net, Nashville outscored its opponents 14-8 while winning three in a row. During the losing streak, however, Mason has surrendered 11 goals while the Predators have scored just five times. Nashville was shut out for the third time this season -- all on the road -- after a 4-0 loss to Anaheim on Wednesday as Mason finished with 28 saves. To give Mason a rest, Nashville coach Barry Trotz may start Michael Leighton in goal. Leighton, claimed off waivers from Anaheim on Nov. 27, hasn't played in the NHL since 2004 with Chicago and is 8-21 with 10 ties and a 2.96 goals-against average in his two-year career. Paul Kariya's recent struggles also have mirrored the Predators' recent slide. Kariya, who spent his first nine seasons with the Ducks, was booed by Anaheim fans, didn't have a shot on goal and had a tripping penalty late in the game that led to Chris Kunitz's power-play goal. "I think he presses a little bit when he plays them because he started his career here and he wants to do well against them," Trotz said of Kariya, who has one assist in his last three games. "I think everyone in the other room recognizes that Paul is a quality player and they try to shut him down." One team that has struggled to shut Kariya down is Los Angeles (10-15-4). Kariya has four goals and an assist in a three-game points streak against the Kings. He's posted career-bests with 28 goals and 59 points in 51 games against them. Despite the recent slide, Nashville still has a three-point lead over second-place Detroit in the Central Division.

12-08-2006, 08:19 AM	#4 (permalink)
PredDave Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 832	Whew! great effort in the 4-1 victory.... The Predators played with some heart and determination (unlike the previous few games). You could tell in the first few minutes of the game that they were not going to roll over and give this 2 points away. This game was 1000 times more energetic and fun to watch than the dud against the Ducks the other night... Lots of positives to the game: Team putting the puck on net instead of so many cutesy passes, Erat with 3 assists, and Radulov with another goal! Way to go! The only glaring negative -- another groin injury to Sullivan....

12-08-2006, 12:03 PM	#6 (permalink)
PredDave Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 832	http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=187608&hubname=nhl Predators beat Kings to snap out of skid After getting thoroughly dominated by the top team in the NHL down the freeway in Anaheim, the Nashville Predators came to Staples Center and dominated one of the league's most inconsistent clubs. Scott Hartnell celebrated his 400th NHL game with a power-play goal and the Nashville Predators beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 on Thursday night. "It was a big win for us," coach Barry Trotz said. "We needed that to sort of getting back that feeling of winning again. We got contributions from all areas of our lineup." Kimmo Timonen and rookie Alexander Radulov also scored on power plays and Martin Erat had a career-high three assists, helping the Central Division-leading Predators end a three-game losing streak. Teammate Jerred Smithson added a short-handed goal off a sloppy turnover by rookie defenceman Peter Harrold. Goaltender Chris Mason, making his seventh consecutive start since Tomas Vokoun tore ligaments in his left thumb on Nov. 23, stopped 20 shots.