Joel Armia and Scott Laughton scored in regulation and Adrian Kempe had the lone goal in the shootout, lifting the Los Angeles Kings to a 3-2 win against the visiting Nashville Predators on Monday night.
Anton Forsberg made 29 saves and did not surrender a goal in the shootout for the Kings (32-26-19, 83 points), who stretched their point streak to four games (3-0-1) and moved a point ahead of the Predators for the second Western Conference wild-card spot.
Predators, who like the Kings have five games left, are one point ahead of the San Jose Sharks and two points in front of the Winnipeg Jets.
Roman Josi had a goal and an assist, Steven Stamkos also scored and Juuse Saros made 26 saves for the Predators (36-31-10, 82 points). Nashville had moved into the second wild-card spot with a 5-4 shootout victory in Los Angeles on Thursday and remained there following a 6-3 win at San Jose on Saturday.
Nashville won its previous two meetings against the Kings in shootouts this season.
The Kings scored the lone goal of the first period.
Armia took the puck behind the Nashville net and made a pass out front to Jared Wright. The puck went off Wright’s skate and back toward Saros, who tried to poke-check it away, but the puck went to Armia at the bottom of the left faceoff circle, and he shot it into the net for a 1-0 lead at 5:36.
The Kings committed two minor penalties four seconds apart early in the second period, and Nashville scored on the ensuing 5-on-3. Ryan O’Reilly passed the puck through the slot to Stamkos, who tallied with a one-timer from the right faceoff circle to tie it 1-1 at 4:29.
Los Angeles went on top again at 13:57 of the second period after Wright brought the puck down the right wall in the Nashville zone with speed. Just as he reached the goal line, Wright centered the puck to Laughton, who lifted it into the net for a 2-1 lead.
The Predators tied it 2-2 at 4:18 of the third. Filip Forsberg’s shot went wide but kicked out the other side of the net and Josi was there to shoot it under Anton Forsberg’s left pad from the left circle.
–Field Level Media
